¹⁵ “If you love me, you will keep my commandments. ¹⁶ And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, ¹⁷ even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.

1) If the Holy Spirit is “another” Helper, who was/is the first?
In this passage, Jesus is the one speaking and the context (starting in chapter 13) reveals that He is talking with His disciples at the Last Supper about His pending departure from them. Jesus had walked with His disciples every day for 3 intense years of ministry and training and preaching and teaching. He had transformed their very lives and was about to permanently physically leave them from crucifixion and resurrection to ascension into Heaven. Until the glorious day when Jesus promises He will return, He promised “another Helper”; One who would take His place in their everyday lives. This is the Holy Spirit.

2) Why is the Holy Spirit just now being given? Did He not already exist like the Father and the Son?
Merry did a great job addressing the pre-existence of every member of the trinity in today’s other Journey Study, so please check it out. The Spirit of God has always been part of the perfect, three-fold Godhead, and His job has always been to point people to God through His presence. The difference here is, up to this point (or rather the coming point of Pentecost), the Holy Spirit had only come upon certain persons for the purpose of advancing God’s specific, sovereign purposes. The Holy Spirit did not “indwell” every person of faith. In the big picture of God’s redemptive story, it was now time for Jesus’ sacrifice, opening the way for us to have a relationship with Him. This would then be followed by the Holy Spirit “sealing” every believer’s heart by indwelling them.

3) Why can the world not receive the Holy Spirit?
The gift and sealing presence of the Holy Spirit is not just for anyone. This verse especially calls out that He is the Spirit of Truth, which the world has rejected. Who else called themselves the Truth? Jesus did in John 14:6 “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” Only Christians have the Holy Spirit because they have accepted the Truth that we are sinful, incapable of attaining any measure of righteousness on our own, and in desperate need for Christ’s of salvation.

4) What is the main role of the Holy Spirit in a believer’s life?
 The last part of the verse says, “You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.” This relationship with God’s Spirit is marked with a “knowing” and deep familiarity, a “closeness” that is tender and sweet and beyond description. The main role of the Spirit is to Be With You, while His purpose is to point you to Jesus. Every single moment of your day, the Spirit of God will tenderly, sweetly, and with personal familiarity, point your heart straight to Christ, to His finished work on the cross, to His lavish love for you, to His boundless mercies and precious freedom. The job of the Holy Spirit is to tie you to Christ that you might know the Father more deeply. The blessed three in one, Father, Son, and Spirit.

1) If the Holy Spirit is “another” Helper, who was/is the first?
Perhaps you’ve wished as I have at various points, “If only Jesus was right here with me in physical form!”. Astoundingly, Jesus Himself tells His disciples in John 16:7 that it is “better for you that I go, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you.” The triune Godhead knew and understood that for the Church to grow and expand worldwide, Jesus’ physical presence wasn’t adequate. Jesus, within the limitations of His humanity, could not be everywhere with every believer at every point in time. But the Spirit can! Praise God for truly being the “with us” God. Every moment. Every day. The Spirit of the Living, Timeless God is with you! Where do you most need His presence today? Take it to Him! Where do you feel like you don’t need His presence? Take it to Him!

2) Why is the Holy Spirit just now being given? Did He not already exist like the Father and the Son?
You, Christ-follower, have been given the incredible blessing of God’s presence not just surrounding you or even being accessible through a specific meeting place, but living, breathing, and moving right inside of you! The ever-present, all-existing Lord of the Universe has chosen you as His precious abode. If you haven’t surrendered your life to His lead, what’s holding you back? Does God seem far away? Don’t allow your feelings to feed you lies about God’s character! Lean into the truths found in Scripture and find delight in knowing that God’s presence has never abandoned those who call upon Him!

3) Why can the world not receive the Holy Spirit?
The Holy Spirit is called a “seal”, which is like a down payment for our future glorification after physical death on earth. To accept Jesus as Savior, means that He claims us as His own, putting His “seal” on us through the giving of His presence. Not only are we His, but He is ours; the rich inheritance goes both ways. He has access to our hearts and we have access to Him in incredibly intimate ways. To have the Spirit of God within is a gift we simply cannot comprehend!

4) What is the main role of the Holy Spirit in a believer’s life?
As you better understand the Spirit’s role in your life, it can free you from misconceptions and from fear about Him, allowing you to become quiet. As you regularly create space for the quietness in your life, you will become more easily trained to hear His voice and see His work. You will be absolutely amazed at what God will do through your life as you simple make space to be in His presence!

Don’t miss today’s other Journey Study, Holy Spirit
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We love getting help while we study and www.studylight.org is one of many excellent resources.  Just type in the verse you’re looking at and Boom! It’s right in front of you in English and Hebrew (Old Testament) or Greek (New Testament), which are the original languages the Bible was written in.

Want to know more about a specific word in a verse? Click on “Strong’s Interlinear Bible” then click the word you’d like to study. Find super awesome stuff like “origin”, “definition”, and even all the different ways that single word has been translated into English! If you want to be geeky, you can even click the word and hear its original pronunciation – That Is Awesome!

Want to get more background on a word or phrasing or passage? Click “Study Tools”, then pick a few commentaries to read their scholarly approach, keeping in mind that just because a commentary says it, doesn’t mean it’s true. (just like the internet :-))

Finding the original meaning is a huge deal when we study Scripture and can make all the difference in our understanding as we apply God’s truths to our everyday lives.

In our modern-day relationships, we want people to understand our original intention as we communicate; how much more so between God and humanity?!

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Embracing God’s fullness in our lives is rooted in scripture and memorizing His word is vital to our continued growth and depth with Jesus.
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