Perhaps you imagined that, after yesterday’s Advent thought, our “Legacy of Faith” was complete. After all, what could possibly top all that Jesus has done for us? There is another member of the Trinity that has an equally major impact on our lives. Read on.
As a new believer still in my teens, I didn’t know much about the ministry of the Holy Spirit. Yes, he was named in the Apostle’s Creed that we recited in our Episcopal church, but all the Old Testament stories we heard about in Sunday School centered on the Father and those in the New Testament on the Son. The Holy Spirit was the silent member of the Trinity.
I credit Bill Bright, founder of Campus Crusade for Christ, for opening my eyes to the work of the Holy Spirit. He explained the concept of spiritual breathing, exhaling through confession and inhaling the power of the Holy Spirit. Far from being inactive, the Spirit worked in me to show me what I did that offended God, helped me understand salvation, and then guided me into truth. I began listening to his voice.
Listening, paired with obedience, resulted in my going to Mexico to work with Wycliffe Bible Translators. During a five-month jungle training program, I discovered how the Holy Spirit also protects God’s children. I figured he stepped in to save my life almost every week, rescuing me from an exploding Coleman lantern, a runaway horse, river rapids, a fire in our thatch hut, poisonous spiders and venomous snakes.
When I memorized the Gospel of John, the final chapters of the book offered a fuller picture of this member of the Trinity. Jesus called him the Advocate. In John 14:25-26, he said, “I am telling you these things now while I am still with you. But when the Father sends the Advocate as my representative—that is, the Holy Spirit—he will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you.” The Holy Spirit is my private tutor!
I also call him the Ally. He’s got my back. As you face the uncertainties of 2024, take the time to ask the Father to fill you with his powerful Spirit.
