In these verses, we find our strength as followers of Christ. As Christ is in final preparation to endure the ultimate mission he has on this planet―the Cross―he is also preparing his disciples to continue the mission of Christ on this earth. His gift of the Holy Spirit to the Church is to fulfill that very purpose and Christ here is teaching the disciples of the impending work of the Holy Spirit in their lives.
The primary ministry of the Holy Spirit in the believing life is his role as Advocate. The particular word used here in the Greek text―Paraclete―is somewhat challenging to narrow down in its full thrust. The best English words in the translations are Helper, Comforter, Counselor and of course Advocate. Literally it means “one who comes alongside.” The work of the Holy Spirit is exactly that, but it is not a merely passive work, but an aggressive and proactive work in the life of the believer.
But for the Holy Spirit to have his best result in the believing life, one must submit to him daily. In the meaning of these words describing the ministry of the Holy Spirit there are legal, forensic nuances, as in a legal setting when we need someone beyond us to come alongside and help us through the murky legal waters. More than that, we need someone greater than us to come alongside us to help us navigate through difficult, murky spiritual waters.
And fascinatingly, the word “another” here means “another of the same kind,” in other words, God the Holy Spirit, is walking with us daily, empowering us, guiding us, teaching us, and filling us with his power for witness and service.
We must submit to and trust God, for he is truly our Advocate in this world. There is no other way to fulfill the mission he has for us.
***********************************************************************
15 “If you love me, you will obey my commandments. 16 Then I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate to be with you forever— 17 the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot accept, because it does not see him or know him. But you know him, because he resides with you and will be in you.
John 14:15–17 NET
©2018 by Ben Bounds. All rights reserved.
__________________________________________________________________________________
We can come to know Christ through confession of our sins and repentance (turning away from sin). Let me encourage you to do this by talking to God through prayer. Here is an idea of how you might do that:
"Dear God, I believe your son Jesus Christ died in my place on the cross and rose from the dead on the third day following his death. I confess my sins, all of them, to you now with a humble heart. I repent of those sins and ask you to empower me with your Holy Spirit in overcoming further sin. Amen”
If you prayed this or a similar prayer committing your life to Christ and becoming one of his followers, let me encourage you to find a good, Bible-believing church. If you live in the Weslaco/Rio Grand Valley area of Texas, let me invite you to the church I attend, Mid-Valley Assembly (www.midvalleyassembly.com).
Begin talking to God in prayer and reading the Bible daily. A good way to begin to read the Bible is to start with the Book of John in the New Testament.
Feel very free in connecting with me if you need any further help in your walk with the Lord Jesus Christ. You can do this via the above email or facebook page or this web page. __________________________________________________________________________________
Mercy Road Ministries was founded and now led by Ben Bounds. Ben has pastored churches across Texas for over thirty years and is an ordained minister with the Christian and Missionary Alliance (C&MA). He holds a BA in Pastoral Ministry and Biblical Studies from Southwestern Assemblies of God College and did graduate theological studies at the BMA Theological Seminary.
Ben's first book, The Divine Chase: Responding to a Pursuing God, was released on 12.08.2017 through Westbow Press, a division of Thomas Nelson and Zondervan. It is available in paperback and hardback through your preferred bookseller (Mardels, Barnes and Noble, etc.) and paperback, hardback as well as ebook through online book retailers (www.christianbook.com, www.cokesbury.com, www.amazon.com, www.booksamillion.com, www.barnesandnoble.com, etc.).
Ben is the host of Staying in Bounds, an on-air Bible devotional broadcast multiple times daily on KWJV 103.7 FM Weslaco, TX which can also be heard worldwide online at www.kwjvthestar.com.
Ben and his wife, Linda, together have four adult children and nine grandchildren. They live in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas.
Ben can be contacted for preaching engagements at benbounds695@gmail.com or 903.441.3279. Ben can also be contacted via his website @ www.benbounds.com, which is also his blog and contains more information about his ministry.
Follow Ben @ https://www.facebook.com/mercyroadministries/ and this website www.benbounds.com.
Comentarios