CHRISTIAN COMFORT

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Mountain View, California · Jan 3, 1905

CHRISTIAN COMFORT.

ONE feature, and a prominent feature, of Christ's mission to earth was "to comfort all that mourn." In furtherance of this end, when His personal work on earth was finished, and He ascended to Heaven, "another Comforter" was sent who would abide with His people forever, "even the Spirit of truth." John 14:16, 17.

In all this it was designed "to appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that He might be glorified." Isa. 61:3.

Pass It On.

Not only is the Holy Spirit engaged in the work of giving comfort, but those who receive comfort through its agency are to fall in line and become comforters to others. "Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God." 2 Cor. 1:3, 4.

God does not give His blessings to His children for themselves alone. They can not get a full benefit by trying to keep His mercies within themselves. Therefore the apostle adds: "As the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ. And whether we be afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation, which is effectual in the enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer; or whether we be comforted, it is for your consolation and salvation." 2 Cor. 1:5, 6.

How Comfort Is Administered.

The means by which the Comforter sent down from heaven is to give comfort to believers, and through them to the world, is the Word of God. The Comforter is to guide them into all truth (John 16:13), and the Word of God is truth (John 17:17).

Of this Word Paul writes: "Whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope." Rom. 15:4. To which we add the testimony of the psalmist: "Remember Thy Word unto Thy servant, upon which Thou hast caused me to hope. This is my comfort in my affliction; for Thy Word hath quickened me." Ps. 119:49, 50.

A Means of Prosperity in the Church.

Genuine comfort, that is, comfort received through the Word and passed on to others, brings life and growth to the church. After the persecution under Saul and others, the record says, "Then had the churches rest throughout all Judea 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.

Christ says, "Blessed are they that mourn; for they shall be comforted." And He has provided the means—the Spirit, the Word, and His disciples—for imparting this comfort to all who will receive it. It must ever be understood that comfort can not be enforced upon any one; it must be duly accepted upon the stated conditions—faith in the Word of God. On this ground there is no condition in life under which the mourner may not be comforted if only he will accept and apply this balm.

Mourning the Loss of Friends.

A duty which all classes of mankind acknowledge is that of comforting those who mourn the loss of loved ones by death. And here, the Lord has given us the special ground of comfort concerning those who die in the faith: "But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with Him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God; and the dead in Christ shall rise first; then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air; and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words." 1 Thess. 4:13-18.

So we see that even in "the valley of the shadow of death" there is solid comfort in God's Word for those who mourn. They need fear no evil; for the Good Shepherd's "rod and staff" will comfort them even there. Ps. 23:4. Thus "all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose." Rom. 8:28.