I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever; that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you. But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you.

                                                                                                            John 14:16-17, 26 

Today: Read John 14

As believers, we have been given a tremendous gift from God. When we are saved, we receive the gift of the Holy Spirit, which is the Spirit of God living within us (Acts 2:38). In other words, God resides in everyone who has received salvation by faith (Ephesians 1:13-14). It would be quite impossible for us to proclaim salvation yet not possess the Spirit of God. Likewise, it would not be possible to have the Spirit of God yet not be saved. The two simply go hand in hand.

The Holy Spirit as Teacher

In our passage today, Jesus teaches us about the role of the Spirit in our lives. The Spirit of God is the Spirit of Christ (2 Corinthians 3:17). We should be ever mindful of the reality that there is only one God. He exists in three Persons. Just as Christ only spoke the words of the Father (John 12:49), the Spirit will only speak the things of God. The Holy Spirit will never lead us into something that is contrary to the truths found in God’s Word, the Bible. That is why we must continue to remain in the truth of scripture while contemplating the leading of the Spirit. To do otherwise would be unwise and can lead to all kinds of confusion.

The word that Jesus uses in describing the Holy Spirit is parakletos. It can be translated Helper, Comforter, and Advocate. It is the same word used to describe Christ as our Mediator and Advocate (1 John 2:1-2). When we think about the parakletos, we can imagine a marathon race. As the runners participate in the race, people will often line the race route as a way of encouraging the runners to continue in the event. These individuals will cheer, shout, and maybe even make noise (such as a cowbell), all designed to give the participants motivation to soldier on even in the face of opposition and difficulty. This is the word picture being used of the Holy Spirit in our lives as believers. He is our Helper, our Advocate, and our Encourager. He is on our side and seeks to assist us as a Teacher, Comforter, and Guide.

Jesus tells us that this Helper will be with us forever. As long as we live, as believers, we can be assured that He will be with us and will not abandon us. And as believers, we can enjoy the Spirit of God in three amazing ways:

1. The Spirit is the spirit of truth

As we have already mentioned, the Spirit of God will always lead us into truth. The foundational source for knowing truth is found in the pages of scripture. To neglect the study of the Word of God is to put ourselves at a great disadvantage. It is the Spirit of God that enlightens us to all spiritual truth. This might explain the difference between someone who reads the Bible and announces that they, “just don’t get it” from the person who loves to spend time in the Word of God. When we couple the study of the Bible with the power of the Spirit of God, we are equipped to face anything that might come our way.

2. The Spirit will teach us

The Spirit of God acts as our Teacher. Again, this instruction comes as we immerse ourselves in scripture. God is the Master teacher because He is the One who existed before time. He spoke the world into existence and He knows the beginning from the end. To live our lives apart from the teaching of the Spirit is to effectively “wander” throughout our time on earth. But when we yield to the instruction of God by the Spirit through the written word of scripture, we discover things that can only be spiritually discerned.

3. The Spirit will bring into our remembrance the words of Christ

Living as those who believe the words of Christ brings great power and victory in our lives. For example, when we pray, do we believe these words of Christ?

Therefore I say to you, all things for which you pray and ask, believe that you have received them, and they will be granted you.

                                                                                                            Mark 11:24

Or when we refuse to forgive, do we consider these words regarding a lack of forgiveness?

For if you forgive others for their transgressions, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions.

                                                                                                            Matthew 6:14-15

And when it comes to salvation and receiving eternal life, do we boldly proclaim this truth?

Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies, and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?” 

                                                                                                                   John 11:25-26

To read the words of Christ, to believe them, and then live in the confidence that they bring will yield a life that is powerful, purposeful, and prolific.

Tragically, we are reminded that the world (in general) does not receive nor accept the things of God. The world cannot see Him nor do they know Him because knowledge of the Spirit comes only as we receive salvation by faith. But as Christians, we are to live as those who are being taught and led by the Master teacher. We have a Helper and He is the Spirit of God. Let’s be a people that are led by the presence of God in our lives!