Jasonn Randolph
Theology of Sin and Salvation
Professor Jason Rodenbeck
June 13, 2012

Parakletos: Gods Spirit as a Comforter

If you spend any amount of time perusing the daily newspapers in this country, or watching your favorite news channel, you would be hard pressed to not find stories that express the emotions involved with the human experience. Stories of triumph, exuberance, and joy to name a few are indicative of what it is to be a human fashioned in the image of God. However it doesn’t stop there. What you will notice, as it relates to the themes involved with humanity, is that these themes by far do not make up the majority of what you will encounter. Instead you will find a surfeit of stories that chronicle heart ache, pain, rejection, sorrow and the list goes on. Think about that for a moment. Why are people so enamored with pain, and sorrow, but overlook the joyousness of life? You probably have made statements yourself about the reality that seemingly people only want to know about the bad things that happen rather than “what is true, noble,,, and of good report” (phil 4:8). So why is this so? Could it be that there is a void in our lives that calls out unto something far greater than could ever be purchased at Macys or Wal-Mart? And what if this void, this gaping hole within the confines of man’s “inner most parts” was designed only for one thing to satisfy its space? What if this “thing” was none other than mysterious third person of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit or as we will find out shortly the “Parakletos.” In 2007, CNN (Cable News Network) published a story in which it detailed or diagnosed a dire situation in the U.S. The story suggested that according to a government study in 2005, it found that “antidepressants [were the] most commonly prescribed drugs in the United States.” (Cohen, CNN). Dr. Dworkin, was quoted in the article as saying that “Doctors are now medicating unhappiness.” How is that possible when we live in the most extravagant time known to mankind? The purpose of presenting this information is to bring to the forefront the realization that people are disturbed, to say the least, and this discomfort has caused them to search for remedies whether healthy or unhealthy. Earlier I suggested that there is a void that people are trying to fill and I believe that void is the absence of the Holy Spirit and the absence of a relationship with their heavenly father. So why is man in this predicament? According the Bible there is a reason for all of these issues we have just discussed. The bible states that since the beginning of time, mankind has struggled with an issue called sin which is simply a missing of the mark (Hamartia). God has established a standard for life and it is our job to align ourselves with it and when we fail to do so then we enter into sin. But God in his providence did something by sending his son, Jesus to die in the place of us because the punishment for sin was and is death. Jesus conquered the effects of sin and made it possible for mankind to be accepted in the presence of a holy “set apart” God. But as Jesus was handling the issue of sin, he did something on the way to the cross that I believe is the key to understanding how mankind can overcome its ailments and fill the void
Let us take a look at John 14:15. Jesus clearly states that there is only one response to what I have done and will be doing for you and that is to love me. However love was never just in word only. Jesus tells them that true love has action and the kind of action he was and still is looking for is fleshed out in obedience to his commands. But he doesn’t stop there. He then goes on to add in verse 16 “and I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, to be with you forever.” (NRSV) The word used in this verse to indicate an advocate is the promised Holy Spirit but Jesus uses a word that signifies a certain relationship. He uses the word parakletos, which according to the Vines