What is an advocate? The online dictionary gives the following synonyms: backer, upholder, supporter, champion.
25 “I have spoken these things while staying with you. 26 But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything, and will cause you to remember everything I said to you.
In John 14:26, in the context of His remarks about leaving, Jesus tells the disciples that the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, will be sent to Jesus' followers by God the Father. Jesus goes on to say that the Holy Spirit "will teach you everything and cause you to remember everything I said to you." In the same vein, Jesus says in verse 23 that He and the Father will "take up residence in" the hearts of those who evidence their love and devotion to Christ by obeying His words. By saying these things, Jesus both predicted the Holy Spirit's coming at Pentecost, about 2 months later, as well as equating the Holy Spirit with Himself and the Father. He established that the Holy Spirit is the Third Person of the Holy Trinity.
I don't think that most Christians, and I include myself in that group, fully understand what a tremendous shift took place in the way God related to mankind after Jesus' earthly ministry was completed.
Prior to the coming of the Holy Spirit to believers at Pentecost, the presence of God's Spirit was given to certain men and women episodically, for the accomplishing of His purposes. We read about the Old Testament patriarchs, such as Abraham, Moses, and others, and learn that the Spirit of God came upon them to enable them to exalt His name among the people. In those days, the people group assigned by God as the chosen ones, the keepers of the true story of the One True God, was the Jews. Although people (Jews and non-Jews) still came to be called "righteous" by their obedient faith in Jehovah God, there was no constant presence of God's Spirit in the hearts of the righteous.
One picture of this is found in the Garden of Eden, when the Lord God (Genesis 3:8) came to the Garden to commune with Adam and Eve, at certain times of the day. Another picture is from the life of Moses, when God appeared to Him in the burning bush and later in the thunder of His trumpet voice and even later in His "still, small voice".
Jesus' coming to earth as Messiah and His finished work changed all that. At the moment He arose from the dead, there was a mighty earthquake which raised not only Him, but also some of the long-dead in Jerusalem. This earthquake also tore into two pieces, from the top to the bottom, the huge curtain that in the Temple separated the most holy place from the rest of the temple. (Matthew 27:51-53) Prior to this time, access to this most holy place (The Holy of Holies) where God's presence was said to dwell, was limited to one priest each year. This rending of the curtain, sometimes called the veil, was a powerful demonstration that the separation between God and man had been forever removed, through Jesus. "It is finished!", He loudly cried from the cross.
The Holy Spirit, called the Advocate here and the Counselor or Comforter in other translations, is God's gift to those who claim His Son as their Savior. When an individual calls on Jesus to be his/her Lord and Savior, an irreversible spiritual transaction takes place. At that moment, the Holy Spirit comes to dwell inside the soul of that person. One way to look at it is - - - the believer becomes possessed by the Holy Spirit!
David, a faith giant, understood the relationship of the believer and God's Spirit. Look at what he said in Psalm 139:7-10 - - -
7
"Where can I go to escape your spirit?
Where can I flee to escape your presence?
8
If I were to ascend to heaven, you would be there.
If I were to sprawl out in Sheol, there you would be.
9
If I were to fly away on the wings of the dawn,
and settle down on the other side of the sea,
10
even there your hand would guide me,
your right hand would grab hold of me."
In John 14:26, the Greek New Testament translates the word Comforter or Counselor as "parakletos", which we call "paraclete". It means "one who walks alongside".
My friend and I love to go walking in the park for exercise, although the weather and our respective colds have prevented that for the past couple of weeks. I really miss it. The exercise is great, but the fellowship is better. The Holy Spirit, who lives in each of us, gives us sweet fellowship. We laugh, commiserate and pray with one another. This is a picture of the Holy Spirit who lives in every true believer.
There's no way that, in this limited forum, I can share with you a complete treatment of the theology of the Holy Spirit. Let me as I draw this blog post to a close share two of my favorite Scriptures with you, both penned by the apostle Paul.
2 Corinthians 1:21-22
21 "But it is God who establishes us together with you in Christ and who anointed us, 22 who also sealed us and gave us the Spirit in our hearts as a down payment."
Romans 8:14-17
14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. 15 For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.” 16 The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.
The Holy Spirit is the "down payment" God makes on our eternal salvation. It is His seal that indicates we are His, forever. The Holy Spirit testifies to God the Father that we are His children. We have been adopted by God as His sons and daughters, and the Spirit enables us to call Him "Abba", which is a term of endearment similar to "Daddy". As sons and daughters, we are joint-heirs with Jesus Christ. Can you wrap your mind around that?
There is an old song that was a favorite of one of my great-grandmothers, (Granny Sue's, for those readers in my family). Listen, in closing, to the words from "In the Garden"
(C. Austin Miles, 1912):
"And, He walks with me, and He talks with me,
And, He tells me I am His own.
And the joy we share as we tarry there,
None other has ever known."
Dear Heavenly Daddy, thank you for possessing me all those many years ago and for the incredible joy of walking with you every day. So, so, SO many times I have grieved Your Holy Spirit through my sin and willful disobedience. Thank you so much for never leaving or forsaking me and for your precious forgiveness, which is like a healing ointment on a bad wound. Your Holy Spirit is life's most precious gift, now and for eternity, and I praise You today for Your extreme mercy and grace. In Jesus' name, amen.
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