The Christian life is exhilarating and fulfilling but it certainly is not easy. Knowing that the challenges of being a Christian would be overwhelming and difficult for the early church, Jesus didn’t just disappear from the face of the Earth and leave his followers on their own to struggle and fail. Instead, He promised and provided help in the form of a very special person.
“And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever,” (v16)
Forever help....how wonderful is that! In the OT, the Holy Spirit was an important helper but He was not always present with man. His influence and presence would come and go. But present He was. He was there in the beginning of Genesis. He was there guiding the words proclaimed and the words penned by the OT prophets and believers. He was there with Christ during His earthly ministry. And now, He is present with you and I.
We have the hope of Christ returning for us someday. ““I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.” (V18). But, what about the here and now? How are we supposed to live a victorious Christian life as we battle our flesh and muck our way through the spiritual battles of daily life in a sin-infested world? By recognizing and embracing the ever-present help of the indwelling Spirit of God.
“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 have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.”(26-27)
When we become believers, we are given all the help we need. The Holy Spirit indwells us, to convict us, teach us, reveal God’s truth to us, and empower us to apply these truths to our lives.
“All we need to live the Christian life has been deposited within us. If we are willing to yield ourselves to Him, we may freely draw on the resources of God’s Spirit. Our divine Helper is always there to attend to us in our need. At no point since trusting Jesus as our Savior have we ever been alone or helpless, even if that was how we felt. He is always present and actively working in our lives.”-Charles Stanley
It amazes me to see the Holy Spirit at work in my life. He shows me things daily. He transforms my understanding and my perspective. He molds and shapes me through my experiences and encounters with others. He draws me in, filling my heart with inspiration, wonder, and amazing comfort. I am also amazed when I see Him at work in the gathering of Christians collectively such as in this group. There is such beauty in the unity of believers seeking truth together. I have grown spiritually from each of you being part of my spiritual journey.
Spurgeon penned a similar experience: ”whenever I find a man in whom there rests the Spirit of God, the spirit within me leaps to hear the spirit within him, and we feel that we are one. The Spirit of God in one Christian soul recognizes the Spirit in another.” I think that is part of the reason God puts such emphasis on Christians being in fellowship with one another.
Be encouraged today that if you love God, you can count on His help and presence. “Jesus answered him, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.” (V23). We are not alone. We are loved and we are given abundant resources. We are blessed for God has provided us with all the help that we need!