HE PROMISED US HIS SPIRIT

The disciples of Jesus were sad to learn the He would be leaving them,

and no longer be physically with them, when He told them before He
was crucified, but He promised them that He would not leave them as
orphans. He promised them the Holy Spirit, His Spirit that would come
and dwell with them. Jesus did not promise them a book, or a Bible or
anything else. He promised His Spirit.

We
read in John 14:16-25, Jesus said: “I will ask the Father, and He
will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever;17that
is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because
it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because
He abides with you and will be in you.

      18“I
will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. 19“After a
little while the world will no longer see Me, but you will see
Me; because I live, you will live also. 20“In that day you
will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you. 21“He
who has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me; and
he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and
will disclose Myself to him.” 22Judas (not Iscariot) said to
Him, “Lord, what then has happened that You are going to disclose
Yourself to us and not to the world?” 23Jesus answered and
said to him, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My
Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our abode with
him. 24“He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and
the word which you hear is not Mine, but the Father’s who sent Me.

      25“These
things I have spoken to you while abiding with you. 26“But the
Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He
will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I
said to you.”

We
read in john 16:5-15 Jesus said: “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
heart. 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 will not come to
you; but if I go, I will send Him to you. 8“And He, when He
comes, will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and
judgment; 9concerning sin, because they do not believe in
Me; 10and concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father
and you no longer see Me; 11and concerning judgment, because the
ruler of this world has been judged.

      12“I
have many more things to say to you, but you cannot
bear them now. 13“But when He, the Spirit of truth,
comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on
His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will
disclose to you what is to come. 14“He will glorify Me, for He
will take of Mine and will disclose it to you. 15“All
things that the Father has are Mine; therefore I said that He takes
of Mine and will disclose it to you.”

After
Jesus was crucified and resurrected, before He ascended to heaven He
spoke to them. We read in Acts 1:4 “Gathering them together, He
commanded them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait for what the
Father had promised, “Which,” He said, “you heard of
from Me;5for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with
the Holy Spirit not many days from now.” The disciples did go to
Jerusalem and were united in prayer, waiting on the gift that Jesus
promised. We read in Acts 2: 1-4 “When the day of Pentecost had
come, they were all together in one place. 2And suddenly there
came from heaven a noise like a violent rushing wind, and it filled
the whole house where they were sitting. 3And there appeared to
them tongues as of fire distributing themselves, and they rested on
each one of them. 4And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit
and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit was giving them
utterance.”

The
bystanders enquired about what had happened and Peter explained it to
them in many words, upon which they asked him what they should do to
receive the Holy Spirit. Peter said to them, “Repent, and
each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the
forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy
Spirit. 39“For the promise is for you and your children and
for all who are far off, as many as the Lord our God will call to
Himself.” Acts 2:38-39.

The
Holy Spirit baptism with evidence of speaking in tongues is not only
about speaking in tongues, but about the indwelling of Jesus,
disclosing Himself, revealing Himself in and through those who have
received Him, being with them for always, teaching and guiding them
in all things. It is the fulfillment of Emmanuel, “God with us”,
“Christ dwelling in us” becoming born of the Spirit to be
children of God.

Receiving
and following the Holy Spirit, obeying Him, being taught and led by
Him is integral, essential, vital for every believer in order to be
in the right relationship with Jesus. It is not just a token or a
symbol but the supernatural unification with Jesus. We cannot follow
Jesus if we have not received His Spirit. We cannot be in communion
with Him. It is an absolutely essential requirement for everyone who
wishes to become one of His sheep, hear His voice, follow Him and
have eternal life.

The
first Christians did not have Bibles. They were taught the
commandments of Jesus by the disciples and they received the Holy
Spirit. They were led by the Holy Spirit.

He
promised us His Spirit. Have you received His Spirit? Are you in
communion with Him. Do you hear His voice and do you follow Him? Are
you one of His sheep?

May
Jesus bless you.