John 14-16: When Your World Explodes
Jesus knew, the night before his death, that the disciples' world was about to be blown to pieces. He would be arrested, tried, and crucified. They'd committed themselves to Jesus and he would be gone. In this powerful message, Jesus prepared the disciples to live in peace and spiritual power when the world around them was falling apart.We will take the next three weeks delving into this passage.
Today's Reading: John 14:16-17
16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever. 17 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.
Through the Bible Readings: Job 23-24, Acts 27:13–44, Psalm 90:10–17, Proverbs19:20–21
If you wish to read through the Bible in a year, follow these readings.
Devotional: Another Counselor
Jesus that the Father will
send “Another Counselor” – the Holy Spirit – to be with the disciples when he leaves. The word Counselor is one of those hard-to-translate Greek words, "parakletos." The Spirit counsels us, comforts us, helps
us. But that is not the force of this word. Helper gives a piece of the puzzle,
but he does more than help us achieve our goals and do our best. He is
our advocate, a word that has a legal component, but it means more. He is our counselor, but he does not sit
on the sidelines and give advice. He is our comforter, but that does not mean
that all the Spirit does is put his arm around us, pat us on the back, and say,
“You can do it,” when times are hard.
What is a Paraclete? Literally, the word means, "one called beside to help." The Holy Spirit is the presence of God in our lives who works on us inside to accomplish the work of God in us and do the work of God through us.
There are three keys to that statement. First, the Spirit is God’s presence in us – he is “Jesus in our hearts.” That phrase bothers some people, but that is what this passage is saying. The Spirit is God’s active presence working in us, “another Counselor” who does in us what Jesus was seeking to do in his disciples' lives.
Second, he accomplishes the work of God in us. Our bodies are the Temple of God, the dwelling place of Jesus by his Spirit. It is not the
church building that is the “house of God” but the gathering of believers and
the individual believer as well – both usages occur. Too often, our temples are unclean, unfit dwellings for God's Spirit. God works within us through the Spirit to
conform us to Christ and to make us like him, to produce in us the fruit of the
Spirit so that he can accomplish his glorious work through us. By the Spirit’s work, we are cleansed, conformed to Christ, and made
fit dwelling-places for the glorious presence of God.
Finally, the Spirit accomplishes the work of God through us in this world. God left us work that is beyond our abilities. We are called to carry the message of Christ to a sinful world. Only by the enabling power of the Spirit at work in us are we able to accomplish that work with any success. The Spirit who regenerates us also transforms us, then he empowers us to accomplish God’s work through us in this world.
This was a glorious promise. In the Old Testament, the Spirit came on God's people at specific times for specific purposes, but Jesus promised that when he left, we would have his indwelling presence permanently. He indwells us and seals us until that day when we see Jesus face to face and our faith becomes sight.
Today, we are never alone. Friends may abandon us, but those who have put their faith in Jesus Christ have the constant indwelling presence and power of the Holy Spirit enabling them to be what God wants and do what God demands.
Father, I thank you for your Spirit who dwells in me and is conforming me to Christ. Do your glorious work in me.
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