Video from Grace Digital Network
Who is the Holy Spirit?
Transcript from video:
Welcome to Grace Digital presentation in this video, we will take a close look at
the five things that Jesus taught regarding the Holy Spirit number one
teacher in John 14 25 and 26 Jesus said all this I have spoken while still with
you. But the Advocate of 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."
I'm impressed by the confidence Jesus had in the Holy Spirit I think we need to have
equal confidence sometimes we feel we have to do the whole job and that if we
don't do it it won't get done yet Jesus said I've done what I can do when the
Holy Spirit comes he'll finish the job. I really think that was a mark of humility
on Jesus's part, we are learning that God expects me to leave some things to the
Holy Spirit if we think we have to do it all it might fail but Jesus said I've
taken you as far as you're able to come now I can't give you any more because
you can't receive it it would be wasting words on you. Pouring water into a bottle with a cap
on it is a waste so he said I'm leaving you but it will be all right because
when the Holy Spirit comes I have absolute confidence in him he'll finish
the job, you need to bear in mind that you can only do so much the Holy Spirit
will have to do the rest people who try to do it all get in God's way. Jesus
never got in the way of the Father he knew when to leave a situation some
people only leave when the whole thing has fallen apart and there's no
alternative so they say well God's calling me elsewhere There is a real art
and knowing when to leave it is being sensitive to the Holy Spirit therefore
Jesus said I've done what I can but another teacher is coming he's going
to do two things he's going to teach you what I haven't yet taught you and he's going to bring everything I have taught you to your remember teacher and reminder are two of the holy spirits' great ministries the record of the Bible does not depend solely on the
fail ability of human memory the Spirit came to make sure the biblical authors
got the record absolutely correct he brought all things to their remembrance.
We can rely on it because it is a spirit-inspired record the Holy Spirit also gave the New Testament authors an understanding of many events they might not otherwise have recorded because they wouldn't have seen their significance, for example, suppose you were to try to
describe any event that happened in your life even a year ago or suppose you had
to get six people who were present at the same event to sit down and individually write their accounts of what happened you'd hardly know some of them were describing the same event. It's not easy but the disciples did not have to depend solely on human ability they
were promised that the Holy Spirit would bring all things to their remembrance number two comforter if you love me keep my commands and I will ask the Father and He will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever.
John 14 15 and 16 Jesus was saying I'm going to ask the Father to meet your need when I go away he'll give you another comforter what does the word another indicate there are two Greek words for another one means different in number and the other means different in
kind the word used here is different in number the divine person Jesus was going
but he would ask the Father to send another divine person in his place and that person was the comforter as the comforter of the Holy Spirit is an encouragement.
He never discourages the children of God you need to bear in mind that any kind of influence that discourages you is not from the Holy Spirit if you sin he will reprove you specifically and tell you what to do but he will never discourage you many people have discouraging influences in their lives and they think it's the Holy Spirit but
he is the encourager not the discourager or do you not know that your body is a temple of the holy spirit within you whom you have from God you are not your own.
first Corinthians 6:19 Courage gives you the heart to face all that life throws at you you and I need encouragement in our lives especially today number three spirit of truth in John 14
17 Jesus called the Holy Spirit the Spirit of Truth.
The Spirit of Truth the world cannot accept him because it neither sees him nor knows him but you know him for he lives within you and will be in you John 14 17 remember that we are not talking about something that sinners receive as Jesus said the world cannot receive this
this is something that born-again children of god can receive but sinners can't because they are not in contact with him they don't see him they don't know him they don't understand him and he's not real to the number four ever-present provider 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 I will not leave you as orphans I will come to you John 14 17 and 18 without the Holy Spirit we Christians would be like orphans Jesus was saying in effect I will not leave you as orphans without anybody to care for you teach you comfort you or provide for you when I go another person will come through the Holy Spirit we don't have to be orphans if we accept Jesus is provision for us Jesus said and I will ask the Father and
He will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever verse 16 the word forever is significant Jesus as a person had been with his disciples for only three-and-a-half
years now he was leaving them just when they were getting to know him but he said that the next person who came would never leave them he would come to stay forever that is
the Holy Spirit number five it was an exchange of persons when Jesus began to
draw near the close of his earthly ministry he gradually began to prepare his disciples for his departure promising that another person would come to take his place at this point in the
the teaching of Jesus the Holy Spirit was emphasized as a person the essence of what Jesus was saying was that there was to be an exchange of persons I the son of God as a person and going away in my place another person the Holy Spirit will come John 15:26 says but when the Comforter is come whom I will send unto you from the father even the Spirit of
Truth which proceedeth from the father he shall testify of me John 7:37 and 39 on the last and greatest day of the festival Jesus stood and said in a loud voice let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink whoever believes in me as scripture has said rivers of living water will flow from within them by this he meant the Spirit whom those who believed in him were later to receive up to that time the spirit had not been given since Jesus had not yet been glorified Jesus was speaking about something that was yet in the future it is not correct to apply this passage to the conversion of sinners but to believers receiving the Holy Spirit John 7:39 tells us spirit had not been given the word given is in italics in several Bible translations because it was translated that way by the translators the original Greek writing says the Holy Spirit was not yet now we know this doesn't mean the Holy Spirit was not yet
in existence so the translators had to decide how they were going to phrase it
one word we could use is available the Holy Spirit was not yet available what Jesus was talking about could not happen until he had returned to heaven and been glorified once again at the right hand of the Father so although the promise was given in John 7 its fulfillment did not come until acts 2 after Jesus had been glorified in closing let us pray holy
spirit we welcome you Holy Spirit we know that you are the counselor of truth
our help in need and the one who fills us with the Spirit of God Holy Spirit we pray this very day to come into greater communion with you you so graciously work to intercede for us to the Father but also to comfort us with your peace that goes beyond all understanding Holy
Spirit please come to the Holy Spirit today we ask for godly counsel in direction as it
says in Psalm 37:4 to delight yourselves in the Lord so we boldly seek to do so today following the will and heart of the Father is our greatest desire for we know his plans are best for us and in the end glorify the kingdom Holy Spirit please lead us by your wisdom discernment and kindness throughout our lives Holy Spirit we praise and thank you for the
Lovely upon us Holy Spirit we seek and so earnestly crave to be in your presence to feel the inner work of you in our hearts and minds you so graciously give comfort truth and love
Holy Spirit we welcome you this very day in the name of Christ Jesus amen