John 14

Chapter 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15

John 14:1 Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.

As long as one truly believes in Jesus, he or she should never have to be troubled and shaken in mind. To believe means to believe in Jesus as the one God sent to save us from sin. To believe in Jesus means to believe His words that He spoke to us. To believe in Jesus is to be a doer of the word and not just a forgetful hearer. To believe in Jesus means more than just believe He once existed. To believe means to receive, act upon and live for Jesus by recognizing He died for our sins, He was buried and rose again 3 days later to usher in the plan of salvation for all who believe. We also who abide in Christ at His coming will rise to be with Him whether we are alive or our bodies have died and gone the way of all flesh.

Joh 14:2 In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.

This at the present day of July 19, 2006 is what Jesus is doing this present time. He is preparing a place for those that believe in Him.

Joh 14:3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.

This is our hope and comfort. Jesus will come back for those who believe in Him and look for Him. A good sign that we are ready is that we love His appearing. We should never fear His appearing if we have our sins forgiven and have been "born again" by His spirit.

Joh 14:4 And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know.
Joh 14:5 Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way?
Joh 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

This is the only way to heaven. If it wasn't the only way, Jesus would not have had to come from heaven and suffer such agony in the flesh and not only that but allow our old dirty sins to come upon His body so that He can nail them to the cross and not hold them against us any longer. All the ordinances and laws in the Old Testament condemn us to eternal death because we have all broken those laws at one time or another. Jesus took all those sins that were against us and nailed them to that cross when He died.

Colossians 2:14 Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;

Rom 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.
Rom 8:2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.


John 14:7 If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him.

To see Jesus is to see the Father. That doesn't mean that there are not two. There is a Son and there is a Father but it means that Jesus is God. He is deity. He is just as much God as the Father is God.

They are one in unity and purpose such as believers are to be one and in the unity of love and the bond of peace. We are not to be divided in Christ. We can't be in unity with those that do not walk in the truth but we are to be in unity with those that are in Christ Jesus.

We can be unified with those that believe Jesus is the only way to the Father or to heaven even if we disagree on other doctrines not essential to salvation.

If one teaches that Jesus is the way but one also has to keep Saturday as the Sabbath then that is adding to the way of salvation. It is okay to worship and keep Saturday as the Sabbath. I'm not against that, and its fine but to make it necessary for salvation leaves out Jesus as the only way to be saved.

If you say that one has to be baptized in the name of Jesus and not Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, that is okay unless you make it a necessary requirement for salvation. Faith in Jesus is our salvation, not water baptism which follows salvation. Water baptism is obedience to the word of God and is an outward testimony of the rivers of living water that comes within a believer in Jesus Christ when the Holy Spirit brings us into the body of Christ. We are born again by the Holy Spirit.

If you say one has to speak in tongues to be saved, that is adding to the way of salvation. I believe in speaking with tongues as a wonderful, beautiful gift of the Holy Ghost given when one is baptized in the Holy Ghost as described in the book of acts. It should never be talked evil of and criticized. But Paul said that not everyone speaks in tongues so it is not a requirement of salvation. Repenting of sin and believing on the name of Jesus for our salvation is the only way. Jesus said many times, "Repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." He also said,

Joh 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

Joh 7:38 He that believeth on me, as the Scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.

Joh 14:8 Philip saith unto him, Lord, show us the Father, and it sufficeth us.
Joh 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, Show us the Father?
Joh 14:10 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.

Yet even though there is a Father and a Son, they are so united that to believe in Jesus is to believe in the Father. To receive one is to receive another. Jesus so represented God the Father that to see Him and to believe in His words is to receive and believe the Father. If one does not believe Jesus came from the Father and spoke for the Father, he or she can never be saved for Jesus is the way of salvation.

This is why we should never get side tracked into other doctrines that take away from faith in Jesus as the only way of salvation. Many get into worrying about Sabbath days, what the preacher says when water baptism takes place, which denomination is right, some go so far as to say we have to leave all denominations and there are many other things preached as a way of salvation adding to the only way which is faith in Jesus and repenting of sin. To believe in Jesus is to turn from sin because Jesus came to save us from sin. If we didn't have any sin, Jesus would not have had to come. So turning from sin and believing in Jesus as the only way of salvation is one of the same. Forgiveness of sin and freedom from the condemnation of the law of God comes at the same time when we truly believe in Jesus and in who He is.

Joh 14:11 Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works' sake.
Joh 14:12 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.

True believers will do the works of Christ. Signs follow them that believe. Preaching the way of salvation to a lost world is the most important work of Christ. Getting out that message of salvation is first.

Joh 14:13 And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
Joh 14:14 If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.

This is truth that some of us have not yet really grasped. Once we truly believe and walk in the spirit, we will not go around praying for things out of the Lord's will. We will not love the world so we will not be praying for wealth and material things in this life just to consume it upon our own lusts. If we are abiding in Christ and are walking in His word, we can ask anything in His name and He will do it. Look on the last part of that verse though. That the Father may be glorified in the Son. All things asked for is to glorify Jesus Christ. Our worship, our works and all that we do is to bring glory to Jesus. We are never to take credit for any healing or miracle that is done. We are never to draw followers after ourselves or our church organizations. We are to bring people to Jesus Christ. If that builds up our local churches, great. If they go and join another church across town, who cares unless of course that church is apostate. If they have joined the body of Christ with their names written in heaven, that is what counts.

Joh 14:15 If ye love me, keep my commandments.

We don't keep His commandments to be saved but we keep His commandments because we are saved and we love Him. Whoever claims Jesus as their savior and ignore everything Jesus has to say, most probably would not really be born again by the spirit. Perhaps the seed of the word fell on stony ground, a ground of thorns or fell by the wayside.

Joh 14:16 And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you forever;

This is the Holy Ghost or Holy Spirit. Not only are we born again by the Holy Ghost and brought into the body of Christ by faith in Jesus, we also receive the gift of the Holy Spirit that comes within our spirit and abides with us forever. He is the comforter, the teacher and one that pricks our hearts when we do things that grieve Him. This is the power that we receive to accomplish the work of Christ after Christ left to return to heaven. There is a big difference in those that first believe in Jesus for salvation and those that continue in the word and in prayer allowing the Holy Spirit to baptize them for service. Being baptized in the Holy Spirit does not make one "more saved" or better than someone else or holier than someone else. It brings us into a greater understanding of God's word, and guides us into all truth. To leave out the Holy Spirit is a big mistake. I know this is not always accepted by all but speaking in tongues is part of this. To reject and speak evil of speaking in tongues is ignorance. This is a gift of God. We may not always understand the significance of this but it is something beautiful, not weird or crazy. Paul would not have spoken a whole chapter on the proper operation of the gifts of the spirit ending the chapter with an exhortation not to forbid the speaking with other tongues if it was not in fact something good. There is no evidence or word that says the gifts of the spirit ceased when the written word was printed or when the apostles died off. If that were the case then the Holy Spirit would have ceased and without the Holy Spirit to draw us to Christ and convict us of sin, no one could be saved or born again.

The only time the gifts of the spirit would have to have ceased would be if every one in the world was saved, healed of all diseases and perfect in the faith. If that time comes then and only then will we cease to need the gifts of the spirit. If every one of us were made perfect in love then maybe we wouldn't need the gifts of the spirit. However, we see that not every one is perfect yet so we must still need all the gifts and power of the Holy Spirit in the churches. To say we have no need of them because we have the bible is not true. Who do we think it is that causes an anointed preacher to be able to teach and preach the bible? We can't understand the bible without the Holy Spirit. Jesus would not give the gifts and have Paul teach about them if they were to disappear after a few years. The gifts and calling of God is without repentance.  They will not cease until the perfect one has come and all are perfected in the faith. 

Act 2:38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.
Act 2:39 For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.

Joh 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.

A person who has not been born again cannot receive the Holy Spirit.

Joh 14:18 I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.

The gift of the Holy Spirit is the way Jesus comes to us.

Joh 14:19 Yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more; but ye see me: because I live, ye shall live also.
Joh 14:20 At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you.
Joh 14:21 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.
Joh 14:22 Judas saith unto him, not Iscariot, Lord, how is it that thou wilt manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the world?
Joh 14:23 Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.

The Holy Spirit comes to those that love Him and keep His word. If we say we love Him and do not keep His words, we don't really love Him.

Joh 14:24 He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father's which sent me.
Joh 14:25 These things have I spoken unto you, being yet present with you.
Joh 14:26 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.

The fact that we don't always rely on the Holy Spirit as a teacher is why we have so much disagreement and division in the body of Christ.
Its much easier just to take the word of a speaker than to read, study and pray for the understanding ourselves. Getting our minds off the head of the church, Jesus as the only way of salvation is the first step into error.  The true Holy Spirit will always glorify Jesus and will speak the words of God just as Jesus spoke for God.  He will not glorify man or puff up a certain ministry above Jesus Christ.  He will not teach another way of salvation other than Jesus and He will not go oppose the already revealed written word of God. 

Joh 14:27 Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
Joh 14:28 Ye have heard how I said unto you, I go away, and come again unto you. If ye loved me, ye would rejoice, because I said, I go unto the Father: for my Father is greater than I.
Joh 14:29 And now I have told you before it come to pass, that, when it is come to pass, ye might believe.
Joh 14:30 Hereafter I will not talk much with you: for the prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in me.
Joh 14:31 But that the world may know that I love the Father; and as the Father gave me commandment, even so I do. Arise, let us go hence.

If our minds are kept on the Lord and in the continual study of the word, we will have a peace that the world will not understand and the world will not have.

John 15

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