III : THE HOLY SPIRIT – OUR GUIDE
John 16:7-13
“There are three persons in the Godhead: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit; and these three are one God, the same in substance, equal in power and glory.” (Westminster Shorter Catechism)
The Work of the Holy Spirit
Jesus was always conscious of the Holy Spirit in His own life, but it was not until His work on earth was finished that the Holy Spirit came to His followers. So important was the coming of the Holy Spirit to the future of God’s Kingdom on earth that Jesus said to His disciples, “It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Comforter will not come to you… When He comes, He will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment.”[1]Jesus often emphasized the work of the Holy Spirit (called “The Comforter” in this text). He told His disciples that it would be through the Spirit that they would find the strength to be able to follow His commands. It was through the Spirit that they would be enabled to meet, courageously, the problems of living and of dying.
The strength of the early Church can only be explained by the coming of the Holy Spirit. Great numbers were added to the Church at that time. The timid were made bold. The weak became strong. The silent became vocal in witnessing to others of salvation through Jesus Christ. A third person of the Godhead had come in power – the Holy Spirit.
Who is the Holy Spirit?
Simply speaking, the Holy Spirit is the power of God let loose in the world; but that power has personality. Do you ever feel an inner urge to do a kindly or loving deed? Don’t ignore it. That urge is the Spirit whispering in your ear. Do you feel an impulse to give Christ a larger place in your life? Act upon it. The Spirit is speaking to you. Do you hear a still small voice within you impelling you to a pure and holy way of life? Respond to it. That is the Holy Spirit at work in you. Do you feel yourself strong in temptation, encouraged in moments of despair, comforted in times of sorrow? Accept His help. He is the Holy Spirit.
As Christ walked with His disciples, so the Holy Spirit walks with us today – convicting us of sin, warming our hearts, persuading and helping us to accept Jesus as our Savior, deepening our spiritual lives, making us witnesses for Christ, transforming our weaknesses into strength; and the fruits of this companionship are these: “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control”[2]
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