Holy Spirit - The Second Advocate
In this third message in our current series on the Holy Spirit, Derek explored Jesus’ promise in John 14:16–26 that the Father would send “another Advocate,” the Holy Spirit, to help and be with us. Derek asked and answered three questions:
1. WHO is the Holy Spirit?
The Holy Spirit is not a force, energy, or an “it” — He is a person. In John 14:16 and 17, Jesus repeatedly refers to the Spirit as “another Advocate,” sent by the Father, just as Jesus Himself is our first Advocate. Jesus also refers to “Him” (v 17) multiple times, emphasizing His personal nature. This means the Holy Spirit is not distant or abstract, but One who knows us, dwells with us, and lives in us.
2. WHAT does the Holy Spirit do?
The term Jesus uses to refer to the Holy Spirit cannot be translated into a single English word. Instead, different translations of the Bible interpret the original Greek word (parakletos) as helper, counsellor, comforter, and defender. The NIV translation interprets it as Advocate. Parakletos carries both a supportive (“come alongside”) and a confrontational (“declare, assert”) dimension. Like an attorney, the Holy Spirit both argues for us and confronts within us.
To understand the work of the Holy Spirit (the second advocate), we need to remind ourselves what the work of Jesus (the first advocate) is – the significance of His finished work on the cross and His ongoing work since He ascended to heaven after His resurrection.
The best way to grasp this is to understand this metaphor of Jesus standing before the judgement seat of the universe interceding on our behalf.
There are two parts to this metaphor:
1. There is a judgement bar of the universe before which we all stand accountable. NOBODY beyond the final day will be able to stand before that bar of judgement and pass the test. We have ALL sinned. We are ALL guilty. This is not a popular perspective in this current generation where there are no absolutes and everything is relative.
2. The minute I accept Jesus as my Saviour and become a Christian, He stands as my Advocate before that bar of justice.
Scripture teaches that we all stand accountable before God, the Judge. Here, Jesus Christ represents us as our Advocate. He does not plead for mercy — He demands justice as He presents an infallible case based on His finished work on the cross. Our guilt is real. But because of His role as our Advocate, the Judge sees us through our Advocate Who, Himself, is perfect and sinless. Because of Christ, we are “lost in our Advocate”—seen not in our sin, but in His righteousness. His blood “speaks a better word,” securing our acquittal with perfect justice.
The Holy Spirit’s role is to take this finished work of Jesus and apply it to our hearts. As Jesus said, “He (the Holy Spirit) will teach you all things and remind you of everything I (Jesus) have said.” He continually brings us back to the truth of the gospel — reminding us that we are deeply loved, fully accepted, and no longer striving to earn God’s approval. At times He comforts and at times He confronts — like a “sober companion” — calling us away from destructive patterns and into the freedom of living as God’s beloved children.
3. HOW does the Holy Spirit do what He does?
The Holy Spirit works through an ongoing relationship with us. While there is an initial filling, Scripture calls us to “be filled” continually. If He is a person, then being filled with Him comes through getting to KNOW Him – just as the disciples were transformed by spending time with Jesus, by listening to Him, and communing with Him. We do this by getting to know the Word of God, described as the “sword of the Spirit” (Eph 6:17, Heb 4:12). The Spirit uses Scripture as His primary means of shaping, teaching, and transforming us.
As we yield to Him, the Holy Spirit speaks into our lives: reminding us to stop striving, to stop seeking identity and acceptance elsewhere, and to live from the place of being fully loved and accepted in Christ. He continually points us back to Jesus.