Comfort
"Comfort, comfort my people, says your God. Speak comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned: for she has received at the Lord's hand double for all her sins." (Isaiah 40:1-2)
"My little children, these things I write unto you, that you may not sin. And if any man sin, we have a Comforter with the Father, Jesus Christ the Righteous: And He is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world." (1 John 2:1-2,RV,margin)
"I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter, that He may abide with you for ever; Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it sees Him not, neither knows Him: but you know Him; for He dwells with you, and shall be in you. I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you." (John 14:16-18)
"The Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, He shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you." (John 14:26) "It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send Him unto you. And when He is come, He will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of Judgment." (John 16:7-8) "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort; Who comforts us in all our affliction, that we may be able to comfort them that are in any affliction, through the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God. For as the sufferings of Christ abound unto us, even so our comfort also abounds through Christ." (2 Corinthians 1:3-5)
Warfare Ended
"These things I have spoken unto you, that in me you might have peace. In the world you shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world." (John 16:33) "Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against wicked spirits in heavenly places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand." (Ephesians 6:11-13) "Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, He also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death He might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil." (Hebrews 2:14) "And having spoiled principalities and powers, He made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in himself." (Colossians 2:15,margin) "Forasmuch then as Christ has suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind; for he that has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin." (1 Peter 4:1) "Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world gives, give I unto you." (John 14:27) "Whatsoever is begotten of God overcomes the world: and this is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith." (1 John 5:4,RV)
Double for Sin
"God ... has in these last days spoken unto us by His Son ... who ... when He had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high." (Hebrews 1:3) "Where sin abounded, grace did much more abound." (Romans 5:20) "And of His fullness have all we received, and grace for grace." (John 1:16) "Our God ... will multiply to pardon." (Isaiah 55:7,margin)
Speaking to the Heart
Recall the marginal rendering of the second verse, as given in the study last week, which is literal: "Speak to the heart of Jerusalem." (Isaiah 40:2)
When God speaks words of comfort to His people He speaks to the heart. A great many people have an abundance of words at their command, which they can pour into the ears of the afflicted, but which do not really comfort, although they may all be true, and very appropriate to the occasion. Only those who have shared the same experience as the sufferer can speak to the heart; and they may do this without many words.
The Lord's People
Doubtless someone will say, "But I am not one of the Lord's people, and therefore His words of comfort are not addressed to me."
Do not allow the devil to cheat you out of your comfort in that way. It may be that you have not acknowledged the Lord, but He has never cast you off; He claims you as His own. The prodigal son is a son nevertheless, no matter how far away he has wandered. (Luke 15:11-32)
The whole of the book of Isaiah shows that it is not merely the good people whom God claims as His own. Read the 1st chapter, and that alone is sufficient to show that the comfort here offered is for those who are "laden with iniquity." (Isaiah 1:4)
Comfort for All
"Blessed are they that mourn; for they shall be comforted." (Matthew 5:4)
There is no exception. Christ does not specify a certain class, and say that they that mourn in a certain way, or for certain things, shall be comforted. His comfort is for all that mourn. Christ was anointed with the Holy Ghost, and sent "to comfort all that mourn." (Isaiah 51:2)
Doubtless the words from the talk on the mount are generally applied to those who mourn departed friends. Well, they apply there, but they go deeper. Death and pain are but the consequence of sin. It is sin that has caused all the sorrow and mourning in the earth. Therefore the Lord sends comfort to all who mourn because of sin, that is, to all whom sin has in any way caused to mourn. His comfort is as boundless as His life and His love.
Who is the Comforter?
God is "the God of all comfort," (2 Corinthians 4:3) and, "The only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him." (John 1:18)
So Christ is the Comforter which we have with the Father. Note the close connection of the statement that He is the Comforter with the one that: "He is the propitiation for our sins, ... and for those of the whole world." (1 John 2:2)
It is the comfort of pardon, and freedom from the bondage of sin, that He gives. He comforts us by giving us himself.
The Holy Spirit is Christ's Representative. He is Christ present in the flesh of all men, and not simply in the person of Jesus of Nazareth. He comes in the name of Christ; not merely taking His name, but revealing the living Christ. Therefore He is another Comforter. His comfort is the comfort of Christ. The comfort of the Holy Ghost has the effect to multiply believers: "Then had the churches rest throughout all Judæa and Galilee and Samaria, and were edified; and walking in the fear of the Lord, and in the comfort of the Holy Ghost, were multiplied." (Acts 9:31)
This is because the Holy Ghost teaches all things that pertain to Christ.
The Comfort of Reproof
Comfort does not always consist merely of smooth words. The surgeon has sometimes to use a knife, and for a time add to the pain, before he can give a sufferer complete relief. So when the Holy Ghost comes to us, He reproves us of sin the first thing. He comes with conviction. In this way He often causes pain where there was before only numbness and insensibility. Shall we complain of this?
Shall we say that we do not wish any such comfort? By no means. Is it not a good thing to rouse the man who is fast becoming insensible through cold? When a man is freezing to death he falls into a condition of insensibility to the cold. He feels as though he were falling into a delicious sleep. But it is the sleep of death.
When the rescuer finds him, and begins to restore him to life, he experiences great pain. It may be that he will wildly say that it would have been far better to leave him in his former painless condition; but when he comes to himself, and understand what has been done, he will forever thank the one who brought him to life at the cost of much suffering. Just as much comfort as there is in life, so much comfort was the rescuer giving the frozen man when he was causing him the pain of experiencing his condition.
Let us never forget, therefore, that the Holy Spirit is always the Comforter. In convicting of sin, He is imparting comfort. If the way of life leads by the cross, then there is just as much comfort in the cross as there is in the life that is gained by it. We must never think that God is angry with us because He makes us know how greatly we have sinned. He is not doing it to taunt us, but to comfort us.
Conviction Not Condemnation
Remember that conviction does not mean condemnation. This is true even in an earthly court. A man may stand convicted of a crime, and still not be under sentence. But this is but a feeble illustration; for we are all condemned already. We are "born under the law." (Galatians 4:4,RV)
Therefore the conviction of the sin--the bringing home to our consciences the fact that we are sinners--does not make matters any worse than they were. That conviction is but the first and the necessary step towards our freedom from the sin; for we must know and acknowledge the sin before we will accept the remedy for it.
Convicted by the Revelation of Righteousness
It is by the revelation of the righteousness of God, that the Holy Spirit convicts of sin. "By the law is the knowledge of sin." (Romans 3:20)
But the law is not sin: "Is the law sin? God forbid." (Romans 7:7)
On the contrary, it is "holy, and just, and good." (Romans 7:12)
No man could ever become convicted of sin by looking at sin. It is by looking at the righteousness of God that we may become conscious of the fact that we are sinners. He who knows nothing of any better state than the one he is in, never desires anything better. Dissatisfaction with one's condition comes only with the knowledge of something better. God produces a feeling of dissatisfaction with our sinful condition, by revealing to us His own perfect righteousness.
No Condemnation From God
This is a most wonderful and blessed thing. That which causes the conviction is that which saves. Therefore we need not be condemned at all. Neither need we go a long time mourning under conviction of sins. If we will but grasp God's way of working, we shall in the very moment of conviction find the comfort of pardon.
The righteousness that is revealed for the purpose of taking away the sin, is that which makes it known to us; therefore if we will but believe God's word, our suffering for sin may be but as the lightning's flash; the moment of the revelation of sin may be its departure.
To be sure the Spirit abides with us as the continual reprover of sin; but since He does this by the revelation of the righteousness of God, we may be in a state of continual justification, although continually conscious of the fact that we are sinners. "There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus. ... It is God that justifies. Who is he that condemns?" (Romans 8:1,33-34)
Every soul that is condemned is self-condemned; and even wherein our heart condemns us, we may have confidence, and may "assure our hearts before Him, [Because] God is greater than our hearts, and knows all things." (1 John 3:19-20,RV)
And by His knowledge He justifies. "He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by His knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for He shall bear their iniquities." (Isaiah 53:11) "Tribulation works patience; And patience, experience." (Romans 5:3-4)
Patience means suffering, endurance. No man has patience unless he has something to suffer, for without suffering there is no need of patience. The word is from the Latin word that means, to bear, to suffer. Therefore the possession of patience necessarily imposes suffering. It is not suffering that makes people impatient; it is the lack of faith that does that; suffering works patience, when our faith in Christ makes us suffer with Him.
The Object of Comfort
Patience works experience. If we wish experience, we must not shun suffering, nor refuse to bear burdens. No matter how great the tribulation, God has comfort enough to enable us to endure it. He comforts us in all our affliction and tribulation. Do not forget this; His comfort is inexhaustible. "My grace is sufficient for you." (2 Corinthians 12:9)
And why does He comfort us? In order that we may be able to comfort those who are in any sort of tribulation with the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God. We are to accept God's comfort, and pass it along. God thus makes us sharers in His own work. The Holy Spirit takes us into co-partnership, as it were. He makes us comforters.
Rejecting Comfort
Nobody can give to another that which he himself does not possess. We cannot comfort another unless we have been comforted. And if we never have any tribulation, then we have no need of comfort. There are burdens and tribulations enough in this world for everybody, and we do not need to seek them; but the fault with us is that we often refuse to bear those that naturally and legitimately fall to us; and thus we refuse the comfort that God would bestow upon us.
But when we reject the comfort of the Holy Ghost, we reject the possibility of comforting others. Thus we see that by refusing to bear burdens, and by refusing to face tribulation, we are simply refusing to be fitted for the work of helping those who are in trouble.
What would be thought of a man who should see people in great distress, perishing before his eyes, and should have the means wherewith to help them, but should turn away, saying, "It is none of my business; I don't care; I shall not lift a finger to help them."
We can scarcely conceive of so heartless a man; and yet that is what we virtually say whenever we refuse to bear some burden that falls to our lot. We are saying, "I do not wish to be a helper of the poor and needy; I do not care to comfort those that mourn."
Invincible Armor
"Speak comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished." (Isaiah 40:2)
God comforts us by telling us that our warfare is accomplished. We are enjoined to: "Fight the good fight of faith;" (1 Timothy 6:12)
But we do so by "laying hold on eternal life." (1 Timothy 6:12)
We are to fight only in the armor of God, which is Christ himself; and He has overcome the world. (John 16:33) Note the various pieces of armor. "Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith you shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God." (Ephesians 6:14-17)
1. We are to have our loins girt about with truth; and Christ is the truth: "Jesus said unto him, I am the ... truth." (John 14:6)
2. Next comes the breastplate of righteousness; and Christ is made unto us righteousness: "But of Him are you in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us ... righteousness." (1 Corinthians 1:30)
3. Our feet are to be shod with the preparation of the Gospel of peace; and Christ is our peace: "For He is our peace." (Ephesians 2:14)
4. Most important of all is the shield of faith. Now, "Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God;" (Romans 10:17) and Christ is the Word. (John 1:1)
5. It is by the faith of Christ that we are saved. (Galatians 2:16) Then we must have the helmet of salvation; and God in Christ is become our salvation. "Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for the Lord Jehovah is my strength and my song; He also is become my salvation." (Isaiah 12:2)
Jesus Christ is the Saviour. (Philippians 3:20)
6. The sword of the Spirit: "And the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God." (Ephesians 6:17)
Christ is the Word.
So we see that to put on the whole armor of God is but to put on Christ. That armor has been tested in the fiercest fight, and has been proved invincible. We have to fight with principalities and powers and wicked spirits; (Ephesians 6:12) but Christ has "spoiled principalities and powers," (Colossians 2:15) and has led them openly in His triumphant procession. He triumphed over them in himself. He is the Conqueror. He has won the victory. Therefore the foe with whom we wage our warfare is already defeated. What is it then but that our warfare is accomplished? We have but to share in the victory already gained.
We are promised tribulation in this world, but in the midst of it we may be of good cheer. "These things I have spoken unto you, that in me you might have peace. In the world you shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world." (John 16:33)
What we have already learned as to the use of tribulation should be enough to make us cheerful; but here we have additional reason: "I have overcome the world."
We are in danger of forgetting that all that Jesus did and suffered was for us. He did not need to come to this earth on His own account. It was our sins that He bore, our battle that He fought. Therefore the victory that has overcome the world is the faith that lays hold of Jesus Christ: "For whatsoever is born of God overcomes the world: and this is the victory that overcomes the world, even our faith." (1 John 5:4)
He is our peace, because He is our victory. "Yours, O Lord, is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty." (1 Chronicles 29:11)
Because Christ is our peace, in Him we have peace. But peace means a victory won. The fact that in Christ we have peace, shows that the warfare is accomplished. When we fight in the strength of Christ, the battle is won before it is begun.
Read the 20th chapter of 2 Chronicles. See how Israel gained the victory by faith. They began to sing a song of victory, and, lo, the battle was won. There is therefore no need of ever being defeated. Who would run from a defeated foe?
Moreover, Christ has disarmed the principalities and powers; for that is the meaning of the statement that He "spoiled them." In some versions it is so rendered. Surely there is no excuse for defeat, when we have invincible armor, and the foe has none at all. Is not this comfort enough for anybody in any tribulation whatsoever?
Our Sins Conquered
"Her warfare is accomplished." (Isaiah 40:2)
Remember that it is through our own sinful disposition that the devil works, and therefore it is our own sins, our sinful nature, that we have to contend with; and it is this that has been overcome. Do you doubt this? Then tell me whose sins it was that Jesus bore? With whose sinful nature did He contend? Was it with His own? Did He have sins of His own, that He must overcome? "You know that He was manifested to take away our sins; and in Him is no sin." (1 John 3:5)
All that He suffered was altogether for our sakes. It was our sins that He bore, our sinful nature that He took upon himself. Therefore the victory that He gained was gained over our own personal sins, our own peculiar besetments. So whenever we are tempted by our own lusts, and enticed, we have only to remember that this particular sin has been overcome. What then? Why, we have only to give thanks to God, who "gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." (1 Corinthians 15:57)
What glorious comfort the Lord gives us!
The Double
"But what about the double that we are to receive?"
How many people have been troubled over that, and in their trouble they have consulted doctors who did not heal their hurt even slightly. Some translators have even gone to the length of inserting the word "punishment" in the passage. It is not there, and nobody has any right to put it there, or to think of it as being there.
Poor souls stand appalled at the thought that they must suffer punishment equal to double the amount of their sins, and of course they see no hope of escape. Strange comfort that! Can anybody extract any comfort from the thought that they are to receive double punishment for their sins? Certainly not. But this is a message of comfort, and therefore there can be in it no such thought.
Even if it were punishment that is referred to, bear in mind that the text does not say that we are to receive double. A good deal is lost by a too hasty reading of the Word. "She has received of the Lord's hand double for all her sins." (Isaiah 40:2)
Suppose it is punishment; we are alive, and the subjects of the mercy of God; therefore if we have already received double punishment for our sins, we have abundant cause for rejoicing. Surely that is enough, and we are entitled to go free. There is in this the key to the mystery. "The Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all. ... He has borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows; yet we did esteem Him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon Him; and with His stripes we are healed." (Isaiah 53:6,4-5)
Christ has suffered in His own body all that any unrepentant sinner will ever have to suffer; therefore there is no need that any sinner should suffer for sin. If we but accept the sacrifice of Christ, that is, accept the person of Christ in our own lives, we are freed from all the consequences of sin. We are "dead to the law by the body of Christ." (Romans 7:4)
We are counted as having already received our punishment, and therefore are free.
Multiplied Pardon
"Comfort, comfort my people. ... She has received of the Lord's hand double for all her sins." (Isaiah 40:1-2)
Thus it is that in Christ grace and peace are multiplied to us. "Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord." (2 Peter 1:2)
And it is "the grace of God that brings salvation;" (Titus 2:11) therefore we have received of the Lord's hand double salvation. Grace abounds over all sin. God is not niggardly. He gives "good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over." (Luke 6:38)
He has enough, and to spare, and: "Of His fullness have all we received." (John 1:16)
Let us then accept it, and rejoice in the Lord. That this is not in the least a straining of the text, is provided by the text itself. "Her iniquity is pardoned." (Isaiah 40:2)
Of whom is this spoken? Of a people "laden with iniquity." (Isaiah 1:4)
Has God already pardoned my sins? Certain He has; He says so; can you not believe Him? You never heard of such a thing? Well, then hear it now, and rejoice as you never did before.
Let me recall to your mind something that you surely have heard at some time in your life. It has come into your own experience. You have, willfully or otherwise, committed a wrong against somebody. Afterwards you have gone and confessed it, begging pardon, and have been stopped before you could finish your confession, with the words, "Don't mention it; it was forgiven long ago."
Perhaps you have yourself used just such language, and have spoken from the fullness of your heart. If you have, then you know the free pardon of God, for it was only His love in your heart that could have made you do so. Can you not admit that God is better than any man, even though that man be a saint? If a man can refuse to hold a grudge, cannot God do the same?
Is it so strange a thing that the God who is love should forgive our sins even before we ask forgiveness, and should be longing for us to come and accept the reconciliation? He took all our sins on himself, and in giving His life for us, He made a purging of sins. "[Christ] His own self bare our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes you were healed." (1 Peter 2:24) "Thanks be unto God for His unspeakable gift." (2 Corinthians 9:15) "Now thanks be unto God, which always causes us to triumph in Christ.
Christ has for sin atonement made;
What a wonderful Saviour!
We are redeemed!--the price is paid;
What a wonderful Saviour!
He gives me overcoming power;
What a wonderful Saviour!
And triumph in each trying hour;
What a wonderful Saviour!
--E. A. Hoffman, Hymn: What a Wonderful Savior, 1891.
--Present Truth, August 24, 1899--Isaiah 40:1-2.