John 14.12-31_The Spirit of Jesus

  • Sam Ford
  • Mar 16, 2008
  • Series: Gospel According to John

John 14.12-31 - The Spirit of Jesus

March 16, 2008

Sam Ford

 

Dependence on God

If you've ever sold a house before, you know how fun it is.   You have to keep our floors swept, our toilets streak less, our beds made, our counters wiped, our yards straightened, our carpets vacuumed, for at a moment's notice, a potential buyer could call and want to walk around our humble abode and evaluate every inch.  You stare at them, studying every non-verbal cue they might make.  It's terrible.

 

The worst part is that you don't really hear anything from most of them.  Sometimes I think it would be nice just to hear someone say...Oh, I hate it.  I remember selling our old house, we did receive one offer to which we countered another offer.  It looked like all of our attention to cleanliness was going to pay off immediately.  Being the spiritual giants we are, we had dedicated a significant amount of time praying the day of the offer for the offer.  God seemed to be watching and listening...here was our reward. 

 

Then it all fell through.  The buyer fled.  But wait, we had prayed!  It is a bit sad I guess that I have spent more time praying for this house to sell than I probably have praying for my daughter who has been growing for the last seven months in the belly of my wife.

 

I have been thinking about prayer lately.  Growing up, I prayed differently-like I really believed in prayer.  Sometimes I just remember I was and didn't know better...then I remember that Jesus tells us to become like a child to enter the kingdom of God.  Growing up, my child like faith believed that God was in the business of answering prayers.  If I had a problem, a need, or a want...I asked God.  It wasn't that difficult.  ;  I just talked with God because he was the one who had everything, could do anything, and, well, Jesus Loved me.

 

It is just that when you get older, you forget things, or perhaps think about things too much.  I think at some point I forgot why we prayed.  Generally, I prayed because other people told me to.  I prayed for my dinner because I thought if I didn't I would choke and die because the food would be poisoned.  I prayed before I went to bed because I didn't want to die in my sleep because I pissed off God that day and hadn't asked for forgiveness.  I prayed at Christmas time because Santa was Satan and Mom and Dad already got a list of my goods and bads.  I prayed for people who got sick, at least, those I knew.

 

As I got older, however, I stopped praying and in the process, stopped depending on God.  I was too smart.  I simplified every problem so that it really wasn't a spiritual issue at all.  I just had to figure it out. 

  • Confidence in my Salvation was proved by doing good works
  • Determining the Will of God was about making PROS/CONS lists
  • Understanding the Bible was about making sure I read all the other "right" books
  • Overcoming Sin was about finding the right counselor, program, or pill

 

Slowly...I forgot that I was dependent on God for LIFE not just Eternal Life

My life lacked joy, lacked power, lacked direction, lacked confidence and was full of fear, guilt, uncertainty, and other forms of despair.  God was little more than a big sugar daddy in the sky that you went to get stuff and hoped you never ticked off who I believed either wasn't really listening or didn't care.  But God hadn't changed, I had.  My relationship with him had become like a warped marriage where the only time I spoke with my wife is when I wanted her to make dinner or have sex with me-something I need and something I want.   I was living alone.

 

In this last part of John 14, Jesus tells his disciples that they won't be left alone.  Jesus doesn't just die for our sins then say, "Well, my work here is done...see you in eternity."  He is not just sending one time "help", he is sending a helper, a person, to teach, comfort, and empower us, and to live IN US, and to be called  upon to HELP US as we walk through this hellish life now. 

 

READ JOHN 14.12-31

 

God intends for us to grow up and live like Jesus

12 "Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father.

We shouldn't make the mistake of thinking that we're going to be walking on water, healing the blind, and raising the dead.  It's not that those things can't happen, but the first statement is that we will do the WORKS THAT JESUS DOES.  They will be greater in the sense that their scope will be much larger than the localized miracles that we see here.  But in this passage we see that God's intention for us is to live and look more and more like His Son.  Genuine belief in Jesus will result in a desire to live a life that looks like that of Jesus.  But that's hard.    

 

God intends for us to ask Jesus to help?

13 Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.

Doing the works of Jesus has less to do with us and more to do with Jesus.  Ephesians 2.9 teaches us that we are designed to do good works, but we are incapable.  So, Jesus does them through us.  So, we'll ask Jesus to save us, but we seem to have this mentality that Jesus intended to save us from hell, but he left us in this hellish life to figure things out on our own

. 

God intends to give us another helper to help us love then obey.

15  "If you love me, you will keep my commandments. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, 17 even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him.  You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.18 "I will not leave you as orphans;

There are a lot of people who, if honest, would admit "I don't obey Jesus that well."  How many of us would more quickly say-"But I love Jesus."  You can't separate the two...one causes the other...but we often get which one comes first confused.  Jesus came that we might SEE and FEEL and EXPERIENCE the Love of God first hand.  John 3.16, For God so loved the world that he gave his son...1John 4.19  We love because God first loved us.  Obedience does not cause love, rather, it is a result of the love that is there because God has transformed our heart.   Romans 5..5.... God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.

 

Who or what is this helper?

The helper, or this Spirit of Truth, is the Holy Spirit.  I grew up in a fundamentalist church where they rarely, if ever, spoke of the Holy Spirit.  He was like the proverbial red-headed step child you had hidden in the back room.  You knew you were somehow related but not sure why.  So you ignored Him. When I went to a charismatic school, that same step child was the only member of the family you spoke of.  Holy Ghost Power this, Holy Ghost power that, and it was always very loud and seemingly contrived.  So who or what is this Holy Spirit?

 

Is the Holy Spirit a person?

First and foremost, the Holy Spirit is not an "IT" or some "indefinable feeling" or "power" as some might argue.  He is a distinctive being who possess all the characteristics of personage. What makes a person?  This seems like a strange question but what is meant is how do you know that the Holy Spirit has personality, has character traits of being someone REAL as opposed to a force of power like electricity.  We wouldn't say that electricity is a person.  We see the effects of electricity when it is present, but we don't interact with electricity in terms of relationship.  If you are going to have a Relationship with a person, you have be able to engage the person, grow in the relationship, even hurt the relationship. The Bible describes the Holy Spirit as one:  

  • He can be grieved. Eph 4:30.
  • He can be resisted. Ac 7:51.
  • He can be tempted. Ac 5:9.
  • He can be insulted Hebrews 10.29
  • He can speak. Ac 1:16; 1Pe 1:11,12; 2Pe 1:21. .

 

Is the Holy Spirit God?

But the Holy Spirit is a helper that God created to hold our hand through life.  In the Old Testament and New Testaments, The Holy Spirit is clearly described as having attributes shared only by God:   

  • As eternal. Heb 9:14.
  • As omnipresent. Ps 139:7-13.
  • As omniscient. Isaiah 40.13-14, 1Co 2:10.
  • As omnipotent. Micah 3.8; Acts 1.8; Lu 1:35; Ro 15:19.
  • As Creator. Ge 1:26,27; Job 33:4, Psalm 104.30.
  • As equal to, and one with the Father. Mt 28:19; 2Co 13:14.

 

He is also clearly declared God (Acts 5:3-4, see also John 14:16, 2 Co. 3:16-18).

Acts 5.1-4   But a man named Ananias, with his wife Sapphira, sold a piece of property, 2 and with his wife's knowledge he kept back for himself some of the proceeds and brought only a part of it and laid it at the apostles' feet. 3 But Peter said, "Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back for yourself part of the proceeds of the land? 4 While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? And after it was sold, was it not at your disposal? Why is it that you have contrived this deed in your heart? You have not lied to men but to God.


What is the role of the Holy Spirit in our lives?

If we ignore or misinterpret the need for the God the Holy Spirit in our lives, we'll end up living a cold and miserable religious life that lacks power and joy OR a life that is fluffy and lacks any true substance to deal with REAL problems. You either have SAD SACK CHRISTIANS who can't find God or RANSACK CHRISTIANS who look for him under every rock.

 

The Holy Spirit is there to help when we call

The helper or comforter, greek word "paraclete", parakletos, denotes the office of one who comes to the aid of a person in need (lit.) one who comes to our side when called upon-from para [by the side] and kletos [called]. 

 

10 Ways the Holy Spirit Helps Us

26 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you

 

1.       Opens your eyes for us to declare that Jesus is Lord (FAITH)

Without the Holy Spirit opening our eyes to see the Jesus as King of Kings and Lord of Lords, he will be little more than a good teacher or worse, a fool. 

John 3.3-5  3 Jesus answered him, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God." 4 Nicodemus said to him, "How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?" 5 Jesus answered, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God

 

1Cor 12.3  3 Therefore I want you to understand that no one speaking in the Spirit of God ever says "Jesus is accursed!" and no one can say "Jesus is Lord" except in the Holy Spirit.

 

2.       Identifies us as child of God and fellow heirs with Jesus (FAMILY)

When the Holy Spirit comes to dwell in our hearts, we are adopted as sons.  We have a new relationship with God who becomes our true Father. 

Romans 8.15-17  15 For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry,  "Abba! Father!" 16 The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, then heirs-heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.

 

Galatians 4.6   6 And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, "Abba! Father!" 7 So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God.

 

3.       Seals our salvation in Jesus forever (SECURITY)

Receiving the Holy Spirit is a guarantee that we will be saved and that we will not and cannot lose our salvation.

2 Cor 1:22

and who has also put his seal on us and given us his Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee.

 

Eph 1:13

In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit,

 

Eph 4:30

And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.

 

4.       Enables you to desire and recognize truth (Jesus) over falsehood (DISCERNMENT)

The Holy Spirit is called the Spirit of truth who guides us...truth is Jesus.

John 16.13  13 When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come.

 

5.       Teaches us about Jesus (TRUTH)

The Bible is a book written by fisherman and slaves.  But it's sure hard to understand.

John 14.26  26 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.

 

John 15.26 26 "But when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness about me. (Jn.16.13)

 

6.       Give you words to defend your faith against those who deny Jesus (CONFIDENCE)

Luke 12.12

11 And when they bring you before the synagogues and the rulers and the authorities, do not be anxious about how you should defend yourself or what you should say, 12 for the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say."

 

7.       Reveals the Will of God and give us the mind of Jesus (DIRECTION)

1Cor 2.10 10 these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God. (1John 2.20,27)

 

Romans 8.26 26 Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. 27 And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. 28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose

 

8.       Frees us to a new life of freedom in Jesus (FREEDOM)

Romans 8.1-11- There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. 3 For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, 4 in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. 5 For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. 6 To set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. 7 For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God's law; indeed, it cannot. 8 Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.

9 You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. 10 But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. 11 If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.

 

9.       Empowers us to not sin and live like Jesus (POWER)

Galatians 5.16, 22-25

16 But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17 For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do... (Gal.2.20)

 

10.  Fills us with Joy and hope in Jesus (JOY)

Galatians 5.22

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. 24 And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit. (Romans 14.17, Romans 15.13)

 

Why does any of this matter?  We may believe we're saved by grace, we may even agree that Jesus is with me, but we live as if we're all alone.  We accept God's eternal life, but trudge our way through daily life..   And, although we believe our problems are rooted in the spiritual, we try to fix those spiritual problems through non-spiritual means. 

 

The Sin in us ignores the Spirit and listens to the flesh that says...

1.      FAITH: We know who Jesus said he was but we don't really believe it ourselves.

2.      FAMILY: We follow Jesus like a boss but we don't love him as a Father.  

3.      SECURITY: We believe we're going to lose Jesus because we believe we found him.

4.      DISCERNMENT:  We fall for every lie there is because we trust ourselves to figure it out.

5.      TRUTH:  We don't know what Jesus said but we know everything others say about him.

6.      CONFIDENCE:  We fear defending our faith because we don't know it .

7.      DIRECTION:  We feel lost, can't figure out God's will because we try to figure it ourselves.

8.      FREEDOM:  We feel guilty because we're trying to find good in ourselves?

9.      POWER:  We struggle with sin for years because we believe we can fix ourselves.

10. JOY: We don't experience joy because we're struggling with our sin.

 

Jesus wants us to live in genuine peace NOW.

 27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you.

The world offers many forms of peace and comfort.  None of them will bring peace with a God whose wrath you will face apart from being saved by the blood of Jesus Christ.  God's peace Shalom-peace-is a precious word to the Jewish people. It means much more than just the absence of war or distress. Shalom means wholeness, completeness, health, security, even prosperity in the best sense. When you are enjoying God's peace, there is joy and contentment. The world cannot offer God's peace. 

  • The world apart from God, offers peace that depends on our own personal ability to achieve, learn, discern, and find joy in world ALL on our OWN. 
  • The peace of God says, YOU CAN'T DO IT ALONE-let me help you.  (make you whole, give you security, fill you with joy).  God's peace depends not on my sufficiency, but on that of Jesus, and the life that he now lives through me by His Spirit.


Peace comes from the THE REMINDER  that we are right with God in Christ.

The world enjoys peace when there is an absence of trouble, but the believer in Jesus enjoys peace because of the presence of power, comfort, and understanding of the Holy Spirit who brings to remembrance what Jesus did....30 I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming. He has no claim on me, 31 but I do as the Father has commanded me, so that the world may know that I love the Father.

 

REMEMBER Satan has no claim, no control, and power over us

When you are confused, don't understand, doubt, unsure what to do, can't overcome that sin, feel a loss of joy...remember...Colossians 2.13-15  13 And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, 14 by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. 15 He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.

 

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