THE PROMISED COMFORTER During His last few hours of life on earth, Jesus gave final instructions to His disciples. He said, I AM GOING AWAY... WHERE I GO YOU CANNOT COME. These disciples had depended upon Him for 31/2 years... He had supplied everything they needed... He healed their sick... Cast out their demons... Raised their dead... Given sight to the blind... Fed thousands... Now He’s going away and they can’t go with Him!

Jesus promised them HELP WHEN HE IS GONE... John 14:15-21 "If you love me, you will obey what I command. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever— 17 the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. 18 I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. 19 Before long, the world will not see me any- more, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. 20 On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. 21 Whoever has my commands and obeys them,

he is the one who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him.“ Vss "All this I have spoken while still with you. 26 But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. 27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. 15:26 When the Counselor comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father, he will testify about me. And you also must testify.

16:7-13 But I tell you the truth: It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. 8 When he comes, he will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteous- ness and judgment: 9 in regard to sin, because men do not believe in me; 10 in regard to righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer; 11 and in regard to judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned. 12 "I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. 13 But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth.

Jesus said that when He left He wouldn’t leave them to be ORPHANS. He would send the Spirit of Truth, the Holy Spirit, One that will be with you, like Me. He will be your... Helper... Guide... Counselor... Companion… Advocate... Intercessor... COMFORTER. The Greek word is PARACLETE… One who runs along beside us to help us, comfort, strengthen, enable, and empower us. The promised COMFORTER was not only for those in the Upper Room, but for all who will love Jesus and keep His commandments. This INCLUDES US!

The Holy Spirit came upon the Apostles on the Day of Pentecost. In Acts 2:38 the promise to all baptized believers was two-fold... THE REMISSION OF SINS AND THE GIFT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. What we can learn about the Comforter who was to take Jesus’ place and His work in our lives… 1. THE HOLY SPIRIT IS DEITY... HE IS GOD... CHRIST IN US. 14:16 Jesus said, I will send another COUNSELOR Here Jesus uses a word for ANOTHER which in Greek means “ANOTHER OF THE SAME KIND.”

This is a clear reference to the Trinity, 3 persons in one: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. All distinct and separate one from another, yet forming the One and only God. Jesus is saying the Spirit will take over His work that He had been doing with the disciples. 1 Corinthians 3:16 Don't you know that you yourselves are God's temple and that God's Spirit lives in you? Paul believed we are indwelt by the Holy Spirit… Indicating that the Holy Spirit is God. 2 Peter 1:21 For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.

Scripture indicates that the Holy Spirit possesses the ATTRIBUTES OR QUALITIES of God. He is OMNISCIENT. 1 Corinthians 2:10-11 The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. 11 For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the man's spirit within him? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. He is also OMNIPOTENT... Jesus was said to be conceived by the Holy Spirit and the power of the Most High. Matthew 1:18-23 We are told in Romans 8:11... that the Spirit raised Jesus from the dead. He is ETERNAL.

Hebrews 9:14 How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God! 2. THE HOLY SPIRIT HAS PERSONALITY. The Holy Spirit is NOT some force or power. When Jesus speaks of the Spirit in John, He uses masculine pronouns. Jesus is referring to a PERSON, NOT a thing. The Spirit’s possession of personal characteristics is seen in the fact that He has EMOTIONS... He can be grieved.

He has INTELLIGENCE... He is the SPIRIT OF TRUTH... Able to, Lead, Guide, Teach… Correct. He has a WILL... He gives spiritual gifts and ministry enablement. 1 Corinthians 12 Emotions, Intelligence, Will are usually regarded as the 3 fundamental elements of PERSONHOOD. 3. THE HOLY SPIRIT DWELLS IN THE CHILD OF GOD. The Godhead DEITY, which includes the Holy Spirit, indwells every child of God. God ABIDES in us. "If you love me, you will obey what I command. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever— 17 the Spirit of truth. The world

cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. 1 John 4:15 If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in him and he in God. 1 Corinthians 3:16 Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple. Galatians 4:6 Because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, "Abba, Father.“ Ephesians 2:21-22 In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. 22 And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.

Romans 8:9-11 You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ. 10 But if Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin, yet your spirit is alive because of righteous- ness. 11 And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you. 2 Timothy 1:14 Guard the good deposit that was entrusted to you — guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in us.

1 John 3:24 Those who obey his commands live in him, and he in them. And this is how we know that he lives in us: We know it by the Spirit he gave us. There should be no doubt that… GOD THE FATHER… that JESUS THE SON… lives in us through the SPIRIT HE GAVE US. Next week we will talk about the WORK of the SPIRIT who LIVES IN US.