THE HOLY SPIRIT OUR PARACLETE
“And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever— the Spirit of Truth, Whom the world cannot receive...John 14:16-18 (NKJV)
BIBLE READING: GENESIS 6:3; EZEKIEL 36:25-27; LUKE 11:11-13; JOHN 16:5-7
The Ministry of our Lord Jesus while He was on Earth was Unique and All-encompassing because He identified with everyone and played Different Roles depending on the need of the persons who encountered Him. According to Acts 10:38, Jesus went about doing good and dismantled the works of the devil; He healed, delivered, restored and reproduced His Very Nature in the lives of His Followers which resulted in them being referred to as Christians in Antioch (Acts 11:26). At the Climax of Jesus' Discipleship, when His Disciples were expecting Him to restore the Nation of Israel, He instead prepared them for His Departure with a Promise to send another Helper Who would be for their advantage: “Nevertheless I tell you the Truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you” (Jn. 16:7).
The Holy Spirit is the Third Personality in the Holy Trinity, i.e., God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, Co-Equal and Co-Eternal (Phil. 2:6). He is the Greatest Treasure in Heaven and the Actual Person Who governs the Administration of the Purposes of God on Earth. He is neither a bird, wind, fire nor a force as often misinterpreted because He manifested Himself in Diverse Forms as the occasion demanded to the Glory of God. The Lord Jesus referred to Himself as the First Paraclete, saying that when He leaves, He will send them Another Paraclete: The Holy Spirit.
There are a wide variety of translations of the term Paraclete by various Biblical Commentators because the Greek adjective "paraklētos" cannot easily be translated into English with a single word that adequately covers the scope of its meaning. The term has been translated to mean Helper, Advocate, Comforter, and Counsellor. However, the translation "Helper" is more comprehensive in order to cover the Diversity and Depth of the Riches of the Holy Spirit. By Paraclete, Jesus meant "Someone Who was going to come and fill His Place in His Earthly Ministry to the Disciples." The idea behind the Holy Spirit as Paraclete is as broad and deep as the Role that Jesus played in the lives of His Disciples during the Three years of His Ministry. What Jesus had been to them, the Holy Spirit was now going to be to them and even more because Jesus was limited by His Humanity (Jn. 14:12).
The Holy Spirit as our Paraclete is a Multifaceted Helper Who Jesus offered to us to give us an equally Multifaceted Advantage on Earth as seen below:
(1.) The Paraclete as our Teacher:“ These things I have spoken to you while being present with you. 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 things that I said to you"(Jn. 14:25-26).
(2.) The Paraclete testifies about Jesus: “But when the Helper comes, Whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of Truth Who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me. And you also will bear witness because you have been with Me from the beginning" (Jn. 15:26-27).
(3.) The Paraclete will convict the world: "And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of Righteousness, and of Judgment"(Jn. 16:8).
Whenever you feel that you are alone in this world, never forget that He did not leave us as orphans but gave us a Paraclete in His Stead. He is closer to us than the clothes we wear. Acknowledge and engage the Holy Spirit daily so that you may reap the Bountiful Rewards of Fellowship with Him.
PRAYER:
Heavenly Father, we glorify You for sending us Your Holy Spirit. Precious Spirit of the Living God, our Only Paraclete, please reveal Yourself to us in Jesus' Mighty Name. Amen.