Helped by the Holy Spirit
Sunday 10 March 2019
We thank Pastor David Weng for the the good news this week. Pastor David takes the opportunity this week to share with us the roles the Holy Spirit plays in Christian life. As Christians, we believe our God manifests in three aspects: the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit (also known as the Word). The Gospel of John relates to us what Jesus teaches us about the Holy Spirit.
John 14:15-26
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.
18 "I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. 19 Yet a little while and the world will see me no more, but you will see me. Because I live you also will live. 20 In that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you. 21 Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him." 22 Judas (not Iscariot) said to him, "Lord, how is it that you will manifest yourself to us, and not to the world?" 23 Jesus answered him, "If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. 24 Whoever does not love me does not keep my words. And the word that you hear is not mine but the Father's who sent me.
25 "These things I have spoken to you while I am still with you. 26 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you."
18 "I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. 19 Yet a little while and the world will see me no more, but you will see me. Because I live you also will live. 20 In that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you. 21 Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him." 22 Judas (not Iscariot) said to him, "Lord, how is it that you will manifest yourself to us, and not to the world?" 23 Jesus answered him, "If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. 24 Whoever does not love me does not keep my words. And the word that you hear is not mine but the Father's who sent me.
25 "These things I have spoken to you while I am still with you. 26 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you."
The defining characteristic of a Christian is adherence to the first and most important commandment, to love God. This love is defined as knowing God's commandments and keeping them. In order to do this, we need to know God's commandments and we do this by studying the bible and by learning what is taught by Jesus. God has given us the Holy Spirit to help us walk with God on our journey through life.
Pastor David highlights four roles the Holy Spirit fulfills to help us love God:
Pastor David highlights four roles the Holy Spirit fulfills to help us love God:
- Our comforter: It is with us all the time and will be with us forever. It is God and Jesus.
- Our caregiver: We will not be left orphans. The Son has rejoined the Father, the Holy Spirit remains with us to care for us.
- Our companion: Jesus, in the Father, in the Holy Spirit are in us. The ultimate goal of the Holy Spirit is to help us strive to love and obey God.
- Our coach: To teach us, remind us and guide us.
Author: Stan Williams
Photography: Stan Williams
Photography: Stan Williams