An Inseparable Friend
John 14:15-17, 25-27; 16:4-15 We have an Inseparable Friend in the Holy Spirit.
John 14:15-17, 25-27 (NLT) 15 “If you love me, obey my commandments. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you. 17 He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth. The world cannot receive him, because it isn”™t looking for him and doesn”™t recognize him. But you know him, because he lives with you now and later will be in you.
25 I am telling you these things now while I am still with you. 26 But when the Father sends the Advocate as my representative””that is, the Holy Spirit””he will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you. 27 “I am leaving you with a gift””peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don”™t be troubled or afraid.
John 16:4-15 (NLT) 4 Yes, I”™m telling you these things now, so that when they happen, you will remember my warning. I didn”™t tell you earlier because I was going to be with you for a while longer. The Work of the Holy Spirit 5 “But now I am going away to the One who sent me, and not one of you is asking where I am going. 6 Instead, you grieve because of what I”™ve told you. 7 But in fact, it is best for you that I go away, because if I don”™t, the Advocate won”™t come. If I do go away, then I will send him to you.
8 And when he comes, he will convict the world of its sin, and of God”™s righteousness, and of the coming judgment. 9 The world”™s sin is that it refuses to believe in me. 10 Righteousness is available because I go to the Father, and you will see me no more. 11 Judgment will come because the ruler of this world has already been judged. 12 “There is so much more I want to tell you, but you can”™t bear it now.
13 When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own but will tell you what he has heard. He will tell you about the future. 14 He will bring me glory by telling you whatever he receives from me. 15 All that belongs to the Father is mine; this is why I said, ”˜The Spirit will tell you whatever he receives from me.”™
Understanding of Jesus”™ Truth John 16:13-15 (MSG) But when the Friend comes, the Spirit of the Truth, he will take you by the hand and guide you into all the truth there is. He won’t draw attention to himself, but will make sense out of what is about to happen and, indeed, out of all that I have done and said. He will honor me; he will take from me and deliver it to you. Everything the Father has is also mine. That is why I’ve said, ‘He takes from me and delivers to you.’
John 14:26 (MSG) The Friend, the Holy Spirit whom the Father will send at my request, will make everything plain to you. He will remind you of all the things I have told you.
1 Corinthians 2:10-16 (MSG) 10-13 The Spirit, not content to flit around on the surface, dives into the depths of God, and brings out what God planned all along. Who ever knows what you’re thinking and planning except you yourself? The same with God””except that he not only knows what he’s thinking, but he lets us in on it.
God offers a full report on the gifts of life and salvation that he is giving us. We don’t have to rely on the world’s guesses and opinions. We didn’t learn this by reading books or going to school; we learned it from God, who taught us person-to-person through Jesus, and we’re passing it on to you in the same firsthand, personal way.
14-16 The unspiritual self, just as it is by nature, can’t receive the gifts of God’s Spirit. There’s no capacity for them. They seem like so much silliness. Spirit can be known only by spirit””God’s Spirit and our spirits in open communion. Spiritually alive, we have access to everything God’s Spirit is doing, and can’t be judged by unspiritual critics.
Isaiah’s question, “Is there anyone around who knows God’s Spirit, anyone who knows what he is doing?” has been answered: Christ knows, and we have Christ’s Spirit.
2 Timothy 3:16-17 (MSG) Every part of Scripture is God-breathed and useful one way or another””showing us truth, exposing our rebellion, correcting our mistakes, training us to live God’s way. Through the Word we are put together and shaped up for the tasks God has for us.
Power in Jesus”™ Mission John 16:8-11 (MSG) 8-11 When he comes, he’ll expose the error of the godless world’s view of sin, righteousness, and judgment: He’ll show them that their refusal to believe in me is their basic sin; that righteousness comes from above, where I am with the Father, out of their sight and control; that judgment takes place as the ruler of this godless world is brought to trial and convicted.
Peace of Jesus”™ Presence John 14:15-18, 27 (MSG) 15-17 If you love me, show it by doing what I’ve told you. I will talk to the Father, and he’ll provide you another Friend so that you will always have someone with you. This Friend is the Spirit of Truth.
The godless world can’t take him in because it doesn’t have eyes to see him, doesn’t know what to look for. But you know him already because he has been staying with you, and will even be in you! 18 I will not leave you orphaned. I’m coming back.
27 I’m leaving you well and whole. That’s my parting gift to you. Peace. I don’t leave you the way you’re used to being left””feeling abandoned, bereft. So don’t be upset. Don’t be distraught.
Romans 8:14-17 (MSG) God’s Spirit beckons. There are things to do and places to go! This resurrection life you received from God is not a timid, grave-tending life. It’s adventurously expectant, greeting God with a childlike “What’s next, Papa?” God’s Spirit touches our spirits and confirms who we really are.
We know who he is, and we know who we are: Father and children. And we know we are going to get what’s coming to us””an unbelievable inheritance! We go through exactly what Christ goes through. If we go through the hard times with him, then we’re certainly going to go through the good times with him!
Isaiah 40:10-11 (NLT) 10 Don”™t be afraid, for I am with you. Don”™t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand. 11 “See, all your angry enemies lie there, confused and humiliated. Anyone who opposes you will die and come to nothing.
Ephesians 3:14-12 (MSG) 14-19 My response is to get down on my knees before the Father, this magnificent Father who parcels out all heaven and earth. I ask him to strengthen you by his Spirit””not a brute strength but a glorious inner strength””that Christ will live in you as you open the door and invite him in.
And I ask him that with both feet planted firmly on love, you’ll be able to take in with all followers of Jesus the extravagant dimensions of Christ’s love. Reach out and experience the breadth! Test its length! Plumb the depths! Rise to the heights! Live full lives, full in the fullness of God.
20-21 God can do anything, you know””far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams! He does it not by pushing us around but by working within us, his Spirit deeply and gently within us. Glory to God in the church! Glory to God in the Messiah, in Jesus! Glory down all the generations! Glory through all millennia! Oh, yes!