Wednesday, February 22, 2017

Guide You Into All Truth (LS64)

           'Last Sermon of Jesus'

John 16:13 "However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come."
    He is the Spirit of truth because when He has come into any Christian He will guide him into all truth.

John 14:15-17a,27 "If you love Me, keep My commandments. And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever— the Spirit of truth,... But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you."
    The Spirit of truth is also known as the Helper and He is the Holy Spirit. When we love our Lord Jesus by keeping His commandments, He will pray for us and the Father will send us the Holy Spirit, whom our Lord Jesus will baptize us with, so that the Holy Spirit becomes our Helper or Spirit of truth. We will then be filled with truth, wisdom, knowledge of God, understanding of His words and will, etc. We will also be filled with the fruit of the Spirit, as we are being transformed into His image.
Acts 1:4-5 And being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, "which," He said, "you have heard from Me; for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now."

Mat 3:11 "I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire."
   Only our Lord Jesus Christ can baptize us with the Holy Spirit when He is convinced that we have kept His commandments of loving one another as He had loved us (by dying for us). We are not qualified nor have that authority, so please do not pray for any brethren to be baptized in the Holy Spirit.
John 13:34 "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another."

However, as Christians, we have the power to lay hands upon the new converts to receive the Holy Spirit as the seal of their salvation at their conversion or at water baptism. As pastors and church leaders we also have the power to lay hands on our sheep and pray for the gifts of the Holy Spirit (speaking in tongues, faith, word of wisdom, etc.) to empower them in their spiritual growth, encouragement and ministry. However, without the baptism of the Holy Spirit and truth, all these charismatic brethren will still be ensnared by the deceitfulness of power and riches, and the lusts of this world.

Brethren, unless we begin to love by showing mercy and compassion to our brethren especially those in charitable homes for the aged, orphans, children, destitute, neglected, strangers, etc. there is no possibility of us getting baptized in the Holy Spirit. Give until it hurts much (living sacrifice) for what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? (Mat 10:26)