Truth exposed 53 A Divine Relationship, John 14:8-15. (431)
By Keith HeltsleyPosted on

After a brief introduction, Keith takes time to review:
John 14:13-15 (NASB)

13 “Whatever you ask in My name, that will I do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
14 “If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it.

God is not a wishing fairy, but his promise is something of a blank check. There is a limitation and qualification on the check. Just as there are on any check we might use today at the local bank. It is only valid when it’s consistent with his character and purpose. It’s only valid to glorify God, not to gratify our whims
the test is love and obedience to his purpose.

John 14

15 “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.

The key to having prayers answered are:

  • Love Christ above all.
  • Obeying his commands is proof of your love for him.
  • The degree we obey his commands demonstrates the degree of our love and worthiness toward claiming that blank check.

Beginning in verse 16, we find that Jesus will ask the father, not only for our requests, but more importantly to send the Holy Spirit. His time is short, and he knows he has to go. He knows that while he is gone, God will send his comforting spirit, but only once he has left and returned to heaven.

From the expositors Bible commentary (EBC):

In his place he promised to send the Holy Spirit, the “Counselor.” An attempted translation of the Greek parakletos, which means literally “a person summoned to one’s aid.” It may refer to an advisor, a legal advocate, a mediator or intercessor

  • The Spirit’s function is to represent God to the believer as Jesus did while in the flesh.
  • “Another” means another of the same kind, not of a different kind.
  • the concept of the Holy Spirit was not new; his presence is documented as far back as Genesis 1:2.
  • He called and empowered men to do unusual deeds and to prophesy
  • John the Baptist had predicted that Jesus would baptize with the Holy Spirit

The spirit is the spirit of truth. The world did not no truth, and still seems to have a huge problem with it today.
What’s the difference between the believer and the world? Why doesn’t this world no truth? What does it mean to have the spirit in us, and us in the spirit?

EBC:

The ministry of the Spirit, however, would be directed primarily to the disciples. He would direct their decisions, counsel them continually, and remain with them forever. He would be invisible to all and the world would not recognize him.
Later, he would indwell them, when Jesus himself had departed. This distinction marks the difference between the Old Testament experience of the Holy Spirit and the post-Pentecostal experience of the church.

Jesus will not abandon us. Although it may feel like it, we will not be left as an orphan, who has no one to lead, guide or protect him.
Jesus promised here to return, seems to refer to his brief return after the crucifixion. We know this because of the statement that follows in verse 19.

19 “After a little while the world will no longer see Me, but you will see Me; because I live, you will live also.

After a little while, two things will happen. First, Jesus will be dead and the world will no longer see him. Second, his disciples will see him after his death.

20 “In that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you.

I’m sure this was confusing to the disciples, and hard to understand. Because of this prophecy though, Jesus promised that when he died and they saw him again they would have the sign they needed and they would understand. They would understand what it meant for Jesus to be in the father, we in him and he in us. Divine unity.

21 “He who has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me; and he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and will disclose Myself to him.”

This divine unity is proved by fax that:

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