The Promise!
I don’t know what it’s like to spend time with someone who knows they are going to die or lose their life. I have been by my brother and grandmothers bed as they passed away, but then again they were not cognizant toward the end. Jesus was aware of the end of his days on this earth as flesh and blood, and was warning his disciples about a time when he would be gone. I don’t know what the disciples were feeling, but I can imagine it would be sadness and maybe even despair. The Man who came from heaven, the prophesied Messiah, was leaving them. But what was coming would change the world forever.
“But now I am going to him who sent me, and none of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’ But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart. Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you. And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment: concerning sin, because they do not believe in me; concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father, and you will see me no longer; concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.” (John 16:5–11)
Why did this transaction need to happen? It happened because we needing an answer for our sin. In John 3, Jesus expounded upon the human nature we are cursed with. “…but people loved the darkness more than the light, for their actions were evil. All who do evil hate the light and refuse to go near it for fear their sins will be exposed.” (John 3:19–20 ESV) Jesus needed to die; his blood had to flow from his wounds, so that our sins would be forgiven and we would be washed clean and give a new righteousness. More simply put, our hearts needed to be renewed, so that our bodies would be an adequate dwelling place for the Holy Spirit. Jesus knew the worth of going through this exchange. He went through physical torment and pain so that we could benefit from the Holy Spirit’s presence.
The Holy Spirit is a sign of our salvation and eternal inheritance found in Jesus: “In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guaranteed of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory. (Eph 1:11–14 ESV).
This is such a beautiful and hopeful scripture because while we are on this earth we are being sanctified. We are fighting with our flesh, while struggling to submit to the authority of The Spirit. While we stumble, fall and get back up, its good to know the Spirit doesn’t leave or run. No! He remains to remind us that while we are still being refined, there is still the promise of eternity, a glorious prize at the end of this race called life.
I love what Paul Said in 1 Corinthians:
“Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air. No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize. (1 Cor 924–27 ESV)
We must remember that it is not by our power, but we are empowered by the Spirit.
“Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, becauseg the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good,h for those who are called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:26–28)
What great news. I within myself have no desire to stop looking at porn, or stop eating junk that I love so dearly, or even exercise. Refinement, discipline, growth are all things that I could do without. They don’t feel good during the process. But I thank God every day that he empowers me to lay down this life and be a cross bearer for a greater purpose, and no matter what I face, no matter what I lose, even if it is my life, I know there is a promise to be fulfilled at the end of it all, a promise represented by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.
I pray that we would run our race without fear, timidity and apprehension. I pray that we would run empowered by the Spirit, remembering the promise and power that comes with his indwelling presence. Press on! Press in and don’t lose hope! It’s not over until Jesus says so!
Love Ben //(Luke 9:23–34)
