The Ministry of the Spirit in John, Part 2: Jesus the Temple Builder

Jesus puts an end to sacrifice, gives his disciples the Spirit, and gives them authority over sin, thus making them the new covenant temple.

1. Jesus’ Teaching on the Paraclete (John 14-16)

Paraclete means the comforter, the helper.

    a. Divine Presence, John 14:15-17

“If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.

The spirit dwelled in Jesus, which is what it means for the spirit to be with them.
The more we love Christ, the more we will know the presence of the spirit. To cultivate the presence of God, there are several things we can do. We need to stir one another up to love and good deeds, and do all we can to know that the church is comprised of believers.

    b. Teaching, John 14:25-26; John 16:12-15

The Holy Spirit gives us rememberence of His word, helps us understand the scriptures, and more. This is how the writers of the New Testament were able to speak authoritatively. Their words were the words of God by the power of the Holy Spirit.

In fact, it is to our advantage that Jesus went away because this is why the Holy Spirit was sent. The spirit continues the ministry of Jesus, convicting sin, pointing people to God, and more. This happens as the gospel is told, which is the story of Christ. This is the gold, silver and precious stones that build the church. The spirit is God’s presence. our teacher. Jesus’ testifier and the convictor of sin. This is what it means to be a Paraclete

    c. Testimony, John 15:26

    d. Conviction, John 16:7-11

2. Jesus Makes the Disciples the New Temple (John 20:22-23)

The Father sent Jesus to tabernacle with us. He was the ladder that angels would go up and down. He was to be the dwelling of the Holy Spirit. He was truth personified.

John 20:21-23
Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.” And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of anyone, they are forgiven; if you withhold forgiveness from anyone, it is withheld.”

Jesus has been glorified and now sends the Holy Spirit to the disciples. There are some scholars who say the indwelling didn’t come until Acts 2, but the disciples were granted the Spirit in John 20. Acts 2 is the baptism of the spirit. In the old covenant, the temple was the place where God dwelt and where sacrifices were made. In the new covenant, Jesus is our sacrifice and the Spirit dwells in us. We are the new temple, the new place where sin is dwelt with. We don’t offer sacrifices, but we do receive people into membership of the church. In that regard, we are telling the new member that their sins are forgiven. We acknowledge that their sins are forgiven.

When we do this, we are living out the gospel and are discipling one another. This is formative church discipline which is simply the preaching of the gospel. Corrective church discipline is the negative approach when someone is found to be in sense. Church discipline is not easy. It is divisive and can be downright messy. But we are commanded to do this. The Bible is serious in regards to sin while the world is not.

What do we risk if we do not practice church discipline?

1. We risk the lives of people who God will strike dead for their sin.
2. We risk defaming the testimony of the church in the community.
3. We risk failing to fulfill the Great Commission, which is to make disciples.
4. We risk diminishing the church’s nearness to God, the presence of His spirit and we thwart the church’s ability to worship.
5. We risk giving false assurance of salvation to people who may not be believers at all.
6. We risk standing before God to give an account for souls that we did not shepherd well.
7. We risk having our work consumed as wood, hay and stubble.
8. We risk Jesus saying to us, “Depart from me.” If we are not willing to do the command of Jesus, we may not be building at all, let alone be building with combustible materials.