Gentle & Lowly V

“What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us.” (A.W. Tozer, The Knowledge of the Holy – in Ortlund, p. 127)

So…how does the heart of the Spirit and the Father correlate with that of Jesus?

The Heart of the Holy Spirit [John 14.6; John 16.5-7]

What we already know about the Spirit:

Regenerates Us: John 3.6-7 “Whatever is born of the flesh is flesh, and whatever is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not be amazed that I told you that you must be born again.”

Empowers Us with Gifts: 1 Cor. 12.4-6 “Now there are different gifts, but the same Spirit. There are different ministries, but the same Lord. And there are different activities, but the same God works all of them in each person.”

Makes Us Fruitful: Gal. 5.22-23 “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. The law is not against such things.”

Ortlund (& Thomas Goodwin) - “The Spirit makes the heart of Christ real to us: not just heard, but seen; not just seen, but felt; not just felt, but enjoyed.” (p. 122)

John 16:5–7 CSB

But now I am going away to him who sent me, and not one of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’ Yet, because I have spoken these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart. Nevertheless, I am telling you the truth. It is for your benefit that I go away, because if I don’t go away the Counselor will not come to you. If I go, I will send him to you.

“Sorrow has filled you heart”…we need a...

“Counselor (Comforter, Helper)…will be sent to you.”

Goodwin - “My father and I have but only one friend, who lies in the bosom of us both, and proceeds from us both, the Holy Ghost, and in the meantime I will send him to you…He shall be a better Comforter unto you than I am to be…He will comfort you better than I should do with my bodily presence.” (Goodwin, The Heart of Christ, in Ortlund, p. 123-124)

The Heart of the Father [2 Corinthians 2.1]

A Beautiful Correlation...

2 Corinthians 1:2–3 CSB

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort.

“The Father of mercies” (mercy…compassion…perfectly…completely)

Goodwin - “His love is not a forced love, which strives only to bear toward us, because his Father hath commanded him to marry us; but it is his nature, his disposition…This disposition is free and natural to him; he should not be God’s Son else, nor take after his heavenly Father, unto whom it is natural to show mercy, but not so to punish, which is his strange work, but mercy please him; he is “the Father of mercies,” he begets them naturally.” (Goodwin, The Heart of Christ, in Ortlund, p. 130)

Father of mercIES!! (plural!!)

“The God of all comfort”

…AND, the word for comfort used by Paul here is…παράκλησις PARAKLESIS!! (does this sound familiar?)

John 14.16 “And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever.” [Holy Spirit is παράκλητος PARAKLETOS]

1 John 2.1 “My little children, I am writing you these things so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ the righteous one.” [Jesus is παράκλητος PARAKLETOS]

CONCL—

Takeaways...

Complete comfort…the heart of the Father, Spirit, & Son…is all in the same amazing place! God’s heart for us is...

Matthew 11:29 CSB

Take up my yoke and learn from me, because I am lowly and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

We can take this comfort we have received and enjoy…and share it with others (brothers & sisters…and others, too)...

2 Corinthians 1:4 CSB

He comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any kind of affliction, through the comfort we ourselves receive from God.

2 Corinthians 1:3 CSB

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort.

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