If you are just reading the Bible, you might miss it, but if you are studying the Bible, you most likely noticed it.
“I still have many things to tell you, but you can’t handle them now.
But when the Friend comes, the Spirit of the Truth, he will take you by the hand and guide you into all the truth there is. He won’t draw attention to himself, but will make sense out of what is about to happen and, indeed, out of all that I have done and said.
He will honor me; he will take from me and deliver it to you.
Everything the Father has is also mine. That is why I’ve said, ‘He takes from me and delivers to you.’ John 16: 12-15 The Message
1—Jesus still has something to say
2—God the Holy Spirit must be present
I still have many things to tell you
Following his resurrection, Jesus spent 40 days with his followers, telling them many things he could not tell them before. Can you imagine the excitement that poured out from him as he told them about kingdom plans?
Do you think after 40 days of such intense time with his followers, he had exhausted every word he would ever say and just left, being caught up in heaven?
Or do you think Jesus still has something to tell his followers?
I believe that God the Son still has something to tell his followers. The context of this portion of the Apostle John’s writing is talking about two things:
God the Holy Spirit must be present
The third person of the triune Godhead plays an essential role in the lives of Christ-followers today. This is why the adversary’s tool of religion has confused the issue of God the Holy Spirit, with a feeling or a language.
It is human nature not to embrace something you are confused about.
Earlier in this discourse, Jesus tells his followers:
“He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth. The world cannot receive him, because it isn’t looking for him and doesn’t recognize him. But you know him, because he lives with you now and later will be in you.”
John 14:17 New Living Translation
God the Holy Spirit, leads you in ALL truth.
“But when the Father sends the Advocate as my representative—that is, the Holy Spirit—he will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you.”
John 14:26 New Living Translation
God the Holy Spirit will give you EVERYTHING and remind you of EVERYTHING Jesus told you.
A close personal relationship is about spending time with God the Holy Spirit, the active agent of the Godhead on the earth.
In my relationship with him, I have been able to distinguish times that I am in the presence of God the Father and God the Son, as well as God the Holy Spirit. These have been special times and not a daily occurrence.
The focus of a close personal relationship is not about identifying whose presence you are in; it is about being close to God the Holy Spirit (as the active agent of the Godhead).
Such a relationship is vital in your walk with God, or it becomes a walk with religion, full of rules, regulations, and restrictions.
God the Father has given us the word.
God the Son has given us the way.
God the Holy Spirit is giving us the way of the word.
A close personal relationship with the Godhead is a journey. I invite you to follow along. I will pass it along as I learn so you, too, can learn. I hope that as you learn, you can pass it along so that I (and others) might learn.