The writings of John reveal that the Spirit is the Spirit of reality (John 14:17; 15:26; 16:13; 1 John 4:6). The Spirit is called the Spirit of reality because whatever the Father in the Son is and whatever the Son is, is realized in the Spirit. The Spirit is the realization of what God the Father and God the Son are. God the Father is light, and God the Son is life. The reality of this light and life is the Spirit. If we do not have the Spirit, we cannot have the light of God the Father. If we do not have the Spirit, we cannot have God the Son as our life. The reality of all the divine attributes of both God the Father and God the Son is the Spirit. In John 14:17; 15:26; and 16:13 the Lord Jesus speaks of the Spirit of reality. First John 4:6 also uses this title of the Spirit. Furthermore, 1 John 5:6 says that the Spirit is the truth, the reality. As the Spirit of reality, the Spirit is the reality of God and of the Son. The Spirit is the reality of every divine thing, and, as such, He is the reality of eternal life. Eventually, because the Spirit is the reality, He is God, the Son, and eternal life. Apart from the Spirit of reality, eternal life would be empty, vain. Therefore, the Spirit is the reality of God, the Son, eternal life, grace, and every divine matter. Because the Spirit is the reality of all divine and spiritual entities and items, He is called the Spirit of reality.
John 14:16 reveals that the Spirit is the Comforter (the Paraclete): “I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Comforter, that He may be with you forever.” The Greek word rendered “Comforter” here is parakletos. Paraclete is the anglicized form of this Greek word. In Greek parakletos denotes someone alongside who takes care of our cause, our affairs. It is composed of two words: a preposition that means with and a form of the word for call. In ancient times a paraclete was a helper, an advocate, a counsel, an intercessor. A paraclete was someone who served a particular person by taking care of his needs. As one who is always present, a paraclete may be considered a waiter, a helper, and even an attorney. In a note on John 14:16 Darby says that a paraclete was “one who carries on the cause of any one and helps him.” In his translation of 1 John 2:1, where the same Greek word is used, Darby says that we have a patron with the Father. Then in a note he explains that he uses the word patron in the sense of the Roman patron, one who maintained the interests of his clients in every way. We may say that the Spirit today is our Patron. He is with us to take care of our situation.
The Paraclete, the Comforter, signifies one called to another’s side to help him. Hence, the Paraclete is a helper. The Spirit as the Paraclete is always available to help us. Furthermore, the Paraclete is an Advocate and a Counsel. He is also the One who consoles us. Therefore, He is the Consoler, the Comforter. As the consummation of the Triune God, the Spirit as the Comforter, the Paraclete, is our helper, patron, counselor, and comforter who takes care of our needs in our daily living.
The Spirit is not only the Spirit of life but also the Spirit of power. Inwardly we have the Spirit of life essentially, and outwardly we have the Spirit of power economically. In Luke 24:49 the Lord Jesus says, “Behold, I am sending forth the promise of My Father upon you; but you, stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.” The promise here is the promise of Joel 2:28 and 29, fulfilled on the day of Pentecost (Acts 1:4-5, 8; 2:1-4, 16-18), for the outpouring as the power from on high for the believers’ ministry economically. This is different from the Spirit of life, who was breathed into the disciples by the resurrected Christ for His indwelling so that He might be life to them essentially. In Acts 1:8 the Lord told the disciples that they would receive power when the Holy Spirit had come upon them. Eventually the Spirit as “a rushing violent wind” came as power upon the disciples for their work (Acts 2:2). Whereas we breathe in the Spirit of life, we need to put on the Spirit of power as a uniform. In order to be clothed with power we need the Spirit as a uniform. This was the reason the Lord Jesus told the disciples that they would be clothed with power from on high.
The Spirit of life and the Spirit of power are two aspects of the one Spirit for our experience. We see both aspects in 1 Corinthians 12:13. On the one hand, we have all been baptized in one Spirit into one Body; on the other hand, we have been given to drink of the one Spirit. To be immersed in water is outward, but to drink water is inward. Furthermore, drinking the Spirit inwardly is essential, and being baptized in the Spirit outwardly is economical. The inward aspect of the Spirit is for life essentially, and the outward aspect is for ministry and work economically. The outward aspect is related to the Spirit as the Spirit of power. Just as the Spirit of life is the reality of life, so the Spirit of power is the reality of power.
(Conclusion of the New Testament, The (Msgs. 079-098), Chapter 2, by Witness Lee)