Thy tiny 1st grader ran up to me, gave me a hug, and said, “Mrs. Stoner, you are the best substitute teacher I have ever had!” Wow what good taste this child had! Of course, it was the beginning of the school year, she may have never had a substitute teacher before, and I was only assigned to her for half a day.
I responded, “Wait until you have Mr. Stoner as a sub; he is the best ever!”
WHAT COULD BE BETTER?
This is the line of response Jesus gave His disciples when they worried about His talk of His departure. They spent up to three years living with Him. How could His departure be for their good? What could be better?
Jesus responds: But I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper (Comforter, Advocate, Intercessor—Counselor, Strengthener, Standby) will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him (the Holy Spirit) to you [to be in close fellowship with you]. (John 16:7).
24/7 CARE
To their advantage? Yes! They would have the permanent benefit of having a constant Helper, Comforter, Advocate, Intercessor—Counselor, Strengthener with them 24/7. An upgrade in care extending through the centuries for all believers Jesus deeply cares for.
CONTINUAL UPGRADED BENEFIT
Because He loved them, Jesus requested of the Father to: give another Helper (Comforter, Advocate, Intercessor—Counselor, Strengthener, Standby), to be with you forever—the Spirit of Truth, whom the world cannot receive [and take to its heart] because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He (the Holy Spirit) remains with you continually and will be in you. (John 14:16-17) A continual upgraded benefit.
The Spirit of Truth for believers. Sorely needed in the confusing world we in live in today where truth is in short supply.
RADICAL CHANGE
In “Forgotten God: Reversing Our Tragic Neglect of the Holy Spirit” Francis Chan makes this observation: “If we read and believed these accounts, we would expect a great deal of the Holy Spirit. He would not be a mostly forgotten member of the Godhead whom we occasionally give a nod of recognition to, which is what He has become in most American churches. We would expect our new life with the Holy Spirit to look radically different from our old life without Him.”
The disciples appreciated and loved Jesus for their basic training, but Jesus wanted more for them: the permanent indwelling of the Holy Spirit.
CALLED TO BE OUR HELPER
That little first grade girl thought I was wonderful, but she had no idea that my husband thrives on being a substitute teacher. This is his calling. The calling of the Holy Spirit is to be our Comforter, Advocate, Intercessor—Counselor, Strengthener, Standby), to be with you forever—the Spirit of Truth.
Are you appreciating what God offers? He always plans greater things for us than we can imagine.