The Promise of the Holy Spirit

Introduction

When I was a teenager and exploring the idea of being a Christian, I knew an older Christian who was part of a Charismatic church...

He informed me that the confirmation of the Holy Spirit’s presence in my life would be the ability to speak in tongues.

I tried and tried, but never could do it…I pretended I could do it, but it was completely false...

So, I figured I was hopeless...

It wasn’t until later in life that I learned about the gifts of the Spirit theologically and that tongues was not and, never has been, the sign of the presence of the Holy Spirit.

At the core of this is a misunderstanding is the fact that the church, by-and-large, struggles to understand the third Person of the Trinity, God the Spirit.

This morning will not be an exhaustive lesson on everything one could know about the Holy Spirit.

Instead, we will see what Jesus told His disciples about the coming of the Holy Spirit, hours before going to the cross, in order to prepare them for the next vital phase of their spiritual growth.

More verses to look up on the learners guide than normal...

Let us be reminded this morning that while everything Jesus said is important, His final words to His disciples before the crucifixion were particularly important for them to hear, and us as well.

Body: John 14:15-31

Who is the Holy Spirit? (vv. 15-17)

The HS is a controversial topic for Baptists for a few reasons:

Charismatic movement…

The Holy Spirit is a little harder to get our minds wrapped around than God or Jesus…

It important to have a good theology of the HS because He is the third Person of the Trinity.

But, before we get into that, why do we say “who” instead of “what”?

Whenever we see the Holy Spirit spoken of in the NT the emphasis is on a personality distinct from the Father and the Son.

At the same time, there is unity with the Father and the Son.

The Holy Spirit is presented as much more than an active force. If He was simply an active force, then we would say “what”, but that’s not how the Scriptures present Him.

Here’s the reality: it would be a lot easier for me to explain the HS to you if He was not a Person or a “who”, but an active force or a “what.” So, my initial desire might be to present the HS in this way. However, there’s this pesky thing called being true to the Bible which I hold in much higher regard than taking the easy route.

John 15:26 ESV

“But when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness about me.

Acts 15:28 ESV

For it has seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay on you no greater burden than these requirements:

Ephesians 4:30 ESV

And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.

Revelation 22:17 ESV

The Spirit and the Bride say, “Come.” And let the one who hears say, “Come.” And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who desires take the water of life without price.

Acts 13:2 ESV

While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.”

Matthew 28:19 ESV

Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,

So, back to our original question, who is the Holy Spirit…here’s what this text tells us:

He is our Helper.

Jesus says if you love him, you will keep his commands, but follows that up with talking about sending the “Helper”.

It’s because without the work of the HS, no person could possibly keep his commands, and thus love him as we should.

Jesus knows this and requests of the Father the Helper who can only be given to those who are his followers through faith.

This term “Helper” is παράκλητος in Greek.

It means an Advocate, someone who speaks on another’s behalf.

Notice also that this Helper is “another” Helper.

The Greek here means “another of the same kind”.

The HS is a Helper like Jesus.

He is also the Spirit of truth, which should remind us immediately of verse 6, that Jesus is the truth…

The world cannot receive this Helper because they refuse to believe that which they cannot see or understand, and the truth is unknown to them.

So, now we know that the Holy Spirit is the Helper and Spirit of truth, given from the Father to those who believe.

Why does Jesus promise the Holy Spirit?

Verse 18 - We see here why Jesus requests the Father to send the HS: his love and compassion for his people.

He will not leave his people without the thing they need most; his guidance.

We also see the term ‘orphans’…what is an orphan? (Someone without caring support)

Jesus will not leave us without the caring support we deeply need.

He goes on to say in verses 19-21...

Again, we see that Jesus was preparing them for his crucifixion and leaving them.

But unlike earlier, we see amazing hope in these verses.

You will still “see me”. How? Because of the presence of the HS in their lives.

“Because I live, you also will live.” Is there any greater source of hope than that?

You will know that I am in the Father and you in me, and I in you. What does that sound like? Intimacy in relationship!

Every person desires intimate relationships...

Jesus promises this with all who believe!

And those who love Him by keeping His commandments are loved by the Father, loved by the Son, and He will show Himself to them.

Command keeping doesn’t earn relationship and love. It is the only reasonable response to the love freely given.

In fact, it reveals the genuineness of our love “he it is who loves me.”

Verse 22 - Judas, confused by all this spiritual talk, asks how Jesus will be manifested to them, but not to the world.

A logical question, since it goes outside of human reason.

Remember, the disciples were still looking for a political Messiah, not a spiritual Messiah.

Verses 23-24 - In Jesus answer we see a call, again, for love and obedience. In essence, “Love me and keep my word and you will see!”

Remember the larger context: Jesus is talking about the coming of the Holy Spirit. Since the world cannot receive the Holy Spirit, they will not know.

But, those who love Him and keep His word will see Jesus manifest in a multitude of ways.

When God makes His “home” in the heart of the believer, there is something that happens that someone who has not experienced it cannot understand.

JC Ryle: “But we need not shrink from believing that eminent holiness brings eminent comfort with it, and that no man has such sensible enjoyment of his religion as the man who, like Enoch and Abraham, walks closely with God. There is more of heaven on earth to be obtained than most Christians are aware of.”

What does the Holy Spirit do? (vv. 25-26)

The Holy Spirit is vital to the life of the believer because:

(We’ve already seen) Obedience to Jesus is impossible without the HS.

He was sent by the Father; Who only gives good gifts to His children.

He teaches what we need to know to accomplish God’s plans for our lives.

“teach you all things” doesn’t mean everything that can be learned, but all that is needed to accomplish their mission…

Judas didn’t understand, but Jesus assures him here that when the HS comes, then he will understand better.

He brings to mind what Jesus has taught.

In essence, “I’ve told you already, but you don’t understand. But, fear not, when the HS comes, then you will start to get it.”

Before the resurrection, the disciples were hiding. After the ascension they were waiting and watching. But, on Pentecost, once they were filled with the HS they began telling others all the Jesus told them and it began to turn the world upside-down.

So What?

One last question we need to look at here this morning is this:

If all believers are indwelled with the HS, why do so many not live Spirit-led lives?

This is the most challenging of all questions.

In some cases, it’s a matter of the HS being ignored.

Scripture says that the Holy Spirit can be grieved, quenched or hindered, but never taken away.

Often we allow our own desires to get in the way of the HS…

If that’s you, repent!

More tragically, in some cases people don’t live Spirit-led lives because they never really trusted Jesus as Savior and Lord.

It’s more than saying a prayer, signing a card, and getting wet.

It’s giving our hearts, our minds, and our wills to the Lord.

But there is hope! Look at verse 27:

The peace Jesus gives in peace with God

Jesus gives true peace. Thus, we need not be troubled or afraid of the future because Jesus is the source of true peace, he sends the Helper, and he will come again.

Probably bringing to mind Shalom, the normal Hebrew greeting meaning peace.

But at the heart of Shalom is God’s peace, which is peace with the absence of sin.

Jesus brings this kind of peace to his people.

Do you have that kind of peace this morning? It’s only possible through receiving the free gift of forgiveness of your sins by grace through faith in Jesus Christ as your Lord and your Savior.