Blog

by Logan Ames

When we think of the word “comforter," most of us probably think of that thing that some spouses have to fight over every night once the weather turns cooler like it is right now as we approach fall. But the comfort such a blanket provides only lasts for the night anyway and then you have to find other ways to keep warm throughout the day. When I think of the true Comforter (with an intentional capital C), I’m reminded of the Holy Spirit. Jesus was talking about the Spirit and the work he would do in John 14:26 after Jesus himself was physically gone from the disciples’ presence. In addition to specifically identifying the Spirit, Jesus also referred to him as the “Advocate," according to the NIV translation, or the “Comforter," according to the KJV. Other versions of Scripture choose to translate the word Jesus used as “Helper” or “Companion."

Anyone of those words would be accurate as we look at the Greek parakaleo, the word written to record what Jesus said. Parakaleo comes from para, which means “beside” or “with," and kaleo, which means “I call." Therefore, a correct way of explaining what Jesus is saying is that the Holy Spirit will be the One who comes alongside us in life whenever we call on him, which those truly belonging to Christ must do each and every day. Jesus told his disciples in that same verse that the Holy Spirit would teach them all things and remind them of everything Jesus had already said to them. Jesus knew his time on earth was coming to an end and he wanted them to be assured that he “would not leave them as orphans” (John 14:18). In my post titled He Ascended Into Heaven from just a few weeks ago, I described what it must have been like for the disciples as Jesus, the One in whom they had put all their trust and for whom they had abandoned their previous lives, was telling them he would be no longer with them. Jesus understood their anxiety and promised them that the Comforter would come and assist them.

It is because Jesus made this promise, coupled with the actual coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost when the believers were all gathered in one room waiting for it just as Jesus had told them to do (Acts 2), that Christians universally can say, “I believe in the Holy Spirit." Jesus also said in John 14:26 that the Holy Spirit would be sent by the Father and in Jesus’ name. These words of Jesus reveal that anyone who does not believe in the Holy Spirit cannot be a true follower of Jesus. Thus, this belief is one of the tenets that we find in the Apostles’ Creed. As we have done with all of the other tenets, we will answer the follow-up question of, “So, what?”

To understand the importance of the Holy Spirit to the Christian, we must go back to the Old Testament when it was first prophesied. The prophet Joel was writing to the people of Judah during a time of prosperity and peace, but he calls their attention to some events in order to warn the people to stop ignoring God. He tells them of a plague of locusts that literally destroys much of their land and calls for their repentance and lamentation. He tells them that after they have repented and turned back to God, he would repay them for what the locusts have taken (Joel 2:25). But then we see his prophecy regarding the eventual coming of the Holy Spirit. In Joel 2:28-29 he says, “And afterward, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions. Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days." The disciples of Jesus, being Jews who knew the Scriptures, would have been familiar with this passage, but they wouldn’t know exactly what it means or when it would take place. In Jesus’ promise of the Holy Spirit coming to them, they could now connect those dots.

For a Jewish man who had abandoned everything about the previous life to follow a rabbi who claimed to be the Son of God, the impact of knowing that the Creator who sent him would also send the Holy Spirit after him could not be understated. As Jesus told them he was leaving them, they likely wondered if this had all been a waste of time and would lead nowhere. They may have even doubted it all the way up to the point that the Holy Spirit actually came to them. But once that coming happened and once they were filled with the promised Spirit, Peter stood up with the other disciples and declared that the Holy Spirit is proof that God had made Jesus “both Lord and Messiah” (Acts 2:14-36).

While the acceptance of Jesus as both Lord and Messiah is the beginning of the Christian faith for any true believer, the impact of knowing the presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives continues far beyond that initial salvation moment. It reminds us that no matter how difficult life can get, we still receive the help and comfort we desperately need in times of trouble. This is why Paul could confidently address this with the Christians in Corinth, as recorded in 2 Corinthians 1:3-7. He declares that the God we worship is the God of ALL comfort and that he provides us with the comfort we need in our suffering so that we can share that comfort with others who are also enduring hardships. Christians can be fully obedient and trusting in God even in pain and darkness because we know who provides what we need to continue on.

The only question for each of us, then, is, “Where are we going for comfort?” I preached a recent message at my church called, “A Tale of Two Gods." You can watch it here if you’d like. The two Gods both claim to provide us with comfort when we are in trouble, but only one is the Creator of the whole universe who promised and then provided a Comforter called the Holy Spirit. The other is a false god (with an intentional lower case g) of comfort that comes in many different forms. Who or what do you turn to? Drugs or alcohol? Unhealthy and improper relationships with others? The riches of this world? Anything else that kills the pain? Unfortunately, every false god of comfort there is only lasts temporarily, until you have to try something else because it only brought more brokenness ultimately. The God of all comfort who created you, molded you, and prepared you to face the challenges in your life will not leave you broken and alone. His Spirit will continue to comfort you each day as you call on him. Make his presence a reality in your life and stop chasing after false comforts.

This forum is meant to foster discussion and allow for differing viewpoints to be explored with equal and respectful consideration.  All comments are moderated and any foul language or threatening/abusive comments will not be approved.  Users who engage in threatening or abusive comments which are physically harmful in nature will be reported to the authorities.