David Diga Hernandez - Holy Spirit: Truest Friend

The Holy Spirit is a friend like no other, and learning about the friendship of the Holy Spirit is what absolutely revolutionized my walk with the Lord. I’ll never forget when I was a teenager; the Lord spoke to me, «I’ve called you to introduce my Holy Spirit to your generation.» I find joy in that mandate because I find joy in introducing people to my friend, the Holy Spirit, and He wants to be a friend to you too. In 2 Corinthians chapter 13, verse 14, we see a very powerful truth: «May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.» Think about what the Scripture is saying here—the fellowship of the Holy Spirit. This means I commune with Him, I spend time with Him, I have conversations with Him. The fellowship of the Holy Spirit is one of the many benefits of being a child of God. You, believer, are a friend of the Holy Spirit; you, believer, have access to that same fellowship with Him so that He might go with you wherever you go, that He might empower you in whatever you do. Right now, what I want to do is show you in the Scripture what the Bible teaches concerning true friendship. I think this is something the world has forgotten. What is true friendship? How does that look? I’ll show you what the Bible says about true friendship, and then I want to show you how the Holy Spirit embodies those truths and how He is, in fact, a friend above all friends—a friend truly like no other. But before we even do that, I want to first establish this very basic truth: that the Holy Spirit is a person. Now, when I say the Holy Spirit is a person, I don’t mean to say that the Holy Spirit is a human being or that He’s not an equal with the Father and the Son. I simply mean that the Holy Spirit is a personal being. We know the Holy Spirit is a personal being because, number one, He has a voice. Acts chapter 8, verse 29, says, «The Holy Spirit said to Philip, 'Go over and walk along beside the carriage.'» The Holy Spirit, number two, has a will. 1 Corinthians chapter 12, verse 11, says, «But all these worketh that one in the self-same Spirit, dividing to every man severally as He will.» The Holy Spirit has feelings. Ephesians chapter 4, verse 30, says, «And do not bring sorrow to God’s Holy Spirit by the way you live; remember He has identified you as His own, guaranteeing that you will be saved on the day of redemption.» The Holy Spirit has a voice, so it’s possible that He can be heard. The Holy Spirit has a will, so it’s possible that He can be obeyed. The Holy Spirit has feelings, so it’s possible that He can rejoice over our actions. The Holy Spirit is a personal being; the Holy Spirit is a person, and therefore we can share in a friendship with Him. Now, the Bible tells us in Proverbs chapter 12, verse 26, «The godly give good advice to their friends; the wicked lead them astray.» So, trait number one: the Holy Spirit gives the best advice. Think of that friend who always gives you the good things that you need to hear—not always something that you want to hear—but they give you the best advice. They provide the best wisdom when navigating those difficult circumstances in life. It’s good to have a godly friend who can help bring some perspective to what you’re facing, but think about the fact that the Holy Spirit, as your personal friend, gives you advice. You have access to that divine mind, giving you guidance as you move through life. John chapter 14, verse 26, says, «But when the Father sends the Advocate as my representative, that is, the Holy Spirit, He will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you.» Proverbs chapter 17, verse 17, says, «A friend is always loyal, and a brother is born to help in time of need.» Proverbs chapter 18, verse 24, says, «There are friends» (in quotations) «who destroy each other, but a real friend sticks closer than a brother.» Proverbs chapter 20, verse 6, says, «Many will say they are loyal friends, but who can find one who is truly reliable?» We see here that true friends are fiercely loyal. Now, this is something the world doesn’t understand. The world doesn’t understand that loyalty; the world teaches things like this: «Well, you know, that’s life; sometimes you just lose friends.» A true friend is never lost. A true friend invests in the friendship, even if there is some distance created. A true friend will stay committed to that friendship even though circumstances and living situations might change. True friends are lifelong; true friends understand investing time, resources, and effort. They understand that it’s not just about hanging out and having fun when convenient, but they grasp that they must be there for their friend continually, faithfully in the good times and the bad times, when life changes circumstances and when things become difficult. In John chapter 14, verses 15-16, the Scripture says, «If you love me, obey my commandments, and I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Advocate who will never leave you.» He abides; in fact, He dwells in you. 1 Corinthians chapter 6, verse 19, says, «Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself.» So, the Holy Spirit dwells in me, He’s near to me constantly, and…