Yes! There is Good News! 9.30.17

God promises us a gift. “And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” And who is there among us that does not enjoy receiving a gift?

If you have been with me through the past several articles, you know that we have been talking about repentance and baptism. We now come to the result of these things: the receiving of the Holy Spirit of God!

I believe we already understand that God has given us the gift of His Son. “For God so loved the world that He gave us His only begotten Son …” This gift was given in order that we may receive another gift – the gift of eternal life. The blood of the Son of God cleanses us from every sin.  We obtain from Him a righteousness that allows us to enter into the presence of our Heavenly Father. But the good news here is that God did not just remove our past sins from us and then leave us to figure things out for ourselves. He gave us a helper – the Holy Spirit!

Shortly after the Passover meal (called the last supper by some), Jesus addressed His disciples with many encouraging words. Let’s read what He had to say about the Spirit. “If you love me you will obey what I command. And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Counselor to abide with you forever – the Spirit of truth” (John 14:15). “All this I have spoken while abiding with you. But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, which the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you” (John 14:25). “When the Counselor comes which I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth which goes out from the Father, it will testify about Me” (John 15:26). “I tell you the truth: it is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send it to you” (John 16:7).

We find out several things here: first, it is a Spirit of truth. If you want to understand the truth of God, you must receive the “Spirit of truth.” It is my opinion that God will give you some of His truth so as to lead you to realize that you need to repent and receive His Holy Spirit. Going hand in hand with repentance, Jesus tells us that we are to obey His commands. We also see that the Spirit is sent from the Father. And most interestingly we see the Spirit is called a “Counselor.” The King James Version calls the Spirit a “Comforter,” and the Greek word used here really means “one who is called to another’s side, for aid, counsel, defense or comfort.”
 
I must stop here and praise the heavenly Father who has thought of everything. He has given us His word, from Genesis to Revelation. He has given us His Son – the Savior of mankind. And if that weren’t enough, He gives us a Counselor to aid and comfort us as we walk through this world.

Embrace these things my friends. The hope of eternal salvation lies before us. What then shall we do? “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”