“The Holy Spirit is my best friend,” says one of my good friends. Who is the Holy Spirit to you? To John the Elder, the Spirit is the Spirit of Truth. In an ancient world full of lies, the Holy Spirit always testified to the truth.
Thirty years ago I came across a book entitled, The Lies We Believe. It is no surprise that lies are still being told. We have come to believe that many of the talking heads on our screens are lying when their lips are moving. One danger is to become so cynical that we begin to doubt there is such a thing as objective truth. Another danger is to believe the lies. Thankfully, the Holy Spirit is still telling God’s people the truth. We can trust the Spirit.
What is the Spirit saying to us? God has given us eternal life in Christ. If we have God’s Son, we actually have life. If we do not have God’s Son, we do not have life. If we believe in the name of the Son of God, we may know we have eternal life. Through the Spirit we know we are actually God’s children and already possess eternal life. This is real assurance for the people of God. The Spirit of truth is the same Spirit who secures our salvation as God’s seal and the earnest of our inheritance. To quote an old movie, we have “never had a friend” like the Holy Spirit. Listen to the Spirit today, be loved by the Spirit and love the Spirit in return.
