John 14: 25 - 26
25 “These things I have spoken to you while being present with you. 26 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 things that I said to you.
Many believers today fail to understand or even grasp the fact that the Holy Spirit is the closest we have to being with Jesus.
Believers today do not realise how much the Holy Spirit longs to come alongside us and help.
Jesus had been with His disciples for 3 and half years, now He is going back to His father and His disciples are worried and scared.
Then Jesus makes this interesting statement in John 16:7
7 Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you.
Jesus allays their fears by assuring His disciples that His going was to their advantage. The truth is that it was really to our advantage that Jesus returned to the Father. He had to return for the Holy Spirit to come and dwell with us.
Why was it to their advantage and our advantage? Whilst Jesus was on earth, He was only in one place at a time. It was therefore to their benefit and our benefit that Jesus returned to the father so that the Holy Spirit can come and walk alongside every single one of us, work with us and partner with us.
26 “But when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me. 27 And you also will bear witness, because you have been with Me from the beginning.
The Holy Spirit is a person and distinct part of the Trinity. The Trinity is made up of 3 distinct persons: The Father, The Son, and The Holy Spirit.
In some translations He is referred to as the counsellor, the advocate, the comforter. All these names refer to a person who helps in one way or the other. In the Greek word He is parakletos -"called to one's side.".
For us believers we have the advantage of the Holy Spirit living within us, walking alongside us and enabling us to do the good works we were saved for.
In what ways does the Holy Spirit help us as believers?
IN PRAYER – Romans 8:26-27
26 Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. 27 Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God.
Most times as believers we struggle with words to utter during our prayers, and sometimes we don’t even know how to pray. This is one of those times when the Holy Spirit comes alongside us to help us pray that which is on the heart of God.
IN THE CONVICTION OF SINS – John 16:8-10
8 And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: 9 of sin, because they do not believe in Me; 10 of righteousness, because I go to My Father and you see Me no more; 11 of judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.
For years out of my excitement to share the good news, I thought it was my duty to convict people and I became frustrated time after time when those I shared the good news with, did not respond to the good news.
When the Lord led me to this scripture it dawned on me that mine was to share the good news and the work of the Holy Spirit was to convict.
HE HELPS US WITH OUR WITNESSING -1:8
8 But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
Jesus told His disciples to wait for the baptism of the Holy Spirit, why was this so this so important to the disciples for us believers today. The Holy Spirit is the one who helps us with witnessing. He endues us with boldness to share the gospel without fear and helps us to walk in signs and wonders.
Acts 4
31 And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness.
HE REMINDS US ABOUT ALL THAT JESUS HAS TAUGHT – John 14:26
“But the Counsellor, the Holy Spirit — the Father will send Him in My name will teach you all things and remind you of everything I have told you”
Do you struggle with remembering the scriptures, this is another area in which the Holy Spirits helps believers? He brings the scriptures to life and reminds us of the words of Christ.
HE IS A PERSONAL WITNESS TO TESTIFY ABOUT CHRIST. - John 15:26
“When the Helper comes, the One I will send to you from the Father — the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father — He will testify about Me”
The Holy Spirit testifies to the truth of Jesus as the son of God. When we allow the Holy Spirit to walk alongside us, He testifies to the Lordship of Jesus.
HE GUIDES US TO TRUTH – John 16:13
“When the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all the truth. For He will not speak on His own, but He will speak whatever He hears. He will also declare to you what is to come”
Do you want to walk in the truth of the Word of God? You need the help of the Holy Spirit to reveal God’s truth to you? That way the enemy cannot deceive you.
HE BEARS WITNESS WITH OUR SPIRIT THAT WE ARE GOD’S CHILDREN – Romans 8:14-17
14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. 15 For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.” 16 The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.
Sometimes you might struggle with your salvation, but when you allow the Holy Spirit to guide and lead you, He always brings a reassurance of who you are in Christ.
The Holy Spirit is your helper, you comforter and your advocate. The one who comes alongside you, just as Jesus was with disciples. We must learn to walk and talk with Him too.
