The following article is taken from “Theology – Think for yourself what you believe” by Mark Tabb, pages 161-162 where Mark wonderfully explains about the Person of Holy Spirit as “Helper.” Minor changes to format have been made and scriptural content added for convenience of the reader.

 

Jesus called the Holy Spirit the “Counsellor” who will never leave us:

“But I tell you the truth, it is expedient for you that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Comforter will not come to you. But if I depart, I will send Him to you” (John 16:7).

This is one passage where something truly has been lost in translation. Jesus uses the word παράκλητος [paraklētos or Paraclete], which means counsellor, but also so much more. The Amplified Bible uses seven words to translate the single Greek term:

“However, I am telling you nothing but the truth when I say it is profitable (good, expedient, advantageous) for you that I go away. Because if I do not go away, the Comforter (Counsellor, Helper, Advocate, Intercessor, Strengthener, Standby) will not come to you [into close fellowship with you]; but if I go away, I will send Him to you [to be in close fellowship with you].” (Emphases added)

So which is the best translation? All of the above! Together they describe who the Holy Spirit is.

As Counsellor, He leads us into God’s truth and gives us wisdom when we need it most.

John 16:13 “However, when He, the Spirit of Truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth. For He shall not speak of Himself, but whatever He hears, He shall speak. And He will announce to you things to come.”
James 1:5 “But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and with no reproach, and it shall be given to him.”

He does this even before we come to Christ. Jesus said the Spirit would “convict the world concerning sin, and concerning righteousness, and concerning judgement” (John 16:8).

As Comforter, He reassures us that nothing can separate us from God’s love:

Romans 8:15-17 “For you have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption by which we cry, Abba, Father!
The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are the children of God. And if we are children, then we are heirs; heirs of God and joint-heirs with Christ; so that if we suffer with Him, we may also be glorified together.”
Romans 8:35-39 “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
As it is written, “For Your sake we are killed all the day long. We are counted as sheep of slaughter.” But in all these things we more than conquer through Him who loved us.
For I am persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

He shelters us from our fears and lets us feel God’s mercy in a tangible way. We don’t have to worry that He won’t be there when we need Him. Our God is a God of comfort who comforts us in all our troubles:

Second Corinthians 1:3-7 “Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort, He comforting us in all our trouble, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in every trouble, through the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.
For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also abounds by Christ. And if we are troubled, it is for your consolation and salvation, being worked out in the endurance of the same sufferings which we also suffer; if we are comforted, it is for your consolation and salvation. And our hope of you is certain, knowing that as you are partakers of the sufferings, so also of the consolation.”

As Helper, He fills us with God’s power to do things for the Father that go beyond our abilities. We see the Spirit doing this in the Book of Acts when Peter, who looked like such a coward at the end of the Gospels, suddenly emerged as a fire-brand who wouldn’t keep quiet about Jesus.

As Advocate, the Spirit pleads our case, like a lawyer pleading his case before a judge. That’s what the Spirit does on our behalf before the Father.

As Intercessor, the Spirit prays for us. As Paul wrote in Romans 8:26-78

” Likewise the Spirit also helps our infirmities. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. And He searching the hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God.”

When we cannot pray, the Holy Spirit takes over.

As Strengthener, He builds us up, allowing us to stand when we would rather run away. The Holy Spirit strengthened Stephen in this was in Acts 7. An angry mob rushed at him, stones in their hands, but Stephen didn’t cower in fear. Filled with the Spirit, he looked up toward heaven to see Jesus standing by His throne. We may never face anything so perilous, but that doesn’t matter. The Spirit gives us strength to take bold stands for God, no matter how timid we may be otherwise.

“And hearing these things, they were cut to their hearts. And they gnashed on him with their teeth. But being full of the Holy Spirit, looking up intently into Heaven, he saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. And he said, Behold, I see Heaven opened and the Son of Man standing on the right hand of God. And crying out with a loud voice, they stopped their ears and ran on him with one accord. And throwing him outside the city, they stoned him. And the witnesses laid their clothes down at the feet of a young man named Saul. And they stoned Stephen, who was calling on God and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. And kneeling down, he cried with a loud voice, Lord, do not lay this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep” (Acts 7:54-60).

And as Standby, the Spirit is always at our side. We could say that side is the inside, because there is where He dwells. He makes good on God’s promise, “‘Not at all will I leave you, not at all will I forsake you, never!’ so that we may boldly say, ‘The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do to me'” (Hebrews 13:5-6).

Amen and Amen and Amen!

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Theology: Think for yourself about what you believe (TH1NK Reference Collection) by Mark Tabb

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