God Wants You To Depend on the Holy Spirit

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. John 16:7

The Holy Spirit was not spoken of much when I grew up. But when he was, he was referred to as the Holy Ghost. That was very confusing for a child whose only experience with ghosts was Casper on Saturday morning. I also assumed the Holy Spirit was an “it”. I never thought of the Holy Spirit as being an equal part of the Trinity. He was kind of an afterthought. However, I now see the Holy Spirit working in my life more than the Father and the Son.

In this biblical discourse, which unfolds over several chapters in John, Jesus is trying to prepare his disciples for his absence. They are obviously very sad that after three years together Jesus was going away. I can understand how they felt; it’s difficult to watch a close friend and teacher leave. And Jesus was the best friend and teacher there was and is.

But as Jesus told the disciples, they would soon have the Holy Spirit not just with them but in them. The Holy Spirit would help them understand the many things that Jesus tried to teach them; He would guide their futures and dwell within them. But I’m guessing the disciples, at that point, preferred the physical presence of Jesus to the spiritual presence of the Holy Spirit. I can understand that; I’ve often wanted to have a face-to-face conversation with Jesus.

Names and Purpose of the Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit has many names to describe His various roles. In the New Living Translation, Jesus calls Him the Advocate. He is also known as comforter, encourager, or counselor. The Greek word used by the New Testament writers is paracletos. Paracletos means “called to one’s side” or “one who comes alongside”. Jesus is revealing the big picture to his disciples, which they won’t comprehend until after Pentecost. The Father sent the Son to redeem us from sin; the Son’s death and resurrection accomplished that. Now the Son is sending the Spirit to help the disciples live out the Great Commission.

To help us understand the benefits of the Holy Spirit, let’s look at Peter. In the gospels, Peter became known as the disciple with a foot-shaped mouth. He was always saying the wrong things at the most inopportune times. Even though he promised that he would never leave Jesus and was willing to die for him, the second it was dangerous to be a known disciple of Jesus, he lied and fled. Now contrast that to the day of Pentecost when Peter stood boldly and preached the first evangelistic sermon ever. The Holy Spirit came on him and the others with the power of wind and fire and changed Peter in ways others probably thought impossible.

And this is why Jesus said, “But in fact, it is best for you that I go away, because if I don’t, the Advocate won’t come.” (7) The early church understood the benefits of the Holy Spirit’s power and depended on him continuously. That’s why the church quickly grew, and by thousands. Jim Cymbala, pastor at the Brooklyn Tabernacle in New York City, writes, “The Christian church was born through the power of the Spirit...the early church...devoted themselves to the apostle’s teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. (Acts 2:42) ...No one needed to badger or coerce them to love the word. Instead, the Spirit within them inspired it.” (24) The Holy Spirit gave them the courage to share the gospel in a hostile society. They risked their lives through this work, and yet they continued until death.

Controlled by the Spirit

Samuel Chadwick, a Wesleyan Methodist minister in the 19^th and 20^th centuries, wrote, “The church is the body of Christ begotten, unified, and indwelt by the Spirit, but forgetting the Spirit, men wrangle over limbs, functions, and orders. The Christian religion is hopeless without the Holy Ghost.” The church was birthed through the Holy Spirit and can only be kept alive by the same Spirit. I think that is one reason that the church has ceased to be as vibrant as it was in the first century. We have focused more on theology, book studies, programs, and gimmicks to strengthen our churches.

What we need more than anything is the Holy Spirit. Each Sunday morning, I ask God to fill me with His Holy Spirit and to preach His message through my sermons. In my prayers, I ask the Holy Spirit to fill the sanctuary every Sunday. To see transformed lives, revivals, and overflowing sanctuaries, we must call continuously on the Holy Spirit. And I want to see revivals everywhere as Christians continually depend on the Holy Spirit.

Unleashing the power

If you want to know how much power we can receive from the Spirit, listen to what Paul promised the Romans, “And just as God who raised Christ Jesus from the dead, he will give life to your mortal bodies by this same Spirit living within you.” (8:11) And in verse 13, he says, “So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children. Now we call him ‘Abba, Father.’ For his Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God’s children.” 

The same power that raised Jesus from the dead can live within us if we want. And why would we not want it? Why do we live our lives as if it depends on us? Why are we satisfied with what we can do? Have you ever wondered what would happen if we asked the HS to run our food pantry and clothing closet?

If every church member committed to bringing someone to church next Sunday, attendance would double in one week. However, if we sought the HS’s power and allowed him to work through us to increase our attendance, how many people do you think would show up? Probably twice what we could imagine.

Do you think it was Peter and John’s charisma that caused large groups of people to believe in their message? These were uneducated fishermen who depended on the Holy Spirit to speak for them. After the sermon in Acts 3, the two men were arrested, and yet 5,000 men believed.

Helps us in our weakness

Continuing in chapter eight of Romans, Paul instructs that, “The Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words.” (26)

I remember the first time I acknowledged this concept. My friend had been told that her cancer had returned. The doctors weren’t sure there was anything else they could do. Her body had been through so much, and her spirits were low.

I definitely wanted to pray for God to miraculously heal her. But I wasn’t sure that was how God wanted me to pray. It was then that I asked the Holy Spirit to pray for me, to ask for what I wasn’t sure I should ask for. As I sat in silence, I knew He had gone to the throne for me. Soon, I walked with her through her last days. It wasn’t what I wanted, but I was confident that God’s will was accomplished. Following this experience, when I receive a prayer request, I begin by sitting silently and listening to how God wants me to pray. There were times when the Holy Spirit took over and prayed through my groans, but there were other times when God instructed me how to pray for those involved. I believe the more we open ourselves up to the Holy Spirit, the more he will work through us to accomplish God’s will.

There is so much more I want to say about the Holy Spirit. He is the best thing that ever happened to me. He fills me with peace when my world is falling apart around me. He convicts me of my sins; he teaches me about God’s love for me. He encourages me when I am discouraged and gives me the words I need to pray. He inspires my sermons.

And he wants to do the same for you. There is nothing unique about my relationship with him. Anyone who opens themselves up to him and allows him to take control of their lives will experience the same kind of transformation. I pray you will invite the Holy Spirit into your prayer life and see what he will do.