In the gospel of John, chapters 13-16, it records the words Jesus said to his disciples on the night before his death. Within 24 hours, Jesus would be hanging on a cross, so it was extremely important for him to get his followers prepared for his departure. It was Jesus’ last shot at instructing his disciples in how to live for him.

In these parting words, it’s no accident that Jesus continually mentions the disciples’ need for the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is God, who either works in specific events or who works through specific people, to accomplish his purpose on this earth.

The Spirit is a lasting gift

Jesus said in John 14:15-17, “If you love me, keep my commands. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— ¹⁷ 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.”

Some people may think that being empowered by the Holy Spirit is an indicator that they’ve reached a spiritual status far above the average believer. They think God would only give his Spirit to the most prominent Christian leaders in the world, so most “ordinary” folks are automatically disqualified. That is not what Jesus taught. He says, the Father will “give you another advocate,” namely, the Spirit of truth.

The Spirit comes to us as a gift. In other words, his presence in our lives is not something we have to earn or qualify for. So how do you receive this gift? When you receive Jesus Christ as the Director and Leader of your life, the Bible says that he comes to live in us by his Spirit.

The Holy Spirit doesn’t come as a temporary guest, he comes to stay. He takes up permanent residence; our hearts become his home. Jesus told his disciples that the Spirit is with you, but he will be in you. On the night of the resurrection of Christ, Jesus appeared to his disciples and breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit” (John 20:22). And from that time on, the Holy Spirit lived in their hearts and he came to stay!

The Spirit is our advocate

John 15:26 says, “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.”

Once again, the Holy Spirit is called our advocate. The word advocate can also be translated as a “comforter,” “counselor,” or “helper.” It’s actually a legal term that literally means “one called alongside to help,” and it especially speaks of coming to the aid of someone who’s in trouble with the law.

We may not be in trouble with the police or the IRS, but when it comes to God’s law, we all fall short of its demands. The Holy Spirit will come to our aid to help us make good choices.

Jesus says, the Spirit will “testify about me.” The Holy Spirit changes us by unveiling the beauty, the splendor, and the awesomeness of our Lord Jesus Christ. For when we see Jesus and encounter his love, we will never be the same! The Spirit reveals the power of the cross and how Jesus took the full punishment for our sins. The Holy Spirit imparts to us the power of Christ’s resurrection to set us free from the hurts and hang-ups of the past and to give us hope for the future. The Spirit also gives us the power to say “no” to sin and “yes” to the righteous life that God requires.

Jesus describes the Holy Spirit as the ultimate counselor. He’s accessible to us 24 hours a day and he’s attentive to our needs. Which brings up the question, who’s the first person you run to when your heart is overwhelmed? Is it a friend? Your parents? Your husband or wife?

God invites us to run to him. Talk to him first, even before you get other people involved. Depend on him first, even before you turn to other options. The Holy Spirit is our counselor, which means he’s not only a good listener but an effective communicator as well. He can speak to us through the scriptures. He can speak to our hearts and our consciences by his Spirit. He can communicate to us through our circumstances and through other people.

The Holy Spirit has been called alongside to help us glorify Jesus and you and I can’t do it without him! In Romans 8:11, Paul the apostle says that the same Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead now dwells in us. He can work in our lives in incredible ways!

The Spirit guides us to the truth

In John 16:13, Jesus says: “But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come.” Jesus claims that the Spirit will guide us into all truth and when it serves a purpose, he’ll even show us things to come to help us prepare for the future. In fact, the only safe guides for the future are the Bible and the Holy Spirit.

Therefore, it is essential to get to know the scriptures better and to keep strengthening our relationship with the Lord and with other believers. In this world we’re bombarded with competing messages, so it’s nice to know that the Spirit of God is entirely trustworthy. He always leads us in the path of truth.

Since it was the Holy Spirit that inspired the biblical writers, we need to pray for his help before we read the Bible. He will assist us in getting the true meaning of what the writer intended to say. It’s also important that we compare all spiritual experiences to what the scriptures say, to make sure we’re not being misled. We need both the Spirit of God and the word of God (i.e., the Bible), to sink deep into our hearts so we’ll be able to distinguish between truth and error in the days to come.

The good news is, if you’re a Christ follower, the Holy Spirit is present to prepare you for the future and he’ll even give you advance warning when you need it, to help you navigate through the turbulent times ahead.

The Spirit is our teacher

In John 14:26, Jesus continued: “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.”

Jesus says that the Holy Spirit will teach us everything we need to know to live the Christian life. However, God often uses our spouses, children, friends, co-workers, and Christian leaders, etc., as his mouthpiece. Sadly, it’s easy to get defensive when a family member or friend tries to speak into our lives and we then miss the truth of what they’re trying to say. It could be that the Lord wants to use that person to impart something we need to know, and we pay a high price for not paying attention to it.

Jesus speaks in very plain language when he says the Holy Spirit will remind us of his words. Especially in times of temptation, it’s important to remember what God says in the scriptures to strengthen us and enable us to overcome.

The Spirit is our peace

Jesus says, in John 14:26-27, “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. 27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”

Jesus is willing to give us his peace and the good news is, we can access his peace in all of our circumstances. Galatians 5:22 says that God’s peace is one of the by-products of the Spirit’s presence in our lives. If you’re all stressed out and you go to a party, there’s often plenty of alcohol or drugs to induce a temporary state of peace and relaxation. But those things don’t last, and they leave you coming back for more. Jesus speaks of a greater peace than that! He’s talking about the perfect peace found in his abiding presence (Philippians 4:6-7).

Prayer

We need you, Holy Spirit, to fill us with your wisdom and power. Thank you for being our comforter and counselor. You always speak truth to our hearts and lead us in the right way. It brings us great joy to know that we can count on you each day.

Question

Have you received the empowering of the Holy Spirit?