And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment: concerning sin, because they do not believe in me; concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father, and you will see me no longer; concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.

Oprah Winfrey is creating quite a stir. In March she started an online course with Eckhart Tolle, a New Age guru and author of the best-selling book, “A New Earth.” The course title asks, “Are you ready to be awakened?” Apparently, millions are ready to be awakened as they have joined her on the web. The course contains the typical New Age cliches and platitudes. “One must live in the now.” “We must attain a higher consciousness.” “You can transform yourself.” “Be the change.” “Get centered.” “Listen to the voice of God within you.” “You are your own best authority. as you work to know and love yourself, you discover how to live a more spiritual life.” “Behave your way to success.”  For Oprah, self-improvement and happiness comes from self-indulgence, self-discovery, and shopping. No wonder she is so popular. Old religious dogma and doctrine is rejected. Oprah goes so far as to reduce Jesus Christ to a moral example. She said, “Jesus came to show us Christ-consciousness… Jesus came to show us the way of the heart… Jesus came to say, ‘Look I’m going to live in the body, in the human body and I’m going to show you how it’s done.’ These are some principles and some laws that you can use to live by to know that way.” Those principles and laws, of course, do not include the cross. The humility and suffering our Lord endured in the body are ignored. She firmly, publicly, and vocally rejects Jesus’ redemptive work on the cross as the means of salvation as well as every other tenet of orthodox Christian faith. In all things, Oprah is an evangelist for the new age movement.

 

Oprah is quite certain that she possesses incredible reason and an inner light that guides her to truth. Money and fame have a way of breeding a certain arrogance. And, in our culture, it is hard to argue with numerical success. Our Lord Jesus Christ, however, responds that she is a blind fool, living in darkness, who needs to be awakened to the truth of His Gospel. Of course, people do not like to hear such things. There is a prevailing tendency for people to assume their spiritual path, whatever it is they choose, is altogether good, right, and salutary. Even though their spirituality is entirely sentimental, pragmatic, and self-absorbed, it is still enough. Yet when people are told such doings are of no account before God, they become displeased and angry. But, as Luther says, what should that matter to us? Luther continues, “The Scriptures and the Word of God are plain and clear, that the Holy Spirit is to come to convict the world, because it does not know what sin, righteousness, and judgment are. Thus it is determined, there it stands; let be angry who will, Christ does not care.” Our God is concerned with the true awakening that comes through faith in Jesus Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit.

In our Gospel, it was only a little while before Jesus would leave His disciples. They had given up everything for Jesus. Their lives revolved around Jesus. Where Jesus went, the disciples followed.  Jesus had risen from the grave and had been instructing them in the things of the Kingdom. Now Jesus was preparing to depart and their hearts were filled with sorrow. Jesus understands their sadness. Jesus was not oblivious to how we miss those we love who are no longer with us. Jesus was also aware of their weaknesses. So He promises them that His departure will be for their benefit. He will send the Counselor, the Holy Spirit to them. Down to their weakness would come the strength of the Spirit of God. The Holy Spirit would come alongside them to help and aid them. The Holy Spirit would awaken them to all the truth. The Holy Spirit would give them a profound intimacy with the Father through Jesus Christ. Their life with God would be richer as a result of Jesus’ ascension into heaven. The ministry of the Holy Spirit would strengthen them in ways they could not yet grasp.

 

Jesus teaches them that the Holy Spirit would provide an awakening unto faith. He will convict the world concerning sin, righteousness, and judgment. The Holy Spirit will testify to the world regarding sin because they do not believe in Jesus. Jesus had testified that He was the light that had come into the world, but men preferred darkness to light because their deeds were evil. Humanity needs to be awakened to the reality of sin that has diseased their nature and deeds. The work of the Holy Spirit is to accuse and condemn according to God’s Law. The Spirit fleshes out human idolatry. The Spirit exposes our deep failures to love others. The Spirit points out disobedience to God’s commands. The Spirit opens our eyes to the death and damnation deserved by our sin. These accusations of the Spirit are not indiscriminate. Human opinions and sentiments on what it means to be a good or spiritual person are worthless. Sorry Oprah. The true and living God is quite clear in what He requires, which is nothing less than complete and perfect obedience to His Word of Law. Moreover, these accusations are not impersonal. Rather, the Spirit judges each one of us according to God’s criteria. The result is not to our liking. We are found wanting. We are all sinners. This is the work of the Spirit: to awaken us to the reality of our sinful condition so that we might understand the grave predicament we are in before a Holy, Just God. 

 

The Spirit also awakens the world to righteousness because Christ has returned to the Father. By Jesus’ incarnation, death, resurrection, and ascension, all righteousness was fulfilled. The Father accepted the atoning sacrifice of Jesus for the sins of the world and seated Him at His right hand to reign forever. Jesus was truly innocent and just, holy and righteous. The world was wrong about Jesus. The work of the Spirit is to not only awaken people to their sin and their deep need for a savior, but to awaken them to the reality that Jesus, the righteous one, is God’s only appointed means of salvation. The Holy Spirit convicts the world that Jesus’ righteousness alone brought forgiveness of sins and eternal life. No human person was capable of attaining such righteousness. There is no inner light guiding us to fulfillment. Apart from Jesus, there is only the confusion, despair, and darkness of our self-righteousness. This is the work of the Holy Spirit: to awaken us to the reality that Jesus Christ provides salvation from sin, death, and hell through faith in His redemptive work for us.

 

Finally, Jesus testified that the Holy Spirit would awaken the world to judgment. Jesus had defeated Satan, the prince of darkness. Satan’s darkness had been overcome by the Light of Christ. The Ruler of this world is judged and overcome. Jesus’ ascension into heaven proves that He is the King of Kings, ruling over all creation by the power of His death and resurrection. Jesus holds the keys of death and Hades in His hands. If anyone is to escape the judgment of their own sin and death, then the Holy Spirit must awaken them from their sin-induced slumber. This is the work of the Holy Spirit, always drawing sinners to Christ and His salvation.

 

Oprah Winfrey and all other man-made religions and spiritualities remain in darkness. They claim enlightenment and promise awakening, but they only draw the human person deeper into the sorrow that is our sinful hearts.  Any claim to spirituality apart from the Gospel of Jesus Christ amounts to nothing more than the vain death rattle of confused, stubborn sinners. Still, the Holy Spirit is at work in the midst of this world working faith in Jesus Christ through the proclamation of the Gospel, the power of God for salvation to all who believe.  The Holy Spirit is at work to awaken sinners by God’s appointed means: the proclamation of repentance for the forgiveness of sins and faith in Jesus Christ; and through the eye-opening waters of Holy Baptism.

 

This morning we give thanks that the Holy Spirit is at work among us and that we are truly spiritual people. We have been awakened to our sin by the power of the Holy Spirit working through God’s law. We are able to confess with our tongues that we have sinned against God and neighbor in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done and left undone. The Holy Spirit has awakened us to our predicament before God. We know better than to look within ourselves for all we will find in our hearts is wickedness, duplicity, darkness and death. If you know and confess this reality, then you are the most spiritual of all people. For those awakened to their sin, there is a cause for great rejoicing as the Holy Spirit always draws us to the savior, Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit awakens the sinner to God’s great love made known in Jesus Christ, who suffered and died and rose on the third day so that sin, death, and damnation is destroyed by His righteousness. If your faith is placed in Jesus Christ, then join the Psalmist and “shout joyfully to the Lord all the earth; break forth in song, rejoice and sing praises.” The Holy Spirit has given you faith in Jesus Christ. Your sin has been judged in Jesus Christ on the cross and in the grave. His righteousness is your righteousness through faith. Thus, the Father declares you to be righteous, holy, and forgiven. Open your eyes to this reality!

 

So this is the work of the Holy Spirit: always convicting of sin according to God’s Law and always creating and sustaining faith in Jesus Christ. There is no true spirituality apart from God’s appointed means by which the Holy Spirit does His work. Therefore, we are gathered in this place. We make public and private confession that we have been awakened by the Holy Spirit to acknowledge and sorrow over our sins. The Holy Spirit has brought us to this place because we are sinners in need of redemption. At the same time, the Holy Spirit is at work by the power of the Gospel in the Holy Absolution, the Holy Word, and the Holy Communion to direct and establish our faith in Jesus Christ. By this faith created by the Holy Spirit, Christ forgives our sins. By this faith created by the Holy Spirit, Christ destroys our death. By this faith created by the Holy Spirit, Christ conquers our condemnation. The Holy Spirit opens our mouths and we confess our faith. The Holy Spirit opens our hearts and we believe in Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit opens our eyes and we are awakened to the Christian hope of the New Heavens and the New Earth, where we will enjoy the fruits of faith unto the life everlasting. No amount of Oprah inspired self-indulgence, self-discovery, and shopping will ever be able to compare with the joy and bliss that awaits those who belong to Christ Jesus.