He Lives in You

And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— 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. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you

John 14:16-18

During Jesus’ earthly ministry, He had guided, guarded and taught His disciples. He knew that He was going to leave them but He did not abandon them as orphans. The Spirit of God would come to them and dwell in them, taking the place of their Lord and Master.

That word “advocate” is translated in the Greek as: paráklētos. It means “called alongside to assist.” The Holy Spirit does not work instead of us, or in spite of us, but in us and through us.

Because of Jesus, believers are not alone. The Holy Spirit abides in the believer. He is a gift from the Father in answer to the prayer of the Son. This means that after Jesus's physical departure, his followers would still have a constant, divine presence in their lives. This presence is a source of guidance, comfort, and strength. The passage emphasizes that the world cannot receive the Spirit because it neither sees nor knows him, highlighting a unique, intimate relationship between the Spirit and those who believe. 

Through the Holy Spirit, believers are brought into a deeper relationship with the Father and the Son. The Holy Spirit inspired the Word of God and also illuminates the Word so that we can understand it. The Spirit of Truth uses the Word of Truth to guide us into the will and the work of God. Apart from the help of the Holy Spirit, we cannot live the Christian life that God would have us live.