Word of Jesus Part 62
John 16:1 These things have I spoken unto you, that ye should not be offended.
When bad happens to some because of the gospel which is believed, there are some
that get offended and turn away from the truth rather than suffer persecution
because of the truth.
John 16:2 They shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the time cometh, that
whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service.
This has been true not only of the religious Jewish people but of many religions
including the church at times. When we lose our first love, our compassion for
the lost and forget the commandment to love one another, we succumb to the
temptation to try to make converts by force instead of trusting the Holy Spirit
to draw the lost to repentance. This happened so many times and brings reproach
upon the gospel. We can actually get to the place in our thinking that we do God
a service by killing unbelievers. This is not the gospel Jesus preached.
See this example from the book of Luke.
Luke 9:54 And when his disciples James and John saw this, they said, Lord, wilt
thou that we command fire to come down from heaven, and consume them, even as
Elias did?
Luke 9:55 But he turned, and rebuked them, and said, Ye know not what manner of
spirit ye are of.
Luke 9:56 For the Son of man is not come to destroy men's lives, but to save
them.
God will one day bring judgment but for now we are to preach the gospel. We are
to love our enemies and pray for them that persecute us. Anything else is evil
and is not the work of God. When I read about what was done in the name of
Christ in church history by both Catholics and later by Protestants, I cry tears
of sorrow. When we do things in the flesh claiming to represent God, we do more
harm to the gospel than the Pagans and Heathens ever did. By love serve one
another. Faith works by love. Love doesn't mean to compromise true doctrine but
love means to have compassion on those that do not believe our doctrine. We
still have to preach and teach truth but in love and the spirit of meekness.
Never use force, harassment, name calling, torture, imprisonment and executions.
That is not the way to spread the gospel. Having love, patience, kindness,
meekness, endurance, and truth by the power of the Holy Spirit is the way to spread
the gospel.
John 16:3 And these things will they do unto you, because they have not known
the Father, nor me.
If we find ourselves being cruel and using force, we need to examine ourselves
because we do not know the Father nor Jesus Christ.
John 16:4 But these things have I told you, that when the time shall come, ye
may remember that I told you of them. And these things I said not unto you at
the beginning, because I was with you.
John 16:5 But now I go my way to him that sent me; and none of you asketh me,
Whither goest thou?
John 16:6 But because I have said these things unto you, sorrow hath filled your
heart.
John 16:7 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.
Jesus was limited to one place at one time but when He sent the Holy Spirit to
dwell with believers, He can be in several different places at the same time. I
don't always understand this mystery but that is why Jesus said that we who
believe will do greater things. It is greater not because we are greater than
Jesus but because the Holy Spirit indwelling will be among many and not just
limited to those in the immediate area where Jesus dwelled. The baptism of
the Holy Spirit is for all who believe in Jesus in every part of the world. It
is greater because it will be more widespread and not limited to Israel only.
John 16:8 And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of
righteousness, and of judgment:
John 16:9 Of sin, because they believe not on me;
The Holy Spirit is what convicts us when we sin. He is the one that draws
sinners to repentance. He will show us when we sin and bring us to repentance.
John 16:10 Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more;
The Holy Spirit shows us the way to the true righteousness of Christ and we will
know that our own previous works of righteousness was insufficient to save us
from sin. Our own good works apart from Jesus Christ counts for nothing and is
as filthy rags. After receiving Christ and trusting in His righteousness are
good works do count and we will be rewarded for things done for the glory of
God.
John 16:11 Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged.
We will all face the judgment seat of Christ for things done in the body. Those
that reject the gospel and do not repent of sin will face the great white throne
judgment of God. All who follow the prince of the world, Satan will be judged
along with him.
Again I warn and exhort, do not judge ahead of time.
1Corinthians 4:5 Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both
will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the
counsels of the hearts: and then shall every man have praise of God.
This does not mean that we can't exercise order in the church and judge disputes
and disagreements in a righteous holy manner but it means that in serious
matters of life and death we are not to make judgments that condemn men or women
to torture, imprisonment, death, hell and other matters that belong to God only.
I'm speaking of the church and religious institutions now. The governments of
the world have to have judgment to have law and order. We can't allow people to
break the law of the land to murder, steal and do things that cause us not to be
safe but in religious matters of the conscience we have to defer judgment to God
in His own time. The church has authority to correct false doctrine, teach truth
and warn the unruly but we do not have the authority to force conversions, use
torture, threats or put to death dissenters.
The true word of God and the true gospel of Jesus Christ cannot be forced upon
anyone. The Holy Spirit has to draw us to repentance and the Holy Spirit is what
causes a believer to be "born again" and inherit eternal live. It is an inner
change and inner work of God and it cannot be forced in any way.
John 16:12 I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now.
John 16:13 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into
all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that
shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.
When we come to Christ in sincerity and true, we must then start to trust in the
leading of the Holy Spirit. He will teach us, guide us and place the love of God
within us. We have the bible now and the written word to guide us into all truth.
We will know that the Holy Spirit will not contradict the written word of God.
He will not add to it or take away from it. He will bring glory to Jesus Christ
and draw people to Jesus Christ and He will not draw people after false teachers
or false doctrines.
John 16:14 He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it
unto you.
John 16:15 All things that the Father hath are mine: therefore said I, that he
shall take of mine, and shall shew it unto you.
John 16:16 A little while, and ye shall not see me: and again, a little while,
and ye shall see me, because I go to the Father.
John 16:17 Then said some of his disciples among themselves, What is this that
he saith unto us, A little while, and ye shall not see me: and again, a little
while, and ye shall see me: and, Because I go to the Father?
John 16:18 They said therefore, What is this that he saith, A little while? we
cannot tell what he saith.
John 16:19 Now Jesus knew that they were desirous to ask him, and said unto them,
Do ye enquire among yourselves of that I said, A little while, and ye shall not
see me: and again, a little while, and ye shall see me?
This could have more than one meaning. They would be separated from Him during
His death for three days but would see Him after His resurrection. They would
not see Him again for a time after that but at the point of our physical death
we see Him in Heaven. If we are alive when Jesus returns we will see Him then.
John 16:20 Verily, verily, I say unto you, That ye shall weep and lament, but the
world shall rejoice: and ye shall be sorrowful, but your sorrow shall be turned
into joy.
This joy came when they were baptized in the Holy Spirit.
John 14:17 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.
John 14:18 I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.
John 16:21 A woman when she is in travail hath sorrow, because her hour is come:
but as soon as she is delivered of the child, she remembereth no more the
anguish, for joy that a man is born into the world.
John 16:22 And ye now therefore have sorrow: but I will see you again, and your
heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man taketh from you.
John 16:23 And in that day ye shall ask me nothing. Verily, verily, I say unto
you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you.
John 16:24 Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive,
that your joy may be full.
John 16:25 These things have I spoken unto you in proverbs: but the time cometh,
when I shall no more speak unto you in proverbs, but I shall shew you plainly of
the Father.
John 16:26 At that day ye shall ask in my name: and I say not unto you, that I
will pray the Father for you:
John 16:27 For the Father himself loveth you, because ye have loved me, and have
believed that I came out from God.
Because of Jesus we now can pray to the Father in Heaven in the name of Jesus.
Jesus' death and sacrifice broke that wall of separation that was between us
and God. Sin separates us from God until we believe and trust in Jesus to save
us from that sin. We now can talk to the Father direct without going through a
prophet, priest or any other intercessor. Jesus was the only mediator between
God and humans. There is no other.
1Timothy 2:5 For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man
Christ Jesus;
John 16:28 I came forth from the Father, and am come into the world: again, I
leave the world, and go to the Father.
John 16:29 His disciples said unto him, Lo, now speakest thou plainly, and
speakest no proverb.
John 16:30 Now are we sure that thou knowest all things, and needest not that
any man should ask thee: by this we believe that thou camest forth from God.
John 16:31 Jesus answered them, Do ye now believe?
John 16:32 Behold, the hour cometh, yea, is now come, that ye shall be
scattered, every man to his own, and shall leave me alone: and yet I am not
alone, because the Father is with me.
We cannot boast and trust in our own strength at any time in our lives. The
spirit is willing but the flesh is weak. We have to live and walk by faith every
day of our lives and not trust in ourselves.
John 16:33 These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace.
In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome
the world.
The Spirit of God brings us inner peace in the middle of a troubled world.
