The next person of the Godhead that is called our Comforter is the Holy Spirit, Who is unseen and unfelt as in a physical fashion. And with Him like with Jesus, Who is the Messiah and Christ our anointing, there is more to the Holy Spirit as He also wares other titles as well. Such as; He Abides forever in John 14:16, Brings to remembrance Christ's words in John 14:26, Testifies concerning Christ in John 15:26, Convicts the world of sin in John 16:7-8, and Guides into all Truth in John 16:13. Back to Christ and His words of Comfort, my targeted subject for today. But first Pastor Hoekstra and his topic of Grace. And then with the use of the ESV translation my subject the words of Christ that Comfort us.
"Temporary Visible Things, Eternal Invisible Things"
"For our light affliction . . . is working for us . . . [an] eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal." (2Corinthians 4:17-18)
"Our gracious God wants to use the trials in our lives ("our light affliction") to produce for us eternal blessings ("eternal weight of glory"). He intends to use our daily difficulties to enlarge our spiritual capacity to experience more fully the glorious eternal realities of knowing, worshiping, and serving GOD forever! The LORD desires a full, rich inheritance to await us in heaven: "For so an entrance will be supplied to you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our LORD and Savior Jesus Christ" (2Peter 1:11).
A life of great difficulty here on earth does not guarantee enriched experience in heaven. The process of earthly trials producing heavenly blessings is not automatic for GOD's children. Verse 18 tells us exactly when this process is occurring: "while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen." The difficulties of life are turned to eternal blessings "while" we turn our attention upon unseen realities. For those of Israel this includes their blindness because they continue to resist GOD's transformation which He did shortly after Jesus' ascension. This being confirmed by the record of Acts unto to this very day.
Many believers waste their afflictions by focusing upon "the things which are seen." They set their minds on themselves, their circumstances, or some conventional human wisdom. Such an approach to life's problems fosters temporal frustrations and depressions not eternal blessings. To accrue eternal benefits from temporal situations, we must look to the unseen eternal resources, because "the things which are not seen are eternal."
What are these unseen things? They are the resources of the Grace of GOD, they are the tools of choice employed by GOD. Many are of the natural things that happen throughout of earthly existence, like cause and effect. This includes Grace for consolation and hope: "Our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and our GOD and Father, Who has . . . given us everlasting consolation and good hope by Grace" (2Thessalonians 2:16). This also includes Grace for endurance: "My Grace is sufficient for you" (2Corinthians 12:9). It actually includes "Grace upon grace" (John 1:16) for whatever is needed.
All of this is available through daily dependency upon the LORD. "For we walk by faith, not by sight" (2Corinthians 5:7). The Christian life is lived by faith in the ascended LORD, not by mastery of observable circumstances. GOD's people enter into His blessings by trusting Him. It is by looking to the Grace of GOD during our difficulties that afflictions are turned into an "eternal weight of glory.""
Christ's Words our Source of Comfort:
Matthew 9:20-22 and Mark 5:35-41 "Behold, a woman who had suffered from a discharge of blood for twelve years came up behind Him and touched the fringe of His garment, or she said to herself, "If I only touch His garment, I will be made well." Jesus turned, and seeing her he said, "Take heart, daughter; your faith has made you well." And instantly the woman was made well."
Mark 5:35-43 "While He was still speaking, there came from the ruler's house some who said, "Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the Teacher any further?" But overhearing what they said, Jesus said to the ruler of the synagogue, "Do not fear, only believe." And He allowed no one to follow Him except Peter and James and John the brother of James. They came to the house of the ruler of the synagogue, and Jesus saw a commotion, people weeping and wailing loudly. When He had entered, He said to them, "Why are you making a commotion and weeping? The child is not dead but sleeping." And they laughed at Him. He put them all outside and took the child's father and mother and those who were with Him and went in where the child was. Taking her by the hand He said to her, "Talitha cumi," which means, "Little girl, I say to you, arise." Immediately the girl got up and began walking (for she was twelve years of age), and they were immediately overcome with amazement. He strictly charged them that no one should know this, and told them to give her something to eat."
Luke 7:11-17 "He went to a town called Nain, and His disciples and a great crowd went with Him. As He drew near to the gate of the town, behold, a man who had died was being carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow, and a considerable crowd from the town was with her. When the Lord saw her, He had compassion on her and said to her, "Do not weep." Then He came up and touched the bier, and the bearers stood still. And He said, "Young man, I say to you, arise." The dead man sat up and began to speak, and Jesus gave him to his mother. Fear seized them all, and they glorified God, saying, "A great prophet has arisen among us!" and "God has visited His people!" This report about Him spread through the whole of Judea and all the surrounding country."
John 14:1-7 (Jesus is speaking) "Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in GOD; believe also en Me. In My Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I Will come again and Will take you to Myself, that where I am you may be also. And you know the way to where I am going." Thomas said to Him, "Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?" Jesus said to him, "I am the Way, and the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also. From now on you do know Him and (for you) have seen Him."
John 14:18-24 and John 16:16-24 (Jesus is speaking) "I will not leave you as orphans; I Will come to you. Yet a little while and the world will see Me no more, but you will see Me. Because I live, you also Will live. In that day you Will Know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you. Whoever has My commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves Me. And he who loves Me Will be loved by My Father, and I Will love him and manifest Myself to him."
Judas (not Iscariot) said to Him, "Lord, how is it that You will manifest yourself to us, and not to the world?" Jesus answered him, "If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word, and My Father Will love him, and WE Will come to him and make our home with him. Whoever does not love Me does not keep My words. And the word that you hear is not Mine but the Father's Who sent Me."
John 16:16-24 (Jesus is speaking) "A little while, and you will see Me no longer; and again a little while, and you will see Me." Some of His disciples said to one another, "What is this that He says to us, 'A little while, and you will not see Me, and again a little while, and you will see Me'; and, 'because I am going to the Father'?" So they were saying, "What does He mean by 'a little while'? We do not know what He is talking about." Jesus knew that they wanted to ask Him, so He said to them, "Is this what you are asking yourselves, what I meant by saying, 'A little while and you will not see Me, and again a little while and you will see Me'? Truly, truly, I say to you, you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice. You will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will turn into joy. When a woman is giving birth, she has sorrow because her hour has come, but when she has delivered the baby, she no longer remembers the anguish, for joy that a human being has been born into the world. So also you have sorrow now, but I Will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you. In that day you will ask nothing of Me. Truly, truly, I say to you, whatever you ask of the Father in My name, He will give it to you. Until now you have asked nothing in My name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full."
John 16:29-33 and 2Thessalonians 2:16-17 His disciples said, "Ah, now You are speaking plainly and not using figurative speech!Now we know that You know all things and do not need anyone to question You; this is why we believe that You came from GOD." Jesus answered them, "Do you now believe? Behold, the hour is coming, indeed it has come, when you will be scattered, each to his own home, and will leave Me alone. Yet I am not alone, for the Father is with Me. I have said these things to you, that en Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world."
2Thessalonians 2:16-17 "Now may our LORD Jesus Christ Himself, and GOD our Father, Who loves us and gave us eternal comfort and good hope through Grace, comfort your hearts and establish them in every good work and word."
I am going to do something that I have not done before and that is to add another touch of Pastor Hoekstra's teaching on Grace. It dealing with the law of sin and death. And how when we receive the Truth of our being identified en Christ Jesus on the tree of execution we have with Him died to this law of Genesis 3, that covers the world and man in particular.
"Truth to Deliver Us from the Law"
"The law (of Genesis 3) has dominion over a man as long as he lives . . . But now we have been delivered from the law, having died to what we were held by, so that we should serve in the newness of the Spirit and not in the oldness of the letter (the Laws of Moses)." (Romans 7:1 and 6)
"In the word of GOD, the LORD has Promised Truths' which brings spiritual liberation. "The Truth shall make you free" (John 8:32). We have considered such Truths that set people free from bondage to sin, from bondage to the fear of death, and from bondage to the influence of the evil one. Now, we will look at another category of Liberating Truth: Truth to deliver us from the law. The law of hostility, that separates natural man from his Creator because of hostilities, resentment and bitterness which cause unbelief.
This issue pertains to everyone initially, because we all begin under bondage to this law. "Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God" (Romans 3:19). Everyone who has ever lived, is living now, or will live in the days to come ("all the world") is initially held in a state of condemnation ("guilty before GOD"), because of their inherent sin nature. This guilty condition will persist for a lifetime, if GOD did not supply a remedy. "The law has dominion over a man as long as he lives." However, this condition need not persist, because the Lord's word proclaims liberating truth for this drastic need. "But now we have been delivered from the law, having died to what we were held by." The person we were at physical birth died on the cross with Christ, when we believe Him. The promised New creature en Christ now stands justified by Christ's faith in the promises spoken of Him and the Faithfulness of GOD in those Promises (not by law performance). "Therefore we conclude that a man is justified (declared not guilty, pronounced righteous en Christ) by faith apart from the deeds of the (Law of Moses or of works required by his and keeps Israel in bondage to this day) law" (Romans 3:28).
All of GOD's children have experienced these Liberating Truths, as they apply to justification (our eternal righteous standing before GOD in heaven). Keeping in mind that all children of the earth were created in His image and likeness. But that does not qualify us as being His until we by trusting hope believe Him. However, many of GOD's people are unaware of the need to be delivered out from under the bondage of the law concerning sanctification (our daily growth in personal, practical godliness on earth). Yet, the word of GOD (Jesus, the Word of GODs Promises which put on mans flesh to bring about GOD's transformation) addresses this matter repeatedly. Here, in one of our primary verses for meditation, we see these Truths given a sanctification implication. "Now we have been delivered from the (sin and death) law, having died to what we were held by, so that we should serve in the newness of the spirit having received Christ's Spirit and not in the oldness of the letter." Yes, understanding this Truth of being delivered from the law determines whether we will struggle daily in bondage to Law of performance, or live freely by the ongoing, fresh work of the Spirit of God."
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