Benefits of Having the Holy Spirit (1 John 4:13-21)

One of the distinguishing marks of a true Christian is that the Holy Spirit indwells him or her. Paul reminds the Ephesians that the Holy Spirit functions as a seal of ownership (a seal was a mark that indicated ownership) and as an earnest of our future inheritance (he is the guarantee and sample of the future life that will be enjoyed). Jesus informed his disciples that the Holy Spirit would operate as a parakletos – a person who comes alongside another to give comfort, counsel and help. John here in verse 13 tells his readers that the presence of the Spirit is the proof that they are abiding in Christ and he in them.

This of course raises a question, How do we know that we have the Spirit? There are many answers to this question. One obvious answer is that the presence of the Spirit is known by the development of the fruit of the Spirit as described by Paul in Galatians 5:22-23: ‘but the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.’ Another answer is that the Spirit enables us to understand the Bible. Before we were converted the Bible was a strange book, full of mysterious teachings. Yet when we became Christians we discovered that the Bible is straightforward to understand. This new understanding is not evidence of intelligence, but of illumination. The Holy Spirit has opened the eyes of our minds and enabled us to see what he has written in his book, the Bible.

John gives other evidence of the presence of the Spirit in the verses that follow verse 13. In verses 14 to 16 he refers to the Spirit’s role in enabling Christians to witness on behalf of Christ; in verses 17-19 he refers to the Spirit’s role in preparing Christians for their appearance before judgement seat of Christ; in verses 20 and 21 he refers to the Spirit’s role in developing spiritual relationships between Christians. We can consider each of these roles as we meditate on the benefits of possessing the Spirit.

Before we do so, we should note how the Holy Spirit is described by John in verse 13 – he is said to be ‘his Spirit’. The his refers to the Father. So in what way or ways can the Holy Spirit be said to belong to the Father? I don’t think the answer is found by looking at them as divine persons in the essential Trinity. In that sense they are equal in power and glory. The answer is found by considering the eternal counsels of the Trinity, the decisions they made concerning the Divine plan of salvation. In that plan the Father agreed to give the Spirit to Jesus as a reward for him completing the work of the atonement. Several times, the Spirit is referred to as the Holy Spirit of promise or the promised Holy Spirit. When Jesus ascended to heaven he received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit.

In addition to being promised, the Holy Spirit is also likened to a reservoir out of which all believers are supplied. John says that the Father gives to us of his Spirit. Since the Spirit is infinite, it is not possible for us to contain all of him. Yet because he is infinite, there is no valid reason why we should become spiritually dry. Every time the Spirit comes to work in a child of God he comes as the One who is full of grace, full of spiritual supplies, which means that there is not a situation in life in which we cannot be without spiritual help.

There is a third detail worth noting, which is the value of past experiences. The Father gave the Spirit to John’s readers at some stage on the past and they could all say ‘Amen’ when John reminded them of these gracious experiences. It is to our spiritual benefit to take note of occasions when the Spirit enables us to perform an activity or receive a blessing. They are reminders that the Spirit has been given to us.

John is also saying some thing else when he writes that the Father has given them of his Spirit. In addition to pointing them to the eternal promises of the Trinity, the limitless resources of the Spirt and the value of past personal experiences, John also reminds them of the permanence of the indwelling Spirit. The Father had not given him with the possibility of removing him from them at a moment in the future. Rather he has given the Spirit permanently to each of his children.

A fifth feature of the presence of the Spirit in the hearts of God’s people is the joyous reality that he has been given as a gift from the heavenly Father. We have not received him because we have merited him or because we have followed a particular technique. Instead he is within us because of the extensive, wide-ranging bounty of God. Often we stress the magnificence of God’s grace in giving for us his Son as the One who took our place on the cross. It is right for us to give such prominence to Jesus, the gift of God. Yet we should also remember that the Holy Spirit is a gift of God to sinners.

The Spirit enables us to witness for Christ (vv. 14-16)

John reminds his readers that they understood the plan of salvation, ‘that the Father sent his Son to be the Saviour of the world.’ This kind of understanding is not the same as knowing who our prime minister is – John does not have in mind mere knowledge of facts. Instead, John is stressing three important details of Christian witness.

First, John writes in such a way that he assumes that all Christians have experienced the grace of God and bear witness to it. This is what he means when he says that they have seen and testify to it. Their experience was so wonderful that they could not keep silent about it. They had discovered the way of salvation and they wanted others to know it as well. This is basic to the Christian life, and it is also evidence of the indwelling of the Spirit. If we are reluctant to speak about God’s grace to others, the reason is not that we are diffident people. Rather the reason is that the inner spring which should be welling up in our souls has been blocked by our sins.

Second, John mentions also that they defended the Saviour’s name. There were people who were denying that Jesus was the Son of God. When these Christians heard such denials, they spoke up and confessed that he was the divine Son of God. Those who were denying may have been willing to give Jesus a prominent place, but that was not enough for his true followers. They made it very clear to detractors that Jesus was God’s eternal Son. The reason why they did so was because the Holy Spirit was working in their hearts.

 What should a Christian see when they hear another person say that Jesus is a good example or a profound teacher? A believer should not leave it there; in addition, he should state who Jesus is. What will people think about a husband if he remained silent when someone was verbally abusing his wife? The obligation of love compels him to speak in such situations. It is the same with regard to Jesus Christ. A disciple does not let Jesus be minimised; instead he endeavours to ensure that his name is maximised.

Third, what is the consequence of experiencing the help of the Spirit in this matter of faithfully witnessing to Jesus? John tells us in verse 16 – we have assurance of God’s love. Note the order of John’s description – ‘coming to know’ precedes ‘believing’ the love God has for us. We would expect John to have them the other way round. Yet our faith is always strengthened by experience. The Spirit gives special assurance to faithful believers and thereby their faith is strengthened.

So enabling us to witness is one evidence of the presence of the Spirit.

The Spirit prepares us for the Day of Judgement (vv. 17-19)

By any assessment the Day of Judgement will be an awesome location. Imagine the gathering on that day – every human who ever lived and every angelic being in existence will be there before the throne of God. His omniscient eye knows every detail of each life; his omnipotent arm can enact any sentence that his justice pronounces; and is omnipresence means that none can escape him. You are and I will be there. John asks this question, ‘Will you be afraid?’ He then says that those in whom the Spirit is perfecting the love of God will not be afraid. We should not be surprised at his claim because he has just described the assurance of divine love that fills the hearts of faithful Christians.

What do we need in our souls as we draw nearer to the Day of Judgement? We need increasing love for the Judge. This love will be produced within us by the Holy Spirit. As we are led through the various circumstances of life, the Holy Spirit is preparing us for our appearance before the judgement seat. And his method of preparation is that he teaches us to love God. The more that we love him, the less we will have of fear of the Judgement Day.

Why are we afraid of God the Judge? The answer to this question is that we are guilty of our sins. Our consciences condemn us long before we reach the Judgement Seat. When I lose my temper, it is not only my common sense that says it was a silly thing to do. My conscience also will remind me that I will give an account for my sin when I appear at God’s throne.

Perhaps we have a problem here. We know that we will sin until we draw our last breath. So how can we reduce our fear of the judgement seat when we know that we will yet sin many times? The solution is to increase in our understanding and experience of the love of God. Matthew Henry pointed out: ‘Those who perfectly love God are, from his nature, and counsel, and covenant, perfectly assured of his love, and consequently are perfectly free from any dismal dreadful suspicions of his punitive power and justice, as armed against them; they well know that God loves them, and they thereupon triumph in his love.’

A Christian can say, ‘Jesus paid my punishment on the cross. This was the proof of God’s great love for me. Therefor, he will not send me to hell although I deserve it.’ That is not presumption. Instead it is evidence of the work of the Spirit in preparing us for our appearance before the Judgement Seat.

The Spirit develops love between Christians (vv. 19-20)

John returns to a prominent theme of his letter now, brotherly love. He says that a failure to love another Christian is evidence that the Spirit is not at work in our hearts. John does not mince his words – an unloving Christian is a liar and it is impossible for such a person to love God, whatever claims are made. It should not be difficult for us to see the connection between the work of the Spirit and brotherly love. After all, the same Spirit dwells in the heart of each Christian and would never suggest to one believer that he should despise another believer. This proves of the Spirit’s indwelling will be developed by John chapter 5.

In closing I want to highlight a clause that John writes in verse 17: ‘because as he is so also are we in this world.’ This statement is connected to our sense of comfort concerning the Day of Judgement because it describes our security (Jesus has no fear of the Day of Judgement, neither need we). It was also a reminder of our dignity (Jesus has the Spirit, so how we) and of our duty (Jesus loves all his brothers, so should we). Let us pray for these marks of the Spirit’s presence.