January 8

And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Advocate to be with you forever— the Spirit of truth. The world cannot receive Him, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him. But you do know Him, for He abides with you and will be in you. — John 14:16-17 BSB

The Holy Comforter, the gracious Spirit, does not take up a temporary residence in the hearts of the Lord’s people. Where He once dwells, He remains forever. “He will give you another Comforter, who will be with you forever.” What a blessing! Once the Holy Spirit has come to rest upon a soul, He never departs. He does not visit the soul with grace only to leave it later to face the wrath of God, or allow His work within it to wither and die. When He comes into the soul with power, He makes His home there, consecrating the believer’s body as His temple. There, in the heart, He moves, works, and sanctifies both body and soul to the glory of God.

What a great blessing it is to have the Spirit of truth as our Teacher! If this is true for you, then you know the truth for yourself, and it is precious to your soul. It has been engraved on your heart by the divine witness of the Spirit and implanted in your conscience by the power of God. The truth of Jesus is incredibly dear to you—you cannot part with it. In moments of spiritual strength, you would even lay down your life for the sake of holding on to God’s truth and your salvation.

But why do you love God’s truth? What has caused your heart to embrace and delight in it? What has supported you when you’ve come to the house of prayer, feeling physically weak or troubled in spirit, yet still able to hear and receive the Word? What has comforted you in the dark of night as you lay in bed, lifting your affections toward the Lord Jesus Christ? It is the Comforter, the Spirit of truth, who has placed God’s truth so deeply in your heart and affections.

Therefore, live out that truth, love it, and show its power in your life and actions. If the Spirit has written His truth on your heart, He will bring it forth in your words and deeds. He will make it clear that you are among the children who “cannot lie.” You will display the truth’s power in your sincerity, your upright conduct at home, in the Church, in your work, and in all aspects of life. This is the evidence of true religion and the reality of godliness.