The Comforter

John Chapter 16: 1-14

1. Introduction

The Holy Spirit is often referred to as the Comforter. In a world of extreme discontent, suffering, grief and pain, there is great need for the Comforter. Let us examine how Yahweh's Holy Spirit alone can meet the urgent needs of mankind.
The Conditions
John 14: 15:“ If ye love me, keep my commandments.
16: And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;
17: 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.
18: I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.
19: Yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more; but ye see me: because I live, ye shall live also.
20: At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you.
21: He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.
22: Judas saith unto him, not Iscariot, Lord, how is it that thou wilt manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the world?
23: Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.
24: He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father's which sent me.
25: These things have I spoken unto you, being yet present with you.
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.”

NOTE: In short, the presence of the Holy Spirit is dependant on two conditions love and obedience. Bear in mind that Yeshua was the One who delivered the law to Moses in the first place. (James 4: 12) “There is one lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy...” Therefore, when the Saviour says my commandments he means the same laws he gave to ancient Israel at Mount Sinai and which he later magnified in his Sermon on the Mount. He is the lawgiver who is able to save. Here is what follows:
Messiah’s Prayer
John 14: 16: “And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; ...whom the world cannot receive...”

Note how the obedient believer is promised a constant companion: He will abide with you for ever! Also we are reminded that an unbelieving world cannot receive the Holy Spirit. Why not? The obvious answer is because by its very behaviour the world is dismissing Yahweh's Spirit from human society. And when the Holy Spirit departs, contentment, relief, encouragement, peace and spiritual refreshment vanish from the stage of human experience. 

2. The Saviour’s Manifold Promises

  • Verse 18: “I will not leave you comfortless, I will come to you.”
  • Verse 21: “He that hath my commandments and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me... I will love him... and will manifest myself to him.”
  • Verse 23: “My Father will love him, and we will come unto him and make our abode with him.” (Permanent Abode!)
These divine promises are for the present age and will certainly become a reality in the life of an obedient believer. In other words the Holy Spirit becomes a constant companion of the obedient believer. Beware of teachers who claim that obedience is of little or no importance when requesting the Holy Spirit. The Bible makes it perfectly clear that Yahweh only gives His Spirit to those who obey Him. Those who claim to have the Holy Spirit but who blatantly ignore the commandments are in grave danger of missing out on these promises.
Acts 5: 32: “And we are his witnesses of these things, and so is also the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that obey Him.” 

3. The Comforters Work

When the Comforter comes to a believer He immediately begins a spiritual reformation in the soul. A work of instruction, reproof and re-alignment of true values. The Comforter's work is summed up in these verses.
Teach
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.”
John 16: 13: “Howbeit when He the Spirit of truth is come, He will guide you into all truth!”
No true believer will doubt but that there is a lot to learn in the spiritual field. The Holy Spirit is given to the genuine believer to teach him/her all things about the Almighty and His work. Many spiritual subjects are included in that process. He will guide us into ALL TRUTH! Pause awhile and consider the astonishing potential encompassed in that short statement.
Reprove
John 16: 8: “And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:”
  • Sin: about doing what is wrong - disobedience.
  • Righteousness: about doing what is right - obedience.
  • Judgment: how each one will be finally assessed and rewarded in the Judgment.
Glorify Jesus
John 16: 14: “He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you.”

This is the work of the Holy Spirit - to teach, to reprove and to glorify Yeshua the Messiah. The Holy Spirit does not invent new truths or new commandments. Nor does He teach anything contrary to what the Father has already taught in ages past. Everything the Holy Spirit brings to a believer's mind comes from the Father and will be in line with existing scriptural truth! Yahweh is consistent. He doesn't change (Malachi 3: 6). He is the same as He was in the days of Moses and His commandments haven't changed either (Matthew 5: 17-19, Psalm 111: 7-8). We may, therefore, with absolute confidence affirm that the commandments the Holy Spirit uses to convince the world of sin, of righteousness and of judgment are the same as those given on Mount Sinai many hundreds of years ago. 

4. When Desperate

So often we come to situations where no help is forthcoming. No one seems to understand our problems, let alone be willing or able to sove them. Often no one seems to care. It is at times like that that the Holy Spirit becomes an invaluable aid. Read the experience in Psalm 69 noting carefully the following:
The Problems
Psalm 69: 1-12: Deep trouble, tears, hatred from all around, taunts, reproach, persecution, loneliness and false accusation; the Spirit is there to help.
The Well-Timed Prayer
Verse: 13-29: For mercy, deliverance and divine justice on the enemy.
The Praise
Psalm 69: 30: “I will praise the name of God with a song, and will magnify him with thanksgiving.
31: This also shall please the LORD better than an ox or bullock that hath horns and hoofs.
32: The humble shall see this, and be glad: and your heart shall live that seek God.
33: For the LORD heareth the poor, and despiseth not his prisoners.
34:Let the heaven and earth praise him, the seas, and everything that moveth therein.
35: For God will save Zion, and will build the cities of Judah: that they may dwell there, and have it in possession.
36: The seed also of his servants shall inherit it: and they that love his name shall dwell therein.”

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