The Personality of the Holy Spirit — Part 3

Sermon delivered on February 11th, 2018
Sunday Morning Service

By: Pastor Greg Hocson

Scripture Text: John 16:7 - 15

 

John 16:7 Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you. 8: And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: 9: Of sin, because they believe not on me; 10: Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more; 11: Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged. 12: I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. 13: Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. 14: He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you. 15: All things that the Father hath are mine: therefore said I, that he shall take of mine, and shall shew it unto you.

 

Introduction

Our Lord Jesus was about to leave His disciples. We read in, 

John 13:33 Little children, yet a little while I am with you. Ye shall seek me: and as I said unto the Jews, Whither I go, ye cannot come; so now I say to you.

 

When He announced to them that He is going away, the disciples were filled with sorrow and fear. Our Lord is keenly aware of this, so He gave them words of comfort.

 

Jesus spoke these words to them,

John 14:1 Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. 2:  In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. 3:  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.

To comfort them He told them that He was going to a place where there were many mansions. He told them further that He was going to prepare that place for them and that when He had thus prepared it, He was coming back for them; but He told them further that even during His absence, while He was preparing heaven for them, He would not leave them comfortless, but that He would pray the Father and the Father would send to them another Comforter to take His place in His physical absence. 

 

It was not the Lord Jesus' intention to leave His disciples orphans in the world. 

John 14:18 I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.

What a promise! One of the comforting words the Saviour gave to His sorrowing and fearful disciples was the promise of another Comforter, the Holy Spirit.

John 14:16 And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; 17: Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.

 

To comfort His disciples our Lord promised them the "Paraclete". Furthermore, He also told them that it is to their benefit that He goes away for this promise of "Paraclete" will not come unless He goes away.

John 16:7 Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.

 

Instead of losing out they will actually gain. It was to their advantage that He goes away. Because Jesus Christ going away meant the coming of another Comforter, the Holy Spirit.

 

As we learned last time the word "Comforter" in Greek is "Parakletos". Parakletos is composed of two words, namely, para and kletos. "Para" — means to be beside and "kletos" comes for the root word "kaleo" which means to call. Combining the two words "parakletos" means the one who is called to be beside. The Holy Spirit is our "Parkletos" or "Paraclete". He is the One who is called alongside of the children of God as their Comforter, Helper and Advocate.

 

I - Our Comforter

John 14:16 And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; 17: Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. 18: I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you. 

 

We live in a world filled with sorrow and pain and we certainly need comfort. Many times God's people are suffering people.

2 Timothy 3:12 Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.

 

Matthew 5:10 Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11: Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. 12: Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.

 

As the Lord assures His disciples that He will not leave them comfortless so He also assures us. This promise is not exclusively for the apostles only; this promise of another Comforter is for all believers; for all born again Christians, for all who are indwelt by the Holy Spirit.

 

Are you sorrowing today? Let me tell you, there is a Comforter whose special ministry is to come and comfort.

 

II - Our Helper

The Holy Spirit, our Paraclete is not only our Comforter, He is also our Helper.  What can we do without the Holy Spirit? We are weak, helpless and powerless without the Holy Spirit. We are like orphans with no one to guide, no one to teach, no one to protect, and no one to help. But thank God we have the Holy Spirit to walk alongside us as our Helper.

 

We have many and great needs. And left to ourselves we would be overpowered and fall apart. We need strength, courage, wisdom, comfort, and guidance. The Holy Spirit who dwells within us helps us in our infirmities. The Holy Spirit's desire and purpose is not to hinder us but to help and assist us in our weaknesses.

 

How does the Holy Spirit help us?

1. He enables us to pray aright

Romans 8:26 Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. 27: And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.

One weakness of humans, compared to God, is in our limited knowledge and inability to pray aright. The Holy Spirits comes to help us pray rightly and effectively.

 

The Holy Spirit teaches us what to pray for and enables us to pray aright. Many times we are unable to express our prayers and desires in words. And in those times the Holy Spirit comes and takes our prayer and intercedes for us.

 

The Holy Spirt also helps us by creating within us earnest longings after God. True prayer is prayer in the Spirit. True prayer actually is conceived by God. You and I don't need to be a Bible scholar or Bible teacher to pray but we need the Holy Spirit to pray.

 

2. He teaches us all things

John 14:26 But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you. 

The whole world lies in darkness. The unbelieving world is groping in darkness. They are spiritually blind that they do not know the truth and do not receive the truth. But thank God for the Holy Spirit. As our "Paraclete", the Holy Spirit teaches us all things, that is, all the things that He has revealed in the Scripture. He teaches us the meaning of the Bible; He teaches us the meaning of Scripture.

 

David is consciously aware of this that's why, often you will read David praying for illumination.

Psalm 119:18 Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law.

 

Psalm 119:27 Make me to understand the way of thy precepts: so shall I talk of thy wondrous works.

 

Psalm 119:34 Give me understanding, and I shall keep thy law; yea, I shall observe it with my whole heart.

 

Psalm 119:73 Thy hands have made me and fashioned me: give me understanding, that I may learn thy commandments.

 

Psalm 119:125 I am thy servant; give me understanding, that I may know thy testimonies.

 

Psalm 119:144 The righteousness of thy testimonies is everlasting: give me understanding, and I shall live.

 

Psalm 119:169 Let my cry come near before thee, O LORD: give me understanding according to thy word.

Oh, what can we understand without the Holy Spirit.

 

3. He guides us into all truth

John 16:12 I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. 13: Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. 14: He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you. 15:  All things that the Father hath are mine: therefore said I, that he shall take of mine, and shall shew it unto you.

The Holy Spirit guides us into all truth, which is more than teaching us all truth. The Holy Spirit not only helps us understand the truth but He also guides us into all truth. The Holy Spirit guides us in every area of life; from the words to speak, to the spouse to marry, to the investments to make.

 

Commentator Elicott puts it this way,

"The Spirit of Truth will take them by the hand, and, step by step, as they have strength to follow, will guide them into the territory, and unfold to them the treasures it contains. The promise has a special meaning for the disciples to whom it was spoken; but it holds good for every disciple who seeks to know the truth. We may pray,--without doubt that the prayer is in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and without doubt that it will be answered—

 

Come, Holy Ghost, our souls inspire,

And lighten with celestial fire.

Enable with perpetual light

The dulness of our blinded sight."

 

A great many Christians never get into the truth because they do not spend time reading the Book of Truth. They sit on the outside of it, but do not enter in. 

 

4. He empowers us to be witnesses

Acts 1:8 But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.

The Holy Spirit will give us strength, courage and wisdom to witness and to preach the Gospel. In witnessing we will encounter opposition and persecution, but in the midst of these the Holy Spirit empowers us as we completely rely upon Him.

 

Matthew 28:18 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. 19: Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: 20: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

 

III - Our Advocate 

The Holy Spirit as our "Paraclete" is our Comforter and Helper but also our Advocate. 

 

What is an advocate? An advocate is someone who comes to your side in your time of need, someone who pleads your case. It is someone who comes and defends another.

 

But doesn't the Bible say that Jesus Christ is our Advocate? That is correct. Please turn to...

1 John 2:1 My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:

The word "Advocate" in this verse is "Parakleton". Surely our Lord is our great Advocate. He is our great Interceder. So how is the Holy Spirt our Advocate also? Our Lord calls the Holy Spirit "Another Comforter".

 

In heaven Jesus Christ is our "Paraclete." He is presenting His blood, that is His plead. He is presenting our prayers through the merit of His blood, to gain an answer.

 

But on here on earth, and in our hearts the Holy Spirit is our "Paraclete" interceding for us, coming alongside us to plead our case.

 

Jesus Christ is the Advocate above; and, in His absence, here below the Holy Ghost is the other Advocate in us. Christ's advocacy is inseparable from the Holy Spirit's comfort and working in us, as the spirit of intercessory prayer. Bless God, every Christian has the Comforter, the Helper and the Advocate.

 

Closing Thoughts

Brothers and sisters in Christ we are not alone. As followers of Christ we are not facing life all alone -- as an orphan would. It is not our Lord's plan to leave us comfortless, as orphans. He has given us the Holy Spirit to be our "Paraclete"  to abide with us forever. The Holy Spirit is with us continually -- living with us. When we need help He is never far away, but always right with us, waiting for us to call on Him for His help.

 

He is our Comforter in times of sorrow; He is our  Helper in our weakness; and He is our Advocate in times of trouble. When you are distressed — God is there. When you are depressed — God is there. He is an ever-present help in time of trouble. He will never leave you — nor forsake you. His love is always pointed in your direction. 

 

I am glad that He sent the Holy Spirit because I am never alone even when I am alone. That gives me great deal of comfort to know that .

John 14:15 If ye love me, keep my commandments. 16: And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever.

 

O spread the tidings 'round, wherever man is found,

Wherever human hearts and human woes abound;

Let ev'ry Christian tongue proclaim the joyful sound:

The Comforter has come!

 

Refrain

The Comforter has come, the Comforter has come!

The Holy Ghost from Heav'n, the Father's promise giv'n;

O spread the tidings 'round, wherever man is found—

The Comforter has come!

 

The long, long night is past, the morning breaks at last,

And hushed the dreadful wail and fury of the blast,

As o'er the golden hills the day advances fast!

The Comforter has come!

 

Lo, the great King of kings, with healing in His wings,

To ev'ry captive soul a full deliverance brings;

And through the vacant cells the song of triumph rings;

The Comforter has come!

 

O boundless love divine! How shall this tongue of mine

To wond'ring mortals tell the matchless grace divine—

That I, a child of hell, should in His image shine!

The Comforter has come!

 

We need the ministry of the Holy Ghost in our life. Let us not quench nor grieve the Holy Spirit. Let us be found on our knees before Him crying for the fullest operation of the work of the Holy Ghost as our Comforter, our Helper and our Advocate.

 

AMEN!