Spirit of Truth

“And I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter, that He may abide with you forever;” (John 14:16)

I mention the Holy Spirit in just about every lesson. And that’s because He is God with us. He is the One Who deals with us on a daily basis, here on earth. In this lesson we will study what the Bible says about the Holy Spirit. But first, let’s see the circumstances that led to verse 16.

John chapter 14 starts with Jesus telling His disciples that He is leaving them to prepare a place for them. He tells them that He will return and that they will be with Him. Thomas always the one who analyzes everything asks Jesus how they are to go to Him if they don’t know where He's going. One can almost feel the animosity brought on by what Jesus is telling them. They’re all feeling down about the fact that Jesus will be leaving them. Jesus explains He is going to the Father. The disciples really have no real understanding of what Jesus is talking about. They ask Jesus to show them the Father. That’s when Jesus explains what I’m sure is very difficult for them to understand the full implications of what Jesus is saying, that He and the Father are one. “Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen Me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father? Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of Myself: but the Father that dwelleth in Me, He doeth the works. Believe Me that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me: or else believe Me for the very works' sake. Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on Me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.” (John 14:9-12)

Then Jesus comforts them by promising the Holy Spirit. He calls the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Truth. “And I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter, that He may abide with you forever; Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth Him not, neither knoweth Him: but ye know Him; for He dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.” (John 14:16-17) We learn some things about the Holy Spirit in these verses. He is the Spirit of Truth. He will only say what He hears from the Father, Who is Truth. The Holy Spirit is a Comforter, an Advocate, One who will support us and be a champion for us. The Holy Spirit will only lead us into what is best for us. We also learn from these Scriptures that He will be with us forever. Forever means that even in eternity. The world, meaning anything and anyone apart from God cannot receive the Holy Spirit because it cannot discern (see) Him and is not even aware of Him.

“Howbeit when He, the Spirit of truth, is come, He will guide you into all truth: for He shall not speak of Himself; but whatsoever He shall hear, that shall He speak: and He will shew you things to come. He shall glorify Me: for He shall receive of Mine and shall shew it unto you.” (John 16:13-14) We learn more of the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Truth. What He hears from God, He speaks to us. He shows us things to come. He glorifies Jesus. He receives from Jesus and shows it to us. These are good indicators in order to recognize if you’re listening to the Holy Spirit or another spirit. Everything the Holy Spirit speaks should be confirmed in the Bible, God’s Word. If there is something that is contrary to the Bible, you are not hearing from the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit glorifies Jesus. He does not glorify any other person or spiritual being such as angels or saints who were mere people who have passed on to eternity like we will do also at our appointed time. “But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, He shall testify of Me:” (John 15:26) The Holy Spirit only testifies about Jesus; not any other person.

I have to explain that there are many spirits out there in the spirit realm trying to deceive and lead astray people. It doesn’t matter that maybe miracles were done because in the end, Jesus is the only way to the Father. “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me.” (John 14:6) We can believe whatever we want while we’re still here on earth, but it may not be good enough for eternity if it's not founded on the Word of God.