"If ye love me, keep my commandments. And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; 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. I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you."
"The word "comfortless" here is translated from a word which means "orphan". Jesus promised that when He went away He would send another comforter through the Holy Spirit. He said He would not leave you us as orphans. He promised he would leave one along side of us to comfort and to minister to us. Act 2:39 says, "For the promise is unto you, and your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call". As "Spirit-filled" children of God we have something to be thankful about; something to praise God about. We are not orphans! An orphan is one whose parents are deceased - which in itself is great sorrow. Their parents love and compassion, their help and instruction are missing. But, praise God - we are not orphans because our Lord is not dead! He is risen indeed! He is very much alive and His promise to us is in John 14:19, ".....because I live ye shall live also". (verse 18-our text) I will not leave you as orphans. I will come to you.
Thank God............. The Comforter has come.
The Comforter has come to cover our loneliness. One of the most devastating conditions of human life is loneliness. The Holy Spirit comes to cover these times. It is our spiritual benefit that we, as a child of God, get a grip of the constant presence of the Holy Spirit.
We are not orphans because we are not left alone!
Orphans are for the most part alone, deserted and forsaken. Aren't you grateful that you are not an orphan?
We are not orphans because we have not lost our provider. A child who suddenly loses their parent(s) wonder who will take care of them; who will provide their food and the necessities of life. But, it is not so with Jesus. When He went to heaven He did not leave us as orphans. He is our Shepherd and we "shall not want". Psalm 23. He has sent us another Comforter. The Holy Spirit is now along side of us to help us in every way.
We are not orphans because we are not left without instruction and counsel. What a great loss when a child becomes an orphan! Someone was once quoted as saying, "The best guardian in the world is a poor substitute for a true parent". Friends, if you have given your life to Christ, you are not an orphan. John 14:26 assures us when it says, "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". In John 16:13 Jesus tells that The Holy Spirit is one that will lead us and guide us into all truth......"Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth....."
He comes to meet our emptiness with His fullness.
He comes to replace our weakness with His power.
To be filled with the Spirit was of paramount importance in the experience of the early believers. It should be the same for us today. The Holy Spirit comes to literally fill us with Himself. We are the very dwelling places of God. By dwelling in us He radiates the presence of a living Christ. He fills us with power, giving us the strength and courage to tell others about the Good News. He doesn't want us to be empty of such power. When He fills there is no void in our hearts and our lives. He enables us so that we might do the works of Jesus and greater. We can have His fullness and all He has promised. We have One with us to meet our need. We are not orphans! Our God is not dead! He is alive to comfort and to minister to us.
The Holy Spirit is here today to:
Cover our loneliness....with His presence.
Meet our emptiness....with His provisions.
Replace our weakness....with His power.
Are you an orphan? Do you want the Holy Spirit to Make A Difference in your life? Do you need the Comforter?
