THE SPIRIT IS TRUTH
1 John 5:4 For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. 5 Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?
1 John 5:6 ¶ This is he that came by water and blood, even Jesus Christ; not by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit that beareth witness, because the Spirit is truth. 7 For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one. 8 And there are three that bear witness in earth, the Spirit, and the water, and the blood: and these three agree in one. 9 If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater: for this is the witness of God which he hath testified of his Son.
The Amplified Bible reads, “the Spirit is the truth.” And in John 14:6 the Lord Jesus stated, “I am the truth.” And it is the exact same Greek word translated, “truth” in both verses. So which is it? Is it the Holy Spirit who is “the truth,” or is it the Lord Jesus Christ? It is both! For in 2 Corinthians 3:17 we read, “Now the Lord is that Spirit.” For along with the Father, they make up the Eternal Trinity of God!
And there is but one God! Deuteronomy 6:4 Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD: 1 Corinthians 8:6 But to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him. Ephesians 4:5 One Lord, one faith, one baptism,
Now we know that the word, “Trinity” is not in the Scriptures. But the concept of the Trinity most assuredly is! Just reread verse seven, listed above, of our text. Does it not state, “and these three are one?” Sure it does! And is that not a clear definition of the word, “trinity?” Of course it is!
The words “demon” and “rapture” are also without appearance in the Scriptures, but they are used frequently in the religious community, with understanding of the thought which they convey.
It is clearly set forth in the Scriptures that the Lord Jesus and the Father are but one. John 1:14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. 18 No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.
John 10:30 I and my Father are one.
John 14:9 Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father? 10 Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works.
And we also know that the Holy Spirit is set forth in a oneness with the Lord Jesus. We have already listed above the statement in 2 Corinthians 3:17, Now the Lord is that Spirit. John 16:14 He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you. And we also have the Lord’s words referring to the Holy Spirit as “another Comforter” like Himself. John 14:16 And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;
For how is the instruction which the Lord gave to the disciples as recorded in John 16:16 and John 14:18-21 to be understood, except one realizes that Christ and the Holy Spirit are one? 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 14:18 I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you. 19 Yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more; but ye see me: because I live, ye shall live also. 20 At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you. 21 He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.
He states that the world will never see him again. And the Person of Jesus was never seen in the world thereafter. But then he states that the believers also “shall not see” him after that same “little while,” during the three days of this death. But then after a second “little while” they would see him again when he goes to the Father and sends the Holy Spirit. For the Holy Spirit “shall be in you.” That is, they shall be aware of His presence as the Spirit manifests Himself and his will within them.
Also we read that the Holy Spirit as “the truth” is the dependable witness in the matter of the water and the blood. For He was present in the baptism of the Lord Jesus, along with Father. Matthew 3:15 And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness. Then he suffered him. 16 And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him: 17 And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.
As in the third day of creation, the Son, like the dry land, separated the waters so that man could be brought forth from the dust of the earth, have a place of habitation, and be provided food for his hunger. Acts 17:28 For in him we live, and move, and have our being; And the spiritual man nourishes himself upon the Bread of heaven, even the Lord Jesus Christ. John 6:54 Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day.
Genesis 1:9 And God said, Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land appear: and it was so. 10 And God called the dry land Earth; and the gathering together of the waters called he Seas: and God saw that it was good. 11 And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth: and it was so. 12 And the earth brought forth grass, and herb yielding seed after his kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed was in itself, after his kind: and God saw that it was good. 13 And the evening and the morning were the third day.
The Spirit, like Noah’s dove, spoke of the judgmental waters being conquered by the Son’s fulfilling all righteousness. Isaiah 53:5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. 6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. 2 Corinthians 5:21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.
Genesis 8:10 And he stayed yet other seven days; and again he sent forth the dove out of the ark; 11 And the dove came in to him in the evening; and, lo, in her mouth was an olive leaf pluckt off: so Noah knew that the waters were abated from off the earth. 12 And he stayed yet other seven days; and sent forth the dove; which returned not again unto him any more.
And the Father, as after Noah’s flood, spoke of good things due to His Son’s obedience. Genesis 9:11 And I will establish my covenant with you; neither shall all flesh be cut off any more by the waters of a flood; neither shall there any more be a flood to destroy the earth. 13 I do set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a token of a covenant between me and the earth.
And as for the witness of the blood, when the Holy Lamb shed the very blood of God, the Father was addressed, and also there was a proclamation of his being the very “Son of God.” For none can call Jesus Lord except by the Spirit! Matthew 27:46 And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? 54 Now when the centurion, and they that were with him, watching Jesus, saw the earthquake, and those things that were done, they feared greatly, saying, Truly this was the Son of God.
And his blood could have only been offered through the Holy Spirit. Hebrews 9:14 How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?
And in John 16:19-22 we are given another insight by our Lord of the sovereign workings of the Holy Spirit. 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? 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. 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. 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.
After He forewarns them of the sorrow that should come upon them at the time of his separation from them by his death, he gives instruction of the event of the church’s joy. It shall be like a woman going through both the travail and joy of childbirth. After His resurrection the Holy Spirit came to those gathered in that upper room in Jerusalem. For when the day of Pentecost was fully come the Holy Spirit, like the sound of God’s breath, came upon them, breathing spiritual life into creatures originally formed from the dust of the earth. It was only after the new birth was put into effect causing the ‘woman’ (the church), who had been in travail, to be brought into her spiritual joy! Romans 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
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