"The Tripod" (Part 4)

Jesus said, "But now I am going to Him who sent Me; and none of you asks Me, 'Where are You going?' But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart. But I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you.” (John 16:5-7 NASB).

I have been writing about the three legs of “the tripod” and how they remind me of the three essentials of the Christian life. It is more than of passing interest that I have chosen the last “leg” of the tripod to be the Holy Spirit. The first two essentials are the fatherhood of God and the atoning work of Jesus; the third is the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit, our Helper.

There is so much to be said in reference to the work of the Holy Spirit. I am certain I will not have the space to do more than “touch the hem of the garment.” Perhaps I can inspire you to go further and deeper in your own study with a few thoughts.

 First, the Holy Spirit is a reminder that Jesus is indeed alive. Gordon Brownville’s Symbols of the Holy Spirit tells about the great Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen, the first to discover the magnetic meridian of the North Pole and to discover the South Pole. On one of his trips, Amundsen took a homing pigeon with him. When he had finally reached the top of the world, he opened the bird’s cage and set it free. Imagine the delight of Amundsen’s wife, back in Norway, when she looked up from the doorway of her home and saw the pigeon circling in the sky above. No doubt she exclaimed, “He’s alive! My husband is still alive!” So it was when Jesus ascended. He was gone, but the disciples clung to his promise to send them the Holy Spirit. What joy, then, when the Holy Spirit descended at Pentecost. The disciples had with them the continual reminder that Jesus was alive and victorious at the right of the Father. This continues to be the Spirit’s message of hope relieving all fear of the future!

 Second, the Holy Spirit is the strength for the believer. I read an interesting AP release not long ago from Glasgow, Kentucky: “Leslie Puckett, after struggling to start his car, lifted the hood and discovered that someone had stolen the motor.” Sound ridiculous doesn’t it? So many Christians try to live their life without the strength and power of the Spirit. They move away from the only real source of power available. Author Jamie Buckingham wrote about a visit to a dam on the Columbia River. He’d always thought that the water spilling over the top provided the power, not realizing that it was just froth, that deep within turbines and generators transformed the power of tons and tons of water to electricity, quietly, without notice, not like the flashy froth on top.

Just like the tripod would be of no use with just two legs, so our lives are incomplete without the Helper. Tomorrow we’ll look at the conclusion to this little series. Today, turn to your Helper! Trust Him with all that you are or ever hope to be!