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And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Counselor to 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 (John 14:16, 17 NIV).
I occasionally find myself in counseling situations where it's difficult to determine who's telling the truth. Two people will speak about the same situation, and yet they will tell completely different stories. It almost makes counseling the couple impossible, because any valid counsel must be based upon and rooted in the truth. The truth is absolutely necessary for healing of the heart.
Jesus told His disciples He would send a Counselor. He referred to Him as "another" Counselor. There are two primary words in the Greek language translated "another." One is allos and the other - heteros. They have completely different meanings. Heteros means "another" of a different kind, but allos means "another" of the same kind. When Jesus said the Father would send "another," He used the word allos and was talking about One who would be of the same nature and character as Himself. Thus, He was speaking of the Holy Spirit.
He referred to the Holy Spirit by two names - "Counselor" and "Spirit of Truth." Both are tied together and inseparable. The Holy Spirit is the only one who can search the depths of our hearts and expose the absolute truth. Thus, He's called the Spirit of Truth. There are many things attributed to the Holy Spirit today. However, we can know if the Holy Spirit is present by the presence of the truth. He always speaks and manifests the truth.
There are several things we know about truth. First, the Bible is truth. We must never forget that the Bible was written by men who were divinely inspired by the Holy Spirit. It was the Spirit of Truth who inspired them to pen the words in that great book. Second, we know that "if we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us" (1 John 1:8 NIV). When the Holy Spirit works deeply in our lives, He always reveals those things that don't please God. Thus, we become honest with God and honest with ourselves.
But there's one great fact we know about truth. Jesus is "the way, the truth and the life" (John 14:6). The Holy Spirit wasn't sent to magnify Himself, but rather to exalt Jesus. When we're confronted with the truth about ourselves, we're not left helpless and hopeless by the Spirit of Truth. He rushes us immediately to Jesus, the One who is "full of grace and truth." We find grace, mercy and forgiveness at the feet of Jesus. Oh, the wonder of bowing before Him.
Many people are afraid of the truth. They're afraid of being exposed. Consequently, they know little of the power of the Holy Spirit in their lives. It's often painful when the Holy Spirit brings us face to face with the truth. But it's also very wonderful. The way of the truth always leads to the feet of Jesus. It's there that we find cleansing and victory. Why don't you welcome the Spirit of Truth to search your heart today. He will lead you to the place of victory. He'll lead you to Jesus.
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