It’s an Inside Job (3)

“I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever.”  Jn 14:16

There are many benefits to receiving the Holy Spirit. In the New Testament Jesus told His disciples, “I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever.” The Greek source for the word “Comforter” is Paracletos, which means one who comes alongside you to strengthen, encourage, and advise you. Think about it. When you feel discouraged, confused, and powerless you have access to a wise, compassionate, competent helper who will show up to support you and supply you with what you need. So instead of struggling to do it alone, learn to lean on Him, trust His power, and ask Him to do His mighty work in you. Here’s another Holy Spirit blessing. Paul tells us, “The Holy Spirit…will tell you where to go and what to do…then you won’t always be doing the…things your evil nature wants you to” (Gal 5:16 TLB). The battle of the Spirit versus the flesh is constant. And however well-intended, our fleshly nature can never be subdued by human thinking; that just produces defeat and discouragement. And another advantage of the indwelling Spirit is that you qualifyfor a Spirit-directed lifestyle. The Bible says, “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God…are the sons of God” (Ro 8:14). Praying and taking your best guess isn’t God’s way. The Holy Spirit’s guidance—not your guesswork—should direct your lifestyle.

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