2008-09-05 - Counting on the Coach

Originally Published 1999-12-15

John 16:7-13 (NLT) (Jesus speaking) But it is actually best for you that I go away, because if I don't, the Counselor won't come. If I do go away, he will come because I will send him to you. ⁸ And when he comes, he will convince the world of its sin, and of God's righteousness, and of the coming judgment. ⁹ The world's sin is unbelief in me. ¹⁰ Righteousness is available because I go to the Father, and you will see me no more. ¹¹ Judgment will come because the prince of this world has already been judged. ¹² Oh, there is so much more I want to tell you, but you can't bear it now. ¹³ When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not be presenting his own ideas; he will be telling you what he has heard. He will tell you about the future.

In the game of tennis, when one of the players is in position to score the winning point, it is said to be his advantage. It's sort of like that with what Jesus said about the Holy Spirit. If we get the point that Jesus would be sending the Holy Spirit, we will understand the advantage that is ours. As difficult as it must have been to see Jesus ascend back to the Father, the disciples must have found great encouragement in knowing that the Holy Spirit was on His way.

What advantage does the Holy Spirit bring to us?

Convicts us of sin: The Holy Spirit whispers to our conscience when we have transgressed or violated the will of God. Often after people first receive Christ, they come under heavy conviction for various sins. They should not be discouraged. The Holy Spirit is merely doing His part in the process of transforming the new believer.

Convinces us to do right: Not only does the Spirit of God convict us of sin; He also prompts us to do right. Often we can sense the Spirit encouraging us to be obedient to the Word of God.

Leads us toward the truth: The Spirit of God reveals truth about Jesus Christ. Every person who has surrendered his or her life to Christ has received the gift of the Holy Spirit. According to John 14:16-17, the Spirit is our Helper. The word Helper has rich meaning. It means Comforter, and because of His presence in our lives, we can have the peace that surpasses our human understanding. Helper also means Counselor. The Spirit of God is our wise advisor. James writes that if we lack wisdom, we should ask God.

The word Helper was also an athletic term in Jesus' day. It was a term used to define the coach. The coach trains, encourages, corrects and enables us to play the game to win. He keeps us focused and provides the game plan for us to cross the finish line someday with satisfaction. We must listen to the Coach, and we must obey if we are to win the prize!

David

david@e-devotionals.org

http://www.cfdevotionals.org
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