The Comforter

This article is longer than most that I write. I suggest you read it when you have sufficient time. It will also appear in the website under the title Neutralizing Objections To The Gospel.

I have believed that when someone is uncomfortable as I share the gospel with them, it means that they will not respond to it and I should stop sharing. I have been wrong. Recently, a man that I attempted to share the gospel with told me that he was uncomfortable about that so I stopped sharing with him.

Through that experience the Lord has helped me to learn some beautiful truth that I didn*t think of before about what happens when we receive Jesus. The gentleman was honest about what he was feeling but I should have had an answer. I remember that before I received Jesus I too was uncomfortable when Christians tried to share the gospel with me. I should have told him something like this: If you permit Him to, The God of all comfort will become your Comforter.

Whatever objections individuals have to the gospel, there is some Biblical truth that might show them that their objection is invalid. The better we know the Bible the better we will be able to offer them the Biblical truth that will help them. Whatever objections they have to the gospel, whether they voice them or not, there is Biblical truth that might melt any and every objection. Whatever individuals want to hang on to will be replaced by something better from the Lord when they receive Jesus.

One of the things that happens when we share the gospel with people and they receive Jesus, is that they go from uncomfortable to comfortable. Their discomfort might be caused by sorrow over sin, disgust with themselves, guilt, emptiness, anger, loneliness, helplessness, neediness, stubbornness, unhappiness, fears, doubt, etc. All of those things and many others are connected with unforgiven sin. Those things are not comfortable. Jesus can give them relief from any and all of them. Even when we Christians do not understand the specific objections that unbelievers have to the gospel, God does understand. As we share scripture with them He can speak to their hearts with complete and perfect understanding. He can neutralize and eliminate every objection that they might have to the Gospel. We cannot.

Romans 10:17: So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

2 Corinthians 1:3-4: Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; 4: Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.

When we are uncomfortable in a physical way we might go to a physician and trust Him to solve the problem. The Lord permits individuals to be uncomfortable in spiritual ways so that they will trust Him to solve the problem. Uncomfortable is an interesting word. The word and the feeling describe perfectly what I felt shortly before I surrendered my heart to the Lord. I had that feeling a number of times before that, but it became more frequent and stronger in the days just before I received Jesus. Comforted is another interesting word. It describes perfectly the way I felt the instant I received Jesus into my heart. Jesus, God the Father and the Holy Spirit are all Comforters. Jesus proved that He was a Comforter by His actions and both the Father and the Holy Spirit are called Comforters in the Bible.

Jesus had been the disciples* Comforter. They knew that they had been comforted in His presence and were uncomfortable out of it. He had told them that He must go away and would return. They were troubled and did not want Him to go away. They were troubled when He died on the cross. They were comforted when they knew He had risen from the dead. They were troubled when He ascended into Heaven. But He had promised to send them another Comforter and He and the Father fulfilled that promise on the day of Pentecost.

John 14:16: And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;

Acts 2:1-4: And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. 2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. 3 And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. 4 And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.

The manifestations of the presence of the Holy Spirit on that day were the sound of a rushing wind, the appearance of tongues like fire and they spoke with other tongues. One manifestation of the Holy Spirit in our day is often comfort. However else we describe it, it is more comfort than we had before. We don*t hear the sound of a rushing wind, we don*t see tongues like fire, nor do we instantly speak in other languages.

Acts 2:6-8: Now when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together, and were confounded, because that every man heard them speak in his own language. 7 And they were all amazed and marvelled, saying one to another, Behold, are not all these which speak Galilaeans? 8 And how hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born?

They were comforted when the Holy Spirit (the Comforter) came upon them. After that His comfort was always available. Ever after, Jesus (their first Comforter) lived in their hearts and lives in the person of the Holy Spirit.

Ephesians 3:17: That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; . . .

Romans 8:9: But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.

God is the only source of this kind of comfort.

2 Corinthians 1:3: Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort;

Jesus is the only way to the God of all comfort.

John 14:6: Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

When we receive Jesus into our hearts we acquire the only way to the God of all comfort. When we do that, He and His Father give us the Holy Spirit in our hearts.

John 14:16: And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;

I was carrying the heavy load of my unforgiven sin. That was uncomfortable. He comforted me by removing it. I was uncomfortable because my sin was between me and God and my prayers were not answered.

Isaiah 59:2: But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.

I knew was helpless to make myself comfortable.

Jeremiah 8:18: When I would comfort myself against sorrow, my heart is faint in me.

I was uncomfortable about who I was and He made me a new creature.

2 Corinthians 5:17: Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

I was uncomfortable because I was unacceptable to my Creator. Now He accepts me in Jesus.

Ephesians 1:6: To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.

I was uncomfortable because of the absence of God in my life. Now He never leaves me.

Hebrews 13:5: Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.

I was uncomfortable because I was an enemy of God.

Colossians 1:21: And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled.

I was uncomfortable because I was in conflict with God. Being at peace with the God of all creation is comfortable beyond explanation or understanding.

Philippians 4:7: And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Once we have invited Jesus into our hearts, God gives comfort to us whenever we need it by Jesus and the Holy Spirit.

Philippians 4:19: But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

The comfort He gives me in my heart far surpasses any comfort or discomfort I had before.

2 Thessalonians 2:16: Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God, even our Father, which hath loved us, and hath given us everlasting consolation and good hope through grace, 17 Comfort your hearts, and stablish you in every good word and work.

I was uncomfortable because I was not a child of God.

John 1:12: But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:

Whenever individuals exclude Jesus from their hearts and lives they are uncomfortable. Being uncomfortable should not be a reason to avoid Jesus, it should be a reason to receive Him and embrace Him. There will be no comfort in Hell.

Luke 16:25: But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented.

Christians have plenty of problems that give them a need for comfort. In a sense, they have a far greater need for comfort than unbelievers. Unbelievers are mostly concerned about self and about temporary problems. Believers are concerned about others, often a multitude of others. And they are concerned about eternal issues. Unbelievers are usually not troubled about sin. Believers are troubled about their own sin AND the sin of others. Unbelievers do not understand the horrible destructive nature of sin. Believers come to understand that. The things that cause Christians discomfort are multiplied far more than the things that trouble unbelievers. But concerned, persecuted and suffering believers have more comfort than unbelievers in lives of ease. Believers need and HAVE the God of all comfort. AND THEY WANT UNBELIEVERS TO HAVE HIM TOO!!

Care to discuss The Comforter with Ron?

He'd also like to hear your prayer requests