51. The Spirit of Truth - Knowing Evermore

In John 14-17, Jesus calls the Spirit, “the Spirit of Truth,” several times, and He shares many things about the Spirit. This Spirit of Truth is alongside of a detailed explanation of the world, with the two set in contrast to each other.

There are also two perspectives given to both. First, we could call the Spirit of Truth a “World of Life” in contrast to the world that does not know God. The word “world” in either case, involves humans living together in a spirit/Spirit environment. The first perspective, then, is the larger picture. Inside of that larger picture, Jesus also makes both the Spirit and the world to be personal. The Spirit showing Jesus to us is personal, and the world “hunting you down” is also very personal.

Drawn from His Side. Into that conflict between the Spirit of Truth and the world of death, Jesus places the parable of a woman giving birth. Alongside of that we place John’s great need to assert to us that he, in fact, saw blood and water coming out from Jesus’ pierced side, running down into the earth. Thus we have a direct connection between this discussion and Revelation 12:1-5 as well as Revelation 22 – “the Spirit and the Bride.” And Jesus alludes to the Day of Pentecost, as the Church that will be “drawn out from His side.” (see Genesis 2)

“People living in the energeia of demons” is called the world. “People living in the Energeia of the Spirit of Truth” is called the Church. I think we have what we need to begin our discussion.

The World Hates. (Chapter 15) 18 If the world-cosmos hates and denounces you, you know that it has hated and denounced Me before you. • 19 If you were out of the world-cosmos, the world would cherish you as its own, but the world hates you because you are not out of the world, but I chose you for Myself out of the world. • 20 Remember the word I spoke to you, that a servant is not greater than his master. If they hunted Me down, they will also hunt you down; if they have kept My word, they will also keep yours.

John has already introduced the Spirit of Truth in the verses leading up to John 14:20. In fact Jesus places Spirit and world against each other right from the start, which is the context in which John 14:20, the Tree of Life, is spoken. John 14:20 is the child birthed by the Church – Life – in the midst of hate.

The Great Setting. It is clear to me that the Spirit of God gave us Revelation 12 in the form of a vision as a further way for us to understand the whole of what Jesus is saying in these four chapters. Every Gospel Word is interspersed amongst this great contention between the Spirit of Truth and the spirit of this world.

19-20 Definition: If you believe into Jesus, the world HATES you. Make no mistake about it; as James said, “Friendship with the world is hostility against God.” The “world-cosmos,” in this case, is that vast system of interrelationships among humans and demons. ALL human associations of any kind, all of them dwell inside the sway, the energeia of demons.

19-20 Ruling Verse 4: Every Gospel Word is proven inside of us inside this great setting, this great contradiction between the Spirit of Truth and the spirit of lying in the world.

For No Reason Whatever. • 23 The one who hates Me also hates My Father. 24 If I had not done works among them that no other has done, they would not have held onto sin and disconnection from God. Now, however, they have both seen and hated both Me and My Father, 25 so that the word written in their law might be fulfilled, • ‘They hated Me freely and without purpose.’ – ‘They hated Me without a cause,” for no reason whatsoever.

We simply have not reckoned with the seething hatred of all in the world against the Lord Jesus Christ. That’s why His name is the greatest cuss word in western culture. Yet He is the One causing all to live by His good-speaking. All hate Jesus – for no reason whatsoever. This is a staggering thought and must govern our view of creation out from Ruling Verse 9.

Dealing with the World. The world hates the Father – yet all that is created travails for liberty. Our understanding must encompass the intensity of both, even though outwardly they contradict each other. The cross puts to death, and resurrection makes alive at the same moment.

23-25 Definition: The hatred of the world is directed towards the Father. And the thing that infuriates them about Jesus’ works through us is that those works mean “God with us.” Someone demonstrating God-with-me is not tolerated.

23-25 Ruling Verse 9: The hatred of the world is a screaming appearance, yet in complete contrast, all created things travail for liberty. We separate between the two towards every individual. The cross puts to death, and resurrection makes alive in the same moment. In contrast, “friendship” with a lying world blocks Salvation.

All-Pervasive. • 26 But when the Helper-Advocate comes, whom I will send you inside the presence of the Father, the Spirit of truth, who goes forth and is spread abroad in the presence of the Father, He will bear witness concerning Me. 27 You also bear witness, because you are with Me out from the beginning and origin.

Our purpose is to write the Gospel Comments. Nonetheless, for a fuller teaching, we would go back through and place everything Jesus said concerning the world and the Spirit as a flow of the setting in which everything comes to Completion.

26 Definition: The Devoted Spirit is described as One who “goes forth and is spread abroad in the presence of the Father.” Thus we say that the Spirit is the Essence of God touching creation. The Spirit is the all-pervasive environment, the “place,” in which all created things exist.

Lying versus Real. As you can see, the spiritual adultery taking place between humans and demons, inside all human connections, is taking place inside of the Spirit of God. No matter how energetic demons can be, they lie only, for they can do nothing in actuality. Even “no one sees me” is a lie. Here is where we place the word “bear witness.” It means demonstrate, not “talk about.”

26-27 Definition: All interactions take place only inside of the Spirit of Truth. Those who lie, do so only out from the fake energeoing of demons who are only lying. Even the question, “what is the truth,” can be part of that lie. This vast system of lying and murder is all entirely unnecessary. The world is not a different place, but a false mindset hating God for no reason.

26-27 Ruling Verse 4: Those who bear witness are coming out from a Source that is True, the Father. Their witness is loving one another, the normal human life. They speak out from real.

A “Secret” Return. (Chapter 16) • 7 But I tell you the truth; it is profitable for you that I should go, for if I do not go, the Helper-Advocate will not come towards you. If I go, then I will send Him to you. • 8 When He comes, He will convict the world-cosmos with evidence concerning sin and disconnection from God, and concerning just innocence, and concerning judgment. 9 Concerning sin, indeed, because they do not believe into Me; 10 concerning just innocence, then, because I am led towards the Father and you look upon Me no more. 11 And concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world has been judged.

We understand John 16:7 alongside of John 7:10, that Jesus went up to the Feast “in secret.” Jesus on the outside of us does absolutely nothing for us. We must have Jesus on the inside of us, and thus He must return “in secret” to become His Church.

To Convict. The key word in verse 8 is “convict.” I find that the English “convict” is identical in meaning to the Greek word John used. The prefix and root of convict is all victory over. It means "to convince by arguments, convince of wrongdoing or sin," "to 'overcome' in argument, to overcome decisively; to convict of crime or error” (from etymonline.com). Thus we define this work of the Spirit towards the world entirely by and inside of Romans 3:19. That every mouth might be closed, and the entire world-cosmos brought under judgment before God. Every single human and angel dwells always inside this convicting of the Spirit.

It is clear that our own purpose here is Ruling Verse 9, our understanding of the state of creation that we are setting free, dwelling in this bath of overcoming conviction.

Placing Our Ministry. Then consider this. Since the Spirit of Truth is the only place, those who lie are the trespassers. Thus we are not the ones removed, but those who hold to falseness.

Ruling Verse 2 & 10: Christ lives inside of your heart through faith. Jesus is planted into our earth. – “You inside of Me and I inside of you.” A “visible” Jesus on the outside of us does nothing for us. It is the Spirit poured out into the Church wherein Jesus Himself came “in secret” (see John 7:10) to dwell inside of us, to be His Church, to be our only Life.

Ruling Verse 9: All things exist inside the Spirit of God, for there is no other environment or True Energeia. Demonic energeia is fake and must be exposed to each person, that each might become silent in the presence of God (see Romans 3:19). This conviction is happening always to all, even to those who refuse.

Jesus Hints at Paul’s Gospel. 12 I still have many things to say to you, but you are not able to carry them now. • 13 When He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide and instruct you inside of all truth; indeed, He will not speak from Himself, but whatever He hears, He will speak, and the things coming [from God] He will report fully to you. • 14 He will glorify Me, for He will receive what is Mine and report it fully to you. • 15 All things the Father possesses are Mine; for this reason I said that He will receive what is Mine and report it fully to you.

Wow, verse 12 is Jesus referencing Paul’s gospel. He is saying very clearly – “I cannot speak Paul’s gospel into you right now, because you cannot understand how I could live inside of you, and share all form with you. The ONLY way such understanding can come to you is by receiving My Spirit.”

Being Led into All Truth. John 16:13 is the first Bible verse that came alive inside of me when I was 19 years old, in the KJV as “The Spirit will lead you into all truth.” In that moment I felt such power that this word belonged to me, though I had zero idea what it meant. It was only 1 ½ years later that the word preached by Sam Fife was pounding upon my heart, and it was inside of “the Spirit will lead me into all truth” that I searched my Bible, desperately needing God to show me what He actually says.

Now, what Jesus says about the Spirit in verses 13-15 continues to be very cryptic to those who do not know, by the Spirit, this same Jesus inside of them. There is no question that we understand everything Jesus is saying only out from John 14:20. Yet most do not!

Knowing All by the Spirit. 13 Ruling Verse 3: Jesus could not share Paul’s gospel with His disciples, for how could they perceive Him inside of them for real, or that He was about to carry them inside Himself all the way through death. It is only the entrance of the Spirit into our SOULS that enables us to perceive the Gospel.

13-15 Ruling Verse 10: Every single thing Jesus says in John 14-17 comes out from and causes us to understand John 14:20 and 17:3. And we interpret everything, not just in these chapters, but in the entire Bible, only by Ruling Verse 10 & and John 6:63.

13-15 Ruling Verse 2: Jesus Himself is inside our hearts, the same Jesus to whom belongs all things the Father possesses.

14-15 Ruling Verse 3: The Spirit of Truth, inside our souls, now part of us, leads us into all Truth, into all knowing of Jesus and the Father dwelling now in us and in the Church.

The Church Bringing Forth Life. • 21 A woman who is giving birth experiences pain because her hour has come. But when she brings forth a child, she no longer remembers the pressure because of the joy that a child has been born into the world. • 22 In the same way, then, you know grief; but again, I will see you, and your heart will rejoice, and your joy no one will take from you.

Then Jesus becomes even more cryptic. You see, this very Word, including with it Revelation 12:1-5, was the word Sam Fife preached that hammered against me so as I searched my Bible with tears that I might know what on earth God says. This is the Church bringing forth LIFE into the world. Life, the knowledge of God, can come to those who wrap themselves in darkness in no other way than through our travail, our deep involvement with the Spirit of Truth.

The Depths of Travail. 21 Life: The bringing forth of LIFE is the most important metaphor in God, in the Bible, and in creation. John’s vision, Revelation 12:1-5, can be only a further view of John’s Gospel. This woman is the Church, bringing forth the knowledge of God into the knowledge of all through great depths of travail.

21-22 Ruling Verses 1 & 10: Knowing God is Life. John 14:20 is the Tree of Life, even the “child” born, many sons like Jesus.

Consider how we must KNOW what Jesus means. “I will see you” MEANS – “I will be inside of you, knowing you.”

22 Definition: Jesus’ saying, “I will see you,” MEANS – “I will be inside of you, knowing you, making you to be just like Myself, even through your grief. Though we do not see Jesus outwardly (see 1 Peter 1:8), yet we are filled with His JOY.

To Fulfill His Church. 23 And in that day, you will ask nothing of Me. It is as I say to you. • Whatever you might ask the Father inside of My name, He will give you. 24 Until now you have asked nothing inside of My name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy might be full and complete.

Jesus continues being cryptic (see John 16:25). The joy of verse 24 must refer to verse 22, to the bringing forth of life into creation referenced by the metaphor that depicts the Church clothed with Jesus and screaming in travail. Jesus was not talking about asking for stuff, although God is pleased to give us all good things to enjoy. I tell you what, Jesus means that we ask God to fulfill His Church through us, that is, Revelation 12:5 and 11, giving ourselves to the Father for the sake of all who belong to Jesus.

Sliding Scale Words. We have seen how the word “to know” is a sliding-scale or gradient concept. To be aware is the first level of “to know,” but knowing grows step by step until it becomes sharing Hheart with God. Then “to ask” is also a word found on the same gradient. Our first ask is “Jesus come into my heart,” the asking of a child. Then we ask for things; then we ask for things for our loved ones – and so on.

I learned from Watchman Nee to ask for God’s word fulfilled in me, but I had no idea of the extent such asking must go. For years, now, I have been teaching that we ask for all Gospel Word fulfilled, and that we believe we have received. Yet now we are bringing “to ask” to the level of asking God for His Church fulfilled here and now upon the earth.

Step by Step Forever. This Church fulfilled for which we ask is also the bringing forth of the full knowledge of God. Ask and know always go together. One never happens without the other. – “How much more will your heavenly Father give the Devoted Spirit (who causes you to know) to those who ask Him” (Luke 11:13).

Ask and know also go together in the one-two step model of human walking, just like giving thanks and expecting God. One who gives thanks but does not expect God lives in fatalism, that is, no God arising. One who expects God but does not give thanks lives in unthankfulness, that is, no God here. We give thanks, then expect God, then give thanks, step after step. To ask and to know works the same. One who does not ask cannot know, except lies. One who does not know cannot ask, except in unbelief. Our first knowing is the Spirit upon us, then we ask, then we know, then we ask again – step by step forever.

Sharing Hheart with God. In verses 23-24, Jesus means the depths of knowing – “Share Hheart with Me; share Hheart with the Father.” What we want determines what we ask.

23-24 Definition: Asking God is a huge part of our relationship with Him. Asking and knowing are always together. Our knowing of God increases with the increased depths of our asking. We ask for all Word fulfilled in our lives, and we know a God who speaks the Truth. We ask for a Church complete, and we know a God who travails with us for her sake.

23-24 Ruling Verse 7: When we ask God inside of His Desire, we believe we have received all. Thus we KNOW with all confidence even when our eyes do not yet see.

23-24 Ruling Verse 9: We ask God for His Heart shared with us, and God’s Desire for His Church becomes all our knowing.

Where We Know. • 25 I have spoken these things to you as allegories and figurative language, but an hour is coming when I will speak no more in metaphors, but I will boldly and publicly make the Father known to you.

Jesus is positioning two things together. First is all the cryptic stuff He has been saying referencing Paul’s gospel and the Church bringing forth the Life of God into the knowledge of all. And second is – “By this we have known Love.” Specifically, we know God as He is, clearly and plainly, through ONE image ONLY, the walk of Jesus through the Atonement. It is there only that we find “And we also.”

It is only those who place themselves into Jesus through every step of the Way, from Gethsemane to the right hand of God, who can know the true meaning of Jesus’ words.

God As He Is. 25 Definition: Everything Jesus spoke in the gospels must be cryptic, for no one can know what those things mean, except by the Spirit not yet come. Yet verse 25 is nearly the last thing Jesus speaks directly to His disciples just before Gethsemane. Now He says, “I will show you the Father.” He meant, “Watch Me carefully, for you are seeing God through Me.”

25 Covenant: Seeing Jesus in the walk of the Atonement is seeing God as He is, for God was inside of Christ reconciling the world to Himself (see 2 Corinthians 5:19). We see a God who humbles Himself in tears; we see a God who stumbles under a cross He cannot carry. We see a God who shares all our distress; we see a God who gives Himself for the sake of all. Yet Paul’s Gospel places us inside of Jesus through every step as well. Inside of Jesus, we are joined with this same God.

Affection. • 26 In that day, you will ask inside of My name; and I do not say to you that I will request of the Father concerning you; 27 indeed, the Father Himself regards you with affection because you have cherished Me and have believed that I come forth inside the presence of God.

~ The Father Himself regards you with affection. ~

You know, this is going right into the place where we dwell, inside the embrace, the Fellowship, of Father and Son. Jesus and the disciples have already left the upper room and are now approaching Gethsemane. The walk of the Atonement is about to begin, God as He is. In verse 25 Jesus has concluded everything He spoke in Chapters 14-16, but now, just before that walk begins, Jesus wants to plant in His disciples one more critical thought.

I Am Not Alone. In fact, let’s bring in the next set of verses before continuing.

31 Jesus answered them, “Do you now believe? 32 Look, the hour is coming and has come, when you will be scattered, each to his own, and you will leave Me all alone. • Yet I am not alone, for the Father is with Me. • 33 I have spoken these things to you, so that inside of Me you might have peace. In the world-cosmos you have pressure within and without, but be of good courage for I have conquered the world.

Jesus is placing before His disciples and us two things together, best expressed by 1 John 1:3, Truly our fellowship is companionship with and among the Father and His Son, and His upcoming experience shown to us by David in Psalm 22. – I am not alone. – I am not alone. He is giving us everything we need for “And we also.”

The Church Is Not Alone. Verse 33 is again referencing the same picture as Revelation 12, the Church in travail.

26-27 Ruling Verse 8: “The Father Himself regards you with affection.” Believe these words even as you believe into Jesus. This is not a general “love”; this is personal to you. Great difficulties will hit you, great travail is about to come upon you. In all, KNOW that you dwell inside the Father’s affection.

32 Definition: The meaning of Jesus’ words, “I am not alone, for the Father is with Me,” is found in Psalm 22. In His final hours on the cross, Jesus tasted of rejection of the Father, of contempt for Himself and for us. Yet, having already received us inside His Father’s cup, He joined us with the Father with these words, “God, You are WITH Me.” The Church is not alone; we are not alone. For God is always sharing all with us.

Those Who Conquer. And those who conquer are those who give themselves to the Father, with Jesus, for the sake of all the Church.

33 Life: It was Isaiah who heard the loudest words in the universe, spoken by Jesus every step of the way from Gethsemane to the right hand of God. “Here am I, I AND the children whom You have given Me.” – “I am not coming alone.” – Paul’s gospel places us utterly inside of Jesus, and this same Jesus revealing the Father utterly inside of us. It is through this Travail that LIFE, the knowledge of God, is birthed into the knowledge of all.

33 Ruling Verse 4: “And we also” (1 John 3:16) places us into this same Jesus, enduring all human agony and all opposition, declaring “God, You are WITH me.” Just like Jesus, we carry all our brethren inside our hearts even through our own travail. Jesus conquers – we conquer – for the Church.

John Did Not Run. The Walk of the Atonement begins with John 17, the prayer that births the Kingdom. Whether Jesus prayed this prayer on the final slope up to Gethsemane or if He prayed it inside of the three hours of Gethsemane, we do not know. The truth is, that John did not run when all the other disciples ran. Could it be that he did not sleep when all the others were sleeping? That is very possible. Even John’s description of himself as “the disciple whom Jesus loved” fits into these words – the Father Himself regards you with affection.

John was still a boy, hardly twenty years old. This makes Jesus’ words imparting Himself to us to be very, very personal. And this is why Heath Ledger’s words in A Knight’s Tale dropped me to my face on the floor. “I will not run.”

A Wondrous Pattern. The Father has not left me alone. – I need that word right now as I have ever needed it through all the course of my life – and you as well.

The Spirit of Truth inside of whom all live is the Spirit of Travail. And setting creation free is an exorcism, driving out the lying spirits who convince people that God is against them.

As Jesus was wont to say – It is as I say to you. Revelation 12 is not only another way to see Romans Chapter 8, but even more, it is a visual picture of the great realities spoken of by Jesus inside of John Chapters 14-17. The visionary picture given in Revelation 12 is as detailed in its application as the Tabernacle and the reproduction of Life. As the Flow of Gospel Word takes us there, we will know how to drape everything Jesus says upon that wondrous pattern.

Let’s Pray Together. “God, our Father, you have given us Your Spirit, now part of us, that we might KNOW You, that we might KNOW that You share every moment of our lives with us, and that we might KNOW Your great Desire flowing through us now into Your Church. Father, we ask You to cause us to KNOW. And we ask that You would place us entirely into Your own Heart, that we might share Hheart with you. And we ask that You would cause us to KNOW this Hheart we share together, the Lord Jesus Christ, that we are just like Him now into our world.

“God, our Father, we believe You. We believe that You speak only the Truth through Your Spirit inside of us. We believe that we have received ALL that we ask. Oh God, we do share Hheart with You. Oh God, our lives are truly for Your Church.

“Even as Jesus shares all that He is with us and all that we are with Himself, oh God, so we know with all certainty that You are inside of us right now, reconciling the world to Yourself through our every stumbling step.

“Oh God, Your Church! She does not know You inside of her; she does not see the LIFE of Jesus pressing to reveal Himself through her into all creation. Let our faith in You, let the travail of every moment of our lives, be for her sake, Oh God, that the darkness might be cast off of Your people, that You would be set free, Oh God, to come HOME.

“Father, we give You every part of our humanity, every convoluted emotion, even as we carry all our Christian brethren in our hearts with Jesus into You. Here we are, Oh God, and all these whom You have given to us. Be God through us into our world, even as You answer us, Oh Father.”