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John 16:7-8,13
7But 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. 8When he comes, he will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment:
13But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come.
We sometimes fantasize about what it would have been like to walk with Jesus. Surely, we would have better questions and been better disciples than the likes of Peter and Thomas. To have seen the miracles right before our eyes would surely have made us such believers that we would have clung to every word. Don't bet on it! One thing we can learn from Scripture is that we are all of like nature. Whether the Children of Israel in the wilderness, or the fearful disciples of Jesus, or the timid followers of Christ today, we are people in frames of dust (Psalm 103:14).
In this passage Jesus is saying that you are actually better off today than to have lived in the physical presence of Jesus! Remember that the Holy Spirit was not in them. If you were there, He would not have been in you. You would not have had the conviction of sin that you have in this day. You would not have understood His instruction like you do today. It is more than likely that you and I would have acted just as His disciples acted, or maybe worse.
What is better than the incarnation of God as a living, breathing example right before our eyes? It is His indwelling presence to teach and counsel us through our daily situations. Just as with Jesus, the Spirit speaks only the Father's words to your heart. He speaks the wonderful encouraging words of the Second Coming and eternal rewards. He assures us of the final conquest by the Kingdom of God and His glorious reign over the earth. What a friend! What an encourager! Now are you sure you would rather have lived in the days when Jesus walked the earth?
Admonition: Live in communion with the Holy Spirit today!
