THE HOLY SPIRIT: GOD AT HIS BEST FOR MANKIND

But I tell you that I am going to do what is best for you. That is why I am going away... – John 16:7 (CEV)

Have you ever wished Jesus were still around? I know I have. As a kid, I thought, “He’s alive forever; why couldn’t He just wait around?”

Others have wished they were able to walk and talk with God the way Enoch, Abraham and Moses did. Or what about that wonderful scenario of God visiting Adam in the cool of the evening? Awesome! Right?

The truth is, even though we have the Holy Spirit today, we feel that the men of old had it better. But though the Holy Spirit did many mighty things through the Old Testament saints, He was never permanently on any one of them. That is why we see the phrase, “And the spirit of the LORD came upon him” often in the Old Testament.

But the bottom-line in all this is that, the spirit of the LORD would come and the Spirit of God would leave. He was never permanently on them. We living in the New Covenant, however, have the Holy Spirit living permanently inside of us; every day, every night, when we sleep, when we wake up... the Spirit is right there in us, with us and for us. Even Adam did not have it this good!

This has been God’s wish from the very earliest. He has always wanted to tabernacle among men. That is why the Bible makes a big deal about “The Word” becoming flesh and dwelling among us (Jn 1:14), that is why Jesus was called “Emmanuel” – God with Us!

2Cor 3:17 says, “The Lord and the Spirit are one and the same,” (CEV). Recall that  Jesus’ unique term for the Holy Spirit is “Parakletos” (traditionally translated as “Comforter”). But Jesus IS our “Parakletos”! 1Jn 2:1 says “My little children... if any man sin, we have a Parakletos (KJV “advocate”) with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.

So just as Jesus once said to Philip, “He that has seen me has seen the Father;  (Jn 14:9), He is essentially saying to us “He that has the Holy Spirit has me!” Yes, that’s the Jesus of Nazareth right there in your heart right now. Awesome, innit?

As you meditate on this reality, may you enjoy a richer experience with the Holy Spirit in Jesus’ name.

AMEN.

GREG ELKAN