Jesus Promises the Holy Spirit. John 14: 15-31 Philip wanted to see the Father. For some reason, he could not understand the unity of the Father and the Son by trusting what the Lord Jesus said. He wanted to see something apart from believing in Christ through simple faith. Jesus is the visible revelation of God. To see Him is to see the Father and the Spirit. They are in Him because "In Him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily." The words Jesus spoke are words given with the authority of the Father. The things He did were done by the Father living in the Son.
He accomplishes the work done by those who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ through us as His tools. What the Lord Jesus did while He was here will also be done by those He uses, and in greater numbers, as He works through His people worldwide. Genuine love for the Lord Jesus Christ leads to obedience to His word and will, resulting in the outcomes He desires from the tasks and opportunities He provides. We are not powerless because the Spirit is within us and stays with us. He is the divine Helper, “The Spirit of Truth,” who empowers believers to witness for the Lord.
The Lord was going away in the sense of not being seen physically, but He and the Father also promised to be with us and love us. When we hear God’s word and do what He says, we will experience God's love through a real and living connection with our soul and spirit. The Holy Spirit within a believer teaches us and brings to our minds what the Lord Jesus taught when He was here.
The “I will” of intercession [v.16] of our Lord for the Holy Spirit to come to our aid is a blessing I often take for granted. I know very little of the dangers and unseen things going on around us. I don’t have to fear what lies ahead because my Lord promises intercession, and there is no reason to dread since He has “all power in heaven and earth.” He has sent the Person of the Holy Spirit to dwell within us—to reveal things to come, to guide us into all truth, and to unveil the things of Christ. Both of them make intercession with the goal that I don’t sin.
Faith allows us to see God without a visible image. We experience fellowship with the Father, the Son, and the Spirit. We know the Spirit is within us because He bears witness with our spirit that He is with us, teaching us about Christ and reminding us of the scriptures that influence our daily lives. The Holy Spirit convicts us, guides us, reveals truth to us, fills us, and empowers us to do God's will when we are obedient. To have the Holy Spirit is to have Jesus. The Spirit of Christ is unseen but real.
When we pray in the name and by the authority of the Lord Jesus Christ, we are not merely attaching our words to some poetic phrases or rote prayers we have memorized. In fellowship with Him, we approach the Father with confidence. Our love for Christ and our desire to please and serve Him in a manner acceptable to God make our prayer requests align with His will. That is part of the work of the Holy Spirit when He is not quenched or grieved. The Comforter (Counselor), our Teacher, is the Spirit of Truth. Nothing He guides us in or to do is ever outside the mind of God. He is God in us.
He reminds us of our Lord Jesus Christ's words at the right times. He comforts us with God's love whenever we need it. The Lord Jesus loves His followers until the very end. The Father and Son dwell with us, and we can feel the presence of divine Persons when we walk in the light. The Lord Jesus Christ has left His peace with His followers so we can find joy and peace where He is. We do not find it in the world, where there is no peace. Looking ahead into the future, those in God's kingdom have no reason to be troubled. By faith in Christ, we have prepared for and entered into that kingdom. That is why we live our lives for Him as we walk by faith.
We are waiting for Him and trust that His promise to return is true. Our faith in Him is not in vain because we believe in the Person the Scripture describes. For this same reason, our love for Him is genuine, and we desire to obey Him. We know that what His word says is true, and based on that truth, we trust Him completely. Satan has no power over Him, and when we are obedient to Him, Satan also has no power over us. Therefore, our hearts have no reason to be troubled. He was here in the flesh; He accomplished redemption; He has gone to prepare a place for us, and He has promised to return for us - of this, we can be certain.
The “I will” of comfort [v.18] is the Comforter has come, and we are not orphans but members of God’s family. God has made full provision for our comfort through a Person I cannot see. The fact that the Lord has promised the Spirit would come is comforting to me and assures us of His presence, setting us free from fear and failure. The “I will” of fellowship [v.18] assures us that the Holy Spirit, God the Father, and God the Son all have come to abide with us, and family fellowship has begun. His promise of such fellowship is one of His very special “I will be” statements that let us enjoy God’s peace despite the pressures that still face us.
God's commandments aren’t burdensome, and they can be followed as He intends. When I do what God asks, I am not deprived of joy. The love of the Father and the Son is promised to be known to me, and my love for Him shows when I embrace His Truth. The “I will” of love [v.21] works both ways when we fellowship with God.
Peace is usually established between two opposing parties, but there is another kind of peace that can be experienced. It is inner peace, a state of being at peace with oneself and one’s surroundings. Despite the normal tensions of the mind and life, someone who has peace inside is not swayed or controlled by external forces. That person possesses a unique kind of peace.
Often, it is revealed on one’s face and in the calmness of the hands, feet, and spoken words. Eyes are not usually squinted; feet are not typically agitated, and words are not spoken angrily or rapidly when a person has inner peace. This doesn't mean there is a disinterested view of life and what is happening around them, but rather a sense of rising above all the tensions because the peaceful person either knows what will happen next and is prepared or trusts in someone else who has control over the events that are occurring or will occur.
The Lord Jesus Christ knew before coming to earth everything that would happen, how it would happen, and when it would happen. He even knew the outcome of all the events surrounding His life on earth and was at peace. Nothing ever caught Him by surprise. His faithfulness to God in every situation gave Him peace, even in His humanity. His understanding of the reason for being despised and rejected kept Him from being sidetracked by the attitudes of others, even His own family. His awareness of the scripture and the necessity of fulfilling God’s word would have been a source of peace, even when it seemed like events were getting out of control.
It is not common for humans to have and live a “quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty.” However, we can experience this personally, not just because of good leadership from world leaders, but because God wants us to remember He is in control of all events. The peace of the Lord Jesus Christ was His because of who He is. The peace He gives us is for the same reason—because of who He is.
The world’s peace results from the cessation of hostilities. Our peace is knowing who is in control. The world’s peace depends on a willingness to compromise and integrate differences into something acceptable. The peace He gives us is because we know how future events will happen in the end. So, our hearts are not troubled. Our fears are calmed, and we are at rest despite all the turmoil and agitation around us. His peace is ours.
The “I will” of success [v.30] signifies safety and security, even though the devil is the prince of this world. Our Lord did not promise to speak to us in words outside the Bible because the written Word He provided is enough and can be remembered and revisited. He would go to the Father and come back in the Person of the Holy Spirit. Satan has no authority over the Lord Jesus and no power over those who follow Him. Each of God’s people, by His help, can practice biblical Christianity in this world of men, even though the enemy opposes it. He has given His own power to all those He has saved so they can be what He wants us to be. “Faith is the victory that overcomes the world!”
“That the world may know"—the love of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—Lord Jesus went out that night knowing what lay ahead. Those who followed Him soon realized that He wanted the world to understand the way of salvation, and He commissioned them to preach the Gospel. They stood before the gathered crowd; the world had come to them. People were eager to listen in their own language about their guilt and sin. The nation of Israel had rejected Christ, but people from other nations were ready to hear. The message of the cross that brings salvation began to spread, and through it, God was drawing the world near.
They were scattered far due to persecution, but the Holy Spirit had a plan to move His servants through opposition to share the cross-message in other lands. The world needed to know that the Son of God had come, so the Gospel is preached to all nations. Now, the message of the Gospel reaches individual people, and multitudes are touched by it. Throughout the years and across all generations, the Holy Spirit moves men to take the message worldwide.
There have been martyrs who have died, and some still do today. In difficult situations and through sacrifices people are willing to make, the people of the world can understand the meaning of the cross and why the Lord Jesus died there. Those who believe in Jesus have found that following Him is costly, but through faith in Christ, they remain, knowing that sowing seeds and watering them are important. God gives the increase.
It finally reached my people through a young woman, my great-grandmother’s aunt, who listened to a preacher's message. Over seven generations, the Spirit moved them to pass down what they heard to the next generation. I am in the fifth generation; some in the two generations after me have been saved by God's mercy. I pray daily for the children so that new generations will recognize the heritage we have in the Lord Jesus.
May the message of the cross always come from my lips, as well as from others, to the world. May our allegiance to our Lord always be evident; may our flag of faith remain unfurled. May God, in His grace, never let us forget our heritage so that the world through us may believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. May we stay faithful and true, never neglecting the message of the cross we have received.