The Holy Spirit

By Pastor Wayne Jenkins

And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you. (John 14:16-17)

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 have said to you.  Peace, I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. (John 14:26-27)

When I was about to graduate from seminary and begin ministry as a fledgling, clueless neophyte, an ordination service was planned. Prior to that service, an ordination council met to validate or “grill” the candidate. This was at the First Baptist Church of Quitman, Georgia, deep in South Georgia, near the Florida-Georgia state line.

Looking back on the occasion, I think of it as a barbecue to which every ordained person in the county was invited and that I was the pig. The ordination council is somewhat like an inquisition where the candidate is asked questions about faith, doctrine, and church polity. The only question I remember from that experience is this one: “Young man, what do you believe about the Holy Spirit?”

Well, my naïve and ill-advised answer immediately sparked reaction. The pastor who asked that question rose to his feet, leaned in my direction, and loudly proclaimed: “Young man, the Holy Spirit is not an ‘it’. He is the third person of the Trinity. The Holy Spirit is a PERSON, not an it.

Obviously, this is a lesson I never forgot. No seminary course or chapter in a theology book made the impact that this encounter provided. I hardly ever think about, read about, or speak about the Holy Spirit without this incident supplying the color commentary.  

Established now, that the Holy Spirit is the third person of the Trinity, let’s admit that He is also the most misunderstood and often the most neglected person of the Trinity. I love the job description that Jesus gave the Holy Spirit as part of His exit strategy: he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you (John 12:26). And a primary benefit of the Holy Spirit’s work is that our hearts would not be troubled or afraid.

John 14:16-17—And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper (Advocate) to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.

Parakletos is the Greek word used in this passage. The word Parakletos is a combination of para ('beside/alongside') and kalein ('to call') In English it is translated paraclete and takes on the meaning of comforter, counselor, consoler, or companion.

Advocate is a role that is very significant to me. The Holy Spirit is our Advocate. The Advocate pleads for us, supports, promotes, defends us. At times in my life, I felt like I lacked an advocate. So, one of the most meaningful roles of the Holy Spirit for me is that of Advocate.

Let’s embrace all of the Trinity: The Father (creator), The Son (savior), and The Holy Spirit (advocate). These are the three manifestations of the One true God. He relates to us and to His church in all of these ways because we need all of these fulfillments of His grace, power, and presence. But just in case we’re tempted to shy away from any of God, let’s recognize our need for Him. All of Him. And let’s confess our responsibility to obey, declare, worship, and serve Him. All of Him.