Four Vital Truths About The Holy Spirit Series

We are living in confusing times, and for many are moving ahead with little hope. In the midst of our confusion, there is God. God loves you so much He gave you Someone to comfort, strengthen, and love you in ways you and I cannot imagine. You have a tremendous ally in the Holy Spirit.

The Bible says if you could go back in time before there was anything made, you’d have God, the Father, God, the Son, and God, the Holy Spirit. If you peel back everything, there’s only the Trinity. The Holy Spirit was there from the very beginning of time. So in the beginning, there were Three in One.

Now, the Bible shows us a progression in the history of redemption with three major divisions where each of the three persons of the Trinity has the spotlight, if you will. Before Jesus’ coming, the spotlight was on God, the Father. During the days of Christ’s earthly life, you witness the prominence of God, the Son. And since Jesus ascended to the right hand of the Father, we see the spotlight on the Holy Spirit. You and I are so blessed to live in a time when we know about all Three working.

You and I are so blessed to live in a time when the Spirit is blowing through our lives to accomplish the Father’s will.

Now, in our study of Ephesians, we arrive at this verse: “And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption” (Ephesians 4:30).

The Bible tells us we can grieve the Holy Spirit as I might disappoint you. I can grieve the Holy Spirit as I might grieve you. Secondly, we are told that the Spirit seals us until the day of redemption. Yet, I want to step back in this message and get a better handle on the Holy Spirit.

Has your kid ever gotten your phone and played a game for hours only to have 35 apps running in the background? Paul is assuming you know things in Ephesians. There are so many layers to Ephesians, and there’s some background. I want to bring the background to the foreground for the next few minutes.

I want to introduce the Holy Spirit to all of us. If you and I were together at a ballgame and we met someone I knew, but you didn’t, I would take a minute to say, “Jay, do you my friend, Javier?” Again, I want to introduce the Holy Spirit to all of us. For many of you, this will be a reminder. I want each one of you to personally experience the Holy Spirit.

So put a bookmark in Ephesians 4:30 and go to John 14 with me if you will. God loves you so much that He not only gave you His Son for your salvation, but He also gave you the Spirit for your transformation.

Truth #1: He’s a Jesus Substitute

“And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever” (John 14:16).

1.1 My French Substitute

All of us have had a substitute in school before. Students love substitutes! Substitute teachers are almost as good as a snow day! In my sophomore year of high school, I was taking a French class. I didn’t hate French; I loathed French. I was in so much trouble with my parents overdoing poorly in French. And every so often, the regular teacher was gone, and we would have a substitute. I thought, “Thank God. Theirs is no way they’re going to find anybody that knows English in my little hick county, much less French.” But somehow, they parted the Red Seas and found a French-speaking substitute. And to my embarrassment and horror, she not only knew French, but she also insisted that everything we say in class was in French! Talk about a successful strategy to shut me up. I was illiterate in English, much less French! Again, everything you said in the class had to be French when this substitute was there. So I learned the only French phrase I still remember to this day: “Je ne sais pas.” Every time this substitute filled in for our teacher, that’s all I would say: “Je ne sais pas.” The lady would ask my name, and I would have this look on my face like she’d asked me how to split the atom. I would respond back, “Je ne sais pas.” I know we have a lot of teachers in our church family, and yes, this wasn’t my finest moment. So, almost everyone loves a substitute.

1.2 The Spirit is Jesus for Us Today

Again, Jesus calls the Spirit “another Helper” in verse 16. Key in on the word “another” in verse 16. Jesus is your first “Helper” and the Spirit your second “Helper.” The Spirit does the very same thing Jesus did so long ago. He’s a Jesus Substitute. Wouldn’t you like to have Jesus with you as you go along your day? The Holy Spirit is to be to you today what Jesus Christ was to the disciples so long ago. Let me say that again: What Jesus Christ was to those disciples, the Holy Spirit is to be to you today. You are to treat the Holy Spirit as those disciples treated the Lord Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit is to be your Lord; He is to be your guide; He is to be to your Director, your Friend, and your Advocate.