November 3

The Indwelling Spirit

And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Advocate to be with you forever— — John 14:16 BSB

The gift of the Holy Spirit is a result of our Lord’s intercession. Peter explains this when he says, “Having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:33). In 1 John 2:1, the word “Comforter” is also translated as “Advocate”—one who strengthens us by His presence as Helper, Guide, and Teacher. Imagine what it means to always have a divine Person beside us—not just an influence, but the Holy Spirit Himself—who strengthens us in weakness, brings peace in trouble, offers wisdom in confusion, helps us conquer temptation, and comforts us in sorrow. The Lord intended for the Holy Spirit to be to us everything that He was when He walked among us. That’s the meaning of “Another.” There are two Advocates or Comforters. When Jesus ascended to glory, the Spirit came to dwell in the hearts of believers. “He will live with you and will be in you.”

Jesus said, “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.” Though He spoke of sending another Comforter, He also said, “I am coming to you,” showing us that He and the Holy Spirit are one. When the Spirit comes, it is as if Jesus Himself comes. We shouldn't look for the Spirit apart from Jesus. Just as the sun comes with light, so Jesus comes through the Spirit. When we are filled with the Spirit, we will be more aware of Jesus, for the Spirit’s role is to testify about Him. If we are focused on Christ, we can know that we have received the Spirit, the ultimate gift.

Open your entire being to the Holy Spirit. Unlock every door and open every window, so that He can fill you with the glorious presence of the Father and the Son. Jesus said, “I will prepare a place for you,” and “We will make our home with the one who loves us.”

The Holy Spirit will teach you all things. His lesson book is the life and words of our Lord. Even if we think we understand everything Jesus has said, the Holy Spirit continually brings us back to His words, revealing new insights and deeper truths. Never let a day go by without reading some of Jesus’ words, guided by the Holy Spirit.

Prayer

You have not left us as orphans, O God. Renew our lives through the gracious work of Your Holy Spirit, dwelling within us and leading us from grace to grace. Amen.