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by Sandy Shaw
This is the real division that runs through the whole of society – those who have the Spirit of Jesus and those who do not – those who are born again and those who are not – those who belong to Jesus Christ the Saviour and Lord and those who do not confess Jesus Christ with holy reverence. We read the details in John Chapter 14. Understand what Jesus Christ is saying and teaching here.
Jesus then goes on to teach another wonderful truth. Up till now, I have been on the outside of you – soon I will live inside you by the Holy Spirit. I cannot explain that. This is where we have to travel beyond the area of reason and logic. We have to experience this for ourselves, and when you experience this you know that have experienced something wonderful and exciting and reassuring.
You may not be able to explain it, but you are able to testify to its reality. You are able to be a witness to the fact and reality that Jesus has given you His Holy Spirit. It is that that makes you a Christian – and nothing else.
Think of what Jesus is saying to those whom He has chosen.
I am going away, but I will be present in you.
I will be hidden from the world, but visible to you.
The world will not know what is happening, but you will know.
The world will not be able to see what is going on, but you My children will be able to see clearly.
I am going to die, but because I die and rise again, you will live also.
You My children – you will have the Holy Spirit and in a very real sense you will have Me and you shall have the Father. We will make our mansion with you – mansions in heaven for men and mansions on earth for God. I am getting a resting place ready for you – you get your hearts and lives ready for us to come and rest and dwell and abide in you. You can come and live with Me one day in heaven, but first, I want to come and live in you. Verse 23.
We almost have to put aside reason and logic. This is the language of love, and Jesus is speaking to those whom He loves and who love Him.
You thought you would be all alone and orphaned and left to fend for yourself – No – No – we are all coming to live in you – to love you – to fortress you – to enable you and to empower you.
Just as the air is all around us and we need to breathe it in to live – so the Holy Spirit is around us. Breathe Him in – let Him live in you – and give you life.
It is then we have assurance of eternal life.
The world’s sin is unbelief. Jesus is seeking to anchor His disciples in faith and belief which will give them such assurance and certainty and security, and they were going to need all that, and more, when we consider what lay ahead of them. Similar circumstances lie and ahead of us and we need everything that Jesus Christ offered and offers.
You believe in God; believe also in me. What would Jesus say to the Moslem? The same as he would say to anyone else. You believe in God – then believe also in Me. It is good to believe in Almighty God, but that is not enough. We have to go further, and as we come to know Jesus Christ the Son, we will come to know God the Father.
The issue is never how you dress or how you pray or when you fast or feast. The issue is – Do you believe in Jesus Christ and do you believe and know who Jesus Christ is?
Alexander 'Sandy' Shaw is pastor of Nairn Christian Fellowship in Nairn, Scotland. Nairn is 17 miles east of Inverness - on the Moray Firth Coast - not far from the Loch Ness Monster!
Gifted as a Biblical teacher, Sandy is firmly committed to making sure that his teachings are firmly grounded in the Word.
Sandy has a weekly radio talk which can be heard via the Internet on Saturday at 11:40am, New Orleans time, at wsho.com.
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