Manifested Love Pt 16: He will remind
John 14:25-27 25“All this I have spoken while still with you. 26But the Advocate, 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. 27Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.
Teach and Remind
We have been talking about the Holy Spirit for a little while now and have even listed a few of his names. ‘Comforter’, ‘teacher’, ‘advocate’, ‘counsellor’, ‘helper’ and ‘guide’; all indicate the Holy Spirit’s purpose. He is sent by the Father and Son for the express purpose of helping us navigate the cracks and crevasses of the world. Remember, the disciples have been with Jesus almost continuously for over three years. We can assume there has been much tumult going on around them, but mostly they have been sheltered. After Jesus’ death and resurrection that shelter is no longer in place; they are exposed to the world and all its machinations. That’s where we find ourselves these days. So much impacts our minds these days; I suppose that all of us have forgotten far more than we know. Even with the bountiful impact of the Word there is so much more to God’s love and compassion. I, for one, often encounter depth of meaning which I hadn’t seen before. This is one of the reasons the Holy Spirit is given to us.
Why do we need the Holy Spirit? The simple answer is we fleshly creatures don’t have the level of understanding necessary to navigate this world. Every day we are faced with countless decisions each of which can send our lives in a different direction. This multitude of choices comes in spite of the fact we have God’s instructions on practically everything. Before I came to know Jesus, I would hear people using the Bible to defend this choice or that moral stance and it all seemed oh so hypocritical because their walk didn’t line up with their talk. Later I realized my ability to understand was limited; I needed God to help me understand. So both Father and Son send the Spirit to sort of ‘grease the wheels’ in our quest for righteous and holy living.
My Peace I give you
Peace is a rather nebulous word, full of all sorts of meaning. In the 1st Century the Roman Empire had been in existence for some 600 years (but only since 31BC officially) and historians like to refer to this period as the Pax Romana (Roman Peace). But it was a peace won through war and really only applied to the Roman elite. The other cultures conquered and subdued by Rome could hardly consider the period peaceful. Peace in this case was really conformity required by the powerful and imposed on the weaker to make the powerful more comfortable. And a common greeting of the day was “Peace be with you.” The modern equivalent is probably “Have a nice day.” Neither expression means much.
But the peace given by Jesus is an entirely different matter. His was a peace deep in the soul which transcended the day-to-day trials and tribulations of life in difficult times. Human beings need stability and structure in their lives and peace as a generalized concept is absolutely necessary. But more than that, peace is necessary for the soul. This peace, the kind Jesus gives, is the peace of God; the surety that things will be OK. But the peace of God is not possible without peace with God. When Jesus says my peace I give you it’s a big deal. In the midst of difficult times Jesus is assuring the disciples things will be OK. And assuring us. The disciples would soon receive the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. We who have accepted Jesus as our Savior have the Holy Spirit now; through him comes the peace of God because we now have peace with God.
Peace is defined as the quietness of spirit that transcends outside circumstances, but that sort of thing is very difficult with people. We get caught up in our emotions and pride, so we need help. But God is with us all the time and every time to help with our struggles.
23May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 24The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it. (1Thessalonians 5:23)
What about me?
None of us is free of struggle; that’s just the way things are. But in the face of struggle we all can make a choice. The Apostle Paul considered himself a general in Christ’s army winning battles for the Kingdom against the world and all Satan’s powers and principalities. He faced immense opposition, yet consistently and continuously sought solace with Christ. He didn’t have super strength. He just had super love for Jesus. It was his faith and love for Jesus that sustained him.
It can be the same for us. Recently, I slipped on some ice and severely broke my ankle. All of a sudden my life changed. The pain was severe and remains difficult but that wasn’t the main problem. Everything stopped: couldn’t work, couldn’t walk (initially), couldn’t get groceries, and many other ‘couldn’ts’. The first tendency was to moan and complain and enter into the woulda-shouldas-couldas. But I refused to descend into that negativity; I choose instead to turn the time into time with Jesus.
When you struggle, you can do the same thing. Choose Jesus over choosing the world. But choosing Jesus comes at a cost. I assume, since you are reading this, that you have already accepted him as your Savior. But maybe you’re unsure about where to go from here. Many believers almost bend themselves in two in trying to find alignment between themselves and the world. That never works. The world today does not love Jesus; there is a sharp distinction between Godly values and the world’s values. My friend, hold fast to Jesus, refuse to accept second-best, and don’t compromise God’s values in your life. You will in fact find that peace which passes all understanding.