The advocate

This week's verses are John 15:26-27:

When the Advocate comes, whom I will send you from the Father—the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father—he will testify about me, and you also will testify, because you have been with me from the beginning.

 

Jesus is talking here about the Holy Spirit who came to us after his death on the cross. The Holy Spirit strengthens our faith and reveals the truth to us. We don't need to just rely on our experiences and our conscience. We have the spirit of God who we can invite to dwell in us. This spirit reinforces what is true that we can't necessarily see on our own. Have you ever "known" something when praying and not know how you knew it?

The word for Advocate can also mean Counselor. A counselor gives counsel, or advice. He reveals the evil in our hearts and helps to displace it with godliness. When the apostle Paul talks about the fruit of the Spirit, he talks about character traits that are very difficult to naturally develop. Having such profound change in your life is an indication that someone has probably been receiving counsel from the Holy Spirit.

What might this kind of counselor be able to change in your life? In what areas do you feel like God might want to advocate some truth about him and the reality we live in? Take some time this week to meditate on these verses and ask the Holy Spirit to testify in your life.

When God advocates himself in our lives and reveals himself in our experiences, we can't help but advocate him to others. This is the most personal sort of evangelism and something I think we should all want. If all we have for sharing our experience with God are intellectual arguments and Bible verses, it's not much of a testimony.

Jesus doesn't say in this week's verses that his disciples will testify because they learned a really convincing argument in Sunday School about human morality or because they read a really good book on apologetics. He says they'll testify because they've been with him from the beginning. How are we going to make disciples of others if we've not been made disciples ourselves?

The Holy Spirit is our direct contact with God. It is his gentle persistent voice nudging us in the right direction. It equips us with the power to change and transforms us into his advocates on earth. Make contact in prayer this week and see what you are able to testify about as a result.