Covenant Contrasts Part 13
In the Old Testament, the Spirit of God came and went. And His coming and going was also only directed at certain individuals. His primary role was to anoint various prophets with a message for God’s people. The historical books of the Old Testament record many instances of God’s Spirit coming and going.
Compare this to the movement of God’s Spirit in the new covenant. In the upper room, just prior to His death, Jesus said, “I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper [Gk. Paracletos, one called alongside to help], that He may be with you forever; that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you and will be IN you.” (John 14:16-17).
Look at all the promise packed into these two verses. First, the Holy Spirit will be sent to us by the Father in answer to Jesus’ prayer. Second, the Spirit will be “another” [Gr. allos, another of the same sort; not heteros, different] meaning that He will be a “Helper” in the same way that Jesus has been to the disciples. Third, He will be with us forever. Fourth, He will be known as the Spirit of truth. Jesus referred to Himself as “the truth” (John 14:6). The Spirit, as Jesus’ equal, will also be known as true. Fifth, the world will not be able to receive God’s Spirit, because the world does not know or recognize Him. Sixth, the Spirit abides with the disciples at that time through the physical presence of Jesus.
Last, and I think the most radical idea of them all, the “Spirit will be IN you.” Will be IN you. Will be IN us. Will be IN you and me. At the time of Jesus’ words, God’s Spirit dwelt with the disciples through the presence of Jesus, the God-man. But a future time is coming, after Jesus has physically departed, when the Spirit will literally live IN the disciples. And by our faith in Christ and His work on the cross to bring us into His family, the Spirit will live IN us as well.
And how long will the “IN YOU” last? Forever. That is the contrast that I want to emphasize here. Under the old covenant, God’s Spirit came and went and anointed various people as various times. Under the new covenant, God’s Spirit will indwell EVERY believer FOREVER!