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“Let Not Your Heart Be Troubled”
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The disciples still failed to understand Christ’s words, and again
He explained: By the Spirit He would manifest Himself to them.
“The Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will
send in My name, He shall teach you all things.” No more will you
say, I cannot comprehend.
Through the disciples Christ was to speak to all the people on
the face of the earth. But in the death of Christ they were to suffer
great disappointment. That after this experience their word might be
accurate, Jesus promised that the Comforter should “bring all things
to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.” “When He,
the Spirit of truth is come, He will guide you into all truth: for He
shall not speak of Himself; but whatsoever He shall hear, that shall
He speak: and He will show you things to come. He shall glorify
Me: for He shall receive of Mine, and shall show it unto you.”
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Jesus’ disciples had been educated to accept the teaching of the
rabbis as the voice of God, and it still held a power over their minds.
Earthly ideas still had a large place in their thoughts. They did not
understand the spiritual nature of Christ’s kingdom. Many of His
lessons seemed almost lost on them. Jesus promised that the Holy
Spirit should recall these sayings to their minds.
The Comforter is called “the Spirit of truth.” His work is to define
and maintain truth. He first dwells in the heart as the Spirit of truth,
and thus He becomes the Comforter. There is comfort in truth, but
no real comfort in falsehood. Through false traditions Satan gains
his power over the mind. False standards misshape the character.
The Holy Spirit exposes error and expels it from the soul. By the
Spirit of truth, working through the Word of God, Christ subdues
His chosen people to Himself.
The Chief Purpose of the Spirit
Jesus sought to inspire His disciples with the joy and hope that
inspired His own heart. He rejoiced because the Holy Spirit was the
highest of all gifts He could solicit from His Father for His people.
The Spirit was to be given as a regenerating agent, and without this
the sacrifice of Christ would have been of no avail. The power of
evil had been strengthening for centuries, and the submission of
men to satanic captivity was amazing. Sin could be resisted and