◄ What Does John 16:14 Mean? ►

The time for Christ's departure had come... and although the separation from their Master was a painful prospect for the confused disciples, nevertheless they were to discover an inner strength and receive extraordinary comfort that was not available to them during Christ's lifetime on earth.

As faith begins to fail so fear starts to overtake the soul, and the prospect of life without Jesus plummeted His disciples into utter despair. And in the confusion of the hour, the faith of His loyal followers was severely tested.

But the Lord understood the deep depression that His faithful disciples were going through, and so He gave them mighty words of comfort and encouragement. He explained that... up until now... HE had been with them; to lead and to guide, to comfort and teach, to exhort and to correct. But the time was at hand when Jesus was to leave them and God would send the Holy Spirit to take His place. A time was coming when the Spirit of Christ was to indwell the heart of all who trusted Him for salvation.

Christ reassured His fearful disciples that the Holy Spirit of God was coming very soon - to reside in their hearts. He was to show them undisclosed future things through His gentle promptings and the written Word. He was to be another Christ-like Comforter Who would guide their hearts and minds into the way of truth - so that by grace through faith, they would have the mind of Christ! And this work of the Spirit has continued for all believers ever since!

The Holy Spirit of truth will guide us into all truth. He is our personal Advisor Who will teach and train, exhort and encourage, comfort and protect, seal and secure each individual saint. The supernatural work of the Spirit in all believers is taking place now in a way that never happened in ages past.

The Spirit of God comes to permanently indwell every single, born-again believer. He seals each one with the protective seal of God, unto the day of redemption - when faith will blossom into sight and we will be with the Lord forever. The Spirit works in the life of all believers in a brand new way - for He takes the things of Christ and discloses them to His redeemed people.

One of the ministries of the Holy Spirit for the unbeliever is to convict a guilty world of three important issues; 1) of sin and its terrible consequences, 2) of the righteousness of Christ which is available to all by faith, and 3) of judgement - the judgement of sin, the condemnation of Satan, and the eternal consequences for the unrepentant sinner.

But for the one that has trusted Christ for the forgiveness of their sins and who has been covered in His own righteousness, the promises are overwhelmingly wonderful - for He will glorify the Lord Jesus in a way that the world cannot understand and He will take the things that the Father has entrusted to Christ - and disclose them to us!

Jesus is the Revelation of the Father! Jesus is the exact image of the invisible God Who is Creator of heaven and earth. But Jesus is also the perfect Man Who fulfilled all righteousness through His perfect life - and having become the federal Head of a new creation, He has been given all things from the Father.

All that the Father has, belongs to the Lord Jesus. And all that is His, is to be revealed to us by the indwelling Holy Spirit of God - Who will guide us into all truth and lead us in the path of righteousness.

Heavenly Father, what an amazing mystery that the living God should be born into the human race, in order to become our Kinsman-Redeemer and save us by grace through faith in His sacrificial death. Thank You that, by faith in Him, I have become Your child and have an inheritance in Christ. Open the eyes of my understanding to all that the Spirit wants to show me, and may I grow in grace in the days ahead. In Jesus' name I pray, AMEN.