Receiving the Holy Spirit

In the five translations I refer to the most, there are four names that Jesus uses for the Holy Spirit: Helper, Counselor, Comforter and Advocate. The four chapters that we are now studying in John were all Jesus' words at the table of His last Passover with His disciples. The phrasing and words He used at that time were directed to His disciples but are for us in the same context at almost every stage of our development into maturity. Every time we face a new challenge in God, we need to go to these chapters and let our Spirit feed on them. We will gain a new insight every time for these are the words of God, our Savior.

Later, when He returned to them, He would give them explicit instructions that were for them, the apostles of the new Church. He would tell them where to go and how to receive the Holy Spirit that was to come into this realm in a new ministry to the new Church. They obeyed these instructions and we read of this in the book of Acts. But now, in these chapters of John, Jesus is giving the expectations and instructions of the New Covenant as part of the covenant making ceremony. Not until later would the disciples understand this was what was taking place at that time. These covenant words are for every one of us and are to be heeded as such if we are to conscientiously give to God our covenant response.

How do we receive the Holy Spirit as our personal, indwelling Guide? Jesus gave us the steps we need to follow. John 14:15-16 (NLT) 15 “If you love me, obey my commandments. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you.

Jesus said the greatest commandment was to "love the Lord, your God, with all your heart and strength," and the second, next to it, was to "love your neighbor as yourself". Love and obedience are two of the strongest responses we can give to God. All the money and posessions you have are not equal to these responses. Jesus said we are to obey His commands. The strongest command we have from Jesus is to love one another even as He loves us. These are strong words and even harder to obey. One or two people we can love, maybe, in this way but to love every person in this complete, self-sacrificing love as Jesus loves us? VERY hard to do in ourselves. But Jesus does not demand perfection, only the desire to set ourselves to obey, for Jesus looks on the heart and sees the intent. Then Jesus and the Father step in and send the Holy Spirit into you. He will be your Helper and your Guide. His grace will enable you to do what is impossible in your self. Don't forget, the Holy Spirit is always WITH you to help you. It is when He is IN you that you recognize the difference in the enabling power to do His will.