The Promised Helper, The Spirit of Truth

I was invited to proclaim God's Word to a small congregation in East Texas last Sunday, the Sunday after Jesus' ascension into heaven. Based upon the Gospel lesson, I focused on the anxiety so many of us feel in these unsettled times. Take a brief look at but a few of the events here in the U.S.:

• Boston marathon bombing
• Slaughter of kids in Newtown, Connecticut
• Abortionist doctor convicted of murder
• Jodi Arias found guilty of murder
• Devastating explosion in West, Texas

I've referred only to a few of the recent frightening events in the United States. Yesterday I touched on the extreme hatred and persecution of Christians around the world. Why? Why does all this continue? Where is the Lord God? Why does it seem like Satan and the vast powers of darkness, confusion and death are winning? When will it end? 

To help us in this struggle the Lord Jesus said something we all need to keep hearing: 

"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. And you also will bear witness, because you have been with me from the beginning. - Jhn 15:26-27 ESV

The Helper, as the ESV translates it, is no one less than the Third Person of the Holy Trinity, called by Jesus the Spirit of Truth, sent by the Father to bear witness about Jesus. In the original language used by Jesus the Helper refers to one who stands at your side to guide, comfort, defend you from the demonically inspired thoughts of despair and doubt that plague so many of us. The KJV calls the Spirit the Comforter. Of this Spirit of God Jesus further taught, 

"he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you." - Jhn 14:26 ESV

The Holy Spirit at work in God's Word lifts up for us these important truths: 

• We have no right to expect anything other than that God would reject us and this world we live in altogether. If you followed the Jodi Arias trial for the past four months to the point where she was declared guilty, you learned that the trial is divided into two parts: the guilt phase followed by the punishment phase. Fox news reported that she prefers the punishment to be death. Would that be your preference? In God's eyes there is no righteous person on earth (Ecclesiastes 7:20). All are guilty and deserving death. But the Spirit reveals that death does not mean one ceases to exist. Rather death means that you continue forever in lonely despair and darkness, finally given the arid hell you ask for by your disobedience (Luke 16:19-31). Speaking for that same LORD, the prophet Jeremiah puts it this way: 

". . . for my people have committed two evils: they have forsaken me, the fountain of living waters, and hewed out cisterns for themselves, broken cisterns that can hold no water." - Jer. 2:13 ESV

• But the Spirit speaks again and again a vital second truth in God's Word. Jesus has already endured that hell for you on the cross. This is what was behind his loud, despairing cry at the ninth hour, 

"Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?" which means, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" - Mark 15:34 - ESV. 

• And the Father accepted that lonely sacrifice by raising Jesus up on the third day. All this was foretold by the prophets like Isaiah who spoke about the Suffering Servant who 

"poured out his soul to death and was numbered with the transgressors." Why? The prophet continues, "he bore the sin of many, and makes intercession for the transgressors." - Isa 53:12 ESV

• Speaking to our hearts, the Spirit confirms in this way that we are God's children and that despite everything else our Father will not forsake us, but will also raise us up with Jesus on the great day when Christ returns in victory and glory. 

For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ. Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power. For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death. For "God has put all things in subjection under his feet." But when it says, "all things are put in subjection," it is plain that he is excepted who put all things in subjection under him. - 1 Cor 15:21-27 ESV 

Comforted and strengthened by our Helper and Comforter, we set out again each day to give witness to our faith and pray that our witness will be used to lead yet others to know and believe in their Savior.