Comforts Believers
And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever. He is the Spirit of truth. The world is unable to receive him because it doesn’t see him or know him. But you do know him, because he remains with you and will be in you.
John 14:16-17 (CSB)
Jesus stated in John 14 that He was the way, the truth, and the life and that no one comes to the Father except through Him. After this statement, Jesus proclaimed a promise that those who respond to the gospel and receive Him as Lord and Savior would also receive the Holy Spirit. Jesus mentioned that after He returns to the Father, the Counselor would be sent to be with His followers. Thus, we must recognize that the Counselor provides us with great comfort.
COMFORTED IN COUNSEL
The Holy Spirit comforts us by providing counsel. This counsel from the Lord comes in the form of guidance. The Holy Spirit encourages our hearts to follow the Lord's leading as He directs our steps to align with His will. The counsel of the Lord brings comfort, for living in God's will comes with a peace that transcends all understanding. This peace is not contingent on circumstances but derives from the presence and guidance of the Holy Spirit, the Comforter. We can find comfort in knowing that the indwelling of the Holy Spirit reveals that God is with us every step of our journey.
COMFORTED IN TRUTH
The Holy Spirit comforts us with truth. Jesus declared that the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of truth. This statement reveals the link to the Trinity, and just before this moment, Christ Jesus declared himself as the truth. When we live in the truth, we experience a life guided by the Spirit, engaged in the Word, and trusting in the Lord. We find comfort in the truth because the truth is the Lord, comes from the Lord, and is meant for the Lord. Thus, we gain comfort in truth because the truth sets us free.
COMFORTED WITH PRESENCE
The Holy Spirit resides within us, a truth we refer to as the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. Consequently, we experience the constant presence of the Lord actively working in our lives. We find comfort in knowing that we are never abandoned or forsaken. The Spirit knows us intimately and profoundly, searching the depths of our existence while working in us, before us, and alongside us. Living with the assurance of God’s presence through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit offers comfort regardless of any situation we face.
QUESTIONS
Why is there freedom and comfort in the reality that the Spirit is truth?
Can you describe a moment in your life when you recognized the comfort of being led by the Holy Spirit?
