John 14:15-17: “If ye love me, keep my commandments. And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; 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.” The Son of God became incarnated, lived a perfect life among us, died for our sins, and rose again, finally He ascended into Heaven where He intercedes for us even now. That is wonderful; of which Christmas is a celebration. However, as Jesus Himself leaves the Earth, He promises a great gift to His followers the Church. Christ spoke of it to the disciples before in John 14 explaining in detail what the Helper would provide. In Acts the promise is simple. See 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.”
Holy Spirit Gift That Keeps on Giving
We could sure use power in our efforts to witness to the glorious Gospel of Grace in Christ Jesus. We could use power to help us through our day. It isn’t just that we want help, but God knows we need it. Truth be told, we need help so badly that we simply cannot go without it. That is why in Acts 1:4 and Luke 24:49 Jesus commands the Church to stay put until the Holy Spirit comes to them:
- Acts 1:4: “And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me.”
- Luke 24:49: “And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high.”
Of course, the Spirit does come, and in Acts 2 we witness a magnificent display of the power He brings. It is no wonder Moses wished all of God’s people to receive the Spirit in Numbers 11:29, a wish whose fulfillment was oft anticipated throughout the Old Testament: “And Moses said unto him, Enviest thou for my sake? would God that all the LORD’S people were prophets, and that the LORD would put his spirit upon them!”
In the times before Christ’s incarnation, only a choice few received the blessing of the Holy Spirit, and God accomplished wonderful work through them. Now all of us have that same Spirit indwelling us.
See Ephesians 1:13-14: “In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.”
It is the ministry of the Spirit that connects us to all the benefits which are ours in Christ. The Holy Spirit is the mediator of the life of Christ which we abide in, and which abides in us as the Spirit Himself abides in us. See John 15:5: “I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.”
So the Spirit produces fruits in our lives as listed in Galatians 5:22-23: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.” The first and greatest of these fruits is love, but this is not the watered-down love of the world, but a true love described in 1 Corinthians 13.
What can we say about these things? Where there is nothing more to the work of the Spirit we would be more than satisfied in these ministries.
Yet the Spirit also grants each individual certain particular gifts to be used for the glory of God and the expansion of His Kingdom. See 1 Corinthians 12. We are prone to get caught up in notions of spiritual gifts like superpowers, looking for dramatic, exciting expressions of spectacular power. We are too much like Simon the sorcerer from Acts 8, who sought a power source more than a savior and Lord and was rightly rebuked.
When we look for miracles, we miss most of them. When we seek extraordinary powers, we miss out on so many of the talents God has generously bestowed. We are like spoiled children who are disappointed with their gifts on Christmas morning and discard them sulking until they can have something better. Ah, but there is nothing better than what is already given us for it was God the Spirit who gave with perfect wisdom and understanding. Editor’s note: Amen!
Among the most neglected gifts is the spirit-given ability to comprehend and appreciate God’s holy Wisdom. See 1 Corinthians 2:13-15: “Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man.”
It was also the Spirit who superintended the writing of Scripture. See 2 Peter 1:21: “For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.”
So, as we read the Bible, we have a peerless guide within us to enlighten us in all things. There is no profit in Scripture reading apart from the work of the Spirit.
In John, our Lord refers to the Holy Spirit as The Comforter, and in all things which the Spirit does for us and through us, we have comfort. The great comforter of knowing that God Himself is with us always. That is the gift that keeps on giving. All well and good say we, but how does He really help me with my immediate needs?
It is difficult to appreciate spiritual blessings when we are worried about where our next meal is coming from, or how we will afford basic needs. We are happy enough to hear that God is with us, but can He handle our finances and other daily troubles? The answer of Matthew 6, and many other passages, is that He can, and He will.
The Holy Spirit helps in this by helping our unbelief. He also helps by interceding for us before the throne of Heaven. The Holy Spirit leads us to seek and to find God’s will, that we would lean upon God, and in so doing be provided for by God day after day. See Matthew 6:33: “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.”
The Spirit grants us wisdom to appreciate the difference between needs and wants, and to be content with enough. This spares us the restlessness of always craving more. That restlessness has proved the undoing of many financial situations. However, as Christians sealed with the Holy Spirit we are assured of a great inheritance and an eternity to enjoy it in, and of our daily needs during our long journey Home.
See Ephesians 1:11-14: “In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will: That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ. In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.”
The Holy Spirit is the gift that keeps on giving, and he gives most when we are most in need. As with any gift we might fail to appreciate what our Lord has given, and neglect the third person of the Holy Trinity to our own loss. I doubt any of us has fully appreciated the impact of the Spirit on our lives.
May we come to appreciate Him more, and glorify the Triune God with gratitude as we rely upon this good and gracious gift each and every day. Amen.
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