Lent Day 35: The promised Holy Spirit: Advocate and Teacher

We can't underestimate the importance of the Holy Spirit. Jesus talks about his Father God, that he is the Son. He and his Father will send the Spirit to live among the disciples of Jesus. Every part of us is immersed in the life of God.
[Jesus assured his disciples:] ‘When the Advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the Father – the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father – he will testify about me. And you also must testify, for you have been with me from the beginning.

> Jesus knows that the road ahead of his disciples is challenging. They will be mistreated, banned, and even killed by ignorant and willfully disobedient people.

‘All this I have told you so that you will not fall away. They will put you out of the synagogue; in fact, the time is coming when anyone who kills you will think they are offering a service to God.

'They will do such things because they have not known the Father or me. I have told you this, so that when their time comes you will remember that I warned you about them. I did not tell you this from the beginning because I was with you, but now I am going to him who sent me.

Sometimes when we're in the middle of suffering, it's hard to remember that Jesus knows what lies ahead - the good and the blessings that come after perseverance and hard obedience.

'None of you asks me, “Where are you going?” Rather, you are filled with grief because I have said these things. But very truly I tell you, it is for your good that I am going away. 

'Unless I go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. When he comes, he will prove the world to be in the wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment: about sin, because people do not believe in me; about righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer; and about judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned.

> It is the job of the Spirit - to convict people of sin and righteousness and judgment. Notice that it's not our responsibility to convince people that they are sinners. It's not on our shoulders to force people toward God's righteousness. We don't have to call down God's judgment on others. 
> We do the work of our Father when we point to Jesus, who loves and takes away the sins of the world. And the Spirit teaches, advocates for us, and tells us the way to go.

‘I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. He will glorify me because it is from me that he will receive what he will make known to you.

All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will receive from me what he will make known to you.’ (John 15:26-John 16:15)

> How is the Spirit at work in you? Do you rely on him to guild you and shape your character, even in times of trouble and hardships, whether those come today or tomorrow?

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