The Spirit of Truth
John 14:15-17
“If ye love me, keep my
commandments. 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.”
The Spirit of truth, is God the
Holy Ghost, The Comforter (Greek parakletos: an intercessor, consoler:
advocate, comforter. Strong’s # G3875). The Holy Ghost is the Comforter of the
children of the covenant; and it is He who gives life to those who are chosen
and redeemed (Ezekiel 16:6). The unregenerate world cannot receive the Spirit
of truth, because there is no truth in that world (John 8:43-45) it cannot see
Him nor can it know Him, because that world is spiritually dead (Ephesians
2:1). “He that is of God heareth God’s words: ye therefore (the Pharisees) hear
them not: because ye are not of God.”
(John 8:47; 10:26). God the Holy Ghost goes by several different names, just a
few will be mentioned: The Spirit, The Spirit of Christ, The Spirit of God, The
Comforter, The Eternal Spirit, The Spirit of: Adoption, Counsel, Glory, Grace,
Holiness, Judgment, Knowledge, Life, Lord God, Might, Prophesy, Understanding,
Wisdom, The Son, and The Father: see (I John 5:7); it is He who quickens whom
He will; (John 5:21) and He quickens by engrafting the word of truth in the heart
of those to whom He gives life (James 1:18-21) which is the incorruptible seed
(I Peter 1:23); and to the children of the covenant: it is the “word of life”
(Philippians 2:16) from Christ Jesus who is the living Word (John 1:1; 6:63).
“God is a spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.” (John
4:24). The order of requirements for true worship are note worthy: they that
worship must worship, first, in spirit and; consequently in truth. For without
the Spirit there can be no heart knowledge of spiritual truth, although there
may be illumination of the natural intellect: yet, without the gracious
effectual influence of the Spirit there will be no light of gospel truth shined
into the heart, and therefore none shining in the heart of any son of Adam. There
will be no love of the gospel of God, nor love of the God of the gospel; but,
whosoever the Spirit of God teaches He gives a heart for the doctrine taught:
the elect love the doctrine of election, those who are justified by the blood
and righteousness of Jesus Christ love that truth, those who are taught of God,
love the gospel of God as it is written in the Bible. As it is written: “And
all thy children shall be taught of
the LORD; and great shall be the
peace of thy children.” (Isaiah 54:13; see John 6:45) The Spirit of truth
teaches as none else can: He binds in love the doctrine He teaches: the
affections of those who are taught are fixed on Jesus Christ and His truth, as
it is presented in the word of God. As it is written: “But if our gospel be hid,
it is hid to them that are lost: In whom the god of this world hath blinded the
minds of them that believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of
Christ, who is the image of the invisible God, should shine unto them. For we
preach not ourselves, but Jesus Christ the Lord; and ourselves your servants
for Jesus sake. For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath
shined in our hearts, to give the
light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.” (II
Corinthians 4:3-6).
God the
Holy Ghost is the great teacher of the New Covenant; (Hebrews 8:11) the Spirit
of God is the unction (the Greek word here translated unction is “chrismah” an
unguent or smearing, i.e. figuratively the endowment with the Holy Spirit:
anointing –unction: Strong’s # G5545) or anointing from the Holy One Christ
Jesus (I John 2:20); by whom the church of God is taught all things that are
necessary to be believed by those who are given: first the Spirit, with the
garments of salvation; and the robe of righteousness, the wedding garment (Romans
5:17; Matthew 22:11-12; Isaiah 61:10). The world of the unregenerate is dead in trespasses
and in sins; and, therefore, cannot see the kingdom of God (John 3:3); the
world which is dead in trespasses and in sins (Ephesians 2:1-3) knows nothing
of the things of the Spirit of God, “For after that in the wisdom of God the
world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching (the
preaching of the cross of Jesus Christ, the world regards as foolishness:
writer) to save them that believe.” (I Corinthians 1:21). But we speak the
wisdom of God in a mystery, (this wisdom is taught by the Spirit of truth whom
the world cannot receive: writer) even the
hidden wisdom, which God ordained before
the world unto our glory:” (I Corinthians 2:7). The unction from Christ, is
“the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him: (Ephesians 1:17)
as it is written: “But ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all
things.” (I John 2:20) the unction from Christ Jesus which is the Holy Spirit,
is to the children of the covenant a spirit of life (Romans 8:2; Ezekiel 16:6);
and through that life the children of the covenant are given ears to hear that
which nature (the natural man) cannot hear: as said the Apostle John (He that
hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches:” (Revelation
2:7, 11; see Matthew 13:9-17). And our Lord Jesus said: “Verily, Verily, I say
unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath
everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from
death unto life.” (John 5:24). And again He said: “ Verily, Verily, I say unto
you he that believeth on me hath everlasting life. (John 6:47). The vital sign
of spiritual life is faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, for he that liveth and
believeth shall never die: Christ Jesus said to Martha: “I am the resurrection,
and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:
and whoso liveth and believeth in me, shall never die. “ (John 11:25-26).
Sinner: believest thou this? Those who believe this are quickened and taught of
the Spirit of God, and show themselves to be “the children of God, being the children
of the resurrection” (Luke 20:36; I Corinthians 12:3).
The quickening of the Spirit
gives the quickened one an ability to hear and understand what he hears, for,
the Spirit Himself is the quickening principle of the new life: under the Old
Testament He was with the people of God, but under the New Testament He is in
them (I Corinthians 6:19-20): so that, the quickened one is capable of
receiving more of the things the Spirit teaches. “For whosoever hath, to him
shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from
him shall be taken away even that he hath.” (Matthew 13:12, 19). The quickened one is given all fullness of
grace, he is given the inheritance of grace: “all spiritual blessing in
heavenly places in Christ:”
(Ephesians 1:3). In that he is quickened (made alive), he is able to “grow in
grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever. A-men.”
(II Peter 3:18).
Growth in grace is through growth
in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior; as the living children of God grow in
the knowledge of Christ Jesus their trust in him grows, and their self-confidence
diminishes. When by His instruction the quickened one sees “the plague of his
own heart” (I Kings 8:38) then his pride falls to the ground, and meekness
replaces haughtiness, and humility replaces a proud look. The quickened one is
made meek and lowly in spirit, as is his master; and he learns to depend, not
on himself, but to depend on Christ Jesus. Growth in grace is growth in our
gracious disposition toward the things that surround us, realizing that out
Lord Jesus works all things after the counsel of His own will (Ephesians 1:11).
“ According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertains unto life and godliness,
through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:” (II
Peter 1:3). There is no growth in
holiness, nor in righteousness, for the children of God are holy in the
holiness of Jesus Christ; and Christ Jesus is “THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS”
(Jeremiah 23:6): as it is written “But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of
God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and
redemption: that, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory
in the Lord.” (I Corinthians 1:30-31).
Our Lord Jesus informed His
disciples of His departure to the Father; because of that, sorrow had filled
their hearts; and therefore He said: “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.” (John 16:7) The
Holiness and Truth of God required satisfaction for sins committed against His
Divine Majesty, the smallest infraction of His law must meet its punishment,
the curse, brought about by disobedience must be endured; and God must be
reconciled by vengeance being executed on the offender of His law. For God will
not cry peace, peace when there is no peace (Jeremiah 6:14; 8:11). Our Lord
Jesus said “But now I go my way to Him that sent me:” (John 16:5). His way of
departure was the cross; He as Surety of the everlasting covenant of grace was
appointed to stand responsible for the covenant children’s disobedience. The
debt of death, must be paid the to law and justice of God; before the children
of the covenant could receive the good things purposed in the covenant of God
for His children. Therefore Christ Jesus must fulfill the law of God, not only
by perfect obedience to its precept; but also by the complete satisfaction of
its penalty: He must die in the stead of the children of the covenant, under
the just vengeance of the justice of God. Therefore the Comforter could not
come until the justice of God stood satisfied, propitiated, by the propitiation
of the Just and Holy One (I John 2:2). For Christ Jesus is the propitiation of
the sins of the whole world; not for the world that cannot receive the Spirit
of Truth; but for the whole world of the elect of God (I John 5:19; 2:15-16;
James 4:4; Revelation 12:9) who stood in the Surety-ship of Christ from before
the foundation of the world. For the purpose and grace of God was given us (the
election of grace) in Christ Jesus before the world began (II Timothy 1:9).
Christ Jesus as “the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.”
(Revelation13:8) had, according to the covenant: in the purpose and grace of
God, paid the debt before it was actually made. In each generation there is a
“remnant according to the election of grace” (Romans 11:5) whose debt is paid
(John 1:29); and because they have no sin imputed (Romans 4:6-8; II Corinthians
5:19) no sin recorded (Jeremiah 50:20) they stand in grace (Romans 5:1-2):
justified by the blood and righteousness of Jesus Christ (Romans 5:9).
Therefore every son of Adam; who is made willing, may come to Jesus Christ: as
it is written: “And the Spirit and the bride say, come. And let him that
heareth say, come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let
him take the water of life freely.” (Revelation 22:17) Thus saith the Lord “ All
that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh I will in no
wise cast out. (John 6:37).
AJ Ison
See the writers blog at www.hebrews915.blogspot.com hear
the true gospel of the sovereign grace of God in Christ Jesus preached at
www.13thstbaptist.org webcasting live at listed service times.
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