Holy Spirit #2

"These things I have spoken to you, that you should not be made to stumble. "They will put you out of the synagogues; yes, the time is coming that whoever kills you will think that he offers God service. "And these things they will do to you because they have not known the Father nor Me. "But these things I have told you, that when the time comes, you may remember that I told you of them. And these things I did not say to you at the beginning, because I was with you. "But now I go away to Him who sent Me, and none of you asks Me, 'Where are You going?' "But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart. "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. "And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: "of sin, because they do not believe in Me; "of righteousness, because I go to My Father and you see Me no more; "of judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged. "I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. "However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. "He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you.

John 16:1-14

Jesus, here You teach us that you are preparing for us "not to stumble" if we absorb what You are telling us. Then You explain to us that we should expect persecution as we seek to serve You.

You teach us one of the most fundamental truths of our faith; when You left us to be with the Father, You said it was to our advantage that you go away. Why… because unless you went away the Helper would not come to us. But, You did ascend and you did send the Helper, the Holy Spirit and You referred to the Holy Spirit as "Him", saying He would make our hearts aware of our sin and we would know of righteousness and judgment.

This gift, this indwelling Spirit, was sent to all but not all have chosen to acknowledge Your presence, yet. When one does respond, You tell us that this indwelling Spirit of truth will guide us and that His instructions are directly from You. Jesus, You have taught us before that our names are in the Book of Life because of this freely given gift implanted in our hearts. Help us not to work towards elimination, the voluntary blotting out of our names from that Book. Instead, let us appropriate, by the grace of God, Your calling, Your willingness to change our lives forever. We seek Your Holiness and see here that it is not far from us. Amen.

Bruce Caldwell