I do hope that you were listening in and heard
the last message that I gave on the person of
the Holy Spirit. For the message that I shall
give today will mean so much more to you. Remember
when I left you in my last message. It was a
determined fact. that the Holy Spirit as a person
in the world today has a definite work that he
is doing. Before Jesus went away, one of the
very last things that he did was to tell of the
coming of the Holy Spirit. And in telling of
his coming, he also told of the definite work.
that the Holy Spirit would be doing while He
was here in residence on this earth. And I left
you, if you remember, with that portion of the
Word of God as found in the 16th chapter of John.
And we see here from this scripture that the
Holy Spirit's work as to the world is threefold.
Let me read it to you just once. It's found in
the 16th chapter of John, beginning with the
8th verse. And he, when he is come, will convict
the world in respect of sin and of righteousness
and of judgment. Of sin, because they believe
not on me. Of righteousness, because I go to
the Father and ye behold me no more. of judgment,
because the prince of this world hath been judged.
Now, from this scripture, we see that the Holy
Spirit is doing a threefold work in the world
today. First, to convict the world of sin. And
I explain that portion of the word of God to
you. in my last message. Second, to convict the
world of righteousness. And third, to convict
the world of judgment. Now for a very few minutes,
you and I are going to consider the second of
the work of the Holy Spirit here on this earth
and while He is in the world. To convict... the
world of righteousness. Let me first of all ask
just one question. What is righteousness? When
we think of righteousness, we must remember that
it must be conformed to the divine standard of
right and justice, to be upright. and blameless.
But it is not the world's righteousness that
is here meant, for it has none. It is the righteousness
of Jesus. When Jesus was here on earth, he claimed
to be the very Son of God. He claimed to forgive
sins. to be himself holy and sinless, and that
whosoever believed on him should have eternal
life. Those were his claims. And believe me,
those were claims that were mighty hard for men
and women to accept. What would you think of
one coming in our midst, claiming to be the very
Son of God, claiming to be absolutely holy without
sin, claiming to forgive sins, claiming that
whosoever believed on him should have eternal
life. It was very difficult for men and women
to accept to believe his claims while he was
here on earth. He went to the cross under charges
of sedition and blasphemy. Even amid his dying
agonies, the challenge was hurled at him as spittle
ran down his flesh. If thou... Be the Son of
God. Come down from the cross. All that challenge.
Listen to the challenge from the lips of that
angry mob. If thou be the Son of the Living God,
if you are all that you say that you are, then...
Come down from the cross. Come on. Prove yourself
now. He failed to justify his claim by coming
down from the cross. He died as an ordinary mortal
dies. The shades of night found him locked in
the tomb of Joseph of Arimathea and a Roman guard
keeping watch. There was nothing supernatural
about that. It was all just as human as could
be. Where now are all of his claims to deity?
He died as any ordinary man died. He died as
any thief would have died. Where now are all
his claims to deity? He said, that he was the
very son of the living God, and yet truly there
was no deity manifested in his death, none whatsoever.
Was that to be the end of all his claims? Suppose
he remained in the tomb and had not risen. What
evidence would we have had he remained in the
tomb? Had there been no resurrection, how would
we have known that he was all that he said that
he was? How would we have known that he was not
an imposter, a false messiah, like many before
him? None. Absolutely none. If Christ be not
risen, the scripture says, then is our preaching
vain. and your faith is vain also. If Jesus had
not risen from the grave, that would have been
the end of his righteousness. The fact, then,
that Jesus rose from the dead is proof that his
claims were true, and thus his righteousness
was established. and that he was declared to
be the Son of God with power according to the
Spirit of Holiness, the Holy Spirit, by the resurrection
from the dead. Remember, the proof of the deity
and divinity of Jesus Christ was not in his death.
Sometimes I... think that we make so much over
the crucifixion of Jesus, his death on the cross.
Hundreds had died in the same way. The proof
of his deity was not in his death on the cross.
Know that. The proof of his deity and his divinity.
was in his glorious resurrection. The fact that
Jesus rose from the dead is proof that his claims
were true. His righteousness, this righteousness
that the word of God is referring to when it
says the Holy Spirit. will reprove the world
of sin and of righteousness. This is the righteousness
that the Holy Spirit is reproving the world of
and is proving to the world this very day. This
righteousness. His claims were true. And thus
his righteousness was established. And he was
declared to be the Son of God with power according
to the spirit of holiness by the resurrection
from the dead. Pause a minute. Consider something.
The standard miracle of the Old Testament is
the opening of the Red Sea. And the standard
miracle of the New Testament is the resurrection
and the exaltation of Jesus is the indisputable
proof of his righteousness. But how is the world
to know and be convinced of this glorious fact?
That, beloved, is the work of the Holy Spirit.
I want you to see something that's very remarkable.
We speak of His resurrection. We believe in His
glorious resurrection. We have every confidence
of His wonderful, supernatural resurrection.
But there is more than His resurrection. there
is also his exaltation. Know that. Even though
there was proof of his resurrection, how do we
know that he is this very hour seated at the
right hand of God the Father in position of great
high priest? ever living to make intercession
for you and for me. In just our common language
today, let me put it like this. How do we know
that he made it from earth to glory? That's right.
How do we know for sure that he is seated at
the right hand of God the Father, something might
have gone wrong. Something might have happened
from the time that his feet left the Mount of
Olives until he reached the Father's throne.
How can I be sure? How do I know that I have
a great high priest? How can I be sure that he's
there and I can confess my sins to him? Oh, to
me this is glorious. Follow me a minute. Why
are the disciples of Jesus knew that he had been
raised from the dead? They did not know whether
he had been exalted. And they could not know
unless a witness. was sent from heaven. And the
witness that was sent was the Holy Ghost. Now,
let me just give you a homey illustration. If
a friend should tell you that he was going to
take a trip to the Holy Land, and that when he
reached his destination, that he would send you,
oh, let me say, a box of figs. Now, even though
you did not hear from him by cable or even though
he did not send you a letter, the fact that you
received the box of figs that he said that he
would send you upon reaching the Holy Land would
be evidence sufficient that he had reached his
destination. And so, the fact that the promised
gift of the Holy Ghost on the day of Pentecost
was visible evidence and sufficient evidence
to the disciples that Jesus had reached heaven
and that the Father had approved of his work
here on earth and had accepted the sacrifice
of the cross. as an acknowledgement of his righteousness,
and had exalted him to a seat beside himself
on his throne. Oh, that's thrilling. We have
proof positive. There is no room for unbelief.
There is no room for anxiety on our part whatsoever.
Peter's defense before the consul were these
words. The God of our fathers raised up Jesus,
whom ye slew, and hanged on the cross. Him hath
God exalted with his right hand. That is, drew
him up with his right hand to a seat at his right
hand on his throne to be prince. For remember,
he is not yet king. And a savior for to give
repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins.
And we... The disciples are his witnesses of
these things, and so is also the Holy Ghost.
You know, the law required two witnesses. Read
it, the 17th chapter of Deuteronomy, the 6th
verse. Now while the disciples could bear witness
to the crucifixion, and the resurrection, and
the ascension of Jesus, they could not testify
to his exaltation, as that was beyond their human
vision. But the Holy Ghost could, for the Holy
Ghost had witnessed to the exaltation of Jesus.
The Holy Ghost had seen him at the right hand
of God the Father in position of great high priest.
before he ever came to this earth to take up
his residence. He did come and bear witness that
Jesus had been exalted. Therefore, the law that
required two witnesses had been satisfied. If
Jesus had not been what he claimed to be, the
Father would never have received him back and
exalted him. And the Holy Spirit would never
have been sent to testify to his exaltation.
The Holy Spirit, then, is the... Only one who
can convince the world of the righteousness of
Jesus. That's what this scripture means. When
he has come, he will reprove the world of sin
and of righteousness. Whose righteousness? Ours?
No. The righteous. of Jesus, having been accepted
to the Father and is now in position of great
high priest. That's why, beloved, I am so certain,
I am so sure that I have a priest. I have a glorious
priest. A priest to whom I confess all of my
sins. A priest to whom I confess all of my failures
and all of my shortcomings. I talk to him every
day. He knows me better than I know myself. He
understands that I am made of dust. He knows
my failures. He knows my weaknesses. He knows
I have no righteousness of my own. He knows me
so completely and is so compassionate that he's
even touched with the feeling of my infirmity.
I go to him. I have positive proof that he's
there. Because the Holy Spirit came and did give
witness of his exaltation. Seeing then that we
have a great high priest, all to be this wonderful.
Not an earthly priest. We had an earthly priest.
before the exaltation of Jesus to the right hand
of God the Father. But now Jesus has taken that
position. Seeing then that we have a great high
priest that is passed into the heavens, Jesus,
the Son of God, let us hold fast. our profession
for we have not an high priest which cannot be
touched with the feeling of our infirmities but
was in all points tempted like as we are yet
without sin therefore Let us come boldly unto
the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy
and find grace to help in time of need. And that
great high priest will hear the slightest whisper
from that heart of yours. He sees that falling
tear. He is there making intercession for you
night and day.