Humble Hero

How the Holy Spirit Makes Christ’s Work for Us Effective

Before offering Himself as the sacrificial victim, Christ thought of the most essential gift to bestow on His followers. “I will pray the Father,” He said, “and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever—the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.” While Christ was on earth, the disciples had desired no other helper. Only when they were deprived of His presence would they feel their need of the Spirit, and then He would come. HH 311.3

The Holy Spirit is Christ’s representative, but without the personality of humanity, and independent of it. Restricted by His humanity, Christ could not be in every place personally. It was in their best interest that He should go and send the Spirit to be His successor on earth. No one then could have any advantage because of his location. By the Spirit the Savior would be within reach of all. HH 311.4

Jesus read the future of His disciples. He saw one brought to the execution scaffold, one to the cross, one to exile among the lonely rocks of the sea, others to persecution and death. But in every ordeal, He would be with them. When for the truth’s sake, believers stand at the judgment bar of unrighteous courts, Christ stands by their side. The reproaches that fall on them fall on Christ. When one is locked away behind prison walls, Christ fills the heart with His love. HH 311.5

At all times and in all places, when we feel helpless and alone, Jesus will send the Comforter in answer to the prayer of faith. Circumstances may separate us from every earthly friend, but no circumstance can separate us from the heavenly Comforter. He is always at our side to sustain and cheer. HH 311.6

The disciples still failed to understand Christ’s words, so again He explained by the Spirit He would reveal Himself to them. “The Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things.” No more will you say, I cannot comprehend. HH 312.1

Through the disciples Christ was to speak to all the people on the face of the earth. But in the death of Christ the disciples would suffer great disappointment. So that after this experience their word would be accurate, Jesus promised that the Comforter would “bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.” “When He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you.” HH 312.2

Jesus’ disciples had been taught to accept the teaching of the rabbis as the voice of God, and it still held a power over their minds. Earthly ideas still had a large place in their thoughts. They did not understand the spiritual nature of Christ’s kingdom. Many of His lessons seemed almost lost on them. Jesus promised that the Holy Spirit would bring these sayings back to their minds. HH 312.3

The Comforter is called “the Spirit of truth.” His work is to define and uphold truth. He first lives in the heart as the Spirit of truth, and in this way He becomes the Comforter. There is comfort in truth but no real comfort in falsehood. Through false traditions Satan gains his power over the mind. False standards misshape the character. The Holy Spirit exposes such error and expels it from the heart. By the Spirit of truth, working through the Word of God, Christ subdues His chosen people to Himself. HH 312.4