The Advantage: Helper
“The Advantage” - Part 1
John 16:5-7 (NASB) “But now I am going to Him who sent Me; and none of you asks Me, ‘Where are You going?’ 6 But because I have said these things to you, grief has filled your heart. 7 But I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I am leaving; for if I do not leave, the Helper will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you.
The Holy Spirit isn’t…
A cosmic energy
Some mystical power
A spiritual feeling
A spiritual gift
Scary or deceptive
Merely a presence
An IT
1. He is a Person
The Bible teaches us that the Holy Spirit…
Thinks (Rom. 8:27)
Speaks (Acts 13:2)
Teaches (Jn. 14:26)
Guides (Jn. 16:13)
Comforts (Acts. 9:31)
Sends (Acts 13:4)
Prays (Rom. 8:26-27)
Gives gifts (1 Cor. 12:11)
Has emotions (Gal. 5:22)
Can be grieved (Eph. 4:30)
Can be quenched (1 Thess. 5:19)
Can be insulted (Heb. 10:29)
Resisted (Acts 7:51)
John 14:16 (NASB) I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper…
another — “another of the same kind.”
2. He is God
Acts 5:1-5 (NLT) But there was a certain man named Ananias who, with his wife, Sapphira, sold some property. 2 He brought part of the money to the apostles, claiming it was the full amount. With his wife’s consent, he kept the rest. 3 Then Peter said, “Ananias, why have you let Satan fill your heart? You lied to the Holy Spirit, and you kept some of the money for yourself. 4 The property was yours to sell or not sell, as you wished. And after selling it, the money was also yours to give away. How could you do a thing like this? You weren’t lying to us but to God!
Genesis 1:26 (NKJV) Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness…
Acts 10:38 (NKJV) how God [Father] anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.
1 John 5:7 (NKJV) For there are three that bear witness in heaven: the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit; and these three are one.
John 16:5-7 (AMP) “But now I am going to Him who sent Me; and none of you asks Me, ‘Where are You going?’ 6 But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your hearts [and taken complete possession of them]. 7 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].
Helper (Parakletos) — “one called alongside to help.”
The Holy Spirit comes alongside us to help us, stand by us, strengthen us, and assist us when we need it.
Every one of us has a personal choice to make when it comes to the Holy Spirit.
2 Corinthians 3:17 (NLT) The Lord is the Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.