Jesus is promising here, in reality, EVANGELISTIC (SOUL-WINNING) POWER! Because the dear Holy Spirit works through the Church! 

One Preacher said: Jesus’ “Career” (His Life and Person and Work) is the greatest RIGHT the planet has ever seen!

On the devil being “judged” … Colossians 2:15 says Jesus “spoiled” him at the Cross! This uses a verb that literally means “knocked his armor off!” (apo + ek + duo in Greek.)

In general, the Book of Acts well may outline the three parts of our Text! Sin being defined as unbelief in Jesus, Acts 3:13-14! Righteousness being defined as Jesus’ Life and Death, Acts 13:39! And judgment being defined as the defeat of the devil, Acts 26:18!

“The Comforter exposes the falsity of the world’s fundamental ideas!”

The only way to know God’s RIGHTEOUSNESS (JESUS) is by faith! And faith does not operate by sight! So Jesus explains … “and ye see Me no more!”

Jesus, when tried by Pilate and company, is THREE TIMES declared “not guilty!” No fault in This Man! A unique sequence that might explain the three parts of our Text! (In our Passage the world is declared guilty or wrong three times!)

I liked this quote … “UNBEILEF IN JESUS … the quintessential sin!”

Here in our Text the Holy Spirit is the prosecuting Attorney … exposing the world! Concerning us Christians, the Holy Spirit is the defense Attorney!

In sum, here in our Passage three ideas of this world have been redefined! Sin, Righteousness and Judgment!

Wow!

I invite you to watch this whole Lesson …

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

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I think Jesus actually WANTED the Disciples to ask that question, “Where goest thou, Lord?”

Then I am wondering of myself, do I concentrate much on … Where He has gone? What He is doing? What He has next on His Schedule?

Don’t misunderstand me. I am not in any way minimizing Jesus’ three-year earthly Ministry. There occurs the Virgin Birth, Sinless Life, Vicarious Death, Literal Resurrection, the Essence of our eternal Salvation!

But John the Apostle began his great Gospel with 18 verses (the Prologue) that stretch back into eternity past when Jesus was “the Word” and was “with God the Father” and was “God!” (He still is God, never has ceased being God, never will!) Then John continues showing Jesus as “Creator!” Before He ever came to earth for His Public Ministry!

John also (but now in his Book of Revelation) looks into the future. Not only where Jesus is right now but what He is doing and plans yet to do! Bible Prophecy! “Lord, where goest Thou?”

Yes, our great Saviour has a PAST MINISTRY, a PRESENT MINISTRY, and a FUTURE MINISTRY! And we need to study Him in every Phase of His Being, His eternal Being!

He wants us to do so!

“But now I go my way to him that sent me; and none of you asketh me, Whither goest thou?” John 16:5

Further into our Text Jesus also promised His “Divine Delivery,” His sending the sweet Holy Spirit to earth! “Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.” Verse 7 of John 16, I loved that Term “Divine Delivery!”

Someone rightly said … “We experience Jesus Christ’s Presence in the Holy Spirit’s Presence!” In no other waycould our Lord have promised … “Lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.” Matthew 28:28

In class … the verse I mentioned that uses the Pauline expression “overmuch sorrow” is 2 Corinthians 2:7.

Best of all really … just watch the whole lesson …

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

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The Roman Emperor (and persecutor of Christians) Domitian was in power when John wrote his Gospel. He reigned over the Roman Empire from 81 until 96, those closing years of the first century. He is likely the man who was responsible for the Apostle John being exiled on the Isle of Patmos when the New Testament Book of Revelation was penned!

Remember, upwards of 300 Christians per day are being killed for their faith (martyred) every single day across this world! Hebrews 13:3 teaches us concerning the world’s suffering, imprisoned saints … “Remember them that are in bonds, as bound with them; and them which suffer adversity, as being yourselves also in the body.”

The verse to which I alluded about Paul “voting” to slay Christians … “Which thing I also did in Jerusalem: and many of the saints did I shut up in prison, having received authority from the chief priests; and when they were put to death, I gave my voice (vote) against them.” Acts 26:10, suggesting that Paul at one time may have been a member of the Jewish Sanhedrin!

Does Jesus honor saints who died for His Name’s Sake? Yes, He gave dying Stephen a “standing ovation” as the godly martyr entered Heaven! “But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up stedfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus STANDING on the right hand of God.” Acts 7:55

Will Jesus continue to reward those who especially suffer for His Cause? “Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your REWARD in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.” Matthew 5:11-12, from Jesus’ very first Sermon in the New Testament!

The first murder in history, that of Cain killing Abel, was an argument over worship! Over Blood Sacrifice!

Jesus is here in this Text helping us not to “stumble!” (Be not offended.) But He did not mention “falling!” Because of Jude 24-25 … “Now unto him that is able to keep you from FALLING, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy. To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.”

I enjoyed studying this hard-to-teach Lesson. And I now invite you to watch the whole class on video …

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

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Jesus, God’s Son, coming to earth precipitated the greatest decision any man or woman must make. To accept Him or reject Him? There is no other Way to Heaven!

Both Jesus’ Words (verse 22, things “spoken”) and Jesus’ works (verse 24, things “done”) put mankind “without excuse” in terms of God’s Judgment!

“22 If I had not come and spoken unto them, they had not had sin: but now they have no cloke for their sin. 23 He that hateth me hateth my Father also. 24 If I had not done among them the works which none other man did, they had not had sin: but now have they both seen and hated both me and my Father.”

The greatest sin ever committed? Rejecting the Grace of God as offered through Jesus, through the old, rugged Cross, through our Lord’s shed Blood!

Those who had been with Jesus “from the beginning” (verse 27) are of necessity eyewitnesses of our Lord’s Ministry. It is important to believe that the New Testament’s four Gospels are written by men who were indeed on-the-scene eyewitnesses or at least men who had direct access to such eyewitnesses!

Rejecting Jesus … a sin of “unparalleled magnitude!”

Hating God, verse 23?

Yes, Romans 1:30 … “Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, etc.”

Paul gauges sin by the Law of Moses. John gauges sin by one’s acceptance or rejection of Jesus!

I liked this quote: “The Holy Spirit works through the LIVES and the LIPS of Christain men and women!”

Our Text closes with the Holy Spirit aiding us while we are being hated and persecuted! He is the General Who rallies the troops for battle!

The Holy Spirit in Scripture is also called “the Spirit of God, the Spirit of Christ, the Spirit of the Lord, the Spirit of His Son,” and “the Spirit of Jesus Christ!” (See Romans 8:9, Philippians 1:19, 2 Corinthians 3:17, and Galatians 4:6.)

In Judges 6:34 we are told the Spirit of God “came upon” Gideon! That Hebrew verb is spelled “labash” and means “to put on as clothing!” The Holy Spirit “wore” Gideon (as a garment) and led him to military victory over Israel’s enemies!

Are we that “yielded” to the Spirit? Can He also “wear” us?

Watch the Lesson now …

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

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We Christians love the world’s people, because God the Father did so in John 3:16. But we do not love the world’s ways, because they are at enmity with God the Father, as in James 4:4.

Jesus’ first (and longest) Sermon on Record is written for us in Matthrew chapters 5-7. Twice in that single Message did Jesus mention coming persecution for the saints of God.

Matthew 5:10 … “Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

Matthew 5:11-12 … “Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.”

Two Beatitudes!

The community of religious scholars that gave us the Dead Sea Scrolls taught each other to love their friends and then to hate their enemies! Not Chrisitan!

Jesus taught us … “Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you.” Matthew 5:44, very Christian!

Here is New Testament James, Jesus’ half-brother, opining on the world and our relationship to it …

“Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.” James 4:4, pretty bold!

The noun “world” (in a negative sense, a pejorative sense) is used by John more than any other Gospel writer! Matthew employs the word 18 times. Mark only 5 times, and Luke utilizes the word 10 times! But John, in His Gospel … 80 times! I counted! (Add another 22 times for John if you count his first Epistle!)

Truly for this dedicated Disciple (John) we are not “of” the world! Not “locked into” the world!

To get more information, just watch the class now …

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

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