John 14:15-24

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The Big Idea: God the Spirit dwells with and in all those who love and Obey Jesus

First, Let us consider its' relationship to the immediate discourse. In verse is, Jesus transitioned to a knew topic of conversation. If we outlined Jesus conversation with the disciples so far it would look something like this:

A. Jesus tells of his death ()

B. Jesus tells of his ascension ()

C. Jesus tells of his sending the Spirit ()

The close of this section is marked with Jesus' instruction to the disciples in verse 31 of chapter 14:

"Rise, Let us go from here."

So then, our specific text introduces Christ's explicit teaching on the coming of the Holy Spirit which runs all the way through verse 31. We have chosen to divide this large section into two. Today we will look at and next week Ted will be back with us to preach 25-31. This division of the text is not random; instead it reflects the natural breakdown of Jesus' teaching. Again, if we outlined to text, it could look like this:

A. Jesus tells of his death ()

John 14:15–17 ESV

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.

B. Jesus tells of his ascension ()

C. Jesus tells of his sending the Spirit ()

1. Why Jesus is sending the spirit. ()

2. How the Spirit will accomplish His work. ().

Second, let us also consider the text in the context of the disciples' relationship with Jesus. These men had lived closely with Christ for roughly 3 years. They loved him. They loved each other. They left everything to follow him. Unlike many, they had picked up their cross to follow him.

But, Jesus had just rocked their world with incredible news. He will die and leave them. He suddenly turned all their confidence into doubt. Questions flooded their minds. Immediately before our text, we see them scrambling for answers. How can they make sense of such news.

In addition to the news of Jesus impending death and departure, the disciples just watched one of their own betray them and their Lord. One they thought they knew, whom they trusted, proved to be a fake and a fraud. Surely this stirred thoughts such as, "who else in the group might turn away? What about me? Am I really one of Jesus’"?" The uncertainty about Jesus, the future, and themselves descended on that Upper room like a think cloud of smoke smothering all hope and joy. There in this place of uncertainty, questions, sorrow, and deflated spirits Jesus turned their attention to the coming of the Spirit.

By considering the timing of these words in the development of Jesus' relationship with the disciples we better see Jesus aim in bringing up the coming of the Spirit. The news of the Spirit's coming is meant to renew their hopes, strengthen their confidence, and secure their faithfulness.

Third, let us us consider the text in the historical context of God's saving work. For brevity I will simply outline this work of God.

The Structure of the Sermon

A. Before the foundation of the world, God the Father determined to create a people/a nation who know and enjoy fellowship with Him and each other in and through Christ to the praise of His glorious grace.

B. Soon after creation, man kind sinned against God which resulted in separation from fellowship with the Father. Hostility took the place of joy-filled love in man's relationship with God and with each other.

C. Thousands of years later, God sent His son, Jesus Christ, to restore man's fellowship of love with Him and each other by dying on the cross for the sins of those who repent and believe. Three days later he rose from death in victory to ascend to the Father, from whose right hand He now rules over all things.

D. Fifty days after His death, Jesus and the Father commissioned the Holy Spirit to come and dwell in the hearts of those who believe. This first occurred at Pentecost and continues even now as the Spirit in conjunction with the hearing of God's Word continues to give eternal life to all who repent and believe.

The Structure of the Sermon

E. One day in the future, the Spirit will complete His work to secure all whom the Father has given to the Son for salvation. On that day Jesus Christ will return to finally separate those who are His from those who are not. Finally, God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit will dwell in perfected love and infinite joy with their people, those redeemed by Christ's death and sealed by the Spirit's power.

Considering the historical timeline of God's saving work helps properly interact with the text. Notice that when Jesus spoke these words, He did so long after B. and just before C. Notice also you and I are now studying this text after D. and before E. This is important because Jesus tells the disciples that their understanding of what He said here will not come until after it takes place. The news of the Spirit's coming and work will strengthen them with confidence and hope, but not until the Spirit actually comes.

Identify Two Certainties

Thankfully, unlike the disciples, we do not have to wait. The resources for confidence and hope given in this text are readily available to all of us who believe. So today this is my aim, to offer you confidence and hope. from the words of Jesus.

Formulate One Truth

Let us pray:

Answer Two Questions

Give Three Instructions

Two Certainties

Certainty #1

If you love me, you will keep my commands. This is a certain fact. All who love Jesus live by all of His instruction and teaching.

Jesus turns to the topic of the Spirit, by declaring two certainties.

Certainty #1: If you love me, you will keep my commands. This is a certain fact. All to love Jesus living by all of His instruction and teaching.

Certainty #2

Jesus will ask the Father to send His spirit to those who love Him. Since the Father never denies the Son, the disciples can be sure that God will indeed send “the Helper” to dwell with and in them. This is a certainty. It can be counted on by them!

A quick careless reading of the text might leave us thinking that love of Jesus is the prerequisite of the sending of the Helper, But we must not make this mistake. D. A. Carson helps us by pointing out:

The love of the disciples for Jesus should not be seen as the price paid for this gift, any more than it is the price paid for their obedience. Jesus is describing a set of essential relations, not a set of titillating conditions. His true followers will love him; they will obey him; and he on his part will secure for them, from the Father who denies nothing to his Son, another Counselor.

- D. A. Carson

Carson, D. A. (1991). The Gospel according to John (p. 499). Leicester, England; Grand Rapids, MI: Inter-Varsity Press; W.B. Eerdmans.

Jesus is not calling them to earn the coming of the Spirit. Instead, He is distinguishing His people from the world. Unlike the world, they will love and obey Him. And unlike the world they will have the Spirit sent to them by the Father at the request of the Son!

The Truth / Big Idea: God the Spirit dwells with and in all those who love and Obey Jesus

The Truth: God the Spirit dwells with and in all those who love and Obey Jesus

The coming of the Holy Spirit to dwell with and in men possesses great mystery. Throughout church history, Christian's have regularly debated the nature, work, and significance of the Holy Spirit's presence with and in the believer.

Often within the church we discuss the spirit in His relationship or role in spiritual gifts, the fruits of the Spirit, regeneration, conviction, and the illuminating of the believer's heart and mind. Our church statement here at TCBR touches on all of these: It reads:

The Holy Spirit is God, possesses all the divine attributes, and proceeds from the Father and the Son in order to bring glory to the Father and the Son. The Holy Spirit’s role is to convict the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment. He indwells all believers, baptizes and seals them at the moment of salvation, and regenerates, sanctifies, and empowers all who believe in Jesus. In empowering those to live a Christ-like life, He uniquely endows each believer with gifts for the building up of the body, guides believers in truly understanding and applying the Scriptures, and is an abiding Helper, Teacher, and Guide.

Insert TCBR statement of Faith: Holy Spirit.

- TCBR statement of Faith: Holy Spirit.

In preparation, I have felt the strong temptation to explore many of these areas, but I want to confine our emphasis to the point Jesus was emphasizing and deal solely with his point. I want us to state and then wrestle with what is said right here,

To help us stay laser focused on Jesus’ point, I will unfold today's sermon with a series of Questions

Two Questions to Consider

1. What is the significance of the Spirit's presence in the believer?

2. What is the experience of those in whom the Spirit dwells?

3. How is the presence of the Spirit a comfort to the believer?

Q #1: What Is the Significance of the Spirit’s Presence in the Believer? | Communion with the Holy Trinity

In just these 10 verses the significance of the Spirit’s coming is mentioned 4 times. Notice the emphasis Jesus puts on the Father, Son, and Spirit’s being with and in the disciples.

Read , ,

John 14:16–17 ESV

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.

John 14:18 ESV

18 “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.

John 14:20 ESV

20 In that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you.

John 14:21 ESV

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.”

John 14:23 ESV

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.

Do you see the emphasis, the point Jesus is making? Yes, He is leaving to go to the Father, but they should be encouraged for through the Spirit He will come to them. He is not leaving them as orphans. He is going to live in their hearts by the spirit.

Not only will He be with them and in then, but so will the Father! Through the Spirit, the Father and the son make their home with them! This is astounding. In the past, men could not enter into God's presence without experiencing death. But, through the Spirit God is going to move in and taking residence with them!

Look at 14:23.

As I meditated on this idea, I could not help but recall mine and Jessie’s days of being engaged. We were engaged for just over a year - May 26, 2009 to June 5th, 2010. One of the most vivid longings or desires I can remember having during those days was the desire to live together.

Through the Spirit, the Father and the son make their home with them! This is astounding. In the past, men could not enter into God's presence without experiencing death. But, through the spirit God is going to move in and takeing residence with them!

We dated for 3 years before I popped the question. Dropping her off at her dorm each night was getting old. Spending holidays away from each other was less than what we wanted. We looked forward to the day I could dwell with her and she with me.

As anyone who has seen the adoption process knows that it can take quite awhile, even a year or more. This was true in this case. While paper work and meetings and inspections were taking place, Morgan and Micah and the young man grew a desire to live with each other.

This longing was not simply one of proximity. There are things we like having close by for convenience or in the case of an emergency. For instance I have a lamp near my bed just in case I am laying in my bed and I need to see. Without the lamp, I would have to get out from under the covers, walk the ten steps around the bed to the light switch by the door. Then I would have to come back to my bed to see what I needed to see. Then, I would have to go all the way back to the light switch on the completely opposite side of the room to turn it off. The close proximity of the lamp makes seeing easy. Its closeness is useful.

But that is not the essence of my desire to be near to Jess. I wanted to know her. I wanted to enjoy her friendship and her love and her person in a way I cannot in her absence.

To understand this text, we must realize that Jesus is emphasizing and speaking to the same desire within the disciples. Jesus is not comforting them with the assurance that he is close at hand in case of an emergency. He is not saying, “Hey, through the Spirit, I am here for you. I am a great power source. If you find yourself in a pickle, just ask and I will intervene.”

The whole thrust of Jesus’ teaching on the Spirit’s coming to them is the intimate experience of communion they will have with the three persons of the Holy Trinity, God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. By the Spirit, they are caught up into the joy and goodness of the Trinitarian love. For those who love Jesus and obey Him, the Godhead comes into him and sups with him and he with the Godhead.

Q #2: What is the experience of those in whom the Spirit dwells?

know, because of Your spirit I am

in You and You are in me. I

Two Elements of Experiencing Fellowship with the Trinity

know I am a partaker in Your

Knowledge

Love

Holy Community!

Knowledge

At this point in the gospel of John, it has been well established that John/Jesus connect seeing with knowing. They are one in the same. To see is to know. To be blind is to be ignorant. We see this correlation almost immediately in our text. In verse 17, Jesus says the world neither sees the spirit nor knows the Spirit. In contrast, the disciples know him. Why? Because he, the spirit is with them.

We see this correlation almost immediately in our text. In verse 17, Jesus says the world neither sees the spirit nor knows the Spirit. In contrast, the disciples know him. Why? Because he, the spirit is with them.

We see the emphasis on knowing again in verse 18-19, "I will come to you... the world will not see me but you will see me."

Again Jesus makes this point in verse 21 , "he who loves me... I will love him and manifest myself to him." The word "manifest" literally means to reveal or to make known! Jesus says, "I am coming to You and In coming I will make myself known to you.

In verse 22, Jesus' emphasis on knowing him through fellowship with the Trinity is confirmed by Judas' question, "How will you manifest yourself to some of us and not all of the world?" This makes it plain what Jesus is saying. He is saying I am coming to You through the coming of the Spirit and as I dwell with You, You will know me!

What Does it mean to see and know Jesus?

Whole books have been written on this topic. Two of my favorite are "Seeing and Savoring Jesus Christ" by John Piper and "Knowing God" by J. I, Packer. Unpacking what I have learned from the Scriptures and from men such as these would take multiple sermon series, so this morning I just want to boil it down to two big ideas, facts and feelings. We could also identify them as evidence and experience or the scholarly and the sensational.

"Seeing and Savoring Jesus Christ" by John ediger and "knowing God" by J. I, Packer. Unpacking what I have

J. I, Packer. Unpacking what I have

learned from the Scriptures and from men such as these would take multiple sermon series, so this morning I just want to boil it down to two big ideas, facts and feelings. We could also identify them as evidence and experience or the scholarly and the sensational.

When Jesus says that the Holy Spirit will come and they will see and know him, He means both facts and feelings. They will possess not only a scholarly knowledge, but also a sensational knowledge. Because of false teaching prevalent in the church today, I hesitate as I speak of emotional, sensational, and experiential knowledge of God. But the Scriptures do not shy away from such language, and neither should we. Rather than reject it or minimize it we should test it, for the experiential knowing of God is always consistent with the facts revealed by God about God. Our experience with God flows from the certainty produced by undeniable and unquestionable evidence.

Because of false teaching prevalent in the church today, I hesitate as I speak of emotional, sensational, and experiential knowledge of God. But the Scriptures do not shy away from such language, and neither should we. Rather that reject it or minimize it we should test it, for the experiential knowing of God is always consistent with the facts revealed by God about God. Our experience with God flows from the certainty produced by undeniable and unquestionable evidence.

At this point I could get all philosophical, but I will save that for another day. Instead, I will just show You what I mean.

Last year, Jess and I took the family to Sassafras Mountain in Pickens County. None of us had ever been, but we had heard that it was the highest point in South Carolina.. On our way there, Jess drove while I googled facts about the peak. I learned that it was 3,554 ft high. That means that it is 3,548.5 ft taller than I am. As we talked about its height and its location we began to anticipate its beauty and grandness. Eventually we arrived, parked the car, unloaded the girls from the car in a record 13 minutes and 12 seconds, and made our way go to the highest point.

The views were beautiful. God gave us a clear, light-blue sky. We could see what seemed like the ends of the earth. I remember the reactions of my older girls. They expressed their awe with words like Whoa! and Wow! My oldest said with the repetion of a scratched CD, "We are REALLY High!"

Being in places such as Sassafras Mountain are worth the visit because they offer an experience rooted in reality. The peak really is 3,554 ft high, but the fact alone produced little to know experience. There were no "wow's" in the car as I shared the fact of its height. I am even pretty sure I was told to stop interrupting the movie with my geographical knowledge. The facts alone were boring and left no affect on the girls.

It was not until we leaned up against the rail - designed to keep the experience safe - that my girls felt the awesomeness of the facts. When the peak we studied became the peak we encountered, our hearts were moved. We felt small. My height didn't change. The mountain didn't change. But I sensed my smallness there. We felt vulnerable. That might seen strange, but how else do you explain my wife and I constantly pulling the girls away from the edge? I felt my temporariness. This mountain is ginormous. It's been here for millennia and its not going anywhere anytime soon. I was born barely 3 decades ago and I will probably be gone in less than 5 more. These are not knew facts I learned at the mountain. I am knowledgeable of these realities. But if I am honest, most the time I act, think and feel as if I'll be on this earth for a really, really long time. But, on Sassafras mountain I was not simply reminded of the facts, I felt their weight!

Do you see? When Jesus says, "the Holy Spirit will come, and We, the trinity, will be with You and in You and You will know us!" He is not saying You will become a walking theological dictionary. He is saying You will feel, sense, experience me!

Yes, you will know the truth about my justice, kindness, mercy, grace, wrath, and power. But, because of my presence in you through the Spirit more so than accumulating facts your heart will melt at the seeing of my love, it will shake at the announcement of my wrath, it will rest at the preaching of my faithfulness, it will long at the demonstration of my glory.

The Scriptures refer to what I am describing as see and understanding with the heart. Notice just a few passages.

Read

Isaiah 6:9–10 ESV

9 And he said, “Go, and say to this people: “ ‘Keep on hearing, but do not understand; keep on seeing, but do not perceive.’ 10 Make the heart of this people dull, and their ears heavy, and blind their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed.”

Read

- Read

Ephesians 1:16–18 ESV

16 I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, 17 that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, 18 having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints,

Reed

- Reed

2 Corinthians 4:3–6 ESV

3 And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. 4 In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. 5 For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. 6 For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

This is the kind of seeing-the seeing of the heart that the believer experiences, and it comes to them by the work of the Holy Spirit in addition to the revealed facts about God. I turn you to just one instance of this.

Your dwelling with me produces

This is the kind of seeing -the seeing of the heart- that the believer experiences, and it comes to them by the work of the Holy Spirit in addition to the revealed facts about God. I turn you to just one instance of this.

Read

1 Thessalonians 1:4–7 ESV

4 For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you, 5 because our gospel came to you not only in word, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction. You know what kind of men we proved to be among you for your sake. 6 And you became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you received the word in much affliction, with the joy of the Holy Spirit, 7 so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia.

Here Paul tolls how he preached the word-the facts of the gospel. But unlike many of the hewers, the believers had it not as mere words but with the

Here Paul wrote how he preached the word -the facts of the gospel. But unlike many of the hearers, the believers heard it not as mere words of men but with the power off the Spirit. The result was full assurance of the facts and fullness of joy! They heard. They believed. They were affected. They experienced the weight of the truth and it moved them at the heart

① over of the Spirit. The result was

full assurance of the facts and fell ness of joy! The Lord. They believed. They were affected. They experienced the weight of the truth and it moved to at the Lout.

This is Jesus' promise to the disciples, “The Holy Spirit is coming and through His presence in You, you will know me! You will know the father!”

Two Elements of Experiencing Fellowship with the Trinity

Knowledge

Love

In addition to knowledge, this texts Emphasizes love. Verses 15, 21, and 23 state that those who love Jesus keep his commands. In verse 21 and 23 we also see that those who love Jesus will be loved by the Father and by Jesus. These verses make understanding "love" rightly extremely important. To help us grasp this, I want to call your attention to three observations about love.

state that those who love Jesus keep his commands. In verse 21 and 23

we also see that those who love Jesus will be loved by the Father and by Jesus. These verses make understanding

"love" rightly extremely important. To help us grasp this, I want to call your attention to a four observations about love.

1. Love is not obedience or service.

Do you see the distinction made in these verses? Those who love do obey. No one who loves goes on disobeying. But, the two are different. We see this clearly stated in the famous passage on love. Notice all the acts of service that can be performed without love.

Read

1 Corinthians 13:1–3 ESV

1 If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3 If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.

This is extremely important for us to grasp, for too often we reduce love down to obedience. We say things like "love is not a feeling it is a choice," Or, "Love is not an emotion it is an action!" We must not fall into the trap that ensnares so many. If we do, we may make the deadly mistake of equating all our "sacrificial service" as love. We may grit our teeth and come to church. We give ourselves to the study of Scripture and the singing of hymns all while being void of love and cut off from God.

2. Love is desiring, enjoying, and valuing.

Now those of you who have paid really close attention to the text this week may be rightly thinking, "Wait a minute that is not in the text. Where did you get that from?" If so, your thoughts are correct, for this definition is not in this text, but I do believe this is how Jesus and John understood love. To show this is so I will just point you to a few Examples.

Example #1 - Love is the opposite of hate.

Read

John 3:19–21 ESV

19 And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. 20 For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. 21 But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.”

For some reason our understanding of hate is less cloudy than that of love. We know hate to mean to despise, reject, dislike. We do not desire, enjoy, nor value that which we hate. Those who hate the light do not love it! Those who hate the light do more than just disobey or reject it. They despise it in their heart. The light disgusts them. Those who love the light do more than just come to it and obey it. They delight in it. They take pleasure in it.

Example#2 - Love of the world is desire, pursuit, and enjoyment in the things of the world.

Read

1 John 2:15–16 ESV

15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world.

Do you see what John is doing? To love the world is to desire, pursue and enjoy what the world has to offer. One cannot desire and pursue and enjoy God while desiring, pursuing, and enjoying the world. If one’s love is to change so the object of his desire, pursuit, and treasuring must change.

3. Love is the Work of the Spirit.

We must remember the nature of what we are reading in this text. Jesus is speaking to his disciples about the relationship God the Father and the son Love with them through the indwelling of the spirit. He speaks of the relationship from both their position and from His. They will love Him and He will love them. He will dwell with them and they will obey him.

The question that should arise in our minds is, "what relationships does our love for God have with the Spirits’ coming to us? Does God the Father love us because we loved Him? Do we earn His love and fellowship by keeping His commands?

Although it might seem on the surface Jesus is teaching that if we love God then He will in return love us and dwell with us. I believe the disciples heard and understood the exact opposite. I believe they heard Jesus saying, "Those who have the spirit in them, those who are loved by the Father and by me will also love me and keep my commands!" I'll point to two proofs of this and you be the judge.

Proof#1: Prophecy

Proof #2: I John

With this understanding we declare the truth: God's Spirit dwells with and in those who love and obey. Who are those in whom the Spirit dwells? Those who pursue and enjoy Him. They are those who obey Him. Why is this so? Why can we be certain of this? Because when the Spirit comes He affects the heart so that love of God and obedience to God become reality!

Three Instructions

Instruction #1 | Examine Yourself

Examine Yourself

Rather than present to you a list of instructions from the text, I will take a slightly different approach. I want to help you take this truth and apply it right now to your mind and heart while praying that God with use it to move your hands and foot in the right direction.

I must ask you this morning, "Do you love God?" More precisely, "Do You love Jesus?" Is there a more important question for you to answer? In this text, Jesus divided all of humanity into two groups:

those who love him and

those who don't.

When you hear the story of the old rugged cross does your heart feel affection for Christ? Is there a desire in your soul to sit in His presence, to gaze upon His beauty, and to enjoy His glory? When you sit under the preaching of God’s Word in a service like this, is your heart moved to adoration, joy, hope, and delight? Do you find pleasure in the knowledge of God?

says:

Psalm 27:4 ESV

4 One thing have I asked of the Lord, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in his temple.

Can you honestly say that seeing and beholding and communing with God is Your chief desire?

Can you honestly say that seeing and

3. How is the presence of the Spirit a comfort to the believer?

↳ holding and communing with God is

Your chief desire?

Consider which says:

Psalm 42:1–2 ESV

1 As a deer pants for flowing streams, so pants my soul for you, O God. 2 My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and appear before God?

Is your heart and soul one with David's? Does your heart part after God with the same longing as one with a parched tongue longs for water? Have you like the psalmists tasted and seen that God is good. Have you experienced the pleasures and satisfactions found in God Himself?

Is your heart and soul one with David's? Does your heart pant after God with the same longing as one with a parched tongue longs for water? Have you like the psalmists tasted and seen that God is good. Have you experienced the pleasures and satisfactions found in God Himself?

This is an extremely important question because if you haven't you remain dead, under the wrath of God and in desperate need of His life giving Spirit to come!

Be careful my friends as you answer this question, for it is possible to be near the love of God, to know much of the love of God and miss it. Listen carefully to this warning from the theologian Abraham Kuyper: 40.522 highlight).

The Work of the Holy Spirit XX. God the Holy Spirit the Love Which Dwells in the Heart

THE fact that love can radiate within man does not insure him the possession of true and real Love, unless, according to His eternal counsel, God is pleased to enter into personal fellowship with him. So long as man knows Him only from afar and not near, God is a stranger to him. He may admire His Love, have a faint sense of it, be pleasantly affected by it, and even rejoice to see others drink from its Fountain, yet never come a step nearer to it. In God’s hand he may be the means of showing others the way to it, without knowing it by personal experience.

The Work of the Holy Spirit XX. God the Holy Spirit the Love Which Dwells in the Heart

So long as man knows Him only from afar and not near, God is a stranger to him. He may admire His Love, have a faint sense of it, be pleasantly affected by it, and even rejoice to see others drink from its Fountain, yet never come a step nearer to it. In God’s hand he may be the means of showing others the way to it, without knowing it by personal experience.

My aim is not to cause genuine believers to doubt. But the matter is a serious one. Could it be that some could sit under solid teaching about the love of God on Sunday mornings, witness God's love demonstrated in the Moissional Communities throughout the week and never have first hand experience of the sweet, intimate, soul satisfying, sin-conquering, loving communion with God?

My aim is not to cause genuine believers to doubt. But the matter is a serious one. Could it be that some could sit under solid teaching about the love of God on Sunday mornings, witness God's love demonstrated in the Missional Communities throughout the week and never have first hand experience of the sweet, intimate, soul satisfying, sin-conquering, loving communion with God?

As we examine ourselves we must remember Jesus’s words, “If you love me, you will keep my commands.” This is how we know we love Him.

Do you keep His commands. Do you seek to order your life according to all His instruction and teaching. On top of this do you do it with joy? Are your attempts to obey constantly going against what you really want? Or, do you want to obey? Do you delight and take pleasure in His Law? Can you make the psalmist's words in your own

If this is you, there are a couple more questions to ask. Do you keep His commands. Do you seek to order your life according to all His instruction and teaching. On top of this do you do it with joy? Are your attempts to obey constantly going against what you really want? Or, do you want to obey? Do you delight and take pleasure in His Law? Can you make the psalmist's words in your own

Read Psalm. 119:72, 97,127, 162.

Psalm 119:72 ESV

72 The law of your mouth is better to me than thousands of gold and silver pieces.

English Standard Version Psalm 119

97 Oh how I love your law!

It is my meditation all the day.

English Standard Version Psalm 119

127 Therefore I love your commandments

above gold, above fine gold.

English Standard Version Psalm 119

97 Oh how I love your law!

It is my meditation all the day.

Psalm 119:97 ESV

97 Oh how I love your law! It is my meditation all the day.

In I Johns:2-3 we read that we know we have God's love when we dooy his commands and they are not burdensome. When we know and love God our obedience is no longer compelled by the outside forces of punishment or payment. Instead we door, from the heart. In the Lort we love God and fo- this love we willfully and joy fully obey.

English Standard Version Psalm 119

162 I rejoice at your word

like one who finds great spoil.

Psalm 119:127–128 ESV

127 Therefore I love your commandments above gold, above fine gold. 128 Therefore I consider all your precepts to be right; I hate every false way.

Psalm 119:162–163 ESV

162 I rejoice at your word like one who finds great spoil. 163 I hate and abhor falsehood, but I love your law.

In we read that we know we have God's love when we obey his commands and they are not burdensome. When we know and love God our obedience is no longer compelled by the outside forces of punishment or payment. Instead we obey, from the heart. In the heart we love God and from this love we willfully and joyfully obey.

Does this describe You? what does the evidence of the behavior and the experience of your heart confirm? Do you love God? Is his spirit within you?

Instruction #2 | Pray to God

Second, I must call you to pray. The Experience of knowing God and enjoying God is a free gift of grace that comes to a us by the work of the Spirit. The work of the Spirit is free like the wind. He operates as He pleases. We cannot bring Him under our control through sacrificial service, strict keeping of the law, or diligent study of the Scriptures. If we will know Him and His presence, if we will see and behold God with our hearts, He must operate. He must act! He must accompany our human activity with divine power. Otherwise, we will be left as dried 40 grapes fallen off the vine.

pleases. We cannot bring Him under our control through sacrificial service, strict keeping of the law, or diligent study of the Scriptures. If we will know Him and His presence, if we will see and behold God with our hearts, He must operate. He must act! He must accompany our human activity with divine power. Otherwise, we will be left as dried 40 grapes fallen off the vine.

For most of my Christian life my knowledge and enjoyment of God was almost non-existent. I tried to study and pray or "spend-fine" with God many times but they would all fall short of intimacy with God after a few days or a couple of weeks I would give up.

It was not until January of 201s that things began to change. They changed, I believe, because of what happened in the fall of 2014. I was taking a preaching class in seminary. In it we read stories of great preachers sone who you have heard of and others you haven't. What was common in all of them was this incredible. fellorshigo with God. We read these men's journals and Hay would talk about going into the woods or into their study where they could spend two, three or four hours at a time with God. They spook of God as one could speak of a lover. They cried with God He rejoiced with God. They interacted with God as if He sat across their desk or walk with Her down a trail.

The reading of such men exposed what I lacked. I didn't know God like this! My prayer going into 2015 was this, "God if You truly can be known like this, I want it! Let me know You like these men! Let me talk with you and dine with You! If there really pleasures at Your right hand, let me experience then!"

Thankfully, he has "answered my prayer. I have seen God with my heart. I used to have to drag myself upstairs to my meeting place with Him. Now, the demands of the day have to pull me back downstairs for where I truly desire to loe is with Him and His Word.

Maybe you find yourself where I was back in 2014. Maybe you have been really plugged into church. Maybe you attend church regularly, you have sat in many classes, and you have even attempted to study the Bible on your own a little bit. Perhaps you even set a little time to pray during the week. But, if you are honest, you know not this pleasure, delight, desire, love of God. Maybe you have been around others who know God this way and by proximity to them you have convinced yourself you share what they have. But, if you really get quiet and examine yourself, you are empty of such.

Maybe you have experienced great joy and delight and pleasing love with God in the past, but today you struggle. Maybe, you are running on empty. Maybe the only evidence you have of knowing God in such away are faint memories of the distant past.

In either case, I call you to pray. Ask the Father in Jesus name, and He will give you what you ask for. Pray with Paul the apostle that you would know the love of God. Pray that He would open the eyes of your heart so that you might see His glory and know His joy. Pray and ask Him to fill you with all knowledge of the Son! Ask Him to fill you with desire and passion for Him and Him alone. He loves to answer prayer. Go to Him asking, and watch Him answer!

Instruction #3 | Be Encouraged

Sometimes in the church we like to draw hard and fast lines of distinction. We want nice and clean categories of the have and the have nots. We want to say with certainty, these are those who know and love God and these are those who do not. We find this especially enticing when we come to passages such as this. Everything seems so definitive. Jesus will ask the Father. The Father will send the Spirit. The Spirit will reside in His people. His people will love and keep his commands.

This presents great challenges as we examine our lives. For instance, what should we think about the one who continues an ongoing battle with a particular sin? Even those who may not battle a particular this or that, what do you do with your sin. For surely, none of us keeps the commands of Jesus with completeness and without failure. None of love God steadfastly. How then do we find any assurance amidst our imperfect love and incomplete obedience?

To do so we must remember that the work begun by Jesus through the Spirit in us will be completed. I John calls a liar anyone who says he is without sin. He also promises the believers that one day we will be perfectly like Christ at the last day when we see and know God and Christ perfectly! The implication for us now is that none of us love and obey perfectly, yet John says we can “know we have eternal life.” How so? Because the Spirit right now although in varying degrees and in varying ways is working in us so that we may know and love the Father and the Son.

Do you have any desire for God? It may be like the slow trickle from a leaky faucet or it may be a like the mighty rushing waters of a great river. Either way, the slow trickle barely detectable or the loud and undeniable rush of love for God are both the gift of the Spirit and proof you are His. Maybe you are discouraged in your pursuit of Him. Maybe you have all but given up. But, deep in your soul, in the dark corner of your heart there is a faint hunger and thirst to experience and enjoy the pleasures of God. The longing, that desire, that craving is not of you. It is of God. It is the work of His Spirit. So wherever you are in your relationship with God, if you have that longing, that hint of desire, that barely detectable love for God, know you are in Him and He is in you. Act on that longing, seek after Him. Pursue Him as the satisfaction of your hunger pains. If you seek Him you will find Him. And, when you find Him you will discover that He is worth the pursuit!

But, now by Your spirit, I know You! I have tasted and seen Your goodness. My eyes have been opened and my heart has been moved to affection, fear, desire, peace! Your dwelling with me produces love. What is love? Is it not delight and enjoyment of? Is it not affection? Is it not valuing, treasuring? It is the opposite of hate. It is a cherishing. It is not despising which leads to rejection. It is desire which leads to willful reception. This love is awakened, stimulated, kindled, aroused, sustained, and escalated by knowing You!

As I experience You and Your fellowship, my love grows. You become increasingly more valuable and treasurable the more I see, behold, taste, and touch You! My love increases with each encounter in Your presence. I use the same words today I used 10 years ago: I love You, I adore you, I cherish You! I desire You! I want You! But, Oh how the weight of the words has increased. So much so my love for You of past years looks not like love. My desire for You back then looks like nothing more than the flicker of a birthday candle compared to the roaring flames of a furnace that is my love and desire today! How blessed am I to sit at Your feet and know You! I love You. Your love is in me!

Last, Your communion with me produces obedience. This is not obedience to a hostile boss, or an evil dictator. This is the obedience of love. This is willful submission to the will of a lover. This is treasuring You and all You say as wise, good, right, desirable and running off to do it with joy! Your commands are not burdensome. I do not perform Your commands with a whip applied to a swollen back but with a skip in my step, a catchy tune in my mouth, and a twinkle in my eye. Why? Because, I know You. I love you!

knowledge. Before, You were tucked

Thank You for the affects of communion with You. They argue for my confidence. "Look!" they say, "You love Jesus. You have experienced Him! You Know Him. And, look He is transforming You! Did you not used to lie with regularity? Now, you hate falsehood! Did you not struggle to study God's word and to live accordingly? Was this not burdensome before? Now, You cannot get enough of it! Now You go forth with zeal to put it into practice because you know the one who spoke it!" Oh! these things testify to the fact I am in You! I am Yours and You are mine and I will never be lost!

in the shadows. I know not

Your ways. I knew not Your

character. I was ignorant of Your

wisdom, Your love, Your mercy,

Your Kindness, Your justice, Your

wrath. I had heard these things

preached but never grasped their

reality. My heart never melted

at the hewing of Your love, it

never shook at the declaration of

Your wrath, it never rested at

the preaching of Your faithfulness

and it never longed at the

demonstrations of Your glory. Ina,

as affected with joy at the reading

of Your Word as my wife is

at the reading of the box score

of some random football game.

You! I have tasted and seen Your

goodness. My eyes have been

opened and my heart has been

moved to affection, fear,

desire, peace!

Your dwelling with me produces

love. What is love? Is it not

delight and enjoyment of? Is it

not affection? Is it not valuing,

treasuring? It is the opposite

of hate. It is a cherishing.

It is not despising which leads

to rejection. It is desire which

leads to willful reception.

This love is awakened, stimulated,

kindled, aroused, sustained,

and escalated by knowing You!

fellowship, my love grows. You

become increasingly more valuable

and treasurable the more I

see, behold, taste, and touch

You! My love increases with each

encounter in Your presence, I

use the same words today I

used 10 years ago: I love

You, I adore you, I cherish You

I desire You! I cut You!

But, Oh how the weight of the

words has increased. So much

SO my love for You of past years

looks not like love. My desire

for You back then looks like

nothing more than the flicker

of a birthday candle compared

to the roaring flames of a furnace

that is my love and desire today!

How blessed am I to sit at Your feet and know You! I love You. Your love is in me! Last, Your communion with me produces

Your feet and know You! I love

You. Your love is in me!

Last, Your communion with me produces

obedience. This is not obedience to

a hostile boss, or an evil dictator.

This is the obedience of love. This

is willful submission to the will of

a lover. This is treasuring You

and all You say as wise, good,

right, desirable and running off

to do it with joy! Your commands

are not burdensome. I do not

perform Your commands with a

whip applied to a swollen back

but with a skip in my step,

a catchy tune in my mouth, and

a twinkle in my eye. Why? Bocas

I know You. I love you!

communion with You. They argue

for my confidence. "Look!" they say,

"You love Jesus. You have experienced Him! You Know Him. And, look He is transforming You! Did you not used

Him! You Know Him. And, look He is

transforming You! Did you not used

to lie with regularity? Now, you

hate falsehood! Did you not

struggle to study God's word and

to live accordingly. Was this not

burdensome before? Now, You cannot

get enough of it! Now You go

forth with zeal to put into

practice because you know the

one who spoke it!" 0h these

things testify to the fact I

am in You! I am Yours and

You are mine and I will never

be lost!

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