THESE THINGS
John 16:1 These things have I spoken unto you, that ye should not be offended. 2 They shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service. 3 And these things will they do unto you, because they have not known the Father, nor me. 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. 5 But now I go my way to him that sent me; and none of you asketh me, Whither goest thou? 6 But because I have said these things unto you, sorrow hath filled your heart. 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.
The gospel progresses down through the ages from faith to faith! Romans 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. 17 For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith. That is, it proceeds by the Holy Spirit, from the faith of the one preaching and living it, to the one hearing and believing it. For the Lord Jesus Christ came into the world in the name of the Father. But the Holy Spirit, sole administrator of the gospel, was not sent into the world, but into the church! 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.
And here is how Luke describes to his friend Theophilus that he wrote the Book of Luke. Acts 1:1 The former treatise (that is, the Book of Luke), have I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach, So the Gospel of Luke is but a record both of that which the Lord Jesus did and said. THAT is the gospel!
And here is how the Apostle Paul instructs Christians to know whom to follow for the building up of their faith! Hebrews 13:7 Remember them which have the rule over you, who have spoken unto you the word of God: whose faith follow, considering the end of their conversation. (That 1611 word, “conversation” is translated today as, “manner of life.”) Therefore the true church is warned about sitting under just religious rhetoric alone; under those just saying, but not living it! Matthew 23:3 All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do; but do not ye after their works: for they say, and do not.
For profession without possession is a very soul damning thing! Titus 1:16 They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate. James 1:22 But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.
But why is this relevant to our above listed scriptures? Just consider the reason given in verse four as to why the Lord told the disciples he couldn’t tell them of some things. The last part of that verse states that it was because I was with you. And as we have seen above, it takes added experiences to receive added revelation! John 13:7 Jesus answered and said unto him, What I do thou knowest not now; but thou shalt know hereafter. And as long as the Teacher was there, the pupils would only learn in theory, and not in experiential application! But the vital, spiritual life of every believer is contained in an active faith. Romans 14:22 Hast thou faith? have it to thyself before God.
Elijah could get his pupil Elisha across the Jordan River with him, but Elisha would have to get himself back across after Elijah was taken away. And to do so he would have to exercise his own faith! (2 Kings 2:13,14). Hebrews 10:38 Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him.
God is spirit! (John 4:24). He is total activity, for he is Life! (John 14:6). In him is no dormant darkness at all! (1 John 1:5). Therefore all believers are also to live as children of the light! Ephesians 5:8 For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light: Therefore, just as there is no such thing as dormant activity in God, there can be no such thing as a dormant faith in believers! True faith is an active, effectual, experiential grace! 1 John 2:6 He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.
The Lord instructed them in many things being present with them. But it would take the other Comforter – the Holy Spirit – bringing these very things to their remembrance after Christ was ascended, in order for them to act these things out by their own personal faith! John 14:25 These things have I spoken unto you, being yet present with you. 26 But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.
Let’s take a look at some of These Things, of which our Lord spoke and see what we may learn of this, the last private teaching session with His disciples, before he went to the cross.
# John 5:34 But I receive not testimony from man: but these things I say, that ye might be saved. We first go back to John’s writings in an earlier chapter. Here we learn that the very words from the mouth of the Person of the Word (John 1:1,2,14), are the words of salvation! Psalm 119:130 The entrance of thy words giveth light; it giveth understanding unto the simple. 2 John 9 Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son.
# That brings on the next issue from these things. John 15:21 But all these things will they do unto you for my name’s sake, because they know not him that sent me. 22 If I had not come and spoken unto them, they had not had sin: but now they have no cloke for their sin. All persecution of the true church is a direct result of those who do not know God! John 16:3 And these things will they do unto you, because they have not known the Father, nor me.
For their fury comes from the light of the gospel (which light is the life of God, and of the believers), stripping them of their cloke of religiously provided morality, which they mistake for salvation! Thus they are forced to see themselves as they really are. And this makes they want to put the exposing light out! John 3:19 And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. 20 For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.
# John 8:28 Then said Jesus unto them, When ye have lifted up the Son of man, then shall ye know that I am he, and that I do nothing of myself; but as my Father hath taught me, I speak these things. 29 And he that sent me is with me: the Father hath not left me alone; for I do always those things that please him. Next we see that the very things which the Lord Jesus spoke came directly from God, the Father!
And it is so very amazing to read when he speaks to the Father concerning these things which he had repeated to us of the Father’s origin! John 17:11 And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are. 12 While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name: those that thou gavest me I have kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition; that the scripture might be fulfilled. 13 And now come I to thee; and these things I speak in the world, that they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves. 14 I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.
And so also does the Holy Spirit! For his revelation to us are but those very things which the Father and Son have spoken to him! 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. Dear soul, there is no division, nor disagreement within the Trinity! Neither then, is there among the true church! John 6:45 It is written in the prophets, And they shall be all taught of God. Every man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto me. Ephesians 4:4 There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; 5 One Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.
The true church – not the organization of religion, but the organism of spiritual life – is not identified by denomination! It is only identified by it’s inward love and obedience! John 14:15 If ye love me, keep my commandments. 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. John 13:35 By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.
It is identified by it’s godly worship! John 4:23 But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. 24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.
# John 12:16 These things understood not his disciples at the first: but when Jesus was glorified, then remembered they that these things were written of him, and that they had done these things unto him. 2:22 When therefore he was risen from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this unto them; and they believed the scripture, and the word which Jesus had said. Then we are therefore instructed that no one can know or understand these things without the Holy Spirit.
These things of salvation and reprobation can only be received and understood by the Holy Spirit revealing God’s glory to the heart! John 12:40 He hath blinded their eyes, and hardened their heart; that they should not see with their eyes, nor understand with their heart, and be converted, and I should heal them. 41 These things said Esaias, when he saw his glory, and spake of him.
Seeing the glory is essential to knowing and growing in the Lord! And one can only have that glory revealed by the Holy Spirit! John 14:19 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.
Seeing the glory is required for justification! John 2:11 This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee, and manifested forth his glory; and his disciples believed on him. It is also the cause of sanctification! 2 Corinthians 3:18 But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord. 2 Corinthians 4:6 For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
And none shall be eternally glorified without the physical, personal revelation of Christ in his highest degree of glory at his appearing, which shall be above the mediatorial glory he now has. 1 John 3:2 Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.
For then shall be the revelation of god all in all! 1 Corinthians 15:28 And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all. For the union of the Man Head back into the Godhood provides that which the Lord God intended all along – His ‘incorporation’ (for lack of a better word), into humanity, and elect humanities’ ‘incorporation’ into the Godhood of God! 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. 1 Timothy 3:16 And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory. Couple this verse with 1 John 3:2, listed above.
For god all in all includes the Trinity and all the elect of God! Col. 3:11 …but Christ is all, and in all. John 17:21 That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. No reborn sinner shall ever BE god! But all the redeemed shall then be LIKE god!
The union of the man with the woman forms one flesh! Ephesians 5:31 For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh. And the union of the soul with god forms one spirit! 1 Corinthians 6:17 But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit. Ephesians 5:31 For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh. 32 This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church.
Where is the supernatural, spiritual church today? There is the form, but where is the power thereof? 2 Timothy 3:5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. Zechariah 4:6 Then he answered and spake unto me, saying, …Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts.
Pastor Gene Breed, March 13, 2015
