Jesus said "I will not leave you comfortless, I will come to you"

The Holy Spirit is God's spirit, in the same sense that man has a spirit. It's not some being seperate from the man, just as it is not some seperate individual in God.

1Co 2:11 For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.

Notice the comparison of the spirit of God to the spirit of man in that verse. I have a spirit. My spirit is not someone seperate and distinct from me in the same sense that God the father has a spirit which is not a seperate and distinct being from him.

Now you are probably wondering the identity of the Holy Spirit. Otherwise known as the "comforter" or the "spirit of truth". Well the bible teaches us something about who God is.

1Co 8:6 But to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him.

So we have one God the father, not "One God the father, the son and the holy spirit". We also have one Lord Jesus Christ.

2Co 3:17 Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.

Now I'm gonna propose something to you that the original Adventist pioneers knew. That is that Jesus Christ is our comforter. It is Christ in you the hope of glory. Our one Lord Jesus is that spirit. Let's look at John 14 very carefully.

John 14:16 And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;

John 14:17 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.

Many stop reading there. And they say "Christ said another comforter" so clearly there is a third divine being. But let me propose that Christ is "another comforter" however he is "another of the same" in the same sense as "Saul was turned into another man"[1 Sam 10:6]

1Sa 10:6 And the Spirit of the LORD will come upon thee, and thou shalt prophesy with them, and shalt be turned into another man.

Now Saul was not someone else seperate and distinct from himself. He had just been through an experience which changed him. Remember the comforter could not come until Christ was glorified.[John 7:39, John 16:7]. But in verse 17 of John 14 he says "he dwelleth with you and shall be in you"[John 14:17].

The question is how could that spirit be dwelling with them when the spirit would not be sent till Christ was glorified? The answer is because Jesus Christ himself is that comforter who was dwelling with them. Jesus doesn't stop at verse 17.

Let's look at verse 18.

John 14:18 I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.

It's Jesus Christ himself who is our comforter. Why is he "another" comforter. Well he is "another" comforter in the sense that he is the same but different after he is glorified. Let's look at Hebrews 2:18 to see this difference.

Heb 2:18 For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted.

See the difference? The word "succor" means "help. It's much more of a "comfort" to be helped by someone who has been through what you've been through. It's not very comforting to have a comforter who doesn't really understand what your being tempted with. So praise God that we have Christ as our comforter. As Ellen White once said:

"There is no comforter like Christ, so tender and so true. He is touched with the feeling of our infirmities. His Spirit speaks to the heart.… The influence of the Holy Spirit is the life of Christ in the soul." (Ellen White, Review & Herald, October 26, 1897)

Contrary to popular belief there is not another comforter like Christ. Also the greek word used for the "comforter" is "parakletos". John uses this word 5 times. 4 times it is translated comforter. The 5th time it is translated "advocate" which is in 1 John 2:1.

1Jn 2:1 My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate[parakletos(comforter)] with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:

The church has apostacized and is now serving the God of Babylon[Rev 13:2]. Not one of our significant pioneers were Trinitarian. This should be a disturbing fact and worthy of study considering "this is life eternal to know the only true God"[John 17:3]. And I'm sure that you will want to study this out as I don't believe you would want to ignorantly worship the "mystery of the Trinity" otherwise known to us as the modern day "UNKNOWN God".

1Jn 1:3 That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.