2 Samuel 8:1-18; John 14:15-26; Psalms 119:33-40; Proverbs 25:18-19
NT: ““If you love me, you will keep my commands. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever. He is the Spirit of truth. The world is unable to receive him because it doesn’t see him or know him. But you do know him, because he remains with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I am coming to you. In a little while the world will no longer see me, but you will see me. Because I live, you will live too. On that day you will know that I am in my Father, you are in me, and I am in you. The one who has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. And the one who loves me will be loved by my Father. I also will love him and will reveal myself to him.” …Jesus answered, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. The one who doesn’t love me will not keep my words. The word that you hear is not mine but is from the Father who sent me. I have spoken these things to you while I remain with you. But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and remind you of everything I have told you.”” (John 14:15-21, 23-26 CSB)
It is important to note that everything Jesus promised in this passage is predicated on one’s unconditional love for Christ that is evidenced by an obedience to His words. Jesus repeated this truth multiple times to make sure His disciples (and His followers through the ages) understood this: “If you love Me, you will obey Me… The one who obeys Me and keeps My words is the one who loves Me… The one who doesn’t love Me will not obey Me nor keep My words.” To those who love Him, Jesus promised to send The Counselor, the Holy Spirit. The word translated Counselor here is the Greek word ‘parakletos.’ A parakletos is someone who comes along side you to be your advocate, your comforter and consoler, your intercessor, and your legal counsel. The Holy Spirit isn’t sent to us to help us do whatever we want to do. The Holy Spirit is sent to us to counsel us, encourage us, and empower us in the ways of the Lord… the ways that we desire to obey because we love Him. To those who love Him, Jesus said, “I won’t leave you orphans.” How does He do that? Through the Holy Spirit. Jesus said to those who love Him, “I will reveal Myself to you.” How does He do that? Through the Holy Spirit. Jesus said to those who love Him, “My Father and I will make our home with you.” How does He do that? Through the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the gift that keeps on giving, if we allow Him. As our counselor, He continues to teach us the ways of the Lord and continually reminds us of the Lord’s words – that we may continually grow in the love and obedience for the Lord that secures the Holy Spirit in our lives.
Psalms: “Teach me, Lord, the meaning of your statutes, and I will always keep them. Help me understand your instruction, and I will obey it and follow it with all my heart. Help me stay on the path of your commands, for I take pleasure in it. Turn my heart to your decrees and not to dishonest profit. Turn my eyes from looking at what is worthless; give me life in your ways. Confirm what you said to your servant, for it produces reverence for you. Turn away the disgrace I dread; indeed, your judgments are good. How I long for your precepts! Give me life through your righteousness.” (Psalms 119:33-40 CSB)
The way the psalmist expresses his desire to obey the Lord and walk in His ways is beautiful and inspiring. But the psalmist knew that the only way he could continually walk in God’s ways and continually obey God’s word was if God helped him. Paul described in Romans 7 the predicament that all people who love the Lord find themselves in. He talked about the sin that was in him that caused him to not do the righteousness he desired to do, but instead caused him to do the unrighteousness he didn’t want to do. The answer to this age-old predicament is described by Paul in Romans 8: living according to the Spirit through faith in Jesus Christ. The psalmist prayed, “Teach me, Lord.” The Lord does that through the Holy Spirit. The psalmist prayed, “Help me to understand, Lord.” The Lord does that through the Holy Spirit. The psalmist prayed, “Help me stay on Your path… help me to look away from worthless things and look to You instead.” The Lord does that through the Holy Spirit. If we will place our faith in Christ and love Him unconditionally, He will give us the Holy Spirit Who will confirm in us the words of our Lord and give us life as He empowers us to walk in His righteousness.
Jamie Hicks 