Oct 24 – Another Comforter!

“He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever.” (John 14:16)

Here we read the words with which Jesus, the Comforter, introduces the disciples to another Comforter—the Holy Spirit. Although Jesus had taught His disciples to pray in His name, here He Himself speaks of asking the Father to give us the Holy Spirit.

God the Father gave two great promises. First, He promised the coming of Jesus, the Messiah. Second, He promised the coming of the Holy Spirit.

Through the prophet Joel, the Lord promised that He would pour out His Spirit upon all flesh, including His servants and maidservants (Joel 2:28–29). These two great promises given in the Old Testament were fulfilled in the New Testament.

The saints of the Old Testament longed for the abiding presence of the Holy Spirit. David himself prayed that the Lord would renew a steadfast spirit within him (Psalm 51:10).

However, their hearts had not yet been fully cleansed from sin through the sacrifices of bulls and goats. It was only after Jesus Christ offered Himself on the cross as the living sacrifice and the sin-offering for the sins of the whole world—as the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world—that the Holy Spirit was poured out in this new covenant fullness.

The Holy Spirit is the Comforter, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father (John 15:26). Scripture also calls Him the Spirit of the Father (Matthew 10:20) and the Spirit of the Son (Galatians 4:6).

Just as Christ prayed, the Holy Spirit came upon the believers on the Day of Pentecost as they waited and prayed together in the upper room. Even today, those who pray in faith can receive the anointing and fullness of the Holy Spirit.

Children of God, the Holy Spirit whom you have received is a heavenly Guest. He abides with you forever. He makes your body His temple, enables you to pray from deep within, takes you as His dwelling place, and fills you with His glory. What a wonderful privilege!

Christ dwells in you, and the Holy Spirit dwells in you. Paul describes this mystery as “Christ in you, the hope of glory” (Colossians 1:27). At the same time, the Holy Spirit also dwells within you. Peter speaks of “the Spirit of glory and of God” resting upon believers (1 Peter 4:14).

Therefore, beloved children of God, you are never alone. Jesus has not left His children as orphans. He has given us another Comforter who abides with us forever.

Verse for further meditation: “The Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you.” (John 14:17)