Category Archives: Holy Spirit

Joy In Our Trials

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-Consider It A Great Joy!

In James’ introduction to his epistle, by the same name, the Spirit of God prompts him to write:  “Consider it a great joy, my brothers, whenever you experience various trials” (1:2). Say what? Did he just say that we ought to consider it “joy” whenever we’re facing trials?  Yup, sure did! So, what are some of our natural responses to difficulties and problems? Not very joyful are they? Because of our sinful flesh, our natural response is never going to please God, is it? Our flesh always wants to please our flesh. A spiritual response of “joy” is counter-intuitive for us! It’s NOT natural! It’s God’s work in us!

-An Unavoidable Situation

That phrase, “…whenever you experience various trials…” is interesting.  It literally means that it’s an “unavoidable” situation! It’s not “IF” you will experience trials; but, “WHEN.” In other words, you cannot prevent it! You cannot control the various trials of life. I fear that some of you have gone through life feeling a great sense of guilt. You’ve convinced yourself that the reason you’ve had that crisis in your life is that you’ve done something wrong, and God is getting back at you for it! That He’s out to get you! That’s not the case! That’s not the loving, gracious, merciful God who eagerly forgives our sin when we confess it; and cleanses us for our unrighteousness (1 John 1:8-10). When James uses the word “consider” in that verse, he means for us to make a conscious commitment. We have to make a conscious commitment that whenever trials or tests or troubles come that we’re going to count it “joy” because it means that God is working in us! He’s using us for His purposes!

-God Puts You On Display!

If this becomes a struggle for you, let me offer you some Scripture to put to memory! When you memorize Scripture, you give God’s Holy Spirit the tools He uses to strengthen your faith and correct your walk with God! The Apostle Paul wrote to the believers in the Church of Corinth:  “But thanks be to God, who always puts us on display in Christ and through us spreads the aroma of the knowledge of Him in every place. For to God we are the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing” (2 Cor. 2:14-15).  God uses the tests & trials in your life to put you on display! “Here’s Jesus in the flesh,” He tells the unbelieving world. He’s announcing to everyone around you! He wants to show the world, by your response to the testing, that Jesus is more valuable to you than a perfect life without struggles; that you still pursue Him despite your trials! 

-Spiritual Maturity!

James is teaching his readers to let God use the testing to produce spiritual maturity in their life. It’s “…the testing of your faith…” he says in v.3 that produces “endurance.” One of our former members, who’s moved away, runs marathons. A marathon is 26.2 miles. He didn’t just start running marathons one day. In fact, if you ask him how far he could run when he started, he’d tell you he wasn’t able to get past the 1-mile mark. But, he kept running, stretching it out to 5 miles; then 10, 15, and 20. Until he could endure 26.2 miles. That’s what the testing of our faith produces is endurance, James says. When you’re a new believer you get tripped up easily over every little test in life. But, God uses it to build spiritual endurance in us! That’s why we consider it joy! We don’t consider it joy because we enjoy the trials. Rather, we face the trials with a joyful heart because we know that God is using those things to produce spiritual endurance in us. It’s God’s work in us! So, what James is calling for here will require that we crucify our flesh!

Shining Like Stars In The World!

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-God Enables Us!

Over the last few posts, I’ve asked you to read with me from the Apostle Paul’s letter to the Philippians, chapter 2. In writing to this church, Paul shares something significant in v.15, “So that you may be blameless and pure, children of God who are faultless in a crooked and perverted generation, among whom you shine like stars in the world.” God intends that we would shine like stars in the world as He enables us & gives us the desire to have the mind or attitude of Jesus. Go back earlier in the chapter & re-read verses 5-11.  God will enable us to shine like stars in the world when we empty ourselves of self-glory as Jesus did.

-Empty Yourself Of All Self-Glory!

Consider that phrase, in v.7, where Paul says that Jesus “…made Himself of no reputation…” It means He “emptied Himself.” The word, in the original Greek language, means “to empty, or to pour out.” In a practical sense, the word means “to give up status or privilege.” When Jesus “…made Himself of no reputation…” or “emptied Himself,” Scripture means He willingly set aside some of the privileges He enjoyed as God.  Paul says that Jesus also took on the “form” of a slave. The word “form” means “the exact essence.”

-The Exact Essence Of A Slave!

Jesus was the exact essence of what a slave looks like, but He took it on voluntarily. No one forced Jesus to do it! He willingly took the form of a slave! He willingly came to earth! He willingly died so we could live!  Then, Paul says He came “…in the likeness of men.” In other words, He wasn’t just God in a human body. He took on all the essential attributes of humanity— He experienced all the emotions, the pain, and the suffering of betrayal & death! So, here is the application— Paul calls us out, as the church, to think of ourselves in the same way as Christ who emptied Himself! To set aside self-glory; and, become slaves to one another in the church, until it spills over into our city!

-Serving Our City With The Mind Of Christ!

Until we serve the people of our city in a way that the mind of Christ would direct us! God will also cause us to shine like stars in the world as we humble ourselves of our self-importance. In v.8 Paul says, “And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.” Jesus so humbled Himself that when a man looked upon Him, many of them only saw a “man.” He had no glory glow about Him; no halo as artists have erroneously depicted Him. He just appeared to be a man to them. He left the glory of heaven where He was “King of Kings & Lord of Lords.”

-Angels Worshiped him In Heaven!

In heaven, Jesus couldn’t go anywhere without angels bowing down to worship Him & singing Him songs of praise! While He could have strutted onto this planet with a spectacular display of His omnipotence, His omniscience, His holiness, and His justice— so that no one could mistake Him for anything other than the God He was— instead, He humbled Himself so that many disrespected Him & saw Him as nothing more than a mere man! Application? Paul said the Church of Philippi filled his heart with joy (v.3) because they humbled themselves of self-importance. When they esteemed the needs & interests of others as more important than their own & become more concerned with the rest of the faith community’s needs above their own, that’s when they were thinking like Jesus. That’s Christ IN YOU! The Spirit produces the mind of Christ IN YOU! We can’t! But He changes our minds & attitudes when we trust Him.

Overcoming Habitual Sin!

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-Taking Some Vacation Time: Next Post July 6th-

-Some Used To Live In Habitual Sin!

In Paul’s first letter to the Church of Corinth, he informed them that all habitual sin can be overcome by God’s Spirit. Look at this! He wrote of them: “And some of you used to be like this. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God” (ch.6:11). He says that some, in the church, used to live their life a certain way. But, they’ve been washed, sanctified & justified by Jesus Christ and God’s Spirit. So, what kind of lifestyle was he referring to? Look at the previous verses: “Don’t you know that the unrighteous will not inherit God’s kingdom? Do not be deceived: No sexually immoral people, idolaters, adulterers, or anyone practicing homosexuality, no thieves, greedy people, drunkards, verbally abusive people, or swindlers will inherit God’s kingdom” (v.9-10).

-Some Used To Practice A Sinful Lifestyle!

In context, Paul is reminding some of them that they used to “practice” a habitual lifestyle of sin! Some used to practice a “homosexual” lifestyle! Some used to be “adulterers.” Some used to be “idolaters”, “drunkards”, “thieves”, “verbal abusers” and “swindlers.” But, that’s no longer their way of life.  Jesus has set them free from their habitual sin. Later, Paul also wrote this same church: “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away, and all things have become new” (2 Cor. 5:17). There is the hope of freedom from all these debilitating sins. There is hope for anyone in the homosexual community. Don’t ever give up on any friend or loved one practicing a homosexual lifestyle, or on anyone caught up in a habitually sinful lifestyle. Never quit praying for them! Love them well! Love them like Jesus loves them!

-Don’t Demonize Those Caught In Certain Sins!

It’s alarming that many in the church have demonized individuals caught up in homosexuality as being more deviant, in nature, than the sins of others. It’s just not true! This text absolutely levels the playing field on sin. God’s word informs us that believers must humbly see themselves as equally depraved. Here’s a quick word to anyone who struggles with a special antagonism & judgment toward those in the LGBTQ+ community. Look at all the deadly sins that God condemns on an equal par with homosexuality in this Scripture. “Sexual immorality”— that includes all heterosexual sin! “Idolaters”— who has never been guilty of loving something more than God at one time or another? “Adulterers”—for those who’ve never actually slept with someone you weren’t married to, have you ever lusted after someone? Busted! Your sin is on this list! “Thieves”— ever stolen anything? Even a cookie from mom’s cookie jar? “Greedy”— you lie if you say you’ve never been greedy!

-The List Of Deadly Sins Continues!

Have you ever been “drunk”; or “verbally abusive” or “swindled” anyone? If you’ve ever lied to the boss about the hours you worked; or withheld information about a car or something else you were trying to sell, you’re a swindler. That’s swindling. We’re all on this list! Every one of us! You’re acting like the Pharisees if you judge anyone, on this list, as more deserving of hell & God’s judgment than are you! Let me challenge you with a new response on this subject if you need it. I once held animosity toward anyone living a homosexual lifestyle as though I were above them! What’s helped me overcome those feelings is to rehearse often— with God in prayer— how equally repulsive God found all my particular sins.  Even though homosexual sin was not one of my sins, I am equally as depraved and broken! I can take no delight that my sins were somehow less offensive to God! I am totally depraved  & in need of Jesus!

Acting Most Like Jesus!

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-Responding With Grace & Truth!

When encountering anyone caught up in sexual sin, we act most like Jesus by showing them grace & truth. We are most like Jesus when we respond with grace & truth toward those caught up in a same-sex relationship or a same-sex attraction; or any kind of sexual sin! Jesus could never be accused of being mean-spirited. He responded, even to the woman caught in the act of adultery, with gentleness and respect; with grace and truth. He acknowledged her sin, but He did not condemn her. He told her to go and sin no more. The Apostle Peter, who sat under Jesus’ teaching for 3 1/2 years, wrote these words inspired by God’s Holy Spirit: “Always be ready to give a defense to anyone who asks you for the reason for the hope that is in you. However, do this with gentleness & respect, keeping your conscience clear, so that when you are accused, those who denounce your Christian life will be put to shame” 1 Peter 3:15-16.

-Defending Truth With Gentleness & Respect!

Part of our “defense” is to respond with gentleness and respect. Last week we began to look at Paul’s warning to the Church of Corinth: “…Do not be deceived: No sexually immoral people, idolaters, adulterers, or anyone practicing homosexuality, no thieves, greedy people, drunkards, verbally abusive people, or swindlers will inherit God’s kingdom…” 1 Corinthians 6:9-11. It’s an important text on the subject of sexual sin, and helps us form a Gospel response toward anyone caught up in sexual sin. For example, this scripture informs us that all forms of sexual sin are condemned by God. Just look back at that text again. How many sins are listed that God says will cause an individual to miss heaven? There is 9 right? 9 sins that will receive God’s eternal judgment; and 3 are sexual. The “sexually immoral”—that’s a broad generalization condemning all sexual sin.  And, then he specifies “adulterers”—that’s sex between a man & a moan outside of marriage. And, then “anyone practicing homosexuality.”

-No Biblical Distinction Between Sexual Sins!

I want you to notice that God makes no distinction here. God lists no hierarchy of sin when it comes to sexual sin. God’s holiness is repulsed by all sexual sin. As far as God is concerned, sexual sin is sexual sin is sexual sin. God doesn’t have a separate list for those living a homosexual lifestyle from those living in heterosexual sin. So, from this text; and the rest of the Word of God, we derive that all sinful lifestyles are equally condemned by God. Perhaps the keyword is that word, “practicing.” What’s condemned here is practicing a lifestyle of sexual sin. And many Bible students believe that the word “practicing” was used to describe all 9 sins listed. So, what God eternally condemns here is NOT a sexually immoral “act”; or anyone that’s ever been guilty of idolatry, adultery, or homosexual “acts.”

-Some Of You Used To Be Like This!

The Apostle Paul is not condemning to hell anyone who’s ever stolen or been greedy or drunk or verbally abusive; or no one could ever be saved, right? Especially when Jesus expanded sexual sin to include adultery of the heart. No! The condemnation is for “practicing” a lifestyle of these sins. It’s when someone snubs their nose at God’s commandments & is determined to live a lifestyle of adultery or sexual immorality or homosexuality or greed or drunkenness or verbal abuse or a swindler. It’s an unwillingness to repent and call it sin! It’s an unwillingness to confess, or agree with God that it’s sin! That’s what is condemned! I love what comes next. Paul writes, “And some of you used to be like this. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God” (v.11). In other words, all habitual sin can be overcome by God’s Spirit! He can change every heart!

Speaking Truth With Grace!

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–Today Is Last Post Until June 15th–

-Uncomfortable Subjects!

Over 40 years of ministry, I’ve learned that if I’m going to be committed to preaching the whole counsel of God’s word, I’m going to have to deal with some passages that will make my audience uncomfortable to hear it; and me, uncomfortable to preach it. 1 Corinthians, chapter 6, is one of those passages; and as much as I would love to avoid it, the Spirit of God compels me to preach it and to teach it. It addresses a topic that I cannot sidestep & neither can you. You & I need this message because we need to hear from God on this subject; and if you ever hope to disciple individuals caught up in certain sins, as the Apostle Paul outlines here, they’ll also need to hear what God has to say.

-No Inheritance In God’s Kingdom!

Here’s what Paul writes to the local church of Corinth: “Don’t you know that the unrighteous will not inherit God’s kingdom? Do not be deceived: No sexually immoral people, idolaters, adulterers, or anyone practicing homosexuality, no thieves, greedy people, drunkards, verbally abusive people, or swindlers will inherit God’s kingdom. And some of you used to be like this. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God” (1 Corinthians 6:9-11). If Paul was writing this letter in our day, it most certainly would have been addressed to the Churches of America. Of the 12 NT epistles, with Paul’s name on it, the sins he calls out the Church of Corinth for most closely resemble our own culture. As I open up this volatile “can of worms” my greatest fear is NOT any negative backlash I might face for taking up a Biblical position on the subject matter! My greatest fear, in presenting this message, is being misunderstood & being portrayed as hateful, mean-spirited & unloving toward the LGBTQ+ community.

-We Neither Celebrate Nor Hate!

The dominant culture today tells us we have only 2 choices; that there are only 2 possible camps! You either “celebrate” LGBTQ+ sexuality, or you’re “haters.” If you don’t support them, you hate them. On Biblical grounds, I reject both of those camps! God gives us a better way! If we grasp the truth of the Good News of the Gospel, then we have something better to bring to this discussion. As followers of Jesus, we cannot base our belief system or our worldview on public opinion! That’s shifting sand! Public opinion is a moving target; but we’re called to live by the immutable, unchanging Word of God. And, as God of the universe, He is the final authority on every matter, including our sexuality. He created us “male” and “female” according to the creation account in the book of Genesis. In other words, He created us gender-specific. In the same creation account, God instructed the “man” to leave his father and mother & cleave to his “wife.” It was God who created marriage; and, we dare not change it!

-So How Do We Respond?

As followers of Christ, then, how do we respond to a prevailing culture that has rejected the absolute truth of Scripture? As followers of Christ, how do we respond to a culture that insists on normalizing sexual behavior that is labeled as sin in God’s Word? The key part of that question is “…as FOLLOWERS of Jesus Christ…” How do we respond as followers of Jesus Christ? I’ve often been amazed at how Jesus never compromised the truth of God’s law; and yet He was loved by sinners! No one ever lived a more righteous life. No one exalted God’s standards more than Jesus. So, how could He also be called the “friend of sinners”? It was because He was full of truth AND GRACE! And, in a sex-crazed & sexually-confused world that’s exactly how we’ll respond if we’re following Jesus. When encountering anyone caught up in sexual sin, we act most like Jesus by showing them truth AND GRACE! Every sinner needs truth mingled with love AND GRACE!

Let’s Be Thankful!

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-Thankful Or Critical?

Most of us are pretty consistent in the way that we look at life. Generally speaking, we are either a thankful person; or, a critical person. We’re either positive or negative. We tend to see the glass as either “half-full”; or, “half-empty” as the saying goes. Either way, we’re what we are because we’ve practiced it. We are creatures of habit. If you’re critical it’s because you’ve practiced being critical. If you’re thankful it’s because you’ve developed a habit of being thankful. You are NOT the way you are because of your circumstances! You ARE the way you are because of your reaction to your circumstances.

-Do Your Circumstances Rule You?

We’ve all known people who whine about everything; and others, with far worse life circumstances, who are thankful & a blessing to be around. If you’re a critical person it’s because you’ve permitted the circumstances to rule over you; you’ve narrowed your focus so that all you see is the negative & the painful in life. It’s kind of like getting too zoomed in on Google maps! Have you ever done that? You’re looking at the map, but you can’t get your bearings because you’ve over-focused or you’ve over-analyzed it. If you’ll just zoom out a little bit, and, get a bigger picture, then you can see! You just needed a broader perspective.

-A Broader Perspective Of Life!

If you tend to be overly critical, you need to zoom out & get a broader perspective of life by intentionally paying attention to God’s provisions, even in the tough circumstances. Thank Him for His faithfulness! Look at your circumstances in the big picture context of all His blessings. But, it has to be intentional! Forming that habit of thankfulness may require that you pray for God’s Holy Spirit to help you; to remind you to see the big picture in life; to zoom out from all the annoyances in life. Thankful people pay attention to God’s blessings; and, they pay attention because they are thankful people!

-Viewing Our Life Through The Cross!

Our greatest need, as people, is forgiveness for our sin against a Holy God! The Apostle John describes the way that Jesus provided forgiveness through His substitutionary atonement for sin on the cross: “Therefore they took Jesus away. Carrying His own cross, He went out to what is called Skull Place, which in Hebrew is called Golgotha. There they crucified Him and two others with Him, one on either side, with Jesus in the middle” (John 19:16-18). When we view our lives through the cross, we can’t help but become more thankful! Jesus’ disciples were repulsed when He first began talking with His disciples about His impending death on a cross! The cross was perhaps the cruelest instrument of torture and death that the world has ever known. And, that was their focus! They were too zoomed in on the pain and the suffering of the cross!

-Seeing The Cross Differently!

They needed to zoom out & get a broader focus of the cross. Jesus lived a sinless life and willingly gave up His life to give new meaning to the cross. The cross became the place where God’s love intersected with His justice. It symbolizes the atonement that Jesus Christ made on our behalf. He became God’s substitutionary atonement for us. The Apostle Paul wrote to the Church of Corinth, “God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Cor. 5:21). Jesus, who had no sin, became sin! He was the substitute for us, so that we could become righteous before God. Oh, let us learn to always be thankful for Christ’s atonement! The atonement is the reason we can be thankful for the cross. To atone means to appease. Jesus endured the full wrath of God, against sin, to appease God’s righteousness; so that God could be just & righteous to save us! The sin debt has been paid!

The Indwelling Holy Spirit!

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-He Lives Inside You!

In recent posts, we’ve talked about the ministry of God’s Holy Spirit in our lives. Perhaps the greatest benefit we enjoy, as true disciples of Christ, is the Spirit’s indwelling. If you believe God; if you trust Jesus to be your Savior, the Holy Spirit moves inside you & takes up residence! He can’t possibly get any closer to you! He lives inside you! Jesus describe the Holy Spirit to His disciples like this: “He is the Spirit of truth. The world is unable to receive Him because it doesn’t see Him or know Him. But you do know Him, because He remains with you and will be in you” (John 14:17). At the time Jesus shared this, He was speaking prophetically.

-Events About To Take Place!

He was foretelling the events that were about to take place. He told them He would be die; that He would be raised from the dead; He would ascend to the Father; and He would send the Holy Spirit as a gift, Who would indwell them. The Apostle Paul wrote, in his letter to the Church of Rome, that, “…the mind-set of the flesh is hostile to God because it does not submit itself to God’s law, for it is unable to do so.  Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.  You, however, are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, since the Spirit of God lives in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him” (Romans 8:7-9). The Spirit of God “…lives in you…” Paul said; and you are “…in the Spirit…”

-He Is Our Internal Counselor!

The Holy Spirit is in you & you are in the Holy Spirit! And anyone who does not have the Spirit, Paul says, does not belong to Jesus. And, then, Jesus also taught His disciples that God, the Holy Spirit, is our internal Counselor. “I will not leave you as orphans” Jesus tells them at the end of John 14, v.18; and, then v.25, “I have spoken these things to you while I remain with you. But the Counselor, 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.”  Two chapters later, in John 16, Jesus continues to teach His disciples about the Holy Spirit’s ministry in them: “…if I don’t go away the Counselor will not come to you. If I go, I will send Him to you. When He comes, He will convict the world about sin, righteousness, and judgment.”

-He Is Our Internal Compass!

The Spirit is our internal spiritual compass! He “...convicts the world of sin, righteousness & judgment…” It is the Spirit’s ministry to bring us to the point of conviction over our sin; and our need for Jesus to be our Savior. Additionally, the Holy Spirit helps us pray: “…the Spirit also joins to help in our weakness, because we do not know what to pray for as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with unspoken groanings…. He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God” (Romans 8:26-27).

-Ask The Spirit’s Help To Pray!

If you struggle to pray, ask God to help you know how to pray; and with what to pray for! The Spirit intercedes for us in our prayer life. He works in us, from within! By the Holy Spirit’s work, God changes us; and produces spiritual fruit in our lives. Paul reminded the Church of Galatia of this: “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith, gentleness, self-control. Against such things there is no law. Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, we must also follow the Spirit “ (Galatians 5:22-25). That’s the fruit; or the evidence that the Holy Spirit indwells you! He will produce His fruit in you! And, remember that Jesus called the Holy Spirit the “…Spirit of Truth…” And, because Jesus also said, “…I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life…” that means the Spirit is the Spirit of Christ! Contrary to what the world says, there is absolute Truth in Jesus!

A Favored People!

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-The Holy Spirit’s Indwelling!

We are a favored people to live in the age of the Holy Spirit’s indwelling of believers. We should be incredibly thankful that we live in a day when the fullness of God’s Triune nature has been revealed; and, because the Spirit is God’s Gift to us, we can have a deeper & fuller relationship with God than did our brothers & sisters who loved God during Old Testament times. It was back in the 1st chapter, v.32, of John’s Gospel when John the Baptizer testified: “I have seen the Spirit descending as a dove out of heaven, and He remained upon Him (Jesus).” Jesus also had many things to say, about the Spirit, in His conversation with Nicodemus, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God” John 3:5.

-The Spirit Gives Life!

In John, ch.6, Jesus also said, “It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing ….” But, there’s a major shift in the way that Jesus speaks about the Holy Spirit when you turn the page of Scripture to John, chapter 14. God, the Father, seems the most prominent in His Old Testament work with Israel. God, the Son, takes the spotlight in the New Testament as He comes to make atonement for the sin of mankind. But, in some of Jesus’ final words to His disciples, as He prepares to return to the Father after the cross, He elevates the Holy Spirit to front & center by His work in us! The Holy Spirit is truly God’s gift to us!

-It Was More Profitable!

And, though difficult for His disciples to understand at the time, Jesus told them that it was more profitable, for them, that He would return to the Father so the Holy Spirit could come to indwell them. It was more profitable because Jesus, in His human body, could only be in 1 place at a time; and, have an influence limited to a few people at a time. But, the Spirit would be available to minister to every believer in every place in the world at any time! And, from Jesus’ words, in John chapter 14, we come to understand that the Holy Spirit is a Person just like Jesus is a Person.

-He’s Not A Mystical Force!

There are many misconceptions about the Holy Spirit. He’s not some mystical force like Star Wars; nor, is He an impersonal power that God offers to Jesus’ followers. The Bible teaches that the Holy Spirit is God; that, just like Jesus, He is a being with a mind, emotions & will. When Jesus says, “…I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Counselor to be with you forever” (14:16), He uses the word “allos” (ἄλλος) which is a descriptive word that means: “another of the same kind.” In other words, Jesus is saying that “…the Holy Spirit will be a counselor/helper just like Me.” During Jesus’ ministry with His disciples, He had guided them; He had guarded them, and He had been their Teacher.

-God: The Holy Spirit!

Now, after His death & resurrection, the Father would send the Holy Spirit to do the same thing for them that Jesus had done when He was present. In Acts, chapter 5, after Ananias had lied about the amount of money he had received from the sale of a piece of property, Peter asked him:  “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit?” So, he lied, Peter said, to the Holy Spirit, right? And, in the very next verse, he says, “You have not lied to men but to God.” He used the Holy Spirit interchangeably with God. So, he lied to the Holy Spirit, who is God, Peter said. That makes Him a person; because you can’t lie to an impersonal force. Then, Jesus finishes His statement to the disciples:  “I will ask the Father,” He says, “and He will give you another Counselor to be with you forever” (14:16). In other words, God’s gift of the Holy Spirit will never be taken from us! God, the Father, has given us the Holy Spirit to enjoy forever!

The Spirit Of Truth!

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-He Came Alongside Him!

Many of you are aware that I’m a big baseball fan; and, one of my favorite baseball stories is about the friendship between the Dodgers Hall-of-Fame shortstop, Pee Wee Reese, and his teammate, the great Jackie Robinson. In 1947 Robinson bravely broke the color barrier, that should never have existed, when he became the 1st African American to play Major League baseball. Facing incredible racism, that continues to be a blight on our nation’s history & shamefully still persists today, he experienced jeering crowds in every stadium he played. One day, while playing at his home stadium in Brooklyn, he committed an error and the fans began to ridicule him loudly. As Jackie stood, humiliated at 2nd base as the fans continued to boo him, Pee Wee Reese walked over to him, stood next to him, and put his arm around him; turning to face the crowd until they quit their booing! Later, Jackie Robinsons said, “That arm around my shoulder saved my career.”

-Helper! Comforter! Advocate!

What Reese did that day was very much the kind of ministry the Holy Spirit does for us.  In John’s Gospel, chapter 14, as Jesus’ disciples struggle with His announcement that He would be leaving them soon, He encourages them with these words: “And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Counselor to be with you forever. He is the Spirit of truth” (vs.16-17). And, that word translated “Counselor”— some of your translations render it “helper” or “comforter” or “advocate”— is “parakletos” in the original Greek language. The word is used in reference to someone who is “called to one’s aid.” “Para” means to “come alongside.” If you’re a Paramedic you “come alongside” someone to provide medical assistance. Pee Wee Reese came alongside Jackie Robinson. He came to Jackie Robinson’s aid.

-He Sent The Holy Spirit To Aid Them!

Jesus told His disciples not to fear; because, when He left them, He would send the Holy Spirit— ”parakletos”— to their aid. It is only by God’s Holy Spirit that we are able to break free from Satan’s grasp to do Jesus’ work by God’s power! It has been my experience that the Holy Spirit, the 3rd member of the Triune Godhead, is either the most ignored or the most misunderstood member of the Trinity. What Jesus says about the Spirit, in John’s Gospel, is absolutely vital to your spiritual health. If you’re trying to live the Christian life without a proper Biblical understanding of the Holy Spirit’s work, you’ll suffer from spiritual malnutrition and you’ll be ineffective for the Lord! Listen to what Jesus says: “And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Counselor to be with you forever. He is the Spirit of truth. The world is unable to receive Him because it doesn’t see Him or know Him. But you do know Him, because He remains with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I am coming to you.” (vs. 16-18)

-Don’t Leave Home Without Him!

And, Jesus continues speaking to His disciples about the Holy Spirit: “I have spoken these things to you,” Jesus continues, “while I remain with you. But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit—the Father will send Him in My name—will teach you all things & remind you of everything I’ve told you” (vs.25-26). Don’t leave home without the Holy Spirit. The Capital One card may ask, “What’s in your wallet?”; but, God is asking, “Who’s your parakletos?” Who’s coming alongside you to give you the aid you need to live a life that counts for eternity? Jesus says that the Holy Spirit is God’s gift to us. He says, “I will ask the Father, and He will GIVE you another Counselor…” (v.16). I’m going to ask the Father, Jesus says, to give you someone! The indwelling Holy Spirit is the Father’s gift! We are a favored people to live in the age of the Spirit! We should be incredibly thankful that we live in a day when the fullness of the Godhead has been revealed.

The Creator Of All Things!

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-The World Created Through Him!

What the Apostle John says about Jesus, in the opening verses of his Gospel, is astonishing! He says, of Jesus, that, “All things were created through Him, and apart from Him, not one thing was created that has been created” (v.3); and, then LOOK @ v.10 “He was in the world, and the world was created through Him.” Just let the weight of those words sink in for a moment! Jesus, whom John calls “the Word made flesh” in v.1, was the Creator of all things! The Apostle makes it clear that Jesus was NOT God’s 1st created being who then created everything else! No, he says, ALL THINGS were created through Him!

-Everything In The Category Of “Created”!

In other words, He created ALL THINGS; and, so that no one could misinterpret or misunderstand what he was saying, he clarified his statement:  “…apart from Him (apart from Jesus, the Word); apart from Him, not one thing was created that’s been created…” Everything in the category of “created” was created by Jesus! He was outside of everything created; and, other writers of Scripture confirm that. The Apostle Paul, inspired by God’s Holy Spirit, wrote: “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For everything was created by Him, in heaven and on earth, the visible and the invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things have been created through Him and for Him. He is before all things, and by Him all things hold together. He is also the head of the body, the church; He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He might come to have first place in everything. For God was pleased to have all His fullness dwell in Him…” (Colossians 1:15-20).

-The Fullness Of God In Jesus!

The fullness of God was in Jesus, and everything was created by Him! Though the word “trinity” is nowhere found in the Bible, it’s a doctrine revealed in Scripture from the very first page. If you’ve never been shown this before, you’ll want to make some notes in your Bibles at Genesis, chapter 1, v.26. It reads, “Then God said, ‘Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness…’” So, who is God talking to? Many Bible scholars see God, from the very beginning, to be a multiple person being; at the very least to be more than one person. And, it’s only as God reveals Himself in Scripture that we see that He is a Triune God; or the Trinity. Some suggest that even here, in the 1st chapter of Genesis, the Triune God can be seen working together in the act of Creation. Look at vs. 1-2, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” That would be God, the FATHER. “Now the earth was formless & empty, darkness covered the surface of the watery depths & the SPIRIT of GOD was hovering over the surface of the waters.” There’s God, the HOLY SPIRIT. And, v.3 “Then God SAID…” There’s the WORD of God; or Jesus as John calls Him.

-An Awesome God!

Our God is an Awesome God, amen? His greatness is magnified in Jesus because He concealed the glory of His fame in the form of an earthly frame! That’s what the Apostle John says next: “The Word became flesh and took up residence among us” (v.14).  We’re not forcing our views onto the text when we say that Jesus, the Word, became a man. We’re not forcing our views when we say that God became a man because John clearly states that “…the Word was God…”; and, “…the Word became flesh…” In the last part of v.14, John says, “…we observed His (Jesus’) glory, the glory as the One and Only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.” In other words, John is saying that Jesus shared the same glory as the Father; the glory that comes from being God! And, most Bible students believe John is referring to Jesus’ transfiguration recorded in Matthew’s Gospel (17:1-8). They observed His glory at that time; the glory He shared in the Godhead!