not submit to God's law (see Ezekiel 36: 27) . Jesus also said.
"He has blinded their eyes and deadened their hearts, so they can neither see with their eyes, nor understand with their hearts, nor turn — and I would heal them." John 12:40
Those who belong to Christ have demonstrated their love and acceptance of God’s law and love for them. To them Jesus said.
"If you love me, you will obey what I command. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever—the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. John 14:15-17
Love and obedience goes hand in hand with knowing Jesus Christ. Love is a compelling reason for doing whatever God asks of you and because you demonstrated your love through obedience God gives you the Spirit of Truth so you may know him better. When the Spirit of Truth comes, he will demonstrate God's love by guiding you into all truth, speaking only what he hears. In this way you will hear what the father told Jesus to say and confirm the words of Christ.
The Spirit of Truth has a dual purpose in that he wants man to come to the knowledge of God and by the same token he wants to know every one of his children. He comes to guide us into the truth so he may bring glory to Christ by revealing truths pertinent to the decisions we need to make. In this manner you will know the truth that sets you free and be able to make informed decisions.
If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free. John 8:31-32
The Spirit of Truth will always be present in your life and all the more when you have strayed from the truth. Your heavenly counselor will always give you the opportunity to deal with the sin that has captured you and made you its slave. The Spirit's task is to bring you up in the admonition and discipline of the Lord so you may live free of sin. In this capacity, the Spirit of Truth is working in you to demonstrate the very nature of God through your life. Your cooperation with the Spirit of truth will make becoming more Christlike possible.
For the most part, we as Christians want reliable information to live a godly life. Our father in heaven depends on us listening to the Spirit of Truth for sound advice. When we listen for his voice, we will hear advice that is appropriate for the occasion. That information may come from other Christians that have been through a similar trial. However, we must also learn to distinguish the Spirit of truth from the spirit of falsehood.
We are from God, and whoever knows God listens to us; but whoever is not from God does not listen to us. This is how we recognize the Spirit of truth and the spirit of falsehood. 1 John 4:6
Not every Christian is a valid source of advice and their answers may reflect the way of the world in their advice. The priority of Christians is to listen to the words of God, but even if your source is trusted person, the advice you receive must conform to the word of God. It’s not unusual that the advice of fellow Christians will agree with the thoughts going through your mind. This is a good sign that you have heard from the Spirit of Truth.
Determining the truth is a full time job as we live in a world where deceit in not only prevalent but the way of life. Many of us know that a materialistic world is based on possessing things you can live without. However, truth is one commodity that you absolutely need to live.
Wisdom is a shelter as money is a shelter, but the advantage of knowledge is this: that wisdom preserves the life of its possessor. Ecclesiastes 7:12
The Spirit of Truth is a resource that preserves your life. Our preservation is not the sum total of knowledge, but the knowledge of knowing the living God and what he would recommend is at the top of the list. In this respect it’s not what you know, but whom you know.
Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. John 17:3
The main function of the Spirit of Truth is to guide you into all truth and in doing so he sheds light on the words of Christ. He reveals some of the hidden truths and shows its relevance to our needs and objectives. He gathers the principles of God like a puzzle and connects the pieces in an orderly fashion. The Spirit of Truth makes God’s principles understandable to our human mind.
When he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. He will bring glory to me by taking from what is mine and making it known to you. John 16:13-14
In the opening paragraph I spoke of God’s sovereignty over the earth and the people who live on the face of he earth. God has a plan for the men and women of the earth and the plan of his plan is about to move into another age. When this part of his plan reaches its climax God will bring the earth and all life on it to an end. At that time, God will judge its occupants. there are many truths in the world, but the truth you have based your life upon won’t make a difference because God’s truth will have supremacy.
We learn in the Christian arena that God does not want anyone to perish. Therefore, it reasonable to understand that God gives the Spirit of Truth to every human being that wants the gift of life and calls upon him. The main objective is to offer life to those who willing to abide by his plan. Those who accept his plan the Spirit of Truth makes every effort to insure that they will succeed. The Counselor, Spirit of truth or the Holy Spirit is one gift that will help you to have the abundant life and to know that God loves them.
4. Why a Spirit of Power?
I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high." Luke 24:49
The promise of divine power from God is one of the most misunderstood promises of the father, which is revealed in the passage above. Every Christian has the power promised by our father in heaven. This promise referred to the upper room experience when God gave the Holy Spirit to his apostles. Acts 1:4 repeats this promise using other words saying “do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised.” Looking at Luke 24:49 and Acts 1:4 makes it clear that a promise of the Holy Spirit power was a promise made by the father.
The promise was inspired by God to Joel and repeated by Peter in his sermon following the upper room infilling that empowered the apostles to be God’s witness throughout the world. In Peter’s opening statement, Peter said we are not drunk as you may think. No, what you have seen and heard is God pouring out his spirit as promised through Joel. Then quoting Joel, Peter reminded those in his hearing of the promise that God gave.
'In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams. Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy.” Acts 2:17-18
God also promised us a new spirit with a heart of flesh.
I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws. Ezekiel 36:26-27
And still another promise
But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."Acts 1:8
In the latter years of Peter’s life he gave these words of advice.
If anyone serves,
