THE PROMISED COMFORTER (2) During His last few hours of life on earth, Jesus gave final instructions to His disciples. Several times Jesus said, I AM GOING AWAY... WHERE I GO... YOU CANNOT COME. These disciples had depended upon Him for 3 1/2 years... He had supplied everything they needed... Jesus promised them HELP WHEN HE IS GONE... John 14:15-21 "If you love me, you will obey what I command. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever

17 the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. Vss "All this I have spoken while still with you. 26 But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. 15:26 When the Counselor comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father, he will testify about me. And you also must testify.

16:7-13 But I tell you the truth: It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. 8 When he comes, he will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteous- ness and judgment: 9 in regard to sin, because men do not believe in me; 10 in regard to righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer; 11 and in regard to judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned. 12 "I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. 13 But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. 1. THE HOLY SPIRIT IS DEITY... HE IS GOD... CHRIST IN US.

2. THE HOLY SPIRIT HAS PERSONALITY. 3. THE HOLY SPIRIT DWELLS IN THE CHILD OF GOD Now… Let’s talk about the WORK OF THE SPIRIT... WHO LIVES IN US. THE HOLY SPIRIT REVEALS THE ACTIVE PRESENCE OF JESUS IN OUR WORLD. Especially in the church! HOW??? 1. HE GIVES SPIRITUAL LIFE. Jesus told Nicodemus... John 3:5-8 "I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. 6 Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit.

7 You should not be surprised at my saying, 'You must be born again.' 8 The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit." Romans 8:11 And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you. 2. THE HOLY SPIRIT PURIFIES US. 1 Corinthians 6:11 But you were WASHED, you were SANCTIFIED, you were JUSTIFIED in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.

Titus 3:5-7 he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the WASHING of REBIRTH and renewal by the Holy Spirit, 6 whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7 so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life. 3. The SPIRIT Assists Our PRAYER Life Romans 8:26-27 In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express.

27 And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will. I don’t know what’s going on in my body... But Scripture says the Holy Spirit does... And He’s praying for me! 4. The Holy Spirit PROMPTS Us To Do The Good That GOD Wants Us To DO Have you ever had a THOUGHT, an inclination, to encourage or comfort someone... Or to share Jesus with someone... Or visit someone in the hospital or nursing home... Or any other activity that’s good and righteous.

Did the Holy Spirit place that thought in our mind? Does He bring good thoughts into our mind? 1 Thess. 5:19 Do not put out the Spirit's fire; Ephesians 4:30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. How do we know if that thought is from God or Satan? How can we know WHO placed these thoughts before us? 1 Thess. 5:19 Do not put out the Spirit's fire; Ephesians 4:30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.

How do we know if that thought is from God or Satan? How can we know WHO placed these thoughts before us? 1 John 4:1 Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. THE BIBLE IS OUR TESTING TOOL. It supplies us with everything we need for every good work... 2 Peter 1:3-4 His divine power has given us every- thing we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.

If we follow any of these THOUGHTS, what will be the result? Will we become more like Jesus?... Or more like Satan? Don’t grieve or quench the Spirit’s invitation to become all that God has called you to be.