WATCHWORD:
15-16 “If you love me, obey me; and I will ask the Father and he will give you another Comforter, and he will never leave you. 17 He is the Holy Spirit, the Spirit who leads into all truth. The world at large cannot receive him, for it isn’t looking for him and doesn’t recognize him. But you do, for he lives with you now and someday shall be in you. John 14:15-17
25 “I am telling you these things now while I am still with you. 26 But when the Father sends the Comforter instead of me —and by the Comforter I mean the Holy Spirit—he will teach you much, as well as remind you of everything I myself have told you. John 14:25-26
Meditation:
The Holy Spirit
Do you recall the first time you heard the words, Triune God? Or, The Father, The Son, the Holy Spirit? I know that I probably heard all of that long before I really processed the meaning, or concept of a Triune God. From an early age, I knew about God, the Father, and I had been told story after story of Jesus, the Son. But, those were separate entities. The whole idea of the Holy Spirit was beyond me. It sounded scary, ghost-like, and when it was sometimes called the Holy Ghost, well, that was just too much for my young mind to grasp.
How about you? Do you have a similar story? Fortunately, with maturity in our Christian walk, things become clearer. Yet, there was still the struggle of putting the three pieces of the Godhead together. We think with a practical human brain and wonder what is the division of labor? Who does what, and who’s in charge? Oh, we know who’s in charge – that would be, God, the Father. Ah, would make Jesus, the Son, a lesser entity? No, that would not be right…Let’s come back to this later.
The Holy Spirit. Yes, that is where we are. We begin to understand the purpose and power of the Holy Spirit by listening in on Jesus’ teaching of His disciples just hours before He knows He will be put to death. He wants to comfort them, but he also wants to give them (and us) important information. He begins with this: “Don’t let your hearts be troubled. I am going away, but I will come back.” His next statement is the key, and is found in John 14:16-17:
And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever – the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you.”
If you are sitting in that small room with the other disciples and you heard Jesus say that, wouldn’t you wonder? What would you be thinking? What does He mean He is going away? Why? What does He mean by giving us a helper and we “know Him”? Who? How do we know Him? And this “Helper” is going to dwell in us? Really?
For many, those are still open questions, even for the most devout follower. The Holy Spirit dwelling within, is one hurdle to clear. But, to have that Spirit as an active entity, a part of the Godhead, within us, helping us, teaching us, that is quite a different hurdle, entirely.
We will continue with this next time — The Holy Spirit actively living with and in us, assuring us that we will never be alone. Comforting? Yes. So be it.
Aspects of the Holy Spirit by Robert Morris:
Is it any wonder that Satan is terrified by the thought of God’s people becoming fully open to the help of the Holy Spirit?
I Believe in the Holy Spirit:
I believe that I cannot by my own understanding or effort believe in Jesus Christ my Lord, or come to Him. But the Holy Spirit has called me through the Gospel, enlightened me with His gifts, and sanctified and kept me in true faith. In the same way he calls, gathers, enlightens and sanctifies the whole Christian church on earth, and keeps it united with Jesus Christ in the one true faith. Amen.
