John 16:8

John 16:8, etc. "And when the Comforter is come he will convince the world of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment." He shall convince the world of sin, as men must be convinced of their guilt, in order of their receiving of Christ. That is, the reason that sin and guilt lies upon them, is, because they believe not in Christ; and their rejecting Christ above all things enhances their guilt. Of his righteousness, that is, he will convince them of the sufficiency of Christ's righteousness, of the way of removing guilt by him. Christ finished his work as priest, what he did for the removal of guilt, by his ascending into heaven, his entering into the holiest of all with his own blood to make intercession for us, and thereby gave evidence to the world, that what he had done was enough. John 16:10, "Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more;" that is, he shall convince the world of Christ's sufficiency and excellency as a king and head of influence and government, as the sanctifier and deliverer of his people from their enemies, and he that brings them to eternal life. He delivers from the influence and power of the devil, redeems his captives, and in spite of him sanctifies and glorifies. In thus redeeming men by power, Satan is judged. John 12:31; John 12:32; John 16:11, "Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged." The conviction here spoken of righteousness and judgment is to the same purpose with that, Isaiah 45:24, "In the Lord Jehovah have I righteousness and strength," and in the next verse, "In the Lord shall all the seed of Israel be justified, and shall glory."

John 16:8-11

John 16:8-11. "And when he is come he will convince the world of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment. Of sin, because they believe not on me. Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more. Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged." In these words of our Savior is a great manifestation of his divine knowledge and wisdom.

The greatest SIN that is in the world, is sin against the gospel, contempt of, and opposition to, Jesus Christ; and the greatest evidence of the sin and wickedness of man, is the world's ill treatment of Christ, and the gospel, and the followers of Christ. In this does most clearly appear the malignant nature of sin, and the true nature of it is fully manifest; and particularly that violent opposition that appears on occasion of the pouring out of the Spirit of God. As the coming of the Spirit is the occasion of this; so his coming eventually holds forth matter of conviction to the world of its wickedness. And those that are savingly taught by the Spirit, are in the first place convinced of sin, especially as appearing in their sinning against Christ, or against God, as revealing himself in the gospel. Thus we find that immediately after the pouring out of the Spirit of God on the day of Pentecost, the Jews that were awakened, were reproved for this sin, of rejecting and crucifying Christ, and for this they were pricked in their hearts, and said, "Men and brethren, what shall we do," Acts 2; see also chap. Acts 3:13; Acts 3:14, etc.; Acts 4:11, etc.; Acts 5:30, etc., and Acts 7:51, etc. And when Saul was converted, this especially was the sin which he was reproved for, and convinced of. Acts 9:4; Acts 9:5. In most places where the apostles preached, there first arose great opposition, and the gospel finally prevailed against their opposition, and opposers were converted; and in this case we may suppose the thing wherein chiefly they were convinced of their sinfulness, was their opposition to Christ. This seems to have been the case with the gaoler; and so in all ages, they that are truly humbled by the Spirit of God, and brought to repentance, are wont to be convinced of their sins against the gospel.

The greatest and most glorious righteousness that ever was in the world, is the righteousness of Christ. Indeed it was infinitely the most excellent righteousness that ever was wrought out by any servant of God in heaven or earth. It was the only righteousness properly so called (i.e. agreeable to that grand and eternal rule of righteousness, and law of God), that ever was among mankind, and the only righteousness by which any of mankind are accepted as righteous. And the greatest, strongest, and most convincing evidence of the reality, excellency, sufficiency, and completeness of this righteousness, was Christ's going to the Father, and his being seen here no more in such a state as he was in when the disciples saw him here. God's raising Christ from the dead, was a great testimony of God to the sufficiency and completeness of Christ's righteousness; but his bestowing upon him so glorious a reward in heaven; God's exalting him at his own right hand, far above all principalities, etc. and there admitting this high priest into that holy of holies, with his own blood, not merely to bow down before the throne in humble posture as the high priests of old, but to sit down on the throne, at the right hand of the Majesty on high, and so to be a priest on the throne, was a far more striking evidence of it. And it was a great evidence of the transcendent excellency of this righteousness, its acceptableness to the Father, and his exceeding delight in it. And it greatly heightens the strength and brightness of the evidence, that Christ did not only go to the Father, but that he went thither to return no more to be seen on earth in a state of humiliation. He needed to suffer no more, to go through no more labours and self-denials, in order to complete his righteousness; he offered up himself; by one offering, he perfected forever them that are sanctified. Having by his righteousness completed our redemption, he sat down forever on the right hand of God. He entered into the holiest of all, not as the high priest of old, to be there a little while, and then to return and go there again once a year, but he there enters to abide there. He is set down forever on the right hand of God. He ever lives there to make continual intercession for us. See Hebrews 10:12; Hebrews 10:13; Hebrews 9:11; Hebrews 9:12; Hebrews 9:24-26.

Christ's ascension into heaven, everlastingly to live and reign there, was the greatest evidence of righteousness in all senses and respects. It was the greatest evidence of Christ's innocence, and that he suffered wrongfully. It was the greatest evidence of the righteousness and veracity in the words which he spake, the doctrine that he taught concerning God and himself, and his design in coming into the world, and concerning life and immortality, and a future state, and the greatest evidence and confirmation of the truth of his promises made to his disciples of eternal life, and heavenly glory, and indeed of all his promises, especially taken with that consequence of his ascension, the coming of the Spirit, whereby his people are sealed to the day of redemption. The great promise of Christ, the sum of all his promises, fulfilled in the earnest of it in their hearts. And this ascension taken as the completing and crowning of the grand affair of redemption, and so taken with its antecedents and the things manifested by it, particularly the divinity and infinite dignity of the person of Christ; I say, taken with these, shows it was the greatest evidence of the righteousness and holiness of God in saving sinners, of his faithfulness in fulfilling the promises of the Old Testament, and in general by far the greatest manifestation, and the brightest effulgence, of the moral perfection and glory of the Divine Being that ever was.

The greatest instance of judgment that ever was, or ever will be in the world, is in Christ's judging Satan, the prince of this world. God hath set Christ as King on his holy hill of Zion, having put all things under his feet, made him the Head of all authority and power, and has committed all judgment to the Son, and this is the greatest instance of Christ's power of ruling and judging. Satan is the greatest and highest of all the enemies of God, and Christ, and his people; he probably originally was the highest and strongest of all creatures. He has usurped the throne; as he is called the prince of this world, he set up himself as god of this world. It is the greatest evidence of Christ's kingly power and his might, as the Captain of the salvation of his people, to overcome this enemy, dispossess him of his throne, cast him like lightning from heaven; and made him his footstool, and bruise his head under his feet; and it is the greatest manifestation of his high judicial authority to judge and condemn this great rebel, and head and leader of all the rebellion in the universe, and to execute vengeance upon him.

By judgment, as the word is used in the New Testament, as appears by the Greek Concordance, is most commonly meant the exercise of judicial authority, or the manifestation and effect of it; sometimes the exercise of rule and authority in general, because judging is a chief exercise of it; and sometimes particularly a righteous exercise of such authority; and when the fruit or effect of judgment is meant, in sentence or execution, commonly a sentence of condemnation, or the execution of such a sentence, is meant. Sometimes, though rarely, the word is used to signify a judgment passed in the mind concerning moral matters, or the expression of it in words, and sometimes it means one's right in judgment. So that the use of the word in the New Testament will clearly justify the interpretation that has been given of it in this place.

Gospel light and knowledge consist in these three things, and the things implied in them.

A conviction of these three things, is the sum of that conviction which is implied in saving faith. By the knowledge of these things, God's people say, "In the Lord have I righteousness and strength."

In the knowledge of these things consists the true knowledge of ourselves, and the knowledge of God in Jesus Christ, or the light of his glory in the face of Jesus Christ. The knowledge of these things is the foundation of all true compliance with the gospel in the heart, of repentance, faith, hope, charity, obedience, and joy.

God permitted the fall, that his elect people might know good and evil. The saving knowledge of good and evil consists in the spirit's conviction of these three things.

These three things are the most important objects of knowledge in the world, in order to sanctification and comfort, holiness and happiness.

John 16:16