Our Comforter, the Holy Spirit.

[CherylG]

We can read the bible over and over again and think we know passages well. Sometimes we don't stop to ask questions about verses and pay attention to what's really being said.  

 

Who is our Comforter/the Holy Spirit?

 

John 14:16-23 (KJV)

¹⁶ And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;

·       1 John 2:1 “My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:”

·       The word advocate in the bible text above is the same one used in John 14:16

Transliteration: paraklétos
Phonetic Spelling: (par-ak'-lay-tos)
Short Definition: an advocate, comforter, helper, Paraclete
Definition: (a) an advocate, intercessor, ( a consoler, comforter,  helper, © Paraclete.

 

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.

·       Jesus is telling his disciples “the world” {those who don’t know or accept Christ} cannot receive the Spirit of truth (Comforter) WHY? Because they do not see him or know him.

·       Jesus continues to tell the disciples that they know the Spirit of truth/Comforter, WHY? Because the Spirit of truth/comforter was dwelling with them at that time AND Jesus said he shall be “ in you”  

* Who was that? Jesus was dwelling with them at that time.

 

¹⁸ I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.

·       Jesus plainly told them these words above. “I will come to you”

·       He was telling the disciples that he would be their comforter and would not leave them comfortless.

·       ^{Matthew 28:20 “}teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.

·       Christ has promised that HE would be with us always.

 

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.

·       At what day? The day when the comforter/spirit of truth shall be in them. Christ told his disciples again, “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.

·       Those who know and keep his commandments is loved by Christ and of his Father.

·       AGAIN: Jesus say’s  ”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?

·       Did you notice how Judas said Lord (Jesus) how is it you will manifest (show) yourself to us and not the world? (Those who don’t believe)

 

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.

·       Again Jesus tries to make it plain for them to understand

·       The conditions are: Love Jesus, keep his words (commandments) and Christs Father will love him also.

·       Notice the wording next “WE”      Who is we?

·       Jesus plainly told us; Christ Jesus and the Father would come unto him AND make our abode with us.

·       “abode” is a place of residence { 1 Cor 6:19 “What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?’}  

·       If the
 

Other bible text’s:

Galations 4:6    “God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts,”

·       Who is the Spirit of his Son? This has to be Jesus the Son of God.

2 corinthians 3: 17  “Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord [is], there [is] liberty.”

What about at Jesus baptism?

2 Corinthians 5:19  “that God was in Christ.”

·       How was God in Christ?  By his Spirit                                                                                                                      Matthew 3:16 And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him:”

·       EGW “Never before had angels listened to such a prayer as Christ offered at his baptism, and they were solicitous to be the bearers of the message from the Father to his Son. But, no; direct from the Father issues the light of his glory. The heavens were opened, and beams of glory rested upon the Son of God, and assumed the form of a dove, in appearance like burnished gold. The dove-like form was emblematical of the meekness and gentleness of Christ. While the people stood spell-bound with amazement, their eyes fastened upon Christ, from the opening heavens came these words: "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." The words of confirmation that Christ is the Son of God was given to inspire faith in those who witnessed the scene, and to sustain the Son of God in his arduous work. Notwithstanding the Son of God was clothed with humanity, yet Jehovah, with his own voice, assures him of his sonship with the Eternal. In this manifestation to his Son, God accepts humanity as exalted through the excellence of his beloved Son. “ {2SP 60.2}  

·       From the above quote it can be said that “the light of his glory” &  “beams of glory”  that come From the Father are His Spirit (his person/ omnipresence) The Holy Spirit.

 

EGW Quotes;

“Cumbered with humanity, Christ could not be in every place personally; therefore it was altogether for their advantage that He should leave them, go to His father, and send the Holy Spirit to be His successor on earth. The Holy Spirit is Himself divested of the personality of humanity and independent thereof. He would represent Himself as present in all places by His Holy Spirit, as the Omnipresent.” 14 MR 23

 

" All who love Christ will be loved of the Father, and He will manifest Himself to them. In all their emergencies and perplexities, they will have a helper in Jesus Christ. {SW, September 13, 1898 par. 1}

That Christ should manifest Himself to them, and yet be invisible to the world, was a mystery to the disciples. They could not understand the words of Christ in their spiritual sense. They were thinking of the outward, visible manifestation. They could not take in the fact that they could have the presence of Christ with them, and yet He be unseen by the world. They did not understand the meaning of a spiritual manifestation." {SW,September 13, 1898 par. 2} 

 

Those who believe the truth should remember that they are God's little children, that they are under His training. Let them be thankful to God for His manifold mercies and be kind to one another. They have one God and one Saviour; and one Spirit--the Spirit of Christ--is to bring unity into their ranks.  {9T 189.3}  Aug 24 1905

Ephesians 6:12. But they would not be left to fight alone. He assured them that He would be with them; and that if they would go forth in faith, they should move under the shield of Omnipotence. He bade them be brave and strong; for One mightier than angels would be in their ranks--the General of the armies of heaven. He made full provision for the prosecution of their work and took upon Himself the responsibility of its success. So long as they obeyed His word, and worked in connection with Him, they could not fail. Go to all nations, He bade them. Go to the farthest part of the habitable globe and be assured that My presence will be with you even there. Labor in faith and confidence; for the time will never come when I will forsake you. I will be with you always, helping you to perform your duty, guiding, comforting, sanctifying, sustaining you, giving you success in speaking words that shall draw the attention of others to heaven.  {AA 29.1} 

 

 

In John 17:3 Christ was praying to His Father in heaven.

“Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.”

·       According to this verse which Jesus spoke, we are to know the only true God –the Father and Jesus Christ His Son; This is eternal life.

 

The Father(God)  is a person, His Divine Son Jesus is a person, The Holy Spirit is a person, however not a separate person to the Father and Son.  The Holy Spirit is the spiritual manifestation/presence of Jesus, our comforter, helper, advocate. When we have the presence of Christ in our lives (Holy Spirit) we have the Fathers presence through Christ. Jesus said that He was the only way to the Father. 

 

Jesus is in heaven as our High Priest and he also abides {himself} in our hearts.

Only Christ can be our comforter as he was tempted in all points as we are and rose again to give us His Righteous life that only HE could give. This is how we can be overcomers with His/Christ's Righteous life.