“If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.” (John 14:15 NASU)
Love motivates faithfulness and obedience. Therefore faithfulness and humble obedience is an expression of love. This is the only proper evidence of love to Yeshua, for mere profession is no proof of love; but that love for Him which leads us to seek to know and do all His will, to love each other, to deny ourselves while sacrificing to serve others and to keep our faith and trust in Him through trials, perils and tribulations without faltering is true attachment and oneness with Him; love is the “perfect bond of unity” (Colossians 3:14).
“I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever;” (John 14:16 NASU)
When Yeshua says, “I will ask the Father,” apparently He is speaking of a time after His crucifixion, after having made atonement for the sin of the world, that He would become the Mediator between God and man; and through His mediation and intercession shall all the blessings of grace and glory be acquired.
The Greek word parakleeton used here not only signifies a comforter, but also an advocate, a defender of a cause, a counselor, patron, and mediator. Yeshua is so termed by the Apostle John is the book of 1st John 2:1, where the common translation renders the word advocate. Yeshua is thus called, because He is represented as transacting the concerns of our souls with God; and for this cause, He tells us, He goes unto the Father (John 14:12).
The Holy Spirit is also called an advocate, because He transacts the cause of God and The Messiah with us, explains to us the nature and importance of the great atonement, shows the necessity of it, counsels us to receive it, instructs us how to lay hold on it, vindicates our claim to it, and makes intercessions for us with unutterable groaning. In fact, all that Yeshua was while with His disciples so is the Holy Spirit with those who believe in His name.
As the death and atonement of Yeshua will be necessary to man until the conclusion of the world, so the work of the Holy Spirit must be continued among men until the end of time: therefore says Yeshua, He shall continue with you “forever,” teaching, comforting, advising, defending, and interceding for you and for all His followers to the end of time.
“that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you and WILL BE IN YOU.” (John 14:17 NASU)
The Holy Spirit, whose essential work is to manifest, vindicate, and apply the truth is thus called the Spirit of Truth. The Gospel of Yeshua, taught and revealed only by the Holy Spirit, is Gods truth; it exposes falsity, removes error, and teaches the knowledge of the true God---shows the way to Him, saves from vanity and illusive hopes, and establishes genuine joy in the souls of those who believe; His truth is the “power of God unto salvation (Romans 1:16).”
The word “world” in the above verse means: those who are influenced by the lustful desires of the flesh, the lust of the eye, and the boastful pride of life (1st John 2:16). Now these cannot receive the Spirit of Truth, because they do not have spiritual eyes to see Him, have no spiritual discernment and they attend to nothing but the dictates of their corrupt passions and affections, and will accept no influence but what can be an object of their senses. The word of God requires a heart that is empty. A heart filled with earthly projects, carnal interests, ambition, thoughts of becoming rich in worldly goods, and with the love of the luxuries and pleasures of life is not fit to receive the word of truth.
From many of these ungodly men spring all the hostile and indifferent religions of the world. While affirming the existence of God they deny all validity of revelation. In these debase and corrupt religions men of corrupt minds seek God; but in their vein religion He is not to be found; and therefore, they become infidels and atheists worshiping false gods and denying the Spirit of the living God. God, in the operation of His hands, and in the influences of His Spirit, is found everywhere except in the perverted passions of men.
“I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.” (John 14:18 NASU)
Here we see the oneness principle. To receive the promised Spirit is to receive the presence of the Father and the Son; to reject the Spirit is to reject their presence also.
“After a little while the world will no longer see Me, but you will see Me; because I live, you will live also.” (John 14:19 NASU)
The world can no longer see Him because He is not in bodily form but we can see Him by way of revelation; and because He lives we live also. We who believe in His resurrection are resurrected with Him for we are one with Him in His death, burial, resurrection and eternal life.
“IN THAT DAY YOU WILL KNOW THAT I AM IN MY FATHER, AND YOU IN ME, AND I IN YOU.” (John 14:20 NASU)
When He says, “In that day” He speaks of the day of His resurrection and in His resurrection is solid proof of His oneness with the Father and that He lives in us by way of the Spirit and by love and faith we live in Him.
“He who has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me; and he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and will disclose Myself to him.” (John 14:21 NASU)
He who has heard, taken hold of, he who possesses my commandments by way of revelation and is obedient to them is the one who loves the Messiah and he who loves his Savior is loved of the Father. This is further evidence of the union of the Father and the Son. Yeshua will also love them, demonstrating clearly the same union. The kingdom of God is one. His people, though they may be Jew or Gentile, are one. They are united to each other and to God, and the bond which unites the whole kingdom is the love of the one Savior---Yeshua, the Son of God.
James C Sanford
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