15 "If you love Me, you will keep My commandments. 16 And I will
ask the Father, and He will give you another Counselor to be with you forever. 17
He is the Spirit of truth. The world is unable to receive Him because it doesn't
see Him or know Him. But you do know Him, because He remains with you and will be
in you. ~ John 14:15-17 (Holman Christian Standard Bible)
Here in the closing days of Jesus presence with the disciples
Jesus gives this reminder of duty. “If you love Me, you will keep My
commandments.” This is for the exercise of godliness in general and for the
faithful and vigorous discharge of their office as His Apostles. As Christ is
comforting them He instructs them keep My
commandments for they are not to expect comfort in times of trials other
than in the execution of their duty. The word (parakaleo) used by John here applies to express both to exhort and comfort. As the
disciples were worrying, what there were to do and what would become of them
now that Jesus was leaving them, He simply tells them “keep My commandments”
that by doing so nothing inappropriate would come to them. When we face
difficult times, we should not focus on the events of the day but focused on
the care concerning the duty of the day.
The disciples
caught up in the anguish over the approaching departure of their Master, Jesus
tells them if they would show their love to Him, do it not by being filled with
sorrow and mourning, do so by their conscientious care to perform their duties. To how
much they love Him by their boundless obedience to His commandments, this is
better than sacrifice and better than tears. As Jesus was giving them the
promise of a coming Comforter He places this condition, “Provided you
keep My commandments, from the foundation of love to Me.” Jesus cannot be an
advocate for anyone except those who will be ruled and advised by Him as their
Counsel. If you follow the conduct of the Holy Spirit, you will have to comfort
of the Holy Spirit.
We all need the abetment of the Holy Spirit in our lives, the whispers
of the Holy Spirit’s wisdom echoes in our minds pointing us to the best path. When
we fully submit ourselves to the Holy Spirit, we fill His fire stoking our
faith to ignite a blinding flame. The Holy Spirit mends our broken hearts,
quenches our seeking spirit, comforts us when we are lost and worried, carries
us through difficult and trying times and emboldens us to battle those who
oppose God with His word and prayer. The Holy Spirit is always there for us
when no one else is. The Holy Spirit dwells within us to be present with us at
all times.
We must believe in, have love for and be obedient to Christ if we
are to receive His Holy Spirit. When we truly believe in the power of the cross
and healing of the resurrection of Jesus Christ, when we love Jesus and obey
Him. Our stance is stable on these three legs of belief + love + obedience,
this is what sets us apart to encounter the extensiveness of the Holy Spirit.
In this trilogy of attitude and action, we gain the intimacy that grants us the
ability to taste the complexity that is the fullness of Christ power in His
Holy Spirit. We must empty ourselves of self by surrendering our lives to
Christ opening ourselves to be filled with the Holy Spirit. When we have
emptied ourselves of self and this is when the fullness of the Holy Spirit has
complete control over our righteousness. The Holy Spirit will sanctify our
motives, cleanse our tongue and inoculate our thoughts.
14 But the natural man does not welcome what comes from God's Spirit,
because it is foolishness to him; he is not able to know it since it is evaluated
spiritually. ~ 1 Corinthians 2:14 (HCSB)
Those who are not in the Holy Spirit cannot accept the things that
the Spirit of God offers, they consider the things of the Holy Spirit as
insanity they cannot understand what they do not have and they do not have
because it comes from the Holy Spirit that does not have them.
Regardless of what your need is turn to the Holy Spirit because
that is where you will fill your need. Have you lost pleasure in life, or is
your ability to fully believe wavering? Are you lonely or grieving from a loss
and in need of comfort and solace? The Holy Spirit has the ability to fill the
empty gaps and reconnect you with Jesus Christ. Have you slipped or mad a
mistake that you believe so grievous that no one, not even God can forgive you?
Turn to the Holy Spirit He can and will give the understanding and forgiveness
we all so desperately need. The Holy Spirit can, will and wants to help you in
your time of need.
We live in an “I” world, I can support myself, I can meet my own
needs, I can take care of myself, I don’t need anyone. We are so I, I, I, that
we at times cannot receive the Holy Spirit because we don’t know who God is, we
do not know Jesus. We can only know the Holy Spirit if we know God. We can only
know God if we do our best to have a relationship with Him. We can only have a
relationship with Him if we are in His Word and on our knees DAILY. When we know God, we know that
the Holy Spirit live in us and as followers of Jesus, by faith, we must become
the work of His Spirit. Just like that brand new bicycle we got when we were
kids. We can set and appreciate how nice it would be to ride and show-off this
thing of beauty, but until we personally put our behinds on the seat and our
feet on the pedals and experience the ride, we have to chiefly trust the Holy
Spirit to be a driving force in our lives right now. Believe – Love – Obey.
Three simple steps, I said simple not easy. In doing our best Jesus Holy Spirit
will comfort – convict – lead.
13 When the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all the truth.
For He will not speak on His own, but He will speak whatever He hears. He will also
declare to you what is to come. ~ John 16:13 (HCSB).
Lord God, give us the strength to believe, love and obey that we
might empty ourselves and be filled with Your Holy Spirit. In the times we fail
give us the courage to get up and continue forward, believe, love and obey,
believe, love and obey and again and again all the while knowing that Your Holy
Spirit is there comforting, convicting and leading. Amen. <><
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