Gospel of John #21

Jesus Reveals the Father and the Comforter
(John 14)

Fred R. Coulter—April 12, 1986

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John 14 is what Jesus spoke to His disciples immediately after Judas Iscariot went out to betray Him. Then John 14-17 are all involved at the time they were there at the Passover until the arrest of Jesus.

John 14:1: "Let not your heart be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in Me." That's the whole theme of the book of John, believing in Christ! That's salvation and that belief unto salvation to where it becomes a very part of your being, just like God's Spirit in your mind becomes a part of your very mind. This belief is not just something to believe on, or to understand, but it's something that you believe as a way of life, and that's the way it is! You're not going to let anything detract from your belief in Jesus Christ.

Verse 2: "In My Father's house are many dwelling places…" The Father's house is New Jerusalem and that's the place where we are going to live.

"…if it were otherwise, I would have told you. I am going to prepare a place for you" (v 2). Think about that for a minute. Jesus Christ is preparing a place for each one of us. Down through the different generations of Christians as they came on the scene, Christ is preparing a place for them—a place in New Jerusalem. Then He gives this promise:

Verse 3: "And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; so that where I am, you may be also."

Let's see what Peter has recorded for us concerning this inheritance that is for us, and it's reserved in heaven for us. Where is New Jerusalem coming from? From heaven! It's interesting, you compare Rev. 13. The beast comes 'out of the sea,' the earth. New Jerusalem comes from heaven, from God! We get a little clue from Peter about what he wrote in the last part of 2-Peter about Paul's epistles, that Paul wrote some things hard to be understood. It kind of gives you a little clue to the Epistles of Paul, because right at the end of 2-Pet. It says to 'grow in grace and in knowledge,' and Peter wrote very similarly as Paul did after he apparently studied the Epistles of Paul. (That is speculation that maybe he did and maybe he didn't.)

1-Peter 1:2: "Who have been chosen… [selected of God; selected by grace to call us] …according to the predetermined knowledge of God the Father, by sanctification through the Spirit…"—to be made Holy—'hagia' and the word for saint is 'hagios.' We're Holy as far as God is concerned. Wherever the presence of God is is Holy.Do we have the presence of God in our mind in spirit? Yes! That's why we're called Holy brethren.

"…unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace and peace be multiplied to you" (v 2). You'll find that none of the other writers of the epistles or any of the writers of the Bible use grace and peace. That's taken almost right from Paul's writings. Every one of Paul's writings starts out 'Grace and peace be to you from Jesus Christ and God the Father.'

Verse 3: "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Who, according to His abundant mercy, has begotten us again…" Notice that we're not born again! God's Spirit in us is the very seed from God the Father.

"…unto a living hope… [a living belief, a living salvation, a living Savior] …through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead; unto an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and unfading, reserved in heaven for us, who are being safeguarded by the power of God through faith, for salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time" (vs 3-5). So, the salvation of God is going to come, and it's going to be revealed. Christ is literally going to return from this earth.

Let's see about this place that Jesus is preparing. Let's see how God is preparing a place, and also, us. We're being prepared to receive eternal life! We're having a place prepared for us to live eternally.

Revelation 2:7: "The one who has an ear, let him hear…" Always be willing to hear and listen to what God has to say and what God's Spirit is going to show us, teach us and say to us.

"…what the Spirit says to the Churches. To the one who overcomes…" (v 7)—is overcoming! Just like in the book of John the one who is believing; the one who is overcoming! It is an active, alive, a progressive moving salvation. Of course, the way we overcome it is not by works, but by faith. This is what overcomes the world: our faith! That's the only way we're going to have salvation; it can't be any other way.

"…I will give the right to eat of the tree of life that is in the midst of the paradise of God" (v 7). Wherever the place is that He's preparing it is in the "…paradise of God." We'll see that that's New Jerusalem.

Verse 11: "The one who has an ear… [all the churches have to be listening attentively to Christ] …let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. The one who overcomes shall not be hurt of the second death." We're going to live forever! That's fantastic! Going to live forever as God lives forever; that is going to just be absolutely marvelous!

Verse 17: "The one who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who overcomes I will give the right to eat of the hidden manna… [that is the spiritual life that comes from God] …and I will give him a white stone, and on the stone a new name written, which no one knows except the one who receives it."

Everyone is going to have a main address, where we are going to be in the place God is preparing. This place belongs to you. Today we have addresses and phone numbers and things like that. I don't know exactly how it's going to be in New Jerusalem, but there's going to be a place that says that, with your new name, this is your place.

Verse 26: "And to the one who overcomes, and keeps My works… [having to practicing the works of Jesus Christ] …unto the end…" We have to continuously do it; that's why this thing of believing in Jesus and God the Father has to be so absolutely beyond what we can conceive of as far as just believing things as people are concerned. That's why it can only be of the Holy Spirit.

Remember when some of the disciples left and Peter said, 'Lord, we're here with You, to whom would we go? You have the words of life. We believe that You are Jesus the Christ.'

Jesus said, 'Do you really believe? I've chosen 12 of you and one of you is a demon!' (John 6). This is the kind of belief that can only be a spiritual belief, which comes from God the Father—believing, keeping and overcoming is all in the book of John. John wrote Revelation, 1st, 2nd, & 3rd John, and the Gospel of John. All of these have that believing all the way through.

"…keeps My works unto the end, I will give authority over the nations" (v 26). We're going to be on earth, wherever this place is that God is preparing and is going to bring here.

Verse 27: "And he shall shepherd them with an iron rod, as vessels of pottery are broken in pieces; as I have also received from My Father; and I will give him the morning star" (vs 27-28). There's going to be a splendorous, glorious inheritance that we're going to have.

Verse 29: "The one who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches."

Revelation 3:5: "The one who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments…" God is going to give us everything we need for eternal life: a place to live, clothes to wear. What's it going to be like to have clothes made out of spirit? I don't know!

"…and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life, but I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels" (v 5).

Verse 12: "The one who overcomes will I make a pillar in the temple of My God…" Where is the temple of God going to be? In New Jerusalem!

"…and he shall not go out anymore; and I will write upon him the name of My God, and the name of the city of My God, the New Jerusalem…" (v 12).

What was Jesus' occupation when He was on the earth? A carpenter, a builder! What is He doing now in heaven? Building a place for us! He said, 'If I go, I will prepare a place for you, and I will come again and receive you unto Myself.'

"…which will come down out of heaven from My God; and I will write upon him My new name" (v 12).

Verse 21: "To the one who overcomes will I give authority to sit with Me in My throne, even as I also overcame, and sat down with My Father in His throne."

Revelation 5:9 shows what we're going to be doing: "And they sang a new song, saying, 'Worthy are You to take the book, and to open its seals because You were slain, and did redeem us to God by Your own blood, out of every tribe and language and people and nation, and did make us unto our God kings and priests; and we shall reign on the earth'" (vs 9-10). So, it's going to be right here on the earth.

Revelation 21:27: "And nothing that defiles shall ever enter into it… [New Jerusalem] …nor shall anyone who practices an abomination or devises a lie; but only those who are written in the Lamb's Book of Life." We are promised that our names will not be blotted out of the Book of Life. This shows that we will have entrance into New Jerusalem.

Revelation 22:14: "Blessed are those who keep His commandments…" We see everywhere about faith, growing, overcoming there are those who do the commandments of God. Commandment-keeping doesn't do away with grace, and grace does not do away with commandment-keeping; they go hand-in-hand. Eternal life is through grace; but we must walk in the good works that Christ has ordained.

"…that they may have the right to eat of the tree of life, and may enter by the gates into the city" (v 14)—New Jerusalem!

Revelation 21:6: "And He said to me, 'It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End. To the one who thirsts, I will give freely of the fountain of the water of life. The one who overcomes shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be My son'" (vs 6-7). These are some tremendous promises!

If you get discouraged, just down and out and feel really bad, just go read Rev. 21:7 that you're going to be the very son of God! That's absolutely exciting! When God prepares this place for us, just imagine what it's going to be like when we are called to enter into New Jerusalem, and we walk through one of these tremendous gates that is just like one great big pearl.

There are 12 gates and each of the gates have the names of the 12 apostles. I don't know which one we're going to walk through, but we will walk through it and Jesus will take us to our place. That's really going to be something—isn't it?

That's going to be really exciting! Have you ever walked into a brand new house; remember how you felt the first time you walked in it? Just think what it's going to feel like to walk into a brand new place in New Jerusalem? The place that Christ has made for us! That's going to be absolutely exhilarating. I don't know what that's going to be like, but I'm sure that the feeling is going to beyond anything we can know or understand in the emotions of the flesh as we are now.

John 14:4—Jesus said: "'And where I am going you know, and the way you know.' Thomas said to Him, 'Lord, we do not know where You are going; how then can we know the way?' Jesus said to him, 'I am the Way, and the Truth, and the Life; no one comes to the Father except through Me" (vs 4-6). It has to be in Christ!

That's why the Jews had such a horrible time, because they have the Old Testament, and all their traditions, and they're holding onto all that they can, but it has to be through Christ! That's why Paul said that Christ is to the Jews a 'stumbling block.' "…no one comes to the Father except through Me [Christ]."

• that's how important salvation is
• that's why the Father has to draw us with His Spirit
• that's why we have to be granted repentance
• that's why the work in us through the Spirit of Christ is the thing that's so important that we can go ahead with and overcome with

"…I am the Way, and the Truth, and the Life; no one comes to the Father except through Me."

It's not the wise, it's not the prudent, it's not the smart, it's not the great people of the world, but it is the work of God Who calls us, Who gives to us the kingdom!

Matthew 11:25: "At that time Jesus answered and said, 'I praise You, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and intelligent, and have revealed them to babes. Yes, Father, for it was well pleasing in Your sight to do this. All things were delivered to Me by My Father; and no one knows the Son except the Father; neither does anyone know the Father except the Son, and the one to whom the Son personally chooses to reveal Him'" (vs 25-27). It has to be revealed! God has to work in your life!

I don't know about you, but there was a time that I could see that God the Father reached down and called me. There was a distinct event that occurred in my life to make me aware of God, the calling of God, and Jesus Christ. Was there a time like that in your life? A time that you can look back and you know that God began dealing with you! There ought to be! Then you repent and were baptized.

Verse 28: "Come to Me, all you who labor and are overly burdened, and I will give you rest." That's so we can grow, change and overcome. He gives us rest in peace, mercy and kindness.

Verse 29: "Take My yoke upon you, and learn from Me; for I am meek and lowly in heart; and you shall find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light" (vs 29-30). I've had many people in the past ask me how come Christianity is so hard, yet, Jesus said that His yoke is easy and burden light? That's compared to just living in the evil in this world!

When we put it all under the blood of Christ, and with the grace of God it is easy and it is light. It's a struggle otherwise. If you try and do it on your own, it's a struggle, and you're going to find yourself wondering how on earth you can overcome, change and grow. Put that all on Jesus Christ. Remember that Jesus said, 'I am the Way, the Truth and the Life.'

Not only is He the Way, the Truth and the Life, there is only one name under heaven by we can receive salvation, and that's the name of Jesus Christ:

Acts 4:12: "And there is no salvation in any other…" There is no other savior, no other religion, no other way; it is through Christ! That makes it a whole lot easier in a sense, because you don't have to worry about the people that God hasn't called. But it makes it more difficult in another way, because there is only one way, and Christ is that way!

"…for neither is there another name under heaven which has been given among men, by which we must be saved" (v 12). That little word must in the Greek is interesting; it means by which it has been ordained for you to be saved!

• No other name!
• No other way!
• No other means!

It is through Jesus Christ alone!

Remember, Judas had already left to betray Jesus, so Jesus is telling them these words to comfort them. This is the final testimony of one to die. In other words, if you were gathered around with your family, and say the father of the family was going to die, and he tells you, 'I'm going to die! I'm going to give you my last words and my testimony and here is what I want you to do.' That was so that they would pay attention to do what Jesus said:

John 14:7: "'If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also. But from this time forward, you know Him and have seen Him.' Philip said to Him, 'Lord, show us the Father, and that will be sufficient for us.' Jesus said to him, 'Have I been with you so long a time, and you have not known Me, Philip? The one who has seen Me has seen the Father; why then do you say, "Show us the Father"?'" (vs 7-9). That shows that Jesus was the exact replication of the Father. If they saw Jesus then they had seen the Father.

What else does it mean? It's very important in understanding about Christ and how He overcame, and it's very important for us to understand how we can overcome.

Verse 10: "Don't you believe that I am in the Father, and the Father is in Me?…. [we have to believe in Christ, that the Father was in Christ] …The words that I speak to you, I do not speak from My own self; but the Father Himself, Who dwells in Me, does the works."

Jesus told the Jews, 'I work and My Father works.' Christ didn't do anything that the Father did not tell Him to do and motivate Him what to do. "…the Father Himself, Who dwells in Me, does the works."

Verse 11: "Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me; but if not, believe Me because of the works themselves. Truly, truly I say to you, the one who believes in Me shall also do the works that I do; and greater works than these shall he do because I am going to the Father" (vs 11-12).

Let's look at some other Scriptures showing how Jesus followed and believed the Father and did those things only. Let's see how we also need to do the same thing; how we need to draw closer to God in the same way.

John 5:30: "I have no power to do anything of Myself…" Jesus didn't come here to do anything on His own. He came here to do the will of the Father! The Father Who dwelt in Him through the Holy Spirit did everything! Remember that it said of Jesus that He was:

• full of grace
• full of Truth
• full of the Holy Spirit

That's how He was able to accomplish it. That doesn't mean He was helpless, it meant that He completely gave His will to the direction, leading and guiding of the Father!

"…but as I hear, I judge; and My judgment is just because I do not seek My own will but the will of the Father Who sent Me" (v 30). All the way through the book of John it emphasizes that over and over again so that we can believe and let the Father work through us and let Christ work in us. It says that God the Father and Jesus Christ will come and 'make Our abode with the one who believes' (John 14). That's quite a promise! That is absolutely fabulous!

John 8:28 also gives us another indication of what we need to do, how we need to do things, and how we need to live our lives: "Then Jesus said to them, 'When you have lifted up the Son of man… [prophecy of the crucifixion, lifting up on the cross] …then you yourselves shall know that I AM, and that I do nothing of Myself. But as the Father taught Me, these things I speak. And He Who sent Me is with Me. The Father has not left Me alone because I always do the things that please Him'" (vs 28-29).

As we are walking toward the Light—Christ—and living within that grace of God, completely under the umbrella of protection of the grace of God, and walking in the way that we need to, then we will be doing the things that please God. What happens when we do the things that please God? That's very important in relationship to our prayers! And in just pleasing God in general. Remember what He told the ones who received the talents? Well done good and faithful servants! They did the things that pleased God.

1-John 5:14: "And this is the confidence that we have toward Him: that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us." That's a very important thing and it comes right back to John 14. Notice again how John emphasizes these things over and over again.

It's said, by tradition, that before John died the only thing he could say was love one another! See how much he's written here, and this all this ties in together.

Verse 15: "And if we know that He hears us, whatever we may ask…" Why is that? Because we do those things that are pleasing in His sight!

1-John 3:22: "And whatever we may ask we receive from Him because we keep His commandments…" Isn't that what Jesus said: 'Of My own self I can do nothing'? and 'As the Father has commanded Me, that I do.'

"…and practice those things that are pleasing in His sight" (v 22). Do as Jesus said, always do the things that please the Father. That's how our lives are to be. Do those things that please God! What is one of the most pleasing things to God? When we come to God in a humble and contrite, repentant attitude in heart and mind! And ask for God's mercy, grace and forgiveness to lead us, guide us and send His Spirit.That's all part of it.

As the Father in Christ, so also it is with Christ in us; Colossians 1:27: "To whom God did will to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory." It says in another place 'let Christ dwell in your heart.' Isn't that what Jesus said of the Father? 'It is not I doing the work but the Father Who dwells in Me.' Here is the spiritual thing for us.

• Christ in you is the hope of glory
• Christ in you is what overcomes

With the grace of God that makes it so much easier. Where is the joy of being a Christian? Too many of us have gone through too many sad things; where is the joy? The joy is letting Christ in you do it through God's Spirit and through the grace of God! This brings the joy because Christ is doing it. You're not doing it. You're in the same situation that Christ was then.

Christ in you is doing the work! That's makes it whole lot easier. Just relax and we can have some joy and happiness. Jesus said, 'My joy will be fulfilled in you.' That's how it's fulfilled in you!

Gal. 2 talks about Christ in us, and here's how our lives are in Christ. Remember that in baptism we are buried in the likeness of His death! That's why Paul says here:

Galatians 2:20: "I have been crucified with Christ, yet, I live. Indeed, it is no longer I; but Christ lives in me…." That's the way it has to be for every one of us. Christ in us! When we keep the Sabbath and get together as brethren, and view it from that point of view, doesn't that make it so much better? Doesn't that make it so much more wonderful? That's why we've nicknamed ourselves as 'The No Hassle Church'! We're not having those hassles and we don't want those hassles. If Christ lives in us then it is Christ doing it!

"…For the life that I am now living in the flesh, I live by faith—that very faith of the Son of God, Who loved me and gave Himself for me" (v 20). Just keep that in mind. Don't go around carrying a big burden yourself. You put it on Christ! You put it on God and let Christ in you do the work.

Ephesians 4:1—this shows us how to live our lives with Christ in us: "Therefore, I, the prisoner of the Lord, am exhorting you to walk worthily of the calling to which you were called with all humility and meekness, with long-suffering, forbearing one another in love; being diligent to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace" (vs 1-3). The time that we are in the Church of God we have the unity of the Spirit of Christ.

Verse 4: "There is one body and one Spirit, even as you were also called in one hope of your calling." See how all these things tie together with the different Scriptures that we just covered? That's what is so fantastic about the Bible. You get 'a little here, a little there' and you put it all together, and what a beautiful and fantastic picture you have.

Verse 5: "One Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, Who is over all, and through all, and in you all" (vs 5-6). As the Father was in Christ—and if you saw Christ you saw the Father, and Christ did all the work through the Father—so Christ is in us and the Father is in us through the Holy Spirit!

I don't know about you, but that makes me really excited. I don't want to get up and run around like the Pentecostals. I saw on television that they were whooping and hollering, holding hands and running around a table. I thought it was just like an Indian dance trying to whoop down the spirit. They were all jumping around.

Philippians 2:12: "So then, my beloved, even as you have always obeyed… [obedience; remember obedience unto faith] …not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God Who works in you both to will and to do according to His good pleasure" (vs 12-13).

• Can you do the things that please God? Sure you can!
• Does that mean you have to run out and have some sort of great religious work? No!

• love God with all your heart, mind, soul and being
• love the brethren the way that you should
• trust in the grace and faith of God and Christ
• believe

God in you: Christ in you! The Father in you! That's really a fantastic thing for us to see, know and understand.

John 14:13: "And whatever you shall ask in My name…" We know it has to be according to the will of God. But will God hear our prayers? Yes, He will! Is there any limit? No, as long as it's based upon faith!

Jesus said that if you have faith as the grain of mustard seed, you can say to the sycamore tree be removed into the ocean and it would be removed. But you have to have that love and faith; that's why it's tied in here so much.

"…this will I do that the Father may be glorified in the Son" (v 13). Christ is there ready to answer our prayers. Why do we wonder so many times: will God hear my prayer? Will God answer my prayer? Why go pray if you don't believe? What good is it going to accomplish? That's why you have to believe!

Verse 14: "If you ask anything in My name, I will do it." You tie that together with those other Scriptures that we just read in 1-John 5 and 3; do those things that are those things that are pleasing in His sight and they will be done and accomplished in the way that God wants.

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We're going to come to a very important section of John 14, and what I want to do is read several verses and then we're going to understand why the Holy Spirit is not a he, a person. It was never in the original Greek where the Holy Spirit was he. When we read this, the translators of the Bible did put in the personal pronoun he. I'm sure that's because of their belief in the trinity.

However, that's contrary to what was written there in the original Greek. I'm going to show here a little elementary instruction in Greek so that you will be able to understand it just a little bit:

Greek-English Definite Article Instruction

• In English we have one word for the: the house, the car, the man, the woman
• In Greek there are three different the: masculine, feminine, neuter; these are pronounced:

• 'ho'—masculine
• 'ha'—feminine
• 'tou'—neuter or neither masculine nor feminine

Masculine noun with definite article:

In English it's just one word: the; in the Greek there are three of them.

Let me show you how one thing leads to another. Here is a masculine noun: 'ho pater'—the father. You couldn't say 'ha pater' because you don't have female fathers. So, it is 'ho pater'—the father. Notice that the pronoun that follows, in English it is he—the father he. In Greek you would say, 'ho pater autos.'

Notice the 'os' on the end. Whenever you have a masculine definite article 'ho' then the pronoun must be a masculine pronoun to follow, which in the English is he; in the Greek is 'autos.'

Feminine noun with the definite article:

'ha gune'—the woman. That's the Greek derivative for women's medical specialties called gynecology; it comes from the Greek word 'gune.' You never say 'ho gune.' You say, 'ha gune' because it is feminine—the woman.

So, the pronoun in English for the woman is the woman she, but in the Greek it is 'ha gune auti' instead of 'autos.'
Neuter noun with the definite article:

'tou penuma'—the spirit. You have to see it in the Greek Interlinear to really understand it. The pronoun for a neuter noun in the English is it—the spirit it. In the Greek it is 'tou pneuma auto.' See the difference in the ending. This ending with the 'o' agrees with the 'o' in the 'tou.'

In John 14 (KJV) where it talks about the Spirit he, the Greek pronoun is 'auto'; the definite article is 'tou'; so it must be in the neuter sense, the Holy Spirit it. That's the only proper way that it should be translated. Let me show you the three different ones on the 'auto.'

• 'autos'—he
• 'auti'—her
• 'auto'—it

In the Greek that's the way it is, and there should be never any changing of that; that's an automatic rule.

Let's see why it should be translated it instead of he. I hope you understand the definite article in the Greek—ho, ha, tou. Remember that the Spirit, 'tou pneuma' is neuter—not masculine, not feminine.

John 14:15: "If you love Me, keep the commandments—namely, My commandments." This is the verse I like to have for someone who says, 'I love the Lord.' Ask them if they keep the commandments of God. Notice that it is conditional. I want to mention something else here that is important in the Greek, and that is the Greek is emphatic.

Verse 16: "And I will ask the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter, that it may be with you throughout the age." The word Comforter is a masculine word, but the Spirit itself is neuter—'tou pneuma.'

Verse 17: "Even the Spirit of the Truth… ['tou pneuma to alethino'] …which the world cannot receive because it perceives it not… [the world does not see it] …nor knows it; but you know it because it dwells with you, and shall be within you." They received God's Spirit and it came inthem. God's Spirit was withthem before Christ was crucified and resurrected. Then after He was resurrected the Spirit was inthem.

Verse 18: "I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you." That's quite a statement. Here comes a very important and emphatic part of John.

Remember that he is saying this just before they get up and go out to the Garden of Gethsemane. John 14:31: "…Arise, let us go out." That's when they left wherever they were keeping the Passover.
Remember that when Jesus dipped the sop and gave it to Judas He was deeply troubled and distressed. What He's saying now is the final—from the heart, from the gut—instruction for the disciples.

Verse 19: "Yet, a little while and the world shall see Me no longer; but you shall see Me. Because I live, you shall live also. In that day, you shall know that I am in My Father, and you are in Me, and I am in you. The one who has My commandments and is keeping them, that is the one who loves Me…" (vs 19-21). If you are keeping the commandments of God, you are loving Jesus.

"…and the one who loves Me shall be loved by My Father…" (v 21). These are really comforting Scriptures.

• Does God love you? Yes, He does!
• Does the Father love you? Yes, He does!

We don't have to run around and be depressed and wonder: what about this? What about my life?

• Christ loves us!
• He loves you!
• He loves me!
• The Father does!

That is dynamic and absolutely incredible!

"…and I will love him and will manifest Myself to him" (v 21). Has Christ been manifested to you? Yes, He has! You haven't seen Him. There's a secret way that Christ manifests or reveals Himself to you and me. It's a secret way. How is that? It's so simple it's incredible! Judas didn't understand it:

Verse 22: "Judas (not Iscariot) said to him, 'Lord, what has happened that You are about to manifest Yourself to us, and not to the world?'" If You reveal Yourself to us, how is that You're not going to reveal yourself to the world? Granted, for 40 days after the resurrection He was with them and they saw Him, touched Him and handled Him. Then He ascended into heaven.

Verse 23: "Jesus answered and said to him, 'If anyone loves Me, he will keep My Word…'" That's how God manifests Himself to you, through the love of Christ to you and through His Word, through the very words that you have in your Bible, the very words of Jesus Christ.

It says that the one who keeps 'My commandments loves Me.' Now it's more than just the commandments. "If anyone loves Me, he will keep My Word" (v 21). Everything that Jesus said! Again, it's emphatic.

"…and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our abode with him" (v 23). That means that Christ is living in us. See how that ties in with the Scripture that 'the life that I live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God Who gave Himself for me!' That's how you can walk in faith. You can walk in faith when you understand that. You can keep coming to Christ and loving Christ, keeping His Word, keeping His commandments.

That will give us so much more confidence. Why should we worry? Why should we have the lack of confidence? No reason at all! Absolutely no reason at all! We should have the utmost confidence in God.

• Do you believe that God created the heavens and the Earth? Yes!
• Do you believe that He has called you? Yes!
• Do you believe that Jesus is the Son of God, your Savior? Yes!
• Do you believe in keeping His commandments and loving Him? Yes!
• What does God say? He will make His abode—the Father and the Son—WE 'will make our abode with him!'
  • that's how God reveals Himself
  • that's how He manifests Himself to you and not to the world

If we just went down the sidewalk here, no one can tell that God is with us. There's no halo, there's no ghost following behind us. The world couldn't tell one from the other, but we know mentally, because of God's Spirit, that He has manifested Himself to us.

Verse 24: "The one who does not love Me does not keep My words…" That's quite a test—isn't it? Quite a test!

I had a situation where people said, 'We used to do foot-washing, but we don't need to do that now. That's sort of antiquated and outdated. Who needs to do foot-washing today?'

• Were those the words of Christ?
• Did He not say that 'I've given you an example that you ought to do?
• Are you not duty-bound to wash one another's feet?

We can take this same principle here. If you are not keeping the sayings of Jesus you are not loving Him. That means that you cannot create your own religion over here and put the name of Christ on it and say that you love God. You don't! There's a qualifying statement that you must be keeping His sayings. That means actually practicing and living, keeping and actively doing. If you are not actively keeping His sayings you're not loving God! You may claim you love God, but claiming, loving and doing are completely different.

"…and the word that you hear is not Mine, but the Father's, Who sent Me" (v 24). That's should make it so there's no question in our mind about Who we're really following and what we're really doing. I know that when we keep the sayings of Jesus, that makes things so much easier. It just does!

"…and the word that you hear is not Mine, but the Father's, Who sent Me." We have this on the Highest Authority in the universe, from God the Father Himself! That's fantastic! That is overwhelming!

I tell you, the book of John is just so deep with meaning and understanding, and yet, it's so simple. It's just like God manifesting Himself to us. It's a very simple thing. His Spirit and His Word, there it is to us, not to the world. Yet, it is so profound and it's forever. Fantastic!

Verse 25: "I have spoken these things to you while I am yet present with you. But when the Comforter comes, even the Holy Spirit, which the Father will send in My name, that one shall teach you all things, and shall bring to your remembrance everything that I have told you" (vs 25-26). That statement is loaded!

• How does a person learn of God? Through the Holy Spirit.
• What does a person have to do?

2-Timothy 2:15: "Diligently study to show yourself approved unto God, a workman who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the Word of the Truth."

• you have to study the Word of God
• you have to know the Word of God

A teacher has to be sent so you can learn, but you don't learn of God from men. You learn of God from God from His Spirit! It will teach you all things! Whatever we need to know, if it's in the Bible and we can put it together and come up with an answer that we need to, whatever the circumstances may be. That's a tremendous and wonderful reassurance. It will teach us all things!

1-John 2 will tell us about those people who have teachers. Remember that in another place it tells us about those who will have teachers who have 'itching ears' and will be tuned in to fables. This is talking about those who have left, the antichrists.

1-John 2:19: "They went out from among us, but they were not of us because if they were of us, they would have remained with us; nevertheless, they left that they might be exposed to show that they all were not of us. But you have the anointing from the Holy One, and you have knowledge of all things pertaining to salvation" (vs 19-20).

You don't want to take this presumptuously and say that we don't need to be taught. We do need to be taught, however, this unction is the anointing is of the Holy Spirit! We all have that, and we don't need someone to teach us who is a false teacher. This is where when different ones study so much into the scholarship of other people, they get off the track, because they're not letting the Holy Spirit do the teaching. It says "…you have knowledge of all things pertaining to salvation."

Verse 21: "I did not write to you because you do not know the Truth, but because you know it, and you understand that not one lie comes from the Truth. Who is the liar if it is not the one who denies that Jesus is the Christ? He is the antichrist—the one who denies the Father and the Son" (vs 21-22).

Verse 27: "But you yourselves have dwelling in you the anointing that you received from Him… [Christ is in you! The Holy Spirit is in us!] …and you do not have need of anyone to indoctrinate you…"

Obviously, when you put it all together, that is, you don't need any man who is a false teacher, an antichrist, to come along here and try to teach you about God. God's Spirit will teach you that what they are teaching you is wrong. That's actually what it means, but it's really a comforting thing. You can come along and see the difference between right doctrine and right teaching vswrong doctrine and teaching.

"…for the same anointing instructs you in all spiritual things, and is true, and is not a lie; and if you do exactly as it has taught you, you will be dwelling in Him" (v 27).

There it is right there. The Holy Spirit will teach us all things! So, if we go to God believing, and if it is God's will to reveal and teach, He will reveal and teach us everything we need to know for salvation. That's a tremendous and wonderful promise that we can rely on.

John 14:26: "But when the Comforter comes, even the Holy Spirit, which the Father will send in My name, that One shall teach you all things, and shall bring to your remembrance everything that I have told you." That's why the book of John is different than the other Gospels. The things that were necessary to be revealed and taught to us, God—through His Holy Spirit—gave to John to write to us so that we can have it.

Verse 27: "Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give it to you. Let not your heart be troubled, nor let it fear. You have heard Me say to you that I am going away, and that I will come to you again. If you loved Me, you would have rejoiced that I said, 'I am going to the Father' because My Father is greater than I" (vs 27-28).

There again, that is very comforting. Notice how comforting all of this is when He's teaching His disciples just before He is to be arrested, just before He's to be taken off and crucified.

Verse 29: "And now I have told you before it happens, so that when it comes to pass, you may believe. I will not speak with you much longer because the ruler of this world is coming; but he does not have a single thing in Me" (vs 29-30).

I had a person write and tell me that the 'prince of this world' was Jesus Christ. I about fainted! He used the verse right here:

John 12:31: "Now is the judgment of this world. Now shall the prince of this world be cast out." That means that Christ would be cast out. He didn't read over here, just a couple chapters later, that the 'prince of this world comes and has nothing in Me' (John 14:30). Who is the one who came? Satan! The 'prince of this world' is Satan! Who is the 'prince of the power of the air'? Satan! And it is his spirit that inner-works in the children of disobedience. It couldn't possibly be Jesus Christ.

Again, you have to study the Bible. The answer is right in the Bible. Sure you can come along and pluck a Scripture out and say 'this means this' but it doesn't mean it unless it agrees with all the rest of the Bible. The 'prince of this world' is the devil!

John 14:31: "Yet, he comes so that the world may know that I love the Father, and that I do exactly as the Father has commanded Me. Arise, let us go out."

John 15-16—Jesus spoke to them as He was traveling out of the Garden of Gethsemane, and John 17 is, in fact, the Lord's prayer that Jesus prayed while He was in the Garden of Gethsemane.

All Scriptures from The Holy Bible in Its Original Order, A Faithful Version by Fred R. Coulter

Scriptural References:

• John 14:1-3
• 1 Peter 1:2-5
• Revelation 2:7, 11, 17, 26-29
• Revelation 3:5, 12, 21
• Revelation 5:9-10
• Revelation 21:27
• Revelation 22:14
• Revelation 21:6-7
• John 14:4-6
• Matthew 11:25-30
• Acts 4:12
• John 14:7-12
• John 5:30
• John 8:28-29
• 1 John 5:14-15
• 1 John 3:22
• Colossians 1:27
• Galatians 2:20
• Ephesians 4:1-6
• Philippians 2:12-13
• John 14:3-14, 31, 15-26
• 2 Timothy 2:15
• 1 John 2:19-22, 27
• John 14:26-30
• John 12:31
• John 14:31

Scripture referenced, not quoted: John 6

FRC:bo
Transcribed: 12-29-14