In order to understand this word comforter, we've got to get away from the false, American idea of what a comforter is. I was walking in downtown Philadelphia one noon, and as I came back from lunch, I crossed on the west side of 17th Street and looked in a window where they were having a sale of Irish linen and other things. In the window was a sign which said: All Comforts on Special Low Price! That use of the word comfort, refers to a comforter, a soft, downy quilt.
Now I want you to note that this text, "If you love me, you will keep my commandments," is a great rebuke to the antinomianism of our day. That is a theological term which means one is against the nomas, the law. In some fundamental circles, there are people who say, "Well, the law is not for us. The law is gone now. We don't need to have anything to do with the law. We live under grace and therefore we can do as we please.
Now, just before He goes to die and rise from the dead, He's announcing the motive and the goals and the course of our lives. We are not to live in regret, but in complete compliance with His commandments, "If you love me, you will keep my commandments"' (John 14:15). This love is the source of true faith. If you look back you will see that this love is the goal of our prayers. Verse 14 says, "If you ask anything in my name, I will do it."' Now what does this mean, "If you ask anything in my name"? Well, what are you going to ask"Lord, give me this, give me that, give me this, give me that, give me this, give me that"? No! You're not going to say that. You are going to say, "Lord, what do you want me to have?"
I want to first establish the principle that when a speaker speaks, you don't hear all he says. That's why it's worthwhile to preach the same sermon over in a different way. A preacher's job is somewhat like that of a writer of a musical comedy or a popular song. He has to say the same thing over in fifty thousand ways. Many of the popular songs follow this pattern: boy meets girl-I love you-there's trouble-now the trouble's over-you're back-we love each other. Just as they have to say this over in fifty thousand different popular songs, so we have to say the divine truths over and over again always showing with a different facet of the same diamond. But we have it a little easier than they do because divine love has so much more than human love.
I want to give an exposition from John 14 beginning with verse 15, "If ye love me, keep my commandments. And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you forever; even the spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but you know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you."
