John 14:15-16 "If ye love me, keep my commandments. (16) And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever"
We sometimes are guilty of looking at a particular verse of Scripture without
considering the surrounding words. Verse 15 is one that is easy to try to make
it stand on its own. And yes, it can stand on its own merit, but Jesus did not
stop at verse 15.
Another such verse is verse 16. I submit to you that Jesus did not stop at one
verse and change subjects to a different subject. So, what is the
connection between the two? Let's consider the two verses together.
Jesus said, "If ye love me, keep my commandments." We say
that we love Jesus, and we do. We try our best to keep His commandments, but we
fail. Jesus takes the stance of a court of law in presenting this. We
fail and we have an adversary who takes our failures to try to accuse us and
bring guilt upon us.
When there is an adversary in the court of law, there is also an Advocate who
is called to stand beside the accused in their defense. The word, Comforter,
carries the idea of one who pleads another's cause before a judge. It
speaks of being called to one's side to give assistance.
So what does this mean and how does it apply to you and me? Let me put it
as simply as I can. We love Jesus. We desire to keep His commandments,
but we fail. Satan immediately begins to try to bring accusations and tries to
cause feelings of guilt within us.
The Holy Spirit is summoned to stand beside us in our defense. When Jesus spoke
these words, He knew what would take place in our feeble attempts. So what defense
does the Holy Spirit, the Comforter, the counsel of defense, use on our behalf?
"Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it
seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you,
and shall be in you." (John 14:17)
The Spirit of truth uses truth to defend us. What is truth? Let us use the
words of Jesus to answer this. "Jesus saith unto him, I am the way,
THE TRUTH, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me."
(John 14:6). Again how is this our defense? Satan accuses. The Holy
Spirit defends. Basis of our defense: "To the praise of the glory of his
grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved. (7) In whom we have
redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches
of his grace" (Ephesians 1:6-7)
Jesus died even for our weaknesses and failures. The Holy Spirit is our
defender and Jesus Christ is our defense. We are accepted by God, not based on
our works; rather based on the finished work of the TRUTH, the Lord Jesus
Christ.