Sermon 144

SERMO 144

OF THE WORDS OF THAT SAME GOSPEL OF JOHN (16, 8-11):
"He will convict the world concerning sin, and righteousness, and judgment."

The sin of unbelief is alone reproved. The Holy Spirit is called the grace of God.

When our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ spoke much about the coming of the Holy Spirit, whom He promised to send and did send; He said among other things: "He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment." And having said this, He did not change the subject but deigned to explain it somewhat more clearly. "Of sin indeed," He said, "because they do not believe in Me; but of righteousness, because I go to the Father; and of judgment, because the prince of this world is already judged." Therefore, a desire for understanding arises in us as to why the sin of men seemed to be solely not believing in Christ, so that He said the Holy Spirit would convict the world of this alone. For if it is evident that besides this unbelief there are many other sins of men, why does the Holy Spirit convict the world of this alone? Is it because all sins are held through unbelief and are forgiven through faith; therefore, God imputes this one above the others, because by it all the rest are not absolved, while a proud man does not believe in a humble God? For it is written: "God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble." For the grace of God is the gift of God. But the greatest gift is the Holy Spirit Himself; and therefore, it is called grace. For when all had sinned and fell short of the glory of God; because through one man sin entered the world, and through sin death, in which all have sinned; therefore, it is called grace because it is given freely. It is given freely because it is not given as a worker's wage after a reckoning of merits, but a gift is given after the forgiveness of sins.

To believe Christ, and to believe in Christ, are different.

Therefore, unbelievers are convicted of sin, that is, lovers of the world; for they are signified by the name of the world. For when it is said: "He will convict the world concerning sin," there is no other sin except that they did not believe in Christ. Indeed, if this sin is not present, no other sins will remain, because all are absolved by the just living by faith. But there is a great difference whether one believes that he is Christ, and whether one believes in Christ. For even the demons believed that he is Christ, yet they did not believe in Christ. For he believes in Christ who also hopes in Christ and loves Christ. For if he has faith without hope and without love, he believes that he is Christ, but he does not believe in Christ. Therefore, he who believes in Christ, by believing in Christ, Christ comes into him and in a certain way is united to him, and he becomes a member of his body. This cannot be done unless hope and love are also present.

Justice concerning which the world is reproved.

What does it mean when he says: "Concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father"? And first, it must be asked, if the world is convicted concerning sin, why also concerning righteousness? For what can rightly be convicted concerning righteousness? Is it that the world is convicted indeed concerning its own sin, but concerning the righteousness of Christ? I do not see what else can be understood; since: "Concerning sin," he says, "because they do not believe in me"; but "concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father." They do not believe, he goes to the Father. Therefore, it is their sin, but his righteousness. But why did he want to name righteousness in this alone, because he goes to the Father? Is it not righteousness indeed that he came here from the Father? Or is that rather mercy that he came from the Father to us, and righteousness that he goes to the Father?

Justice because Christ goes to the Father, why.

Thus, brothers, I think it is expedient that in such a profound depth of the Scriptures, in which perhaps something hidden lies that ought to be revealed at the right time, we should faithfully inquire together, so that we may deserve to find it beneficially. Why, then, does He call this righteousness because He goes to the Father and not also because He comes from the Father? Is it because it is mercy that He comes, therefore it is righteousness that He goes; so that we may also learn in ourselves that righteousness cannot be fulfilled if we are lazy in extending mercy, not seeking what is ours, but also what is others’? When the Apostle admonished this, he immediately joined the example of the Lord Himself: “Nothing,” he said, “through contention, nor through vain glory; but in humility of mind each esteeming others better than themselves; not looking to their own interests, but also to those of others.” Then he immediately added: “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus; who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God; but emptied Himself, taking the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men, and being found in the appearance as a man He humbled Himself and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.” This is the mercy by which He came from the Father. What then is the righteousness by which He goes to the Father? It follows and says: “Therefore God also has highly exalted Him, and given Him a name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” This is the righteousness by which He goes to the Father.

Christ alone ascended into heaven. Only Christ from head and members. Christ is one with the Father in one way, one with us in another way.

But if he goes to the Father alone, what benefit is it to us? Why is the world convicted of this righteousness by the Holy Spirit? And yet, if he were to go alone to the Father, he would not say in another place: No one has ascended into heaven except the one who descended from heaven, the Son of Man who is in heaven. But even the Apostle Paul says: For our conversation is in heaven. But why is this? Because he also says: If you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God; set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on the earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. So how is he alone? Is it because Christ is one with all his members, as the head is with its body? What is his body, if not the Church? As the same teacher says: But you are the body of Christ, and individually members of it. Therefore, when we have fallen, and he descended for our sake, what does it mean: No one ascends except the one who descended, except that no one ascends except by being made one with him, and as a member joined into his body who descended? Thus he also says to the disciples: Because apart from me you can do nothing. For he is one with the Father in one way, and one with us in another way. He is one with the Father because the substance of the Father and the Son is the same; he is one with the Father because though he was in the form of God, he did not consider equality with God as something to be grasped. But he has been made one with us because he emptied himself, taking the form of a servant; he has been made one with us according to the seed of Abraham, in which all nations will be blessed. When he recalled this, the Apostle says: And he does not say: And to seeds, as of many; but as of one: And to your seed, which is Christ. And since we also pertain to what is Christ, being incorporated together and adhering to that head, Christ is one; and because he also says to us: Therefore, you are the seed of Abraham, heirs according to the promise. For if there is one seed of Abraham, and that one seed of Abraham is understood to be Christ; and this seed of Abraham includes us too; thus this whole, that is, the head and the body, is one Christ.

The righteousness of Christ, how (is) ours.

And therefore we should not consider ourselves separated from that righteousness which the Lord Himself recalls, saying: "Of righteousness, because I go to the Father." For with Christ we have resurrected, and we are with our head, Christ, meanwhile in faith and hope; however, our hope will be fulfilled in the final resurrection of the dead. When our hope is fulfilled, then our justification will also be fulfilled. The Lord, who will fulfill this, shows in His flesh (that is, in our head), in which He rose and ascended to the Father. For it is written thus: "He was delivered over for our offenses and was raised to life for our justification." Therefore, the world is convicted concerning sin, in those who do not believe in Christ: and concerning righteousness, in those who rise in the members of Christ. Where it is said: "That we might become the righteousness of God in Him." For if not in Him, there is no way righteousness can be. But if in Him, all of Him, along with us, goes to the Father, and this perfect righteousness will be fulfilled in us. For this reason, the world is also convicted concerning judgment, because the prince of this world is already judged; that is, the devil, the prince of the wicked, who in their heart reside only in this world, which they love, and therefore are called the world; just as our conversation is in heaven if we have resurrected with Christ. Therefore, just as with us, that is, with His body, Christ is one; so with all the impious of whom the devil is the head, with a certain body of their own, the devil is one. Therefore just as we are not separated from the righteousness of which the Lord said: "Because I go to the Father"; so the impious are not separated from that judgment, about which He said: "Because the prince of this world is already judged."