My Comforter
By: Pastors Rodney & Adonica Howard-BrownePublish date: 07/19/2020
Foundation Scriptures:
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. John 14:16-18 KJV
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. John 16:7 KJV
1. Another Comforter.
a. Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to the earth to live in us and be with us.
b. To represent Jesus and act on His behalf.
c. To do the works of Jesus in and through the believer.
d. Jesus said: I will come back to you: I will not leave you an orphan (fatherless); I’ll not leave you comfortless, desolate, bereaved, forlorn, or helpless (John 14:18 AMPC).
2. Our Comforter.
a. The Greek word is Paracletos, and means: Advocate, Counsellor; Defender, Helper, Intercessor, Strengthener, Standby, as well as Comforter.
b. Advocate: “one who is summoned to the side of another” to help him in a court of justice by defending him; one who pleads another’s cause before a judge, a pleader, counsel for defense, legal assistant, an advocate (1 John 2:1-2).
c. Intercessor: one who pleads another’s cause with one.
d. As we pray in the Holy Spirit, He is praying, through our mouths, the perfect will of God for us (Rom. 8:26-27).
e. Helper: summoned, called to one’s side, esp. called to one’s aid; one called alongside to help; succorer, aider, assistant; standby.
f. Hebrews 13:5-6 KJV — …I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. 6 So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.
g. Strengthener: He bears us up in our weakness (helps our infirmities).
h. Strengthened with might by His Spirit in the inner man (Eph. 3:16); and according to His glorious power (Col. 1:11).
i. Comforter: Acts 9:31 tell us that the Church walked in the “comfort of the Holy Spirit.”
3. Teacher and Guide.
a. John 14:26a KJV — But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things…
b. The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Truth and will guide us into ALL Truth—the whole, full Truth.
c. John 14:17,26; 15:26; 16:13; 1John 2:20-27
d. He will not speak His own message; He will not speak on His own authority.
e. He is God’s mouthpiece—whatever He hears, He speaks (Jn. 16:12-13).
f. The Scriptures are spiritually inspired (2 Tim. 3:16-17) and must be spiritually discerned (1 Cor. 2:9-16).
g. 1 Corinthians 2:10 NKJV — But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God.
h. The natural mind does not understand the things of the Spirit (1 Cor. 2:14).
i. That is why we need the Holy Spirit to teach and guide us (Acts 8:30-31; Gal. 1:11-12).
j. As we read, study, or hear the Word, He gives us the understanding of it (Eph. 3:3-5).
k. He does not want us to be ignorant, or to grasp only part of the Truth.
l. He wants us to be filled with fullness of knowledge of Him and His Word.
4. Revealer of Jesus.
a. John 15:26 KJV — But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me.
b. He reveals wonderous truths concerning Jesus and stirs us up to desire a deeper understanding of Him (Eph.1:17-21).
c. He honors and glorifies Jesus (John 16:14).
d. Christ is revealed TO the believer by the Holy Spirit.
e. John 16:15 AMPC — Everything that the Father has is Mine. That is what I meant when I said that He [the Spirit] will take the things that are Mine and will reveal (declare, disclose, transmit) it to you.
f. He will speak to us personally and show us the things that apply directly to us.
g. Christ is revealed IN the believer by the Holy Spirit.
h. Christ formed in you (Gal. 4:19)
i. The more we come to know Him, the more we become like Him.
j. 2 Corinthians 3:18 KJV — But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.
k. Growing up into Him in all things—unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ (Eph. 4:13-15).
l. Christ is revealed THROUGH the believer by the Holy Spirit.
m. As we yield to Him, the Holy Spirit can speak and move through us.
n. We are only to speak and do the things that we see and hear Him do.
5. Our Reminder.
a. John 14:26b KJV — [He shall] bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.
b. The Holy Spirit will cause you to recall—remind you of, bring to your remembrance—everything Jesus has said.
c. Even though we have learned principles and truth, we need to be reminded—so that we do not veer off course, nor start believing the enemy’s lies (2 Pet. 1:12; Jude 5).
d. He encourages us and reminds us of the great and faithful things God has done and said in the past, to encourage our faith for what lies ahead of us.
6. Reveals Things to Come and Directs Our Way.
a. He reveals things to come.
b. Blessings in our own spiritual life are revealed to us by his Spirit (1 Cor. 2:9-12).
c. Dispensational truth—reveals the future (Amos 3:7; Gn. 18:19).
d. He reveals things in our own personal future for our benefit (Acts 21:10-11).
e. He will also lead and direct us where to go and who to minister to.
f. Philip and the eunuch (Acts 8:26-29) and Paul (Acts 16:6-9).