When I was
20 years old, I got an M. I. P. (Minor in Possession) at a bar in College
Station, TX. My brother and I had just finished playing a 3 hour set with our
band, and the bar owner gave us a free pitcher of beer, which we gladly
accepted.
Plastic cup
in hand, I was walking around like I owned the place when I felt a tap on my
shoulder. It was the police, and I was busted. A few weeks later my mom and I
showed up at court. Yes, mom came with me, and thankfully, she hired an
attorney for me.
My defense
attorney spent about 20 minutes counseling me before we went into court that
morning. He knew the judge, and gave me really good advice about how to handle
the situation. He instructed me that we should not try to fight the case, but
that we should plead no contest. He also said that if the judge asked to speak
with me, I should be respectful and remorseful. That was not a problem because
I was scared out of my mind.
I think the
judge was merciful to me that morning. The sentence I received was paying a
$500 fine, doing several hours of community service and attending 6 classes of
Alcoholics Anonymous. If I was compliant with the judge’s orders and didn’t
receive any other alcohol-related citations for many months, the MIP would be
wiped from my record.
Similar to the defense attorney that
represented me that day in court, Jesus promised His disciples that one day
after He left them, an Advocate would come to help them as well.
“If you love Me, you will keep My
commandments. I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, 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. I will not leave you as orphans;
I will come to you.”
– John 14:15-18
The first
word in this passage that I’d like you to focus on is “another”. In the
original language, the word “another” means “another of the same kind; another of
similar type.” So
Jesus was telling His disciples that when He left, God the Father would send
another Helper who was of the same kind as Him. Jesus then calls this Helper,
who is of the same kind as Himself, the “Spirit of truth.”
The
second word I’d like for you to think about is “Helper”. Some translations use
“Comforter”, some use “Counselor” and many use “Advocate”. The Greek word is
Parakletos. Parakaletos basically carries the idea of a truthful and helpful
defense attorney.
A good defense attorney will often
engage in several different helpful activities when interacting with a guilty
client.
My MIP defense
attorney beseeched me to never engage in underage drinking again. He
noticed I was freaking out, so he comforted me with a pat on the back and
told me it was going to be okay. He exhorted me to apply his strategies when
I went into the courtroom. He admonished me to banish all pride from my
attitude from this point furthur. And finally, he encouraged me by
saying that he would help me get through this situation and back on track
again.
Are you
in over your head today? Do you have a huge decision to make? Have you recently
made a huge mistake that has brought significant unease to your future outlook?
Is a former close relationship now on the rocks due to sinful behaviors? Do you
just need guidance and empowerment to be who God has called you to be in the
midst of the daily stressors of life?
The Holy
Spirit is like a perfect defense attorney. A perfect Advocate. An ever-present
Helper in times of need. And just like the early Christians found Him to be
gracing them with everything they needed for life and godliness, the Spirit of
Jesus offers the same help to us today.
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