Let’s begin by reading John 14:25-27, “These things have I spoken unto you, being yet present with you. 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 said unto you. Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”  The direct audience the Lord was speaking with was His disciples.  Notice He said, “being yet present with you.”  That indicates that the Lord was speaking with them who had been with Him throughout His ministry years.  These words were spoken to encourage the Lord’s disciples.  He would soon leave them to die on the cross, rise from the dead, and ascend into Heaven.  Very soon, they would not have the direct presence of the Lord among them. 

In His stead, the Lord expressed the promise of the Father to send them the Holy Ghost to teach them all things.  It would be the Holy Ghost who would open their minds to understand many wonderful things from the Lord.  He would be the One to open their understanding of the Word of God, and to allow them to put into proper perspective the things they heard and saw the Lord Jesus do while on the earth with them.

John, chapters 13-16 contain precious and vital words of the Lord to His disciples prior to going to the cross.  He said in John 14:1, “Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.”  In assuring His disciples about who He was, He was able to relieve them of any fear they might have.  The Lord would reemphasize in John 14:27, “Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”

The Lord would go on to tell His disciples how it was necessary that He go away in John 16:7, “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.” In verses 8-11, He speaks of the work of the Holy Spirit in the world to “reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment…”  He then goes on to encourage His disciples again by telling them, “Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you.” (John 16:13-14).

While, in this portion, the Lord is speaking directly to His disciples, we who know Christ as our savior can lay hold of each of these precious promises.  We read in Ephesians 1:13, “In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise.”  This shows that all who put their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ are indwelt with the same Spirit the Lord spoke of to His disciples. One very important character of one who has Christ as His savior is that he is indwelt with the Spirit and is led by the Spirit as we read in Romans 8:14, “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.”  It is true that ONLY the sons and daughters of God are led and taught by the Holy Spirit. We are instructed to follow the leading of the Spirit in Galatians 5:16 which says, “This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.”  When we live according to the leading of the Spirit through the Word of God, we are able to resist the appeal of the flesh. We are also told that if we are not indwelt with the Holy Spirit, that means we are not truly saved.  “But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.” (Romans 8:9).

So, while the original words the Lord spoke in John 14:26 were to His original disciples, we have seen that they also apply to every disciple…past, present, and future.  (CC)  (674.6)