Assured Devotion

Amen. You may be seated.

Kids, you are now excused to your King's Kids classes.

And if you would open up your Bibles to John chapter 14.

John 14 · chapter mention

!

At that point, you're supposed to say, Amen.

The problem is we don't think we need help.

Or we don't like asking for help.

Do I have an Amen?

Years ago, when I was a younger lad,

I got in my head to move our children's wooden fort swing set structure by myself.

So I got under that thing and leg pressed that baby six inches up into the air.

And I somehow carried it 45 feet.

It was like a strongman competition and I was pulling a Peterbilt.

Turns out my neighbor was watching me through his sliding glass door.

Later he asks me, Why didn't you ask for help?

He was willing, he was present, he was able.

I just kind of shrugged my shoulders.

Because I didn't want to tell him.

I didn't want to tell him what I was really thinking.

I didn't want to ask for help.

Because I think I could do it alone.

And when it comes to obeying Jesus' commands,

we think we can go it alone.

This morning we continue working our way through the farewell discourse of Jesus.

He's just hours away from dying.

This is John 13, 14, 15, 16, and 17.

He's going to be raised from the dead.

And then he's going to depart to be with his father.

And then 40 days after that,

He will ascend.

He will ascend to his father.

And then 50 days after that, excuse me, Pentecost.

So the Son of God will depart.

And when he departs, he will send the Holy Spirit.

The farewell discourse turns out to be

a discourse of assurance for the believer.

Brothers and sisters, we don't need to be afraid

that Jesus is not physically present with us right now.

We're living in between his appearings,

his first coming and his second coming.

And in between, he's given the Holy Spirit to help us.

And so this morning in John 14, 15 through 31,

Jesus is going to make us aware of two needs.

Your first need is the need to obey Jesus

and all that he commands.

And your second need is the need for help to do that.

And not just any kind of help.

The Holy Spirit's help.

And the problem is we don't like acknowledging our need

or asking for help.

When it comes to obeying Jesus' commands,

we need the Spirit's help.

So let me read John 14, 15 through 31,

and then we'll walk through it together.

Jesus says,

If you love me,

you will keep my commandments.

And I will ask the Father,

and he will give you another helper

to be with you forever,

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.

I will not leave you as orphans.

I will come to you.

Yet a little while,

and the world will see me no more.

But you will see me.

Because I live,

you also will live.

And that day you will know

that I am in my Father,

and you in me,

and I in you.

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.

Judas, not Iscariot,

a.k.a. Thaddeus,

said to him,

Lord, how is it that you will manifest yourself to us

and not to the world?

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.

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.

These things I've spoken to you

while I'm still with you,

but the Helper,

the Holy Spirit,

the Spirit of holiness,

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.

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.

You heard me say to you,

I'm going away,

and I will come to you.

If you loved me,

you would have rejoiced,

because I'm going to the Father,

for the Father is greater than I.

And now I have told you

before it takes place,

so that when it does take place,

you may believe.

I will no longer talk much with you,

for the ruler of this world,

a reference to Satan,

coming in Judas in John 18.

For the ruler of this world is coming,

he has no claim,

no authority on me,

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.

So this morning,

from this passage,

I want you to see two needs.

your need to obey Jesus

and what he commands,

and your need for the Holy Spirit's help.

So let's look at this first need.

We need to obey Jesus.

And so from this passage,

I want to show you

a few important words.

The first word is the word keep.

K-E-E-P.

Look at verse 15.

If you love me,

you will keep my commandments.

Look at verse 21.

Whoever has my commandments

and keeps them,

he it is who loves me.

Verse 23.

If anyone loves me,

he will keep my word.

And in verse 24,

we have the opposite.

Whoever does not love me

does not keep my words.

Jesus is using his commandments

and his words interchangeably.

The emphasis here is on keeping them.

It's more than agreement.

It's more than agreeing

that Jesus said these words.

It's more than just saying,

yes, Jesus did command that.

It's actually obeying the command.

That's what it means

to keep the commandment,

to keep his word.

It's acting in obedience

to do what Jesus has said.

Or maybe you're familiar

with James chapter 1.

James 1 · chapter mention

Not being a hearer of the word only,

but being a doer of the word.

We are to do,

to keep the commands

that Jesus has given.

Earlier in John 13, 17,

Jesus says something very similar.

He has just washed

his disciples' feet

as an example to them

to serve one another.

And then in chapter 13, verse 17,

he says this.

If you know these things,

if you know you're to serve

one another,

blessed are you

if you do them.

if you keep them.

If you live out the command.

Blessed are you

if you keep his commandments.

So to keep his commandment

is to actually, by faith,

step out and do

what he's commanding you to do.

The second word I want you to see

is the word commandments.

To keep the commands of Jesus

is to keep the commands of God.

Because Jesus

is fully God.

Totally God.

Totally man.

He is the one and only

Son of God.

The Word became flesh

and dwelt among us.

He has the right

as God

to require us,

his followers,

to live a certain way.

His way.

The way of the kingdom.

Years ago,

I got to preach

through the book of Matthew

and I loved it

and I loved preaching

through the Sermon on the Mount.

The greatest sermon

ever preached.

Matthew 5, 6, and 7.

And when I preached

through that sermon

in that section,

I called it

the Kingdom Manifesto.

How Christ's citizens,

how his followers

are to live.

Because in

the Sermon on the Mount,

Jesus outlines for us,

Christians,

how we are to live.

Both in our character,

think of the Beatitudes,

and then in our conduct,

what follows

after the Beatitudes.

In that sermon,

Jesus lays out

command after command

after command

of how we are to live

when it comes to anger,

when it comes to lust,

when it comes to divorce,

when it comes to retaliation

and anxiety

and judging others

and loving your neighbor

as yourself.

There's no place

in the Sermon on the Mount

where Jesus makes

any of these commands optional.

He's saying this is normative

for all Christians.

And just so that we

are all on the same page,

it's not by obeying

Jesus' commands

that you are brought

into the kingdom.

It doesn't work that way.

It's because you've been

brought into the kingdom

by God's grace

that you now obey

Christ's commands.

We're not saved

by good works,

we're saved

for good works.

But they're commands.

These are commandments

that Jesus has given.

They're not optional.

in verses 34 and 35

of chapter 13,

we come across

the new commandment.

Jesus says,

a new commandment

I give to you

that you love one another

just as I have loved you,

you also are to love

one another.

By this,

all people will know

that you are my disciples

if you have love

for one another.

This is not optional.

He's saying,

this is required

of all of my citizens.

Everyone who's claimed me

as their Savior and Lord

is to obey me

in this way.

So we have keeping,

we have commandments,

and now the last phrase

I want you to see

is the phrase,

if you love me.

Verse 15,

if you love me,

you will keep

my commandments.

Verse 21,

whoever has my commandments

and keeps them,

he it is who loves me.

Verse 23,

if anyone loves me,

if anyone loves me,

he will keep my word.

Verse 24,

again the opposite,

whoever does not love me

does not keep my word.

A couple weeks ago,

I defined love

as essentially a commitment.

And what Jesus is doing here

is he's couching

obedience to his commands

in relational commitment language.

It's very intentional.

We are to think

in terms of our relationship

with Jesus,

loving him,

being committed to him

as he's been committed to us,

we are to obey him.

We are to do what he says.

This kind of obedience

in terms of this kind of

relational transaction,

this kind of obedience,

don't think of it

as a dour,

wah,

obedience of,

of course I will obey you.

Now think about it

as a delighted obedience.

Do you know why?

Because when Jesus Christ

is your greatest treasure,

obedience flows downhill.

when the source,

when Jesus is your greatest delight,

the object of your highest worship,

the one whom you're living for

day after day,

and he tells you to do something,

you say yes,

not out of a dour frown,

but out of joyful delight,

because this is your savior and king,

and he's calling you to do something,

and his commandments

are not burdensome,

his commandments are always good,

they are intended to give you life,

and his commandments

is the way of blessing,

it's the way of peace,

it's the way of goodness,

it's God's way.

His commandments

are to us,

life.

And so we love him

by obeying him.

It's not forced obedience.

It's willful,

joyful,

yes and amen,

I know who you are,

and I will obey you.

Do you all remember how

Jesus ends the Sermon on the Mount?

He ends with a parable.

He says,

anyone who hears my words

and does them,

this is his close to his sermon,

if anyone hears my words

and does them,

he is like a man

who builds his house

upon a rock,

and the winds came,

and they blew against,

and the rains came,

and that house stood,

but anyone who hears my words

and does not do them,

he's like a man

who builds his house

on the sand,

and the rain came,

and the wind blew,

and he knocked that house down.

We have the joy

of obeying Jesus,

building our lives

on the rock-solid truths

of his commandments.

And so,

your need this morning

is a need

for the goodness

of his life

and his ways.

So you must obey him.

Before I move on

to the second point,

I just want to make

something clear.

Disobedience

that we're talking about,

this is normal Christianity.

This is normal discipleship,

normal following Jesus.

Jesus himself commanded this

in the Great Commission.

when all authority

in heaven and earth

is given to him,

he says,

go,

go make disciples

of the nations,

baptizing them

in the name of the Father

and the Son

and the Holy Spirit,

teaching them

to keep

all that I have commanded.

It's normal.

Every one of us

in this room,

if you are a follower

of Jesus,

we are to be

obeying

his words.

do you need

to review

what he has

commanded you to do?

Is there something,

something of a command

he has called you to

that you are

purposefully avoiding?

This is normal

following of Jesus.

The second need

is our need for help.

we need help

in obeying

his commands.

I don't know

about you.

Is there anybody

else in the room

that are feeling

a little bit

out of their depth

right now?

Feeling a little bit

over your head?

You're feeling

like you're

getting exposed

because in

your inner

person,

you are thinking

there is no way

I could possibly

obey Jesus,

all of Jesus'

commands,

all the time

in every area

of my life.

That's spot on.

You can't.

There's no way

in and of

yourself

you can

obey Jesus

in all of

his commands

in all of

your life

all of the time.

There's just

no way.

And if you think

that you can

do that

or you think

that you

have arrived

or if you think

you don't need

help,

you've been

mistaken.

And you need

to listen

very carefully

what we're

about to

talk about.

Let me

just remind

everyone in

the room

what Jesus

said in

the Sermon

on the

Mount.

This is

Matthew 6,

48.

Be

perfect

as my

heavenly

Father is

perfect.

Anybody

perfect in

the room?

We all

need help.

We all

There's

no way.

But that

doesn't mean

we give

up.

I've

encountered

many

Christians

who are

like,

I'm

sick

of sinning,

I just

want to

give up.

I want

to give

up,

I want

to blend

in,

I want

to be

like

everybody

else.

That's

not how

you

respond.

We

need

help.

And

Jesus

is very

clear in

this

section

that the

Holy

Spirit,

He is

our

helper.

Look at

the connection

between

verses 15

and 16.

If you

love me,

Jesus

says,

you will

keep my

commandments.

And then

look what

He does.

And I

will ask

the Father

and He

will give

you another

helper to

be with

you forever.

Helper?

Helper in

what?

Well,

what did

He just

tell us

to do?

To

obey Him.

The

Spirit is

our

great

helper

in

obeying

Jesus'

commands.

He

provides

what we

need.

The

Holy

Spirit

has been

referenced

throughout

the

Gospel

of John

very

sporadically

up to

this

point.

In

John's

Gospel,

we first

encounter

a reference

to the

Holy

Spirit

in

John

1

when

John

the

Baptist,

JTB,

he introduces

Jesus and

he says

he is the

one that's

going to

baptize with

the Holy

Spirit.

And what

that's a

reference to

is that

Jesus is

bringing with

him the

new covenant.

the next

thing we

learn of

the Holy

Spirit is

in John

3 where

Jesus is

speaking with

Nicodemus at

night and

Jesus is

like you

got to be

born again

and Nicodemus

is like what

are you

talking about?

And then

Jesus is

like you

need the

Holy Spirit

to give

you new

life.

You need

to be

born again.

And then

Jesus in

John 7,

37 through

39,

again speaks

of the need

for living

water.

And John

tells us he's

referring to

the Holy

Spirit.

It's not

until here

in chapters

14 and

16 that

Jesus starts

speaking quite

a bit about

the Holy

Spirit because

Jesus is on

the verge of

departing.

He's about

to leave.

He's about

to die,

be raised,

and then

ascend to

heaven and

then the

Spirit will

be sent.

Just so

you're

referencing in

the Old

Testament,

the prophets

of God

spoke of

a coming

era,

a new

era,

different

than the

era they

were living

in,

in which

the Holy

Spirit would

play a much

more active

role among

God's new

people.

He would

be bringing

about obedience

from within

them,

from their

hearts.

And so the

pouring out

of the Holy

Spirit,

which took

place at

Pentecost,

Acts 2,

would be a

distinguishing

mark of the

new covenant.

Jeremiah 31.

Ezekiel 36.

Joel chapter

Joel 2 · chapter mention

2.

The new

covenant was

a new era

in which God

would relate

with his new

people,

the church,

in a new

way.

The Holy

Spirit would

indwell

each of

God's

saints,

causing them

to obey

him from

within.

sin.

And that

new covenant

was put

into effect

through blood,

the blood

of Jesus.

His once

and for

all death

inaugurated

the new

covenant,

inaugurated

God's new

way of

relating to

a new

people,

and it

made the

old one

obsolete.

So Jesus

starts talking

about the

Holy Spirit

on the

eve of

his death.

Verse 25,

he says,

I'm still

with you,

but I'm

going to

talk to you

about the

Holy Spirit

because I'm

leaving and

the Holy Spirit

will soon

be coming.

So for the

balance of

our time,

I want to

draw out

from this

passage a

number of

things about

the Holy

Spirit that

you must

know and

believe because

he's your

helper to

obey Jesus.

The first

thing we learn

about the

Holy Spirit,

this helper

we need,

is that he

is a person.

Look at

verse 26,

but the

helper,

the spirit

of holiness,

the Holy

Spirit,

whom the

Father will

send in my

name,

he's going

to be sent

for the

glory of

Jesus.

He will

teach you

all things.

He will

teach you

all things.

In the

original language

in which

John was

written,

John had

some choices

of the word

he could use

right there.

He very

intentionally

chose the

word he.

It's a

personal

pronoun.

Now,

if you look

at chapter

14,

and if you

turn over

to verse

16,

we read

this,

and I will

ask the

Father,

and he

will give

you another

helper to

be with you

forever,

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.

If you

turn over

to John

John 16 · chapter mention

chapter

16,

I can't

wait to

preach this

in a couple

weeks.

In

16,

12-14,

Jesus

says,

I still

have many

things to

say to

you,

but you

cannot bear

them.

Now,

when the

spirit of

truth comes,

he will

guide you

into all

the truth,

for he

will not

speak on

his own

authority,

but whatever

he hears,

he will

speak,

and he

will declare

to you

the things

that are

to come.

He will

glorify

me,

for he

will take

what is

mine and

declare

to you.

He,

he,

he,

him,

him,

he,

him,

he.

The

Holy Spirit's

not an

it.

This

Holy Spirit's

a who.

He's not a

divine mist.

He is not

an it.

He is a

who.

He is the

third

person

of the

Trinity.

The

Father,

the Son,

and the

Holy Spirit.

Each

are persons

of the

Trinity.

God the

Father ordains

our salvation,

God the

Son accomplishes

our salvation,

and God the

Holy Spirit

applies the

finished work

of Jesus

Christ to

the life of

a Christian.

You see that

laid out

beautifully in

Ephesians 1,

3,

3,

through 14

to the

praise of

his glory.

One of the

other compelling

things that we

read in our

Bibles,

AJ referenced

this leading

up to his

prayer,

even in his

prayer.

What is a

giveaway of

the personhood

of the Holy

Spirit is that

you can grieve

him.

You're not

going to grieve

your dog.

You're not

going to grieve

your Honda

Ridgeline.

You're not

going to grieve

your boiler.

You grieve

people.

People grieve.

And so,

in Ephesians 4,

29-30,

we're exhorted

to use our

words to build

one another up,

not tear one

another down.

And then,

and then we're

told,

don't grieve the

Holy Spirit who

has sealed you

for the day of

redemption.

And then he

goes on to say,

put all bitterness

away, all anger,

malice, get that

out of you.

So, here's what's

going on.

When we speak to

each other in ways

that tear each

other down, it

grieves the Holy

Spirit.

When we hold on to

bitterness or grudges

against one another,

it grieves the

Holy Spirit.

Do you know why?

Because the Holy

Spirit is working

in our midst to

build us up, to

unite us in

love.

And so, when we

sin against him,

and we are

working against

the grain of

the Spirit and

what he's wanting

to do in our

midst, it grieves

him.

We can grieve

God.

God the Holy

Spirit.

First thing you

need to know about

this Holy Spirit,

our helper, this

one who's being

sent by God to

help us obey

Jesus, is a

he, a who,

not an it.

The second thing

I want you to see

is in verse 17.

This person is

present.

Look at verse 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.

The you, of course,

are his disciples.

He's been with you.

The Holy Spirit has

been present in some

kind of way with his

disciples while Jesus

was there in some

kind of measure.

But when Jesus

leaves, the Holy

Spirit is going to

come to be in

them, to be present.

Look at verse 23.

Jesus answered him,

Thaddeus, 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.

We will dwell with

him.

We will make our

dwelling with him,

in him.

Anyone who loves me

and does my word,

they will have God

dwelling with them.

Amen.

Throughout the Bible,

there's this theme of

God dwelling with his

people.

God with Adam and Eve

in the garden.

God with his people on

the move in the

tabernacle, fancy tent,

portable.

God would come down in

Shekinah glory and meet

with Moses face to face.

And then that

tabernacle, the next

stage of God dwelling

with his people, was

the building of the

temple by Solomon.

And God came and

dwelt in that temple

in his glory.

The temple was torn

down and rebuilt.

And then the word

became flesh and

tabernacled among us.

John 1.14.

Jesus is God

literally walking

around with his

people.

You'd think that

would be the best.

But it's not the

best.

Because Jesus

departs and the

spirit comes.

And now, the

spirit dwells

in his people.

We are the

living temple

of God

and God

dwells

in us

by his

spirit.

He dwells in us

individually

and he dwells in us

corporately.

But it gets

better.

Because there's

coming a day when

Jesus comes back,

he recreates

everything, the

heavens and the

earth, and we're

going to be brought

into the new

earth and we're

going to see Jesus

face to face and

we're still going to

be indwelled fully

by the Holy

Spirit.

It's going to be

amazing.

God dwelling with

his people

exponentially.

God dwelling with

his people.

The Holy

Spirit,

our helper,

is a person

who dwells

in us.

He's present.

He's on

sight to

help us

obey

Jesus.

Personal,

present,

powerful.

He is

dwelling with

us in

power,

actively

present.

remember that

15-16

connection,

if you love

me you will

keep my

commandments,

how's that

going to

happen?

And I

will ask

the Father

and he

will give

you another

helper to

be with

you forever

to empower

you to

obey me,

to obey

Jesus'

commands,

to love

one another.

Here's a

wonderful

thought.

The Holy

Spirit,

Christian,

the Holy

Spirit that

indwells you,

he wants

you to

love your

brothers and

sisters more

than you

want to

love your

brothers and

sisters.

He wants

to compel

you,

to transform

you,

to conform

you to the

image of

Jesus so

that you

would become

more and

more loving,

not because

you have

to, but

because you

want to.

He's going

to change

you from

the inside

out.

That's

power.

power.

In

verses 16

and 26,

Jesus calls

the Holy

Spirit the

helper.

Other Bible

translations

translate it

advocate or

counselor.

It's the

Greek word

parakletos.

It means

one who is

called alongside.

It's like

paramedic.

Someone gets

hurt.

You call

911 and

the medics

come alongside

the person's

hurt to help

them.

Jesus sends

the Holy

Spirit as

one who

comes alongside

us to help

us in this

context to

obey Jesus.

He's the

greatest helper

of all.

What kind

of power are

we talking

about?

Are we

talking nuclear

power,

electric

power?

In John

3, we're

given a clue.

The Holy

Spirit gives

new life.

He radically

changes people

by giving

them new

life.

It's the

power that

raises people

from the

dead power.

It's

enlivening

power,

life-giving

power.

There was

one writer,

Thomas Chalmers,

wrote a piece

called the

expulsive

power of

a new

affection.

It's life

translating

into power,

transformation.

I've been

looking forward to

this moment in

the sermon for

a while.

I'm going to

turn to

Romans

Romans 8 · chapter mention

chapter 8.

And will you

just receive

this?

because here's

how I want

you to feel.

It's like,

brother,

sister,

you don't

have the

life you

need.

The Holy

Spirit has

the life

you need.

8,

1, and

2,

there is

therefore now

no condemnation

for those who

are in Christ

Jesus.

Amen.

For the

law of the

Spirit of

life has

set you

free in

Christ Jesus

from the

law of

sin and

death.

Look at

5 and

6.

For those

who live

according to

the flesh

set their

minds on

the things

of the

flesh,

but those

who live

according to

the Spirit

set their

minds on

the things

of the

Spirit.

For to

set the

mind on

the flesh

is death,

but to

set the

mind on

the Spirit

is life

and peace.

Verses

10 and

11.

But if

Christ is

in you,

although the

body is

dead because

of sin,

the Spirit

is life

because of

righteousness.

If the

Spirit of

Him who

raised

Jesus from

the dead

dwells in

you,

He who

raised Christ

Jesus from

the dead

will also

give life to

your mortal

bodies through

His Spirit

who dwells in

you so that

you can live

for God.

And then

there's this.

8.13.

For if you

live according

to the flesh,

you will

die.

but if

by the

Spirit you

put to

death the

deeds of

the body,

you will

live.

The Spirit

is a

slayer of

sin

and a

giver of

life.

And that's

exactly what

He's wanting

to do in

you.

Remember

Galatians 5,

22-25?

The fruit

of the

Spirit?

If we

walk by

the Spirit,

we will

bear the

fruit of

the Spirit.

Love,

joy,

peace,

patience,

kindness,

goodness,

gentleness,

faithfulness,

and self-control.

It's a

profile of

Jesus.

The Spirit

is looking

to radically

change us

so that

we would

obey the

commands of

Jesus for

Jesus in

order to

become like

Jesus.

It's all

beautiful.

Verse 17,

it's called

the Spirit

of Truth

because

Jesus is

the

truth.

I'm the

way,

the truth,

and the

life.

And so

we're going

to learn

in a couple

weeks that

the Holy

Spirit seeks

to spotlight

Jesus.

So of

course He's

the Spirit

of Truth.

He's going

to want to

reveal Jesus

to us in

greater and

greater measure.

He's the

Spirit of

holiness in

verse 26.

He shows us

Jesus'

way.

way.

Jesus is

the way.

And so

the Spirit

of God

is going

to empower

you to

become like

Jesus, to

conform you

to the

image of

Jesus.

This isn't

anything

extraordinary

in the sense

of like

bells

whistling

and angels

singing.

So to

walk by

the Spirit

in the

Bible is

moral

categories.

To become

more and

more like

Jesus in

your character

and your

conduct.

He's going

to empower

you to

obey from

the inside

out.

He will

make you

want to

say yes

to Jesus

and to

say no

to sin.

That's what

the Holy

Spirit's doing

in you.

That's the

new covenant

promise being

fulfilled.

He's going

to reveal

God's glory.

You're going

to taste

God's

goodness.

He is

this active

helper who

is our

power in

order to

obey

Jesus.

He's our

helper.

There's one

more thing I

want to point

out what the

Holy Spirit

will do.

He's personal.

He's personally

present in you

believer.

He's personally

present in

powerful wanting

to help you

obey Jesus.

And you know

what he brings

about?

Peace.

Look at

verse 27.

Verse 27.

Verse 27

reads,

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.

The Holy

Spirit's

powerful

presence

brings

about

peace,

love,

joy,

peace,

patience,

kindness,

goodness,

gentleness,

faithfulness,

and self-control.

What kind

of peace?

It's the kind

of peace

where let

not your

hearts be

troubled,

do not be

afraid.

Your God

is with you.

Your God

is in you.

He's

empowering

you to

obey

Him.

It's an

assured

devotion.

He

assures

our devotion

to Christ,

our obedience

to Him,

by indwelling

us at the

moment we

believe by

the Holy

Spirit.

So in the

physical absence

of Jesus,

the Holy

Spirit will

give us

peace,

shalom.

not as

the world

gives.

The kind

of peace

the world

gives is

temporary,

circumstantial.

The peace

that Jesus

gives,

and I

believe the

peace is

referencing

the Holy

Spirit,

is first

and foremost

peace with

God.

There is

therefore now

no condemnation

for those

who are in

Christ Jesus.

because we've

been justified

by faith,

we have

peace with

God.

In Romans

8,

Galatians

4,

the Spirit

of God

who indwells

us bears

witness to

our spirit

that we are

children of

God,

and so

one of

the effects

of being

given new

life by

the Holy

Spirit is

this peaceful

declaration

of a

Father.

my God

is for

me.

That's a

spirit

utterance

from a

heart that's

been radically

changed by

the new

life the

Spirit gives.

Brothers

and sisters,

be assured,

you are a

spirit-born,

blood-bought

son or

daughter of

the living

God,

And your

inclination

to call

him God

your