“These things I have
spoken to you while I am still with you. 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 that I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I
give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be
troubled, neither let them be afraid. You heard me say to you, ‘I am going
away, and I will come to you.’ If you loved me, you would have rejoiced,
because I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I. And now I
have told you before it takes place, so that when it does take place you may
believe. I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is
coming. He has no claim on me, but I do as the Father has commanded me, so that
the world may know that I love the Father. Rise, let us go from here” (John 14: 25-31).
The
work of the Son of Man on the earth was nearly completed. A major part of the
divine plan was gathering and preparing the apostles who would become the
foundation of His Church… “So then you are no longer strangers and
aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the
household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ
Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure, being joined
together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. In him you also are being built
together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit” (Ephesians 2:19-22).
He lived with them, taught them, sent them, prayed for them, and now He prepared
them to build His Kingdom in a hostile world… “For the ruler of this
world is coming”. They were to live for and advance the Kingdom of God
in the face of relentless opposition from the adversary, Satan, whom the
unbelieving world blindly followed as its ruler… “We know that we are
from God, and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one” (1 John
5:19). Jesus wanted them to have peace in the midst of the coming trouble. It
would not be easy. It would be costly. It would require a determined and
maturing faith because there is no room for trouble in a faith-filled heart.
All
true disciples, earnestly seeking to live for and advance the Kingdom have
experienced the opposition of the adversary either directly, through his
spiritual armies of fallen angels and demons, or through people who either
intentionally or unintentionally follow his lead. He could not touch the
perfect Son of God… “He has no claim on me” but he is relentless
in his harassment of Christ’s disciples… “Your adversary the devil prowls
around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8).
Today Jesus encourages His disciples with truth that will give us victory over
the enemy and success in advancing the Kingdom of God in this rebellious world.
First,
Jesus calls us to remember and trust the words He has spoken to us while He was
with us. Jesus calls us here to a regular, devoted, sacred time in His presence
and word. In the daily sacred place Jesus speaks to our hearts through the
written word of God and He prepares our spirits for the trials that are coming…
“Every word of God proves true; he is a shield to those who take refuge
in him” (Proverbs 30:5). Without daily meeting with Jesus and immersing
ourselves in His word, we are vulnerable and exposed to the enemies of His
Kingdom.
Next,
Jesus promised the Holy Spirit will… “Teach you all things and bring to
your remembrance all that I have said to you”. Notice how the Holy
Spirit works. He teaches us by revealing the truth of the words Jesus has spoken
into our hearts… “When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into
all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he
hears he will speak” (John 16:13). Christ’s words produce faith… “Faith
comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ” (Romans 10:17).
If we do not fill our hearts with God’s word, the Holy Spirit has nothing to
work with. He does not speak on His own. He interprets God’s word and seals its
truth into our hearts. As He fills our hearts with growing faith, He replaces
the trouble produced by a troubled world with the peace of God which is not of
this world… “And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding,
will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:7).
As we grow
up into Christ our daily time with Him and His word strengthens our faith
and we learn there is…
No room for trouble in a
faith-filled heart.
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