Adventure in the Ascent
To the adventure in Him... This phrase has been a rallying cry for me and my circle of friends for years. We were designed for intimate relationship with God. Jesus made this possible through His sacrifice on the Cross. The veil was torn, and we were invited beyond. We were created for a grand adventure in which we come to Him in repentance, maintain intimacy, learn of Him, walk His path, and ascend the hill of the Lord. Let's ascend together and experience the adventure with God. There's more...
Adventure in the Ascent
THE HOLY SPIRIT: The Gift of the Helper- Coming Alongside (John 14:15-18)
“When we pray for the Spirit's help ... we will simply fall down at the Lord's feet in our weakness. There we will find the victory and power that comes from His love.” -Andrew Murray
↠Jesus “I will pray/ask the Father…” (v. 16a)- Jesus in His role of intercessor
↠”Coming between on behalf of/the act of praying on behalf of others” (Rom. 8:34, 1 John 2:1, Heb. 7:25). We know the Holy Spirit is ready/chomping at the bit (Gen. 1:2), Jesus comes before the Father on our behalf to ASK…
↠”He (The Father) will GIVE…” (v. 16b)- The Holy Spirit is a gift!
↠Every good and perfect gift comes from ABOVE (James 1:17, Matt. 7:11)
↠The first gift- the Father gave His Son to die on the cross for love (Jn. 3:16)
↠The first gift made the second possible- cleansed temples via repentance so that we/the temples could be FILLED with the second gift- the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 6:19-20)
↠“He will give you ANOTHER…”
↠Another- Two words in Greek for this (heteros and allos), one means ‘another of a different type,’ the second means ‘another of the same type’ (mug example)- The Holy Spirit was to be another of the same type (allos, same as Jesus, but now in them not with them)
↠“He will give you another HELPER…”
↠Helper/Counselor/Advocate In Greek: 'παράκλητος/paraklētos' (only used by John)
↠Overall definition: “summoned, called to one's side, especially called to one's aid”
↠Can you think of a time in your life when you needed help with a task or something that you couldn’t do alone? Who was there for you? How did their presence make you feel?
↠Part of the promise: “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” So see Him literally coming alongside in every situation.
↠Breaking down the treasure of the word paraklētos…Roles of the Holy Spirit:
↠Comforter: The Holy Spirit comforts us (John 14:1, 2 Cor. 2:3-4, Acts 9:31)
↠Counselor: Advice/instruction/helping direct (Prov. 11:14, 12:15, Isa. 11:2, Ps. 16:7). The Holy Spirit will guide you into ALL truth (John 16:13).
↠Advocate: An advocate is one who speaks up on the behalf of another or defends (Rom. 8:16), speaks up, defends the work of the Cross in us
↠Strengthener: To add strength, make stronger, source of strength. Physical strength vs. inner man, strong on the outside but dying on the inside. There is a daily renewal needed. (Eph. 3:16, 2 Cor. 4:16)
RESPOND THIS WEEK: Read and meditate on the verses above. Do you truly see the Holy Spirit as a gift to you? Thank God for The Gift. The Holy Spirit wants to come alongside you, partner with you, help you, counsel, bring truth, advocate, comfort, and strengthen. In your personal worship and devotion time, ask for these functions, and be mindful this week of how He does it…