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How to Receive from God
The Holy Spirit
Romans 8:9 “If the Spirit of God lives in you; you are not controlled by the sinful nature but by the Spirit. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ.” 1 Corinthians 6:17, “But he who unites himself with the Lord is one with Him in spirit.”
Before Jesus returned to glory, He told His followers that they would feel destitute like orphans (John 14:18). Therefore, He promised that He would not leave permanently but would be with and in them as the Spirit of Truth (John 14:16,17). Jesus told the worried disciples: “And I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter [parakletos], that He may abide with you forever” (John 14:16). The word "another" is from words meaning ‘more of the same’ – not ‘different’.
“All this I have spoken while I’m still with you. But the Comforter [parakletos], the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.” (John 14:25,26).
Christ was a ‘comforter’ to His disciples - by the implication of His word “another” (allos, ‘another of the same sort’). And this corresponds to the name “Menahem” given by the Hebrews to the Messiah. Jesus never intended to depart and leave the world devoid of His presence. He wanted to leave behind someone who could do exactly what He was doing, even though He wasn’t physically present. This person is called a parakletos.
“Parakletos” – an intercessor, consoler, advocate, comforter. Literally, someone that’s ‘called to one’s side’ suggesting the capability and adaptability to give essential aid or support. It combines encouragement with alleviation of grief.
The Comforter is the Holy Spirit’s manifest presence
John 16:7 “But I tell you the truth: It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Counsellor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you.” In John 14:16 Jesus clearly said that another Comforter would be taking His place. However, He also said that this was the same Spirit who presently dwelled with the disciples in the form of flesh – the Spirit of Christ. And after Pentecost, this "another" (in a different form) would dwell in them.
Let us now remind ourselves of what we know:
- Christ (as God) left His Majesty to dwell in a human body. Therefore, Christ who was “Spirit” sent Himself to be flesh.
- Jesus would not personally leave us as orphans or without a Comforter.
- The Father would send “another” Comforter who could remain with us and do exactly what Jesus would do if He was present.
- This was the Spirit of Truth or Truth in spirit form. This Spirit of Truth dwelled with the apostles even as Jesus spoke. And, this Spirit of Truth would then dwell within the disciples after Pentecost.
- The Spirit of Christ would live in all those who kept His commandments. And He would be “another” Comforter.
The “another,” yet different, was the same Jesus Christ who had been raised from the dead by the Spirit, which dwelled in Him. He was certainly ‘different’ in the sense that He was the first born from the dead never to die again. He was “another” in the sense that He returned to the Spirit dimension. Notice, Christ was different after His ascension – but the Holy Spirit was the same!
Jesus implied that He would be coming back as “another” Comforter, but in a different form. It would be “more of the same” thing, but manifesting through the workings of the Holy Spirit! The apostle Paul said that the “another” was Christ. He was different from the flesh or the law. But the “another” Christ had come in Spirit form!
The “another,” who is different and yet the same, is the Spirit of Christ. The blessed Holy Spirit, proceeding from the Father, was sent by Jesus Himself. Jesus died in the flesh but He self-resurrected by sending the Holy Spirit who had been present in His body. When Jesus Christ was glorified to sit in heavenly places, the Bible says, He received the promise of the Father. He then laid aside any other "form" and proceeded from the Father to serve mankind through the presence of the Holy Spirit.
Remember Jesus did not say, "the Father will send the Spirit without Me." But rather, “The Spirit would proceed from the Father, and He will do exactly what I would do if I was present. In fact, the Spirit is “another” – yet the very same. He is only different in form. Therefore I will never leave you of forsake you. I will be with you always!”
In a figurative sense, when God laid aside His Majesty and glory and put on the garment of flesh, in some sense He escaped from His spirit form (the invisible God) and became visible (flesh). Note the logical sequence:
- Christ said that the Comforter was presently with them but would later be in them. Meaning, the Spirit that was in Him would soon be in them also!
- Christ would return to "sit down" beside the Glory and Majesty He laid aside when He put on a human body.
- Then He promised to send “another” Comforter - implying, "I will come to you but in a different form."
- This would be because He had more things to teach them that would not be grasped as “flesh to flesh” but could be understood as “Spirit to spirit.”
- The Holy Spirit, Christ in "another form", would proceed directly from the Father.
- This meant that Christ (as full Deity) would send "another Person" to live in the hearts of men. But the Spirit of truth would not be a separate Person with His own thoughts and words. Rather, the Spirit of Christ dwelling in the hearts of men would deliver and declare the words coming straight from God's own Mind.
John 16:13-15 “But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on His own; He will speak only what He hears, and He will tell you what is yet to come. He will bring glory to Me by taking from what is Mine and making it known to you. All that belongs to the Father is Mine. That is why I said the Spirit will take from what is Mine and make it known to you.”
The Spirit of Truth is visible through the things He reveals that are presently in the Mind of God. And we can also see and experience the Holy Spirit because He is continually at work in and through US!
Romans 8:11 “If the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit, who lives in you.” |
Chris Demetriou, 29/06/2009 |
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