16

THE PURPOSE OF HIS PRESENCE.

There's an interesting verse in the gospel of John.
            "Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantag
             that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Counselor will
             not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you" (Jn. 16:7).

For years this text troubled me. After all the earlier manifestations of himself recorded in the Old Testament, God finally gave the world his clearest self-revelation in the person of Jesus Christ.

        Whatever the Father is like, he is not less than the Son.
               He is not less loving.
                    He is not less compassionate.
                         He is not less wise.
                              He is not less kind.

As I thought it through under the guidance of the Counselor, it occurred to me that when Jesus submitted to the incarnation, he imposed upon himself the limitations of humanity.

Do you remember the story of Lazarus who became desperately ill?
           Jesus was off on a preaching expedition.
              He received word from Mary and Martha
                that Lazarus, their brother, was close to death.
           Would Jesus come quickly?

Well, as you may remember, Jesus was unable to leave his place of responsibility.
          By the time he arrived at the home of Lazarus a few days later
                   his friend was dead!

When that truth hit me, it was with a sense of awe and wonder. I remember saying,
           Why of course, Jesus, you were right. It is to our advantage
            that you "go away" so the Holy Spirit could come in your place.
           God became clearest in you, Jesus. He becomes nearest
           through the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit. Wow!

I spent a couple of weeks digesting that truth.

17

THE RESULTS OF HIS PRESENCE.

"Do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit within you, which you have from God?" (1 Cor. 6:19).

By indwelling you, the Holy Spirit is able to be to you
what Jesus would be if he were here himself.

A little girl awoke one night and found herself in the dark. She was frightened and began to cry. Her mother sought to comfort her child by saying,
            "Now, darling, you'll be all right because Jesus is here."
To which the little girl murmured,
            "I know he's here mommy, but I need someone with skin on."
That's a feeling we all share at times, isn't it?

When Julie, our daughter, was little she would, on occasion, wake up in the middle of the night and tip-toe into our bedroom. I would feel a gentle tapping on my arm and awaken to see her standing beside our bed.

I'd throw back the covers.
                                       "C'mon, Dolly, climb in bed with us."
I'd hold her and quietly tell her everything was going to be all right.

In a matter of moments she'd be back in dreamland. When she was soundly asleep, I'd carry her back to her own little bed, and tuck her in where she'd finish out the night.

Then I'd climb back into our big bed and often would find myself saying,

"Oh, heavenly Father, how I wish I could snuggle up to you sometimes. I have my own set of fears, Father. My own anxieties and struggles. If only I could feel the presence of 'someone with skin on'."

Invariably, when I prayed like that, the loving Father would remind me:

"You have something better than that, son,
you have my very own presence in you."

18

A LITTLE TALK WITH JESUS

Have there ever been moments when you wanted to have a little talk with Jesus? Times when you wanted to say:

"Jesus, please sit down and let me settle at your feet. Here's how I feel, Jesus. Here's how I struggle and hurt. Tell me what I need to hear. Give me a word of help and hope for this moment."

Have you wanted to do that? Well, you can. You can!

Part of the Holy Spirit's ministry is to bring to your remembrance everything Jesus said. He can tap that marvelous subconscious reservoir of memories and truths you have accumulated from as far back as when you were a child in Sunday School.

He can bring to mind exactly what you need, exactly when you need it.
       You may not remember the scripture reference.
            You may not have the words exactly right.
                  But the truth will be there!

That's why it's so very important to never stop growing in the Lord.
        To never stop learning about the Lord.
            To never stop storing up scripture in your memory bank so the Holy Spirit has something to bring to your remembrance in your moments of need.

If possible, he wants to help you access everything Jesus would say about a given

problem,
need,
trial,
or temptation in your life.

19

THE HOLY SPIRIT IN YOU.

It's comforting to know the good Lord is with you (Jos. 1:9; Psm. 23). But the mind-blowing, soul-empowering revelation is
                                         the Holy Spirit is in you!

Why is that so exciting? Think about this!

The same Holy Spirit who impregnated Mary to produce the person of Christ through her, entered into you--impregnated you--when you were "born from above" (Jn. 3:3) to re-produce the character of Christ in you.

The implications of what you've just read are phenomenal. All the space/time limitations of the Incarnation are demolished.

God, (who) was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself " (2 Cor. 5:19a),
is now equally, everywhere, at all times, in all believers for the very same purpose!

"All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled (you) to himself
and gave (you) the ministry of reconciliation" (2 Cor. 5:18).

The Holy Spirit is to you what Jesus would be
if he were here himself,
so you can be to your little world what Jesus would be
if he, himself, were where you are!

When that fact is emotionally received as well as intellectually believed there is rest
(Phil. 4:6-7).
Deep soul rest.

The kind of rest God himself enjoys (Gen. 2:3; Heb. 4:9,10).

As a result of having been born again, you have "peace with God through (your) Lord Jesus Christ" (Rom. 5:1) Now, as a result of having acknowledged and appropriated the gift of the Holy Spirit, you can also enjoy "the peace of God which passes all understanding" (Phil. 4:6-7).

The exhausting struggle--and inevitable failure--to "be like Jesus" in the energy of your flesh is abandoned forever. Gone, too, are the feelings of

chronic weariness,
painful regret and
sub-Christian guilt
which accompany such futility.

Instead, your growing intimacy with the Holy Spirit leads you to pray this powerful prayer:

"Spirit of God, be Jesus to me today!"

THE EARNEST OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.

Believe it or not, there's more. Look at the fourth verse:
      "The Holy Spirit is the earnest (key word) of (your) inheritance" (Eph. 1:14).

What on earth is an earnest? According to Mr. Webster, an earnest is
                    "a token of what is to come."

It is a pledge or an assurance that the best is yet to be.

The best biblical illustration I can think of at the moment is
         the story of the 12 spies whom Moses sent to search out the land.
When they returned, they came bearing great clusters of grapes from the vineyards of Eshcol. Those grapes were an earnest of what awaited the children of Israel in the promised land.

         They were a token,
                 a sample,
                          a foretaste of what awaited them.

In like manner, the Holy Spirit is
                                                "the earnest of (your) inheritance."

He is a foretaste of that glory which awaits you in heaven.
                                      He is the assurance that the best is yet to be.

A father and his little girl stood with sorrowing hearts at the graveside of one who had been both wife and mother. When the funeral service was over and the many kind friends had gone, the grief-stricken father took his little darling to their home.

It had been a trying day for the child and she found it difficult to go to sleep that night. Every once in a while she would doze off for a moment, then wake with a start and cry out:

The father--from his bed beside the little girl's bed--would reach out through the darkness,
                       take her tiny hand in his,
                      give it a squeeze and say:
        "Yes, darling, daddy is here. Now go to sleep."

Finally, through sheer exhaustion, the child drifted off to dreamland. It was then that this heart-broken husband slipped out of bed,
                        dropped to his knees
                              and carried his little girl's
                              whimpering cry up to God:
                       "Oh, Father, it's so dark! You're here, aren't you?"

As he knelt there his troubled heart received these comforting words:

"Lo, I am with you always…" (Mt. 28:20b).
"I am the resurrection and the life; (she) who believes in
me, though (she) be dead, yet shall (she) live" (Jn. 11:25).

You may have loved ones over yonder. Many times you may have asked questions about the future. Often you may have been in harmony with the poet who cried:

"Oh tell me, secret heart
Oh tell me, hope and faith,
Is there no resting-place
From sorrow, sin and death?
Is there no happy spot
Where mortals may be blest,
Where grief may find a bond,
And weariness a rest?
Faith, hope and love--best boons to mortals given--
wave their bright wings and whisper,
Yes, in heaven!"

No matter how wonderful, or glorious, or satisfying your experience of Christ is in this life, the Holy Spirit is a constant reminder that this is just a sampling of the joy which awaits you in the presence of your Lord.

Until that glad and happy morn when you meet your Savior face to face,
             "the Holy Spirit is the earnest--
                   the pledge,
                       the promise,
                           the prospect--
              of your inheritance." Praise the Lord!

Download Connecting with God Document in PDF Format
(Requires Adobe Acrobat Reader. Click here for more information)

Continue to Next Sight Bites

Return to PWI Home