In this sermon, the speaker emphasizes the importance of relying on the Holy Spirit for guidance and decision-making. He highlights that the Spirit uses various means, such as the Word of God and certain circumstances, to lead and guide believers. The speaker also reminds listeners that they do not need to be in a state of confusion or doubt because the Spirit is there to help and direct them. He further emphasizes that God is for His people and nothing can stand against them. The sermon encourages believers to trust in God's provision and not be discouraged by the challenges they may face.

Tonight, with the help of the Lord, we want to consider the ministry of the Spirit as He comforts us and as He intercedes for us. These two subjects are, in the original series on the radio, were taken up separately, but they're related, for certainly it is comforting to know of the intercession of the Spirit on our behalf. And we shall have to refer back to the 14th chapter of John's Gospel tonight for this introduction to the Spirit of God as our comforter. John chapter 14 and verse 16. 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 ye know him, for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. I will not leave you comfortless. I will come unto you yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more, but ye see me, because I live, ye shall live also. Verse 26. But the comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have sent unto you. Last night we noticed that part of the ministry of the Spirit of God is recalling to you and me the Word of God. The Lord Jesus says very, very plainly that he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance. Now, he cannot bring to our remembrance scriptures that we have not read. I say that reverently, but he can't do it. It's important for us to know the Bible, both from the standpoint of the leading of the Spirit, and also for the comfort that the Spirit gives, because he comforts us oftentimes through his Word. This is a word of comfort, as we shall notice later in the message. The important thing here is that the Lord Jesus speaks of the Spirit of God as a comforter. I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another comforter. Now, the Lord himself is the first comforter, and he speaks of the Spirit as another comforter. Now, this is important because the Lord is going to leave his disciples. He is going out of this world, as we noticed in the first of the fourteenth chapter of John's Gospel. The Lord is preparing his disciples for that shock, which they did endure. The two disciples on the road to Emmaus show us how great that shock was. He's preparing them for his departure out of this world, but he doesn't leave this world until he promises, another comforter will come to take my place. Now, actually, it has to be this way. It just has to be that way, because the Spirit glorifies the Lord Jesus, and to have the Spirit indwelling us, and to have Christ before us, at the same time, I think would be too much for these bodies of ours to bear. He says, it's expedient for you that I go away, because if I go away, this is in John 16, nevertheless I tell you the truth, it is expedient for you that I go away, for if I go not away, the comforter will not come unto you. But if I depart, I will send him unto you. Now, he speaks of the Father sending him in chapter 14, but in verse 16 he says, I will send him unto you. I will send him. Does one member of the Godhead send another member of the Godhead? Yes, that's right. Now, if you will remember, God sent his own Son into the world, not to condemn the world, but that the world through him might be saved. The Father sent the Son. The Son sent the Spirit. Now, that's the order of the Godhead. Now, the burden of the Spirit is that we might know the Son. The burden of the Son is that we might know the Father. Isn't that perfect? There we have all the members of the Godhead taking their place. Now, we have, I think we should mention this, because sometimes this is a little puzzling to younger people. We have three members of the Godhead. We mentioned this most of the evening, but we'll repeat it. We have three members of the Godhead, God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. All three are equally omniscient, omnipresent, and omnipotent. All equally are to be revered, but they take a descending order. A descending order of a, shall we say, importance? I think we shall have to say it that way. Now, that does not detract from any of them. Not at all. This is a functional order. It is not an order, the Spirit of God is not inferior to the Lord Jesus Christ. The Lord Jesus Christ is not inferior to God his Father, but the Son is subject to the Father, and the Spirit was subject to the Son. The Lord Jesus says, I will send you another comforter. It is expedient for you that I go away. Now, this is a functional order, but the beauty of it is, this functional order is for your blessing and my blessing. The Godhead is a perfect balance. There are no jealousies in the Godhead. Each takes his place for the purpose of carrying out God's program, but let's never think of the Spirit of God as being inferior. Now, we do not pray in the name of the Spirit. We pray in the power of the Spirit in the name of Christ to God. Now, that's very, very important. We pray in the power of the Spirit in the name of Christ to God. The Spirit is the power for prayer, incidentally. There is such a thing as Spirit-indicted prayer and Spirit-indicted ministry, which, in the will of the Lord, we'll touch on tomorrow night. But, the Son sends the comforter. Now, he is another comforter. The word is parakletos. The Anglicized word is paraclete. Our Lord Jesus Christ is a paraclete. It's the same word that is translated advocate in 1 John chapter 2 and verse 1, where our Lord Jesus Christ is an advocate. It's the same word in the Greek, but it's translated here comforter, and he comforts us. The literal rending is one called alongside the help. I think you'll find that someplace in your Schofield Bible, although I, well, it's been alongside the help. Now, the Spirit of God is our comforter. He comforts us from the Word of God. I think probably he comforts us with his indwelling presence, because we're conscious of that presence. The Spirit witnesses with our spirit that we are the sons of God. Now, that Spirit has a very, very great ministry of comfort to you and for me, because we need comfort. And, these disciples particularly were going to need comfort. Now, in this poor world, this dark world of sin, we do need comfort, and we need the ministry of the Holy Spirit of God, that comforting, wonderful, comforting ministry of the Spirit of God. Now, he comforted the apostles mightily following the resurrection of our Lord Jesus, although he was not indwelling them at that time. And, after the ascension of the Lord, upon the descent of the Holy Spirit of God, we notice a great change. They were not subject to the discouragement that they were. They were empowered by the Spirit of God. So, our Lord here sends the Spirit to comfort. Now, the Spirit is gone, and I think part of his comfort comes with the controlling of the circumstances that disturb us. I think probably that that is seen in Acts chapter 9. Acts chapter 9, verse 31, Then have 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. Now, think of this for a moment. This was after the conversion of the apostle Paul, or Saul of Tarsus, as he was known in those days. Saul was saved, and so the Lord made an apostle out of him, and eliminated an enemy in the same stroke of grace. And, after this time, especially when Paul got out of Jerusalem, when he got out of the way, then the churches had rest throughout all Judea, and Galilee, and Samaria, were edified, they were built up, and walking in the fear of the Lord, and in the comfort of the Holy Ghost, were multiplied. Now, I can't imagine that the Holy Spirit would stand out in the wings, so to speak, and wait for circumstances to be just right to come in to exercise his comforting ministry. I think that the Spirit of God had something to do with the control of the circumstances that brought comfort to the church in those early days. He is God. He is God. Now, we know that He exercises a powerful influence in the world today. For instance, we're told in the fourth chapter of 1 John, greater is he that is in you than he that is in the world. We don't need to be afraid of the devil. Now, I don't mean, I don't mean by that that we could meet the devil on his own ground and his own strength. I don't mean that for a moment. But, greater is he that is in you than he that is in the world. Now, it's the Spirit of God that's in me. Now, what does that mean? That means to me that all the circumstances, all the adverse circumstances that the devil can rise, the Holy Spirit can put out because he's greater than the devil. Now, the churches had rest. They were edified. They were built up. They walked in the fear of the Lord, and they were comforted by the Holy Ghost. He is able to affect the circumstances that will bring us comfort, as well as to comfort us by the Word of God. Now, we see in Romans chapter 15, another source of our comfort. Romans chapter 15. Verse 4, for whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope. Well, someone says, might say indeed. Well, do I really? Am I dependent upon the ministry of the Holy Spirit for my comfort when I can receive comfort from the scriptures? Now, the word comfort here, incidentally, carries with it the thought of patient endurance, and indeed it is a comfort. Now, the Word of God can comfort me, but who is it that brings the Word of God to me at that opportune time when I need comfort? It's the Holy Spirit of God. The Holy Spirit of God recalls to me the Word of God at such times as I need it. Now, He is one called alongside to help me. He helps me endure. He helps me to endure trial and temptation, and He does it by the Word of God. Now, we see in the scripture how that we are comforted. Thank God for this scripture. It comforts us. It comforts us mightily. We get to feeling alone and forsaken, and some day we happen to remember the scripture where the Lord Jesus says, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. Now, how do we happen, just happen, to remember that scripture, the Spirit of God? He is able to recall to our minds, and He does recall to our minds. This, to me, is thrilling. I know He's in there just at the time, just at the time when I need encouragement from the Word of God, and that's the thought of patience as encouragement, or comfort. Just when I need that comfort, that encouragement, the verse comes. Why didn't I think of that before? Why have I let that truth get away from me? And we are impressed with the comforting power of the Spirit of God. But now look, this says the comfort of the scriptures. Whatsoever things were written before time were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope. Now, why through the things in the fore time? Now, he's referring, of course, to the Old Testament scriptures. Romans was written quite late in the Apostle's life. Just before he went to Rome, he speaks of going to Rome, and it wasn't long until he was there, not as a free man, but as a prisoner. It was written quite late. Now, the comfort that they had been experiencing hitherto was from the Old Testament scriptures. That's all they had. The New Testament was not compiled at this time, but from those Old Testament scriptures, they saw how God had undertaken for His people in past times, how He undertook for them when they were tired and when they were weary, when they were at wit's end of the corner. Now, they were written for that purpose. For whatsoever things were written before time were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope. But the Holy Ghost was the one who caused those scriptures to be written. So, He takes that word, and just as He teaches us, and just as He leads us through the Word of God, so He comforts us through the Word of God. Now, I'm going to take some examples of comfort, and you could probably supply a good many more examples than I could possibly present to you. I'd like to refer you to one comforting scripture that came to me one time. Perhaps this comes to you, 1 Corinthians chapter 10. We have a similar thought in verse 11 that we just read in Romans 15 and 4. Now, all these things happen unto them for example, and they are written for our admonition upon whom the ends of the age are come. Wherefore, let him that thinketh he standeth, take he lest he fall. There hath no temptation taken you, but such as is common to man. But God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted about that ye are able, but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it. Now, 1 Peter chapter 5. 1 Peter chapter 5 for a similar portion, and we'll speak of the two together. 1 Peter 5. Be sober, be vigilant, because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour. Whom resist, step fast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world. But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, establish, strengthen, settle you. Now, there are two thoughts that I want to link together. One in verse 9 of 1 Peter 5. The same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world. In 1 Corinthians 10, the same temptations. There hath no temptation taken you, but such as is common to man. Same temptations, same afflictions. All right, now how does that comfort us? Well, it certainly should comfort us, because Satan will whisper in our ears, and I'm talking about the comfort of the spirit nullifying the works of the devil in that respect, because he discourages us, and he delights to discourage us, and a discouraged Christian is a defeated Christian. But Satan will come to us, and he'll work on us in this way. You know, your case is absolutely unique. There's no solution for your trouble. There's no solution for your trial, and you can't cope with them, and Satan tries to sell us on that line, and sometimes he gets the job done. And people feel, actually, well, I'm unique. Everybody can receive help of me. Nobody has ever been in my position before, and Satan will come. He will isolate us. He will make us think there's no hope. For God, for us, because our problem is absolutely without precedent, and he'll isolate us. Satan divides and conquers, and he does it on an assembly level, and he does it on an individual level, and I'm afraid we have to say, at times, we let him do it. Why should we? Why should we? Your trouble is absolutely unique, without precedent, and there's no way out of it. And here we just read in the 10th chapter of 1 Corinthians, there is no temptation taken you, such as it is common in man. We read in 1 Peter 5, the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world. Now, why do we let Satan isolate us and divide us from the saints of God? We need communication. We need the comfort that they can give us, having been through these things before. And that's why we do go through these things, is that we might learn that the comfort wherewith we have been comforted might be passed on to them. God allows us these experiences, but if we would realize this, if we would realize the strategy of the devil to isolate us, is it because we're ashamed to admit our defeat, that we suffer in silence and alone? Is it because we are ashamed to admit our discouragement? Asaph of old was having a struggle in his own personal experience in Psalm 73, and he couldn't talk about it. And that's just exactly where he got into trouble. He wouldn't talk about it. He says, if I talk about it, I'll offend the people of God. I'll stumble. And he wouldn't talk about it. Perhaps if he talked about it, he could have gotten some help. But Satan isolates us. He puts us off all by ourselves, and then he works us over. And the Spirit of God, and the Spirit of God comes along with verses like these. You're not alone in this thing. There is an old saying, the world has it, misery loves company. Believe me, it does. And if you find out that somebody has suffered exactly what you have suffered, believe me, there's a bond. There's a bond between you and that person established immediately. And you can give them a lot of help. A lot of help. What do we do? We accept that isolation that Satan has accomplished. We believe his story that our problem is unique. And the scripture says others have gone through this. They have had to lay hold on God, and the Spirit would impress us with that fact. We're not alone. We're not freaks. But he'll have you believing it. But you are a freak. But you're not. Others have gone through it before. And God has permitted us to go through these things that we might be a help to others. You remember what the Lord said to Peter on one occasion? He said, Peter, Simon, Satan hath desired to have you that he may sift you asweep. But I have prayed for you, and when thou art converted, which means turn right around, strengthen thy brethren. Now, God permits us to go through trial that we, in turn, might be used of the Spirit of God to help and strengthen others. And I would verily say that if any of you are getting any consolation out of what I'm saying tonight, you're getting it because the Spirit of God is giving it to you, not Ken Barrett. But it happens that way. He puts us through these trials that we might be a help to other people. But how can we be a help if there's no communication? If they just suffer in silence and don't comply and don't use the people of God and don't pray about these things. Now, the Spirit of God would let us know. Now, here are just two small examples of comfort. I'm not in this thing alone. Others have been this pathway before me. Certainly, the Lord has. He was tempted in all places, like as we are, saying the part. And oh, how comforting that is. He knows. He cares. He understands. You know, this world is just filled with people with problems who just want somebody to understand, somebody to sympathize, somebody that will give them a little help. I'll tell you, in the Spirit of God, we have a comforter. And how He takes the Word of God and He comforts us, He fills our fears. His ministry is wonderful. But here again, if we don't know this book, how can we recall something that we have never read? It's important to read the Word of God. It is, I think, probably the reading of the Word in prayer, completing our communion with the Lord and His speaking to us, is the most important thing we have, and that's exactly what the devil tries to disrupt and destroy in our lives. He'll interfere with your Bible study and your prayer time. He'll try to do it every time. Now, we know all these things, don't we? And yet we let the devil have his way. In our lives. Now, we need communication. We need fellowship. We need each other. And we need these comforting experiences that we've gone through. I used to wonder, if you'll pardon the personal reference, I used to have a terrible, terrible time with the devil. I thought he was driving me crazy. He would take away any assurance of salvation that I ever had. It just seemed like he stuck a balloon down my throat, and blew it up, and blew every vestige of Christianity clear around, out of me. And if you'd asked me if I was a Christian by feeling, I'd have said, no, no, I can't get this. I'm doubting the Word of God. I'm doubting His providence. I'm doubting His care. And I have fought against the devil, and I'll buy the story of Luther throwing the inkwell at the devil, absolutely a hundred percent. Struggling against him doubts. He isolates you. And there's your trouble. He isolates you, and you think you're fighting it alone. You're not. You've got the Spirit of God. One called alongside to help. And greater is He that is in you than He that is in the world. I don't know whether the devil gives you any trouble or not. If he does, have a little chat with me, because I can sympathize with you. But, as Peter tells us, after we've suffered a little while, He'll strengthen, settle, and establish you. Now, the Spirit of God works through the Word of God. But that isn't all that He does. He prays for us. This brings us to the subject of the intercession of the Spirit, His interceding ministry. Romans chapter 8. True enough. True enough. He intercedes for us, but He does more than that. Or, I mean, He reveals the Word of God to us, but He does more than that. He intercedes. Shouldn't this comfort us? Verse 26 of the 8th chapter of Romans. Likewise, the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities. For we know not what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. And He that searcheth the heart knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because He maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God. And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose. Now, I suppose we should have read, really, the preceding verses of this 8th chapter of Romans. Verse 17. Beginning of verse 17. Let's get the connection. I'm sorry we didn't read this first. And if children then heirs, heirs of God, and joint heirs with Christ, if so be that we suffer with him that we may be also glorified together. For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. For the earnest expectation of the creation waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God. That's the marginal reading. For the creation was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope. Because the creation itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travelleth in pain together until now. Now, it's correctly translated, that the whole creation groaneth and travelleth in pain together until now. And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption with the redemption of our body. Now, here we groan. We are in a groaning creation, and we groan within ourselves. Now, it's not wrong to groan. Our Lord groaned, and he did not sin when he groaned. It is wrong to complain, but if you feel like groaning sometimes under your burdens, if you feel like groaning, you just go right ahead and groan, and you'll not be sinning when you do it. Just groan. We do groan. We groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption with the redemption of our body. For we are saved by hope, but hope that is seen is not hope. For what a man seeeth, why doth he yet hope for? But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it. Likewise, the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities. For we know not what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. Now, that's the force of the word likewise. The creation is groaning, we're groaning, and the Spirit is groaning, and that's the force of the word likewise, and he's groaning right along with us, and he's praying for us at the same time. He prays for us when we're too tired to pray. He prays for us when we're too distracted to pray. He prays for us when we're too busy to pray, but he's praying for us. He's interceding for us. Oh, how eloquently he can pray. There are times when I feel like praying, when I want to pray, and I don't know what to pray. The words just don't come, but there is one who is making an intercession, and that one is the Spirit of God. He's praying with groanings, mutterings, I think it's put that way here, or as we ought, the Spirit himself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. No, the word mutterings is not here. I'm thinking of the scripture, and he that searcheth the heart knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God, and we know that all things work together for good to them that love God. Why shouldn't they work together for good to them that love God when the Spirit is praying for us? That's the sequel of the Spirit's prayers. Everything works together for good to them that love God, to them that are called according to his purpose. Of course it does. The Spirit's praying for us, and his prayers are powerful. So that's why everything works together for us, not because we're living right. And if things go wrong, it's not simply because we're not living right, even if things are going wrong. God oftentimes brings you and me into circumstances with which we cannot cope, and he does it for a purpose. He does it to humble us. He does it to make us find our resource in the Lord. Now the Spirit's praying for us. Oh, how comforting that is in itself here in the eighth chapter of the book of Romans. How wonderful it is that he is praying for me. Now this is the chapter of the ministry of the Spirit. Now we promised the other night that we consider this chapter a little. The Spirit of God is mentioned 18, 19 times in this chapter alone. It's the chapter of the Spirit, and it's the chapter of his ministry. It's the chapter of his comfort. And since the Spirit is mentioned so much, we would expect to find comfort. Let's just go over the chapter briefly. There is therefore now no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus. How does that strike you? How does that strike you? There is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus. Well, I'll tell you how it strikes me. It strikes for me. Is that comforting? All right, let's go farther. The law of the Spirit. This is the law of the Spirit, and he's called the Spirit of life. The law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh. God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin condemned in the flesh that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us who walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit. All right, now I couldn't cope with the law. I couldn't keep the law, and now the Spirit of God through Paul tells me what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh. Do I understand that? Yes, I understand it. I appreciate it, too, that the law couldn't do much through me because of the weakness of my flesh, and so he tells me what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh. God sending his own Son in likeness of sinful flesh and for sin condemned sin in the flesh that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us who walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit. Now, the Spirit is the power that affects that righteousness in me that the law commanded, but never God who produces it. The Spirit of God. How does that strike you? It strikes me pretty good. It's quite a comfort to me to know the Spirit is accomplishing the purposes of God in my life. The law couldn't do it, but when I walk after the Spirit, that righteousness is produced in me. They that are in the flesh do not mind the things of the flesh, but they that are in the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. We can't read all of this. We noticed in verse 14 the other night, but as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. Oh, if somebody would just tell me what to do. Well, now the Spirit can do that. Do you think that this is written in vain for as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God? God can lead me. I have a right to expect that guidance, and I wait on Him for it, and I get it. The meek will be guided in judgment, and I get it. How do I get it? Through the Spirit. Through His ministry. He uses the Word of God. He guides by circumstances. He guides me. He leads me. I don't have to make these decisions. I don't have to be in a quandary, although many times I am in a quandary. I'm just as human as you are. I don't know what the mind of the Lord is, but I wait on Him, and I think sometimes He keeps me in doubt just so I'll camp on His doorstep. I think He likes to have me around, and so I do camp on His doorstep. I have to. Then we go on. We've already had this truth before us that we're living in a world completely disrupted. The world is growing, groaning. The creation is groaning, just waiting for the manifestations of the Son of God. Isn't it wonderful that God isn't going to release the creation until you and I are brought into our proper place? Until you and I are completely delivered, then He's going to do something about the creation. But He's not going to mock you and me with a perfect creation around us when we have sin inside us. The creation is waiting for our manifestation, and when we're manifested with the Lord in glory, then the creation is going to be blessed too, but not until that time. Now it's groaning. Then we have this comforting thought that we've had already before us. The Spirit of God is praying for us. Oh, how comforting it is to know that others are praying for us. We had an occasion, and we thank you folks right here for your prayers, when, pardon the personal reference, when Ruth had some corrective surgery in May, we felt the help of God. We felt the comfort of the Spirit. It was wonderful because we knew that folks were praying for us. It meant something, and to have somebody say, I've been praying for you, does me a lot of good. But what? Think of what it means to be able to say the Spirit is praying for me. And then we notice that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them that are the call, according to His purpose. For whom He did foreknow, He did also predestinate to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. Verse 31, what shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against it? Does that do anything for you? If God is for you, who can be against you? Does that do anything for you? Sure, it should, shouldn't it? This is the ministry of the Spirit. This is His chapter. He's for us. We're on the winning side. Oh, the scoreboard may not look like that right now. We're on the winning side. If God be for us, who can be against it? Really now, who can be against it? Christians, don't let the devil isolate you. Don't let him submerge you in defeat and discouragement. Spirit would save you from that sort of thing. He would comfort you. Comfort you by the Word of God. He that spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? Does that do anything for you? All things. He's given you the best. Now He's going to give you the rest. He gave us His Son. Is He going to withhold material blessings? Is He going to let us starve to death? Well, I'll tell you, if He lets us starve to death, we'll be martyrs and the glory will be the greater. But He hasn't let me do that yet. Who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifies. No accusation. We started out with no condemnation. Now we've got no accusation. Who is He that condemns? Christ that died, yea, rather, that is risen again, who is even, at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, but I think we are killed all the day long. We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter, and they in all of these things were more than conquerors through Him that loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, and thank God for the principalities business, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. No separation, no accusation, no condemnation. Who's going to separate us from the love of Christ? Who is? Nothing, absolutely nothing, no separation. Is this a comfort to you? It should be a comfort to you and for me. And the blessed Holy Spirit of God penned these words, even about Himself, to the Apostle Paul. Now, this is just a little of the comfort that He can give us. We're on the winning side. We should not let Satan have his way in our lives, in our hearts. Believe me, he'll take advantage. He'll take advantage of our discouragement, and he'll sow bitterness, he'll sow sorrow. We shouldn't let him do it. We can only do it by our permission. That is, because we will not walk in the Spirit. Now, I suppose we could say more than this. You could no doubt furnish many, many scriptures, which we have not referred to or have not had time to refer to, in your own personal experience of how the Spirit of God has helped you when you were