The Role of the Holy Spirit

This morning I felt like reading some of the verses where Jesus explains the role of the Holy Spirit. Here are a selection from the Gospel of John.

John 14:15-18, 26-27 NIV:
[15] “If you love me, keep my commands. [16] And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever--- [17] the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. [18] I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.

[26] But the Advocate, 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. [27] 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 15:26-27 NIV
[26] “When the Advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the Father---the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father---he will testify about me. [27] And you also must testify, for you have been with me from the beginning."

John 16:7-15 NIV
[7] "But very truly I tell you, it is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. [8] When he comes, he will prove the world to be in the wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment: [9] about sin, because people do not believe in; [10] about righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer; [11] and about judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned.

[12]“I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. [13] But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the 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. [14] He will glorify me because it is from me that he will receive what he will make known to you. [15] All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will receive from me what he will make known to you.”

So summarizing the role and action of the Holy Spirit:

1. To help us
2. To be with us forever
3. To be in us
4. To teach us all things
5. To remind us of Jesus' words
6. To testify about Jesus
7. To bring conviction to the world concerning sin, judgment ad righteousness
8. To guide us into all truth
9. To speak what He hears
10. To tell us what is yet to come
11. To glorify Jesus
12. to make known what Jesus reveals

Jesus calls Him the Advocate, the Spirit of Truth, other translations use the word helper. The Greek word translated Advocate is the word Parakletos whose definition is as follows:

1. summoned, called to one's side, esp. called to one's aid
a. one who pleads another's cause before a judge, a pleader, counsel for defense, legal assistant, an advocate
b. one who pleads another's cause with one, an intercessor
1. of Christ in his exaltation at God's right hand, pleading with God the Father for the pardon of our sins
c. in the widest sense, a helper, succourer, aider, assistant
1. of the Holy Spirit destined to take the place of Christ with the apostles (after his ascension to the Father), to lead them to a deeper knowledge of the gospel truth, and give them divine strength needed to enable them to undergo trials and persecutions on behalf of the divine kingdom.

There is much to dig into here, but hopefully this gives a sense of His role. He is there to help us, to intercede for us, to encourage us, to teach and guide us, to represent us legally, and to empower us.

Suffice it to say that we all need the Holy Spirit active in all our lives. We need His guidance, direction and intercession. We need more of Him in our lives! Holy spirit I invite you to take up residence in me.