The Spirit of Truth (John 14)
The 14th chapter of the letter of John deals at the beginning with Jesus speaking to his disciples. He tries to prepare the disciples for the fact that he will soon leave them to return to the father. It's another shock for her. After all, they had to experience how Jesus was crucified and they had already seen him as lost. And now, when He has appeared among them again, they find Him telling them that He will go again. This must have created great confusion and renewed fears in them. I want to remind you that for them this was the future. We see things in retrospect, but for them it was something that was yet to come.
But Jesus doesn't tell them that HE is going and they will be left alone, HE tells them that HE will ask his father to send them a helper. The Spirit of Truth, the Holy Spirit. The third in the bunch. Jesus - the Father - the Holy Spirit.
But HE also announces that as soon as HE has prepared the dwellings for His disciples (and thus also for us believers), HE will come back again. To lead US all into these same apartments. But before that there is a time when they/we have to do without HIM (with the Holy Spirit at our side).
That can be very confusing. If a living Jesus who cannot be seen is special, the idea of the Holy Spirit living in us is even more special. But the nature of the Holy Spirit evokes in us the positive things that the name JESUS CHRIST stands for.
And the Holy Spirit ALWAYS points to CHRIST in EVERYTHING HE does. That is his nature. The world does not perceive the Holy Spirit, that is reserved exclusively for us believers.
At Galatians 5:22–23 we read, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.”
When the Holy Ghost is with us, we can experience all of the positive feelings and qualities mentioned above, no matter what challenges we face. The Holy Spirit not only gives us strength for ourselves, but also so that we can lift up others and help them in their difficulties.
So it is not us who produce these positive character traits, but the Holy Spirit who works in us.
The reverse is found in Galatians 5:19-21.
19 But the works of the flesh are manifest, namely, fornication, immorality, licentiousness, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hostilities, strife, jealousy, quarrels, base selfishness, discord, factions, 21 envy, drunkenness, gluttony, and so on. Of these (sins) I have told you before, and I repeat it now, that whosoever commits such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
So the rules of the game are clearly defined.
John 14:23-24
23 Jesus answered him, "If anyone loves me, do as I have said. My father will love him too, and we will both come to him and stay with him forever. 24 But whoever does not love me does not live by what I say. My words do not come from me, but from my father who sent me.
And now it's getting very personal, dear brothers and sisters.
As believers in Christ, we have the Holy Spirit by our side once we have made the decision to accept Jesus Christ as our Savior and Redeemer. But we live in a world of sin and debauchery, and there are many temptations. And since, in contrast to Jesus Christ, we are not perfect and without sin, there are always situations in which we deviate from the righteous path. It is therefore important that we are in a permanent process of repentance.
This process of repentance makes us ever more sensitive to recognizing sin, but it will never end.
So the test is Galatians 5:22-23 on the one hand and Galatians 5:19-21 on the other.
These two scriptures help us figure out where we stand. So I ask you, examine yourselves and repent. Let the Holy Spirit guide you and walk in the light.
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