Monday, January 17, 2022
All this I have spoken while still with you. But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. John 14:25-26
Who Is The Holy Spirit?
Many Christians are confused about who The Holy Spirit is and what His role is in our lives. It is difficult to wrap our minds around, but He is a person, not just a presence or a mystical presence. The Holy Spirit can be offended and grieved, and also pleased when we rely on Him in the way God intended.
In Matthew 28:18-19, Jesus instructs the disciples to baptize in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Here Jesus is telling them that the Holy Spirit is part of the Godhead - three in one, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. He is saying that the Holy Spirit is one with God the Father and God the Son. And Jesus came and said to them, All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit…
When Jesus’ time on earth was finished and He was going to heaven, He told His disciples He was going to prepare a place for them, but He would be back. He was going to leave them, but He was giving them the gift of the Holy Spirit.
Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going. John 14:1-4
If you love me, keep my commands. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever—the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. John 14:15-18
All this I have spoken while still with you. But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. John 14:25-26
The moment we receive Jesus as our Savior, we automatically have the Holy Spirit as well. Jesus came and taught and performed miracles while He was here on earth, and when His time was over, He gave us the Holy Spirit to be with us. The Holy Spirit is God the Father and God the Son in the life of a believer, and He is with us for the rest of our lives. He is literally with us, by our side to help us with everything in this life. We can lean on Him each step of the way.
The Holy Spirit does not change our circumstances necessarily, but He changes us. He gives us strength and comfort to endure even in the midst of difficult circumstances. Not only does He help us, but He teaches us as well. He does many more things in our lives that we will look at this week. He is the blessing and power for us for all time and we need to learn more about this amazing gift we have been given.
