CHRIST’S SENDING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
JOHN 16:12–16
I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth
(John 16:12–13).
Just as Moses called the people together on the plains of Moab to pass his mantle to Joshua, so Jesus calls His disciples to the Upper Room and explains to them that the Spirit will come to take His place. This notion of “dynastic succession” is all-important in understanding the events of the Day of Pentecost. Jesus, enthroned on high after His ascension, was sending the Spirit to continue His work.
Another Comforter
Why does the King James Version call the Holy Spirit the Comforter? Is it because He comes to comfort us when we are distressed? No, that is not the reason. In the English of that time, “comfort” was understood to come from two Latin words, cum and fortis, which meant “with strength.” The Spirit is called the Comforter because He comes to strengthen us in all that we do.
In John 14:16, Jesus had said, “I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever—the Spirit of truth.” If the Spirit is “another Counselor,” who is the first? Jesus Himself. The actual Greek term translated counselor is parakletos, and refers to an attorney called alongside to help.
Jesus Is With Us Always
Here we see that Jesus was saying, “I hold the title Paraclete. I am your Defense Attorney. I am the One who stands beside you. But I am leaving, and because I am leaving I’m going to send you another Paraclete. And I will be with you always, even to the end of the age. How am I going to be with you? By the presence of this One whom I will send to you.” It is the Spirit who makes Christ present to us, and us to Him.
CORAM DEO
How do you account for the seeming weakness within the church and in many individual believers? Is God selective in granting His power for righteous living; is the Spirit impotent to perform His ministry; or are believers negligent in appropriating the power made available to each of us? Read the opening chapters of Acts to see how the Spirit was unleashed upon the church with power.
For further study: Galatians 5; 1 Corinthians 2
TABLETALK
from ligonier ministries and teaching and encouraging believers • june 1989
PRAYER
Daily Studies From The Teaching Fellowship Of R. C. Sproul
publisher Ligonier Ministries executive editor Ralph D. Veerman editor Robert F. Ingram
marketing/production W. David Fox; David K. Freeland; Gretchen Suskovic; Melissa Prichard
circulation Gwen Weber writer Sharon Anderson
LIGONIER MINISTRIES BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Mr. Bruce Fogerty
President, Worthwhile Productions
Mr. G. Richard Hostetter
Attorney/Partner, Miller & Martin
Mr. Robert C. Legler
President, First Marketing Corporation of Florida
Mr. Stephen H. Levee, Jr.
President, Colony Inc. and Covington Point
Dr. Archie B. Parrish
President, Serve International
Mr. Jim Seneff
President, The CNL Group, Inc.
Dr. R. C. Sproul
Chairman, Ligonier Ministries, Inc.
Mr. John Thompson
Pilot, Delta Airlines
Mr. Ralph D. Veerman
President, Ligonier Ministries, Inc.
Dr. Luder Whitlock
President, Reformed Theological Seminary
Dr. Charles Colson
Director Emeritus
Published by Walk Thru the Bible Ministries, Inc. under license granted by Ligonier Ministries, Inc. © 1989, Ligonier Ministries, Inc. This Bible study is based upon teaching material by Dr. R. C. Sproul. Unless noted, all Scripture quotations in this publication are from the Holy Bible, New International Version, © 1973, 1978, 1984 International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Bible Publishers.
On The Cover: “Christ in Gethsemane,” by Henrick Olric (Four By Five, Inc., N.Y.)
coram deo • robert ingram
Prayer at Sea
Several years ago while teaching an adult Sunday school class on prayer, I quoted John Trapp: “He that cannot pray, let him go to sea, and there he will learn.” Shortly thereafter a man in the class bought a boat and began to spend entire weekends fishing. He kiddingly blamed my counsel for his actions.
The easiest way to make an evangelical Christian feel guilty is to ask him about his prayer habits. “How often do you pray?” “What do you pray about?” “And for how long?” Chances are you’ll get some embarrassed responses. Most of us have an abysmal lack of training and experience in prayer.
The reasons for this are manifold. I would like to suggest one cause for weakness in prayer that I have recently discovered. Most of the things I had been doing, I thought I could achieve in my own strength. I was not pursuing things that were destined to fail unless God intervened; I was not asking for things which only He could supply. I was not putting myself into stretching situations that necessitated trust in God. For the most part I had become comfortable in an environment where I was clearly in control. I had become less dependent upon God, and my prayer life showed it.
While I have not been out to sea since this realization, I did go fishing one day several years ago with my friend in his boat. When a storm came up 14 miles out to sea, I realized how profoundly true Trapp’s quote was. I discovered that the sea is a vast, wild environment that can be an excellent seedbed for prayer and trust in God. Maybe we all need to extend ourselves into environments and pursuits for the kingdom that are overwhelming in scope and dimension. Then, like going to sea, maybe we will all learn more about real prayer.
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