Tuesday, January 22, 2013

The Illuminator: the Holy Spirit

In one His final messages to His disciples, recorded in the Gospel of John, Jesus says:
"If you love me, you will keep my commandments.  And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, 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."  (John 14:15-17).

"These things I have spoken to you while I am still with you. 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."  (John 14:25-26).

"But when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of Truth, who proceeds from the Father, He will bear witness about me."  (John 15:26).

Clearly, the Holy Spirit is important for Jesus.  Jesus refers to the Holy Spirit as the Helper, the Spirit of truth, sent by the Father to bear witness about Jesus to teach all that Jesus has said and taught them.  In this way, the Holy Spirit glorifies the Son, illuminating Him in the hearts of believers, and applying  Jesus to the believer by faith.

This illumination is a shadow of the inspiration of Scripture, that is to say that the same Holy Spirit that has divinely-inspired the writing of Scripture is illuminating that Scripture to the believer.  In other words, the inspiration of Scripture is echoed in the inspiration of the believer for that Scripture and unto salvation.  The reality of this truth is awesome and profound.  If it does not compel us to repentance and faith, then we are not considering the reality of who God actually is.

To limit this view would be akin to diminishing who we think God to be as it pertains to salvation.  Let us, then, strive to think rightly about God and His Holy Spirit, for it is His Holy Spirit that illuminates and glorifies Christ in the welling up of our hearts unto faith.

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