Wednesday in the Twenty-Eighth Week of Ordinary Time

John 14:25-26

The Work of the Holy Spirit as It Relates to the Father and the Son

Yesterday, we covered that part of the passage where Jesus tells us that our love for him is proven by our obedience to his commandments.  And Jesus has already spoken both of the Father and Holy Spirit.  Here at the end of this passage, our Lord ties the three of them together in that perfect harmony that we shall one day behold in glory.  Today, we begin with some wonderful truths about the Spirit’s relation to the Father and the Son and what that means for us.

Jesus has said about as much as he can say in such a short time before his passion.  Did he miss anything?  Do not fear, for he tells us, “The Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.”  This is a huge statement about how the persons within the Triune God work together.  The first thing we are told is that the Father will send the Holy Spirit in Jesus’ name.  The second thing we are told is that he will teach the disciples all things by bringing to remembrance what Jesus said to them.  John 16:13 is even more explicit: “When the Spirit of Truth comes, he will guide you into all truth, for he will not speak of his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come.”  This is all to say that the Holy Spirit speaks as Jesus spoke, who spoke as the Father spoke.  Or, to put this more bluntly, the Spirit says nothing in contradiction to the word of God which we now have in the Holy Scriptures.  No, this does not mean that the Scriptures are above the Holy Spirit; it means that the Scriptures are the words of the one Triune God who spoke them, and continues to speak through them.  Such an understanding of the Spirit’s role and ministry within the Trinity helps us to quickly nip heresy in the bud: That which is not in agreement with the Holy Scriptures is not spoken by the Spirit, no matter what someone else claims he heard from the Spirit.  As the Apostle Paul said, “But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed” (Galatians 1:8-9).  And when Paul says, “the one we preached to you,” he means the one he received “through a revelation of Jesus Christ” (1:12).

We worship a God who has revealed Himself in such a way that no man ever thought of.  The Father sends the Son who speaks the Father’s word, which is then applied to our hearts through the present ministry of the Holy Spirit.  Our Triune God is beautiful beyond all that our minds could ever imagine.  Best of all, God still speaks–the Holy Spirit breathing through the Scriptures.

Author: The Reformed Baptist

My name is Stephen Taylor, ordained Baptist minister of eighteen years pastoral experience with a Ph.D. in Historical Theology from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas. Better than that, I am married to a godly woman, Karla, who has been very patient with me since 1989. I have two daughters, both of whom I homeschooled for extended periods of time, who became godly young women, and who ran off and married godly young men, all of which is very proper. The oldest daughter has even seen fit to bless me with a grandson and a granddaughter, and my youngest daughter with a grandson, all three of whom are bundles of exceeding joy. As you can see, I am quite blessed. This website is dedicated to helping people grow in the wisdom and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ through the gift of writing that the Lord has given to me. It is specifically about helping His people grow in godliness, the theme you see repeated above. I write devotions with this aim and hope that they might be of some help to God’s people. Full disclosure: I am of a Reformed bent, meaning that my understanding of Scripture is primarily informed by the Reformers and their successors of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. However, as a student of church history and theology, I strive to remain true to that teaching handed down once for all unto the saints through every age of the Church. I like to think of myself as a “catholic” Christian, as the Reformers thought of themselves. At any rate, feel free to read, pray, and contact me if you wish, or correct me if need be. As you can see, I tend to follow the church year. Of course, I make no special claims about these devotions. I know very well that others have written better and plumbed the depths of God’s word with greater insight. But if my musings help someone draw closer to the Lord, well then, I have my reward. Blessings to you and may the God and Father of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ speak to you that word which He knows you especially need to hear. Grace & peace, Stephen Taylor View all posts by The Reformed Baptist