“And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another HELPER, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of Truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him. You know Him, for he dwells with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.”

John 14:12, 16-17 ESV

These “Leadership Principles of the Holy Spirit” will help you learn how to face the end-times, and all time’s of your life, God’s way. In fact, this first lesson will eliminate the fear of facing anything on your own! I use the word, “principles,” because it speaks of fundamental truths or codes of conduct, things that are absolute but not necessarily obvious or easily manipulated. These are Biblical descriptions of the Holy Spirit’s person and work in the New Testament, as outlined primarily by Jesus himself in the fourteenth, fifteenth and sixteenth chapters of John’s Gospel. They delineate Who He is and how He “operates.” Depending on the degree of awareness, belief, and obedience to the Lord a person exercises, these principles are the basic ways by which the Holy Ghost leads.

The first one, “consolation,” is a synonym for “helper” in our text and can also be translated as “comfort.” Here it literally means “one called alongside to help”, or an assistant who will aid in the all things that concern a disciple of Christ. God’s Spirit is a supernatural counselor given to help His people through the process of Christian development and service. He “counsels” us when we are unsure how to think or feel. He is our “back-up” to lean on when things get difficult…one who “strengthens” and empowers us to press forward in the grace of God. The Spirit comforts us when we need encouragement and pushes us when we need drive.

Notice the text says “another Helper.” His job is to take the place of Christ for us just as he did for the Apostles as they transitioned into taking Jesus’ message to the world on His behalf. The Holy Spirit is our advocate, standing with us like a defense attorney in the courtroom of life. The closer we move toward Christ’s return, the more we are going to need His spiritual comfort and counsel.