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Chapter 105

The Comforter

“Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you. And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: Of sin, because they believe not on me; Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more; Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged. I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you. All things that the Father hath are mine: therefore said I, that he shall take of mine, and shall shew it unto you. A little while, and ye shall not see me: and again, a little while, and ye shall see me, because I go to the Father.” (John 16:7-16)

Four times in his final discourse before leaving this world our blessed Savior promised his disciples that he would send the Holy Ghost to be our Comforter (John 14:16, 26; 15:26; 16:7). God the Holy Spirit is the Divine Comforter who dwells in every heaven-born soul, teaching us, guiding us, and comforting us by showing us our Lord Jesus Christ and the things of Christ, ever glorifying our blessed Savior. I want to show you seven things our Savior promised in these wonderful statements about the person and work of God the Holy Ghost.

The Comforter

The Holy Spirit is the gift of God to his church and people through the mediation of the Lord Jesus Christ, our exalted Lord and King. Our Lord Jesus distinctly refers to the Spirit of God as “The Comforter.” That is the first thing we should see in this passage. Just as the Son of God, in his office capacity as our Mediator and Covenant Surety, is called our Savior, the Spirit of God is our Comforter.

“And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; [Even] the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.”

(John 14:16-17)

This title given to God the Spirit, “The Comforter,” is a very broad, meaningful title. It means one who comforts, who pleads, who exhorts, one who calls us to his side, as a father would call his child to his side when he has something personal to say to him.” Our Lord Jesus has given us his Spirit to dwell in us as our ever abiding Comforter. What a gift of grace!

Another Comforter

Second, our Savior calls the Holy Spirit “another Comforter.” — “I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter.” The word “another” is also very significant. It means another of the same kind, another just like me, one distinct from me, but exactly like me. Here are the three Persons of the Holy Trinity working together for our souls (1 John 5:7), the three Persons of the Triune Jehovah, linked together and united in covenant solidarity for the salvation of our souls, constantly engaged in the work of saving chosen sinners (Ephesians 1:3-14).

The Holy Ghost is “another Comforter” in addition to Christ, who is called “the consolation of Israel” (Luke 2:25). The Lord Jesus tells us that he is another instead of me. I am going, but he is coming. He will fill up my place; my place of fellowship, counsel, comfort, and love. He will be to you for consolation what I have been to you for consolation. He is another like me. He will be another, and yet not another; one in mind and sympathy with me toward you. In having him, you have me; and he will be another in addition to me. I am still with you, though I go away; and in addition to my presence, you shall have the presence of another like me, another who is God, just as I am God.

Father’s Gift

Third, this gift of the Holy Ghost as our Comforter is the Father’s gift to every chosen, redeemed sinner. — “I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter.” It is he of whom the Lord Jesus spoke when he said to the woman at the well, “If thou knewest the gift of God” (John 4:10). He said, “If ye, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask Him.” God the Holy Spirit, our Comforter, is the gift promised to Abraham and his Seed (Galatians 3:13-14), by which the Lord God seals all covenant blessings to his chosen (Ephesians 1:13-14).

It is the Father’s good pleasure that we have the Holy Ghost. Having him we live in the Spirit, and walk in the Spirit, and pray in the Spirit (Romans 8:1-17).

Christ’s Intercession

Fourth, God the Holy Spirit is bestowed upon all the redeemed by the merit and efficacy of Christ’s intercession on our behalf. He said, “I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Comforter.” At the appointed time of love, God the Father sends his Spirit to every chosen, redeemed sinner in almighty, irresistible grace in regeneration, giving us life and faith in Christ (Ezekiel 16:6-8; 36:27; 37:14; Zechariah 12:10).

Abiding Comforter

The Lord Jesus promised that he would give us this Comforter forever, “that He may abide with you forever!” The Comforter is ours forever, unconditionally ours forever! For as long as time shall last, for as long as we are in this world of woe, God the Holy Ghost shall be our abiding Comforter. As the Shekinah Glory filled the Temple, abiding on the Mercy-seat, so God the Holy Spirit abides in us as the Spirit of Life. We live in the sweet “communion of the Holy Ghost” all the time (2 Corinthians 13:14). Though often we may grieve him, we shall never be deprived of him. Though we may quench him, we cannot lose him!

Spirit of Truth

Sixth, in John 14:17 our Savior describes the Comforter as “the Spirit of truth.” He is the Spirit who communicates the truth to the soul. Christ is the truth he gives and communicates to us, the truth revealed in us by the Holy Spirit. The Gospel of Christ is the truth into which he guides us. The Word of Christ, Holy Scripture, is the truth by which he directs our paths.

The world cannot receive him. To the world God sends a strong delusion that they should believe a lie (2 Thessalonians 2:11-12); but we know him; and by him dwelling in us, we know our election of God. The seed of the serpent cannot receive the Spirit of truth. Jude describes the ruin of the world like this. He says they are “sensual, having not the Spirit” (Jude 19). What a sad picture of lost men and women! They are without God, without Christ, without life, and without hope, having not the Spirit!

Divine Teacher

Seventh, I want us to look briefly at what our Savior tells us about the Holy Spirit as our Comforter in John 14:26. — “But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, Whom the Father will send in my name, He shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.”

This Divine Comforter, God the Holy Ghost, is our teacher. It is God the Holy Spirit and God the Holy Spirit alone who teaches spiritual truth. He takes the things of Christ, the things that Christ taught and did, brings them to our remembrance, and causes us to see and understand them. — “He shall testify of me,” our Savior told us (John 15:26; 1 John 5:1-13). Sealing the Word of God to our hearts, causing us to hear the Gospel of our own salvation by Christ (Ephesians 1:13-14), giving us faith in Christ, the Spirit of God bears witness in our spirits that we are born of God.

What is it that the Holy Spirit teaches poor, needy sinners, by which he causes the chosen to know they are chosen, by which he causes the redeemed to know they are redeemed, by which he causes the called to know they are called? What is it that God the Holy Spirit teaches us and brings to our remembrance that gives us the sweet comfort of assured mercy, love, and grace in Christ?

· Redemption Accomplished — He convinces the sinner that redemption is accomplished by Christ (John 16:7-11).

· Things to Come — He convinces us of “things to come,” that is to say of things that must come as the result of Christ’s obedience unto death as our Substitute and Surety (John 16:12-13; 1 John 3:1-9; 4:17). What comfort the Spirit gives when he convinces a poor sinner of all that Christ has obtained and secured for him by his obedience and death as his Substitute: — Eternal Redemption! — Absolute Forgiveness! — Complete Justification! — Perfect Righteousness! — Full Sanctification! — Eternal Life! — The Resurrection of Our Bodies! — Certain Glory!

· Christ Glorified — And God the Holy Ghost comforts the hearts of chosen, redeemed sinners by convincing us that Christ is glorified (John 16:14-16).

He glorifies Christ by showing us the things of Christ. God the Holy Spirit always points men to Christ. By the preaching of the Gospel he shows the things of Christ, effectually revealing Christ in the called, and thereby glorifies him. The Gospel we preach is the good news of the glory of Christ (2 Corinthians 4:6).

Not only does he glorify Christ by showing us his glory as our Redeemer, he shows us that Christ is glorified by the Triune Jehovah as our Redeemer (John 16:15, Philippians 2:9-11). This is our comfort: Redemption is accomplished! Salvation is sure! Christ is glorified! All things are in the hands of him who loved us and gave himself for us! Christ is on his Throne: all is well. Christ is glorified: all is well!

“O spread the tidings ‘round, wherever man is found,

Wherever human hearts and human woes abound;

Let every Christian tongue proclaim the joyful sound:

The Comforter has come!

The long, long night is past, the morning breaks at last,

And hushed the dreadful wail and fury of the blast,

As o’er the golden hills the day advances fast!

The Comforter has come!

Lo, the great King of kings, with healing in His wings,

To every captive soul a full deliverance brings;

And through the vacant cells the song of triumph rings;

The Comforter has come!

O boundless love Divine! How shall this tongue of mine

To wond’ring mortals tell the matchless grace Divine

That I, a child of hell, should in His image shine!

The Comforter has come!

The Comforter has come, the Comforter has come!

The Holy Ghost from Heav’n, the Father’s promise giv’n;

O spread the tidings ‘round, wherever man is found

The Comforter has come!”

Don Fortner

Pastor Fortner’s