We Can Know Truth!!!  Do You? A Word from THE WORD!!! #165

“And I,

if I be lifted up from the earth,

will draw all men unto me.

33 This he said,

 signifying what death he should die.”   John 12:32-33

I’ve said it before, and I will say it again—the babe in the manger was born to die for our sin.  I pray that you know HIM; and if you know HIM, if you have been “born … of God” then you have received The indwelling Holy Spirit of God/Christ Jesus!  He was promised to those who belong to Jesus, to lead us into truth, to direct us, to help us know which way to go!  HE is the conduit of the New Covenant.  Isaiah alluded to it, and Jeremiah and Ezekiel prophesied of the coming of this New Covenant, God IN us!

“And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying,

This is the way,

walk ye in it,

when ye turn to the right hand,

and when ye turn to the left.”  Isaiah 30:21

“But this shall be the covenant that I will make

with the house of Israel;

After those days, saith the LORD,

I will put my law in their inward parts,

and write it in their hearts;

and will be their God,

and they shall be my people.”  Jeremiah 31:33

Ezekiel received the same message from God and presented it a bit differently, partly because Jeremiah’s message was before the Babylonian captivity of Israel, and Ezekiel’s was after/during the captivity.  In fact Ezekiel wrote from Babylon.

“Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you,

and ye shall be clean:

from all your filthiness,

and from all your idols, will I cleanse you.

26 A new heart also

will I give you,

and a new spirit

will I put within you:

and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh,

and I will give you an heart of flesh.

27 And I will put my spirit within you,

 and cause you to walk in my statutes,

and ye shall keep my judgments,

and do them.”  Ezekiel 36:25-27

Jesus’ birth, life among men, His death, burial, and resurrection for the redemption of sinful man brought this New Covenant into reality! He promised His disciples this very thing before His death before He was “lifted up from the earth”!  Let’s consider the promises of Jesus and ponder them as we focus on His coming—without forgetting the goal of His coming was to pay for sin!  Jesus also promised HE would return to complete HIS work!  Jesus knew what was coming, and at the end He told His disciples some important things so that when He fulfilled them, they would remember what He said, and know WHO and WHAT HE was/is/ever shall be—the Son of God, The Redeemer of all who will come to HIM, for He truly was, as John the Baptizer said, “The Lamb of God, who taketh away the sin of the world”!  Have you let Him ‘take away’ your sin?

“I speak not of you all:

I know whom I have chosen:

but that the scripture may be fulfilled,

He that eateth bread with me

hath lifted up his heel against me.

19 Now I tell you before it come,

that, when it is come to pass,

ye may believe that I am he.

20 Verily, verily, I say unto you,

He that receiveth whomsoever I send

receiveth me;

and he that receiveth me

receiveth him that sent me.”  John 13:18-20

Jesus went on in this last short time before He faced the cross, that His followers might understand what awaited them—yes, suffering, persecution, toil, and grief, but also “the joy of The Lord” in a new way, as they would have the gift of The Holy Spirit within, to teach, to guide and to help them remember what HE had said and done!

“But this cometh to pass,

that the word might be fulfilled

that is written in their law,

They hated me without a cause.

26 But when the Comforter is come,

whom I will send unto you from the Father,

even the Spirit of truth,

which proceedeth from the Father,

he shall testify of me:

27 And ye also shall bear witness,

because ye have been with me

from the beginning.”  John 15:25-27

While Jesus had given them the facts, The Holy Spirit would empower and enable them to share them with perfect assurance and confidence in The Lamb—their Lord—their King—their Redeemer—Jesus, The King of the Jews (and of all who come to Him in repentance of sin, and faith in HIS substitutionary, atoning sacrifice for that sin!)!

“Nevertheless I tell you the truth;

It is expedient for you that I go away:

for if I go not away,

the Comforter will not come unto you;

but if I depart,

I will send him unto you.

8 And when he is come,

he will reprove the world of sin,

and of righteousness,

and of judgment:

9 Of sin,

because they believe not on me;

10 Of righteousness,

because I go to my Father,

and ye see me no more;

11 Of judgment,

because the prince of this world

is judged.

12 I have yet many things to say unto you,

but ye cannot bear them now.

13 Howbeit when he,

the Spirit of truth,

is come,

he will guide you into all truth:

for he shall not speak of himself;

but whatsoever he shall hear,

that shall he speak:

and he will shew you things to come.

14 He shall glorify me:

for he shall receive of mine,

and shall shew it unto you.

15 All things that the Father hath are mine:

therefore said I,

that he shall take of mine,

and shall shew it unto you…

…. 20 Verily, verily, I say unto you,

That ye shall weep and lament,

but the world shall rejoice:

and ye shall be sorrowful,

but your sorrow shall be turned into joy.

21 A woman when she is in travail hath sorrow,

because her hour is come:

but as soon as she is delivered of the child,

she remembereth no more the anguish,

for joy that a man is born into the world.

22 And ye now therefore have sorrow:

but I will see you again,

and your heart shall rejoice,

and your joy no man taketh from you.

23 And in that day ye shall ask me nothing.

Verily, verily, I say unto you,

Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father

in my name,

he will give it you.”  Portions of John 16:8-23

So, my friends, do YOU know truth?  JESUS IS truth; and will impart HIS Spirit to those who are His own! And in closing, a few words from Paul to the believers at Rome, reminding them whose they are and how they got there!

“Therefore being justified by faith,

we have peace with God

through our Lord Jesus Christ:

2 By whom also we have access by faith

into this grace wherein we stand,

and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

3 And not only so,

but we glory in tribulations also:

knowing that tribulation

worketh patience;

4 And patience,

experience;

and experience,

hope:

5 And hope

maketh not ashamed;

because the love of God is shed abroad

in our hearts

by the Holy Ghost

which is given unto us…

…. 8 But God commendeth his love toward us,

in that, while we were yet sinners,

Christ died for us.

9 Much more then,

being now justified by his blood,

we shall be saved from wrath through him.

10 For if,

when we were enemies,

we were reconciled to God

by the death of his Son,

much more,

being reconciled,

 we shall be saved by his life.

11 And not only so,

but we also joy in God

through our Lord Jesus Christ,

by whom we have now received

the atonement.”  Portions of Romans 5:1-11

(I encourage you to read all of this amazing chapter –all of this amazing book-for it is full of truth!)

So, will you take time during this celebration of The Redeemer and be sure you know HIM; and if you don’t you can by faith in HIS atoning death for you.  If you do know HIM, don’t miss the joy of knowing HIS truth through the work of HIS Holy Spirit leading you into HIS WORD!!!  It’s why we’re here!

“Jesus saith unto him,

I am the way,

the truth,

and the life:

no man cometh unto the Father,

but by me.”  John 14:6

Amen and Amen!!!