Role Of The Spirit

"And I will ask the Father; and He will give you another Helper; that He may be with you forever; that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not behold Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides in you, and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you" (John 14:16-18).

For centuries mankind has been trying to understand the role of the Holy Spirit and His place in the Trinity. Volumes have been written on this subject and still it confuses the minds of millions. However, it is written here by Jesus in a simple promise that He would not leave us "as orphans" so He says He will come to us, in the form of this Helper. This Helper is the "Spirit of truth" that the world cannot receive but Jesus says that "He abides with you."

It amazes me that God had the forethought to take care of our every need in this life. After sending His Son, Jesus, who would eventually die for our sins, He also provided this "comforter" in our lives to walk with us while we wait upon our savior to return for His church. In the middle of your greatest trials in life, it is this "Helper" who gives you the sustaining power to continue if you are a "child of God."

And then down a little further, in verse 26 Jesus says, "But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you." So when I have said in previous devotions to "let it fly" so far as your witness is concerned, it is because I believe that the "Spirit of truth" that Jesus left here with us, is the true "Helper of our faith" and He gives us the words to say as we share our faith with the world.

I love the way the Nicene Creed in the First Council of Constantinople (A.D. 381) is quoted.

"We believe in one God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible. And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, begotten of the Father before all worlds; God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God; begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father... And we believe in the Holy Ghost, the Lord and Giver of Life..."

Dave