The Holy Spirit

Every Monday our evangelism team goes out to call on people who have visited the church or to parents of the children who attend our school. Last Monday we finished our scheduled call with Darryl and Sharon who are very strong believers in the Lord. Before we left their home we circled for a word of prayer and Sharon prayed for our next call that we would be successful in bringing the “good news” to some lost souls. Since, we had only one scheduled visit we decided to stop at a Laundromat and make what is known as a “cold call.” As we pulled into the Laundromat two very large and very rough looking African Americans stood together outside. One of the members on our team thought we should move on, but the lady of the team was eager to present the Gospel.

We are all afraid of different things at different times in our lives. Some people fear death, while others are scared to death to share their faith. Jesus said this to His disciples: "I tell you, my friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that can do no more. But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear him who, after the killing of the body, has power to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him. Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies ? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God. Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows” (Luke 12:4-7).

Our Scripture today deals with the cure for fear through the power of God’s Holy Spirit. Jesus said again to His disciples, "All this I have spoken while still with you. But the Counselor, 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. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid” (John 14:25-27). There is only one to fear and that is not the one who can kill you, but the one who has the power to cast us into Hell!

In the book Healing the Masculine Soul, Gordon Dalbey says that when Jesus refers to the Holy Spirit as the Helper, he uses a Greek word, paraclete, that was an ancient warrior’s term. "Greek soldiers went into battle in pairs," says Dalbey, "so when the enemy attacked, they could draw together back-to-back, covering each other’s blind side. One’s battle partner was the paraclete." Our Lord does not send us to fight the good fight alone. The Holy Spirit is our battle partner who covers our blind side and fights for our well-being.

It is the Holy Spirit that gives the Christian the power to handle each and every situation from what to say, through how to live and even face death.

However way too many people believe that the Christian life and the believer’s sanctification is totally the work of the Holy Spirit and they love to quote Phil 1:6 “ being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” They forget to include verse 5 “because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now.” In our passage from Luke Jesus says this, “the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name will teach you all things and remind you of everything I have said to you.” The point is that the disciples participated in their learning they studied under the great rabbi himself- Jesus and we also must study the Word of God aided by the teaching of the indwelt Holy Spirit. When we do our part as the disciples did theirs we need not fear how to share our faith. We can then rely on the power of the Holy Spirit to remind us. Before the Holy Spirit can guide us and remind us of all truth we must do our part and study the Word. Remind simply means to call attention to something you already knew but cannot quite remember. As our paraclete it is the Holy Spirit who covers our back when we step out by faith to tell someone the Good News of Jesus Christ. In Mark 13 Jesus told His disciples, “whenever you are arrested and brought to trial, do not worry beforehand about what to say. Just say whatever is given you at the time, for it is not you speaking, but the Holy Spirit.” This is the same advice Paul gave young Timothy, “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth” (2 Tim 2:15).