If You Love Me--My Peace I Leave With You (John 14:15-31)
Rev. William L. Barron, April 7, 2019Part of the Morning Worship at North Greenville Church series, preached at a Sunday Morning service
We often need to be reminded of the role of the Holy Spirit in our lives. The Holy Trinity is the source and application of truth in love. Steve Brown says that the truth is a tough taskmaster, because it doesn’t vary. If we trust in Jesus, God will love us, and this love is freely given, not earned. Truth abides in God, the Creator. Jesus the Son is truth, and the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Truth. True love for Christ brings obedience. The kingdom of God is characterized by righteousness, joy and peace (Romans 14). These things come to us by the ministry of the Holy Spirit. The Greek word describing the Holy Spirit means one who comes alongside us, or is within us, or is united with us. This is an essential relationship for believers, and He must not be quenched or grieved, which happens when we sin instead of obeying. This hurts our fellowship on many planes. In His work, the Holy Spirit transforms us to the image of Christ. He shows us who Christ is: the Son of God, our savior. He teaches us the truth of God. He reminds us of His Word, to keep us from errors, such as Arminianism, process theology, new perspectives on Paul, or the quest for the historical Jesus. The truth of God never changes, and the Holy Spirit brings us peace. The meaning of peace tends to be cheapened by the world; it only comes through the Spirit of Truth.
| Earlier: | Same day: | Later: |
|---|---|---|
| « Receiving The Whole Christ | None | Jesus Is Always In Control! » |
John 14:15–31 (Listen)
15 “If you love me, you will keep my commandments. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, 17 even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.
18 “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. 19 Yet a little while and the world will see me no more, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. 20 In that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you. 21 Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him.” 22 Judas (not Iscariot) said to him, “Lord, how is it that you will manifest yourself to us, and not to the world?” 23 Jesus answered him, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. 24 Whoever does not love me does not keep my words. And the word that you hear is not mine but the Father’s who sent me.
25 “These things I have spoken to you while I am still with you. 26 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. 27 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. 28 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. 29 And now I have told you before it takes place, so that when it does take place you may believe. 30 I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming. He has no claim on me, 31 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.
(ESV)