John 16:7. 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.
Through Christ, God changed our eternal destiny forever. But why did He send us the Advocate, the Holy Spirit?
Scripture warns us that Satan’s aggression towards us and the world will continue until the end, urging us to be alert and of sober mind because our enemy, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour (1 Peter 5:8). This is why Jesus said that if it is by the Spirit of God that He drives out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon us (Matthew 12:28).
Without the presence of the Holy Spirit, it is impossible to overcome the kingdom of darkness. Without being filled with the Holy Spirit, it is impossible to change what has been imprinted in us, what has taken root in us, and what has become our nature. Only when empowered by the Holy Spirit will we be able to overcome our weaknesses, the world, and Satan.
If one does not experience the Triune God through Christ, that person is bound to follow a wrong destiny. It will be impossible to overcome problems and trials in life. They are bound to live without clear directions and purpose, seeking answers from the world. This is the consequence of being blinded by the god of this age. Because of their spiritual blindness, people see everything except for the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God (2 Corinthians 4:4).
Without being able to see what is unseen in the heavenly realms, it would be impossible to overcome the invisible forces of darkness behind all kinds of life’s issues, such as conflicts, worries, and unrest. It grieves our Father when His children live a life that has nothing to do with the blessing of the Holy Spirit. It pains Him to see His children living like orphans or beggars.
Knowing that we won’t survive in this world without His presence, Jesus promised to send us the Holy Spirit. The Spirit of God comes to us in the name of Jesus, the most powerful name of all. The Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father sends in Jesus’ name, teaches us all things and reminds us of everything Jesus has said (John 14:26). The Holy Spirit leads us by the Word of God and tells us what we have been given as children of God.
What we have received is not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may understand what God has freely given us (1 Corinthians 2:12). The Holy Spirit also comes to us with the power of God, which turns our weaknesses into the power to save the world. We will receive power from the throne of the Triune God when the Holy Spirit comes on us, and we will be Christ’s witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8).
This happened to those who gathered in Mark’s upper room. When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly, a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them (Acts 2:1-4).
When the Holy Spirit moved into their lives, like wind and fire, and enabled them, nothing could stop what God was about to do through these ordinary people. As Jesus promised, this will happen to us as well. We are the people God has chosen to change the world through the power of the gospel. This is our destiny to which our Father is taking us.
Having experienced the presence and power of the Holy Spirit, Peter knew by whose power the crippled beggar got up and walked. When Peter saw this, he asked the fellow Israelites why they were surprised or staring as if by his own power or godliness he had made the man walk. For Peter, this event was more than a crippled man walking; it was all about Christ. He declared that it was by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom they crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that the man stood before them healed (Acts 4:10).
When we are filled with the Holy Spirit, we will become like Peter and John, who declared that they could not help speaking about what they had seen and heard (Acts 4:20). No specialized training is necessary. No educational or financial background is required. It is a matter of whether we have seen and heard. Only that makes one a witness.
Ultimately, this gospel has to reach all nations before the end comes (Matthew 24:14). That is why Jesus promised to be with us until the end. Jesus said that all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Him. Therefore, we are to go and find God’s hidden disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything He commanded. He promised to be with us always, to the very end of the age (Matthew 28:18-20).
In the process, you and Christ will have a feast every day (Revelation 3:20). You will enjoy the abundance of His kingdom. The power of hell will not be able to defeat you any longer (Matthew 16:18). He will prepare a table before your enemy, the devil (Psalm 23:5).
Because possessing the Holy Spirit means possessing everything, we can stand firm even when we appear to have nothing—just as Paul did in his letter to the Corinthians (2 Corinthians 6:4-10). He described serving God in great endurance, through troubles, hardships, and distresses. He spoke of being known yet regarded as unknown, dying yet living on, sorrowful yet always rejoicing, poor yet making many rich, and having nothing yet possessing everything.
You may feel weak, but in Christ, you are strong. Paul wrote that he would boast all the more gladly about his weaknesses so that Christ’s power might rest on him (2 Corinthians 12:9-10). He took delight in weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and difficulties for Christ’s sake. For when he was weak, then he was strong.
Likewise, let us live in the presence of the Holy Spirit. Let us rely on the power of the Holy Spirit and follow the guidance of the Holy Spirit in our mission field.
Prayer. Father, I thank You for sending me Your Spirit. He lives in me, guides my life, and empowers me. Fill me with Your Spirit, so I may stand as Christ’s witness to the ends of the earth. In Jesus’ name, Amen.