THE GIFT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

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In Christ, Mark

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The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

“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. Before long, the world will not see Me anymore, but you will see Me. Because I live, you also will live. On that day you will realize that I am in My Father, and you are in Me, and I am in you.”

“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 14:16-20

“When the Advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the Father—the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father—He will testify about Me. And you also must testify, for you have been with Me from the beginning.”

John 15:26-27

This ends today’s reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

From the very beginning, from that moment three years earlier when Jesus had called them to leave everything behind and follow Him, His disciples had been by His side. All that they knew and all that they had was from Him and now He was getting ready to leave them. It had to leave massive feelings of uneasiness and anxiety within Jesus’ followers and they were in need of comfort.

Who would watch out for them now that Jesus was leaving?

Who could they count on for guidance and direction?

I’m sure these questions and more were raging around in the minds of the disciples and Jesus knew it. This is why we find Him addressing the matter as He shares parting words with His faithful devotees following the Passover meal on the day before His crucifixion and subsequent death.

What was Jesus’ message?

Simply out, He wanted His disciples to know that everything was going to be alright. For God would provide them a gift who would fill the gap left by His departure…and that gift would be the Holy Spirit who would be sent in the name of the man who asked for the Spirit to be sent, and that was Jesus Himself.

Note that this Holy Spirit wouldn’t be external to the disciples. Rather, the Holy Spirit would dwell within them, providing many blessings to help them get through in Jesus’ absence. And they would have the same intimate relationship with the Holy Spirit as they did with their Master Jesus. Indeed, Jesus was not abandoning His children, leaving them as orphans. No, He was making sure they would be cared for in every way.

Now, when a person receives a gift, it is typically something that benefits them in some way. So what would be the benefits that the disciples would gain from this gift of the Holy Spirit? Jesus details quite a few and we need to remember that these same gifts come to us today when we believe in Jesus as Savior, and receive the gift of the Holy Spirit ourselves.

First, the Holy Spirit would be an advocate for Jesus’ followers.

Look up the definition of advocate in the dictionary and here is what you find:

“One who pleads the cause of another.”    

People sometimes need a voice to help them, one who may hold a position of influence beyond the person needing help. This is where advocates come into play. They provide a voice of support (and persuasion, if needed) for others. Jesus had been the Advocate for His followers before and after He departed, the Holy Spirit would pick up that cause.

A second way the gift of the Holy Spirit would bless the disciples was through providing truth.

The disciples could always rely on the absolute, perfect validity in Jesus’ words. After all, He did tell them that He was the Truth, along with the Way and the Life (John 14:6). Again, the Holy Spirit would now provide this same truth for the disciples after Jesus left them.

Next, the Holy Spirit would bring teaching to Jesus’ followers who often referred to their Master as Rabbi which was just another word for teacher. Since learning was and still is a lifelong process (or at least the Lord expects it to be), the Holy Spirit would teach the disciples all things and not only do that but remind them of the teaching they had already received from Jesus. I often find myself being reminded of things Jesus said by the Holy Spirit and so I get a sense of what this had to be life for His faithful followers. Maybe you too have experienced this gift of the Holy Spirit in real time.

Finally, the Holy Spirit would bring a testimony about Jesus to the disciples who in turn were to testify themselves, especially since they had spent so much time with Jesus. After all, who could speak better about Him than those who were actually with Him, eyewitnesses to so many amazing displays of wisdom and power?

Advocacy. Truth. Teaching. Testimony.

All are blessings we receive through the gift of the Holy Spirit. If you have placed your belief in Jesus, I’m not telling you anything you don’t already know because you are experiencing all this and more through the wonderful generosity of God in the name of His Son.

If you are lacking these blessings, it’s because you have decided to be more in the world than in the Lord. You have passed up these gifts of the Holy Spirit because you have decided to reject Jesus and therefore you don’t know Him. My prayer today is that you will realize just how much you’re missing and will consider coming to Jesus, joining myself and other Christians who have not only gained the gift of the Holy Spirit through our belief in our Savior but the gift of salvation and eternal life as well.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

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