When Jesus was alive for his first visit, (when he came to give his life for us,) he said he would leave a helper when he went away. (John 15:26; John 14:26) Bible students understand he was talking about holy spirit. In Jesus day, he used holy sprit to do what ever he chose: To heal the sick, raise the dead, walk on water, or to calm a raging storm. (Matthew 4:23; John 11:43; Matthew 14:25-26; Mark 4:39) Holy spirit also gave Jesus credibility as God's son. (Acts 2:22) Jesus needed the Jews to trust him because he was asking them to abandon their 2000 year old form of worship so as to follow his "Christian" teachings. The miracles he used God's spirit to perform proved he was who he claimed to be; thus providing assurance he had authority from God to start a new form of worship. (John 4:19-26) Providing proof when He is asking people to change is God's way... In Moses day, יהוה used holy spirit to perform miracles through Moses, with the same results. People could know Moses was sent by God, and so, know to follow his teachings.
What, though, is holy spirit doing for us in our day. Things have changed. Today, we have the completed Bible: We have the record of the teachings of Christ Jesus; as well as the accounts of Moses and the others who came before Christ. The witness has been given!(John 15:22; John 3:19) What we today need to do is understand and place faith in those things recorded in the Bible. (John 6:28-29; 1 Corinthians 12:11) That seems to be what holy spirit is doing in our day: Helping us learn and apply God's word. (John 14:25-26)This is important: You take in God's spirit by listening to the words of Christ.(John 6:63; John 6:63 Plus) That provides a perfect arrangement, you see, as it can just be overlooked and scoffed at by those who don't want to hear Christ. (2 Pet 3:3-4; Mat 13:10-15) By our response to Christ's words, then, we are all judging ourselves. (John 3:19) In Jesus day, he said some of the people who followed after him did so not because they loved his Father or him, but because of the food he provided. (John 6:26-27) We can't serve God just for the reward. We must be motivated by love. This arrangement of the need for faith in Christ allows all that come to God's son to do so because they love him and his Father; and because they are determined to support the will of the Father, just as Jesus was. (John 4:34) It is too wonderful to fully comprehend what our Father יהוה and his son Jesus have done to grant us hope and salvation. We must respond out of love in appreciation for that gift. It is hard to comprehend why love would fail to motivate any who gain knowledge of this plan of salvation. God is the one teaching us to benefit ourselves. (Isaiah 48:17) Following Jesus will not be popular in this old system; but those who try to learn what Jesus taught, and to live by what they learn from God's word, will not come to disappointment. (Romans 9:33) They will know the truth and the truth will set them free. (John 8:31-32)
We can never, however, trust religious people to tell us what Christ taught. (Mat 7:15; Acts 20:29-30) We must be like William Tyndale. (Not that we need to die like William, but we need to stand for truth.)The Dark Ages of mankind's history was brought about by the Catholic Church's hiding the Bible from common people in a dead language (Latin) only their trained scholars could read. They made it a crime to own a Bible. William Tyndale saw the error in that. So... William translated the Bible from copies in ancient Greek and Hebrew into the language of the common man (English in his day, and ours). That is a feat almost unimaginable for one man. It is most certain holy spirit helped him in his effort. William Tyndale was promptly burned at the stake by the Holy Roman Church for his Bible translation. People noticed... By his death, William Tyndale probably did as much or more to promote truth than all his other life's efforts combined. He will not come to disappointment in his hope! (1 Pet 2:6; John 5:25-30)
Jesus warned us over and over about false religious teachers as he promised to send us holy spirit to help: (John 16:1-16) . . .“I have spoken these things to YOU that YOU may not be stumbled. 2 Men will expel YOU from the synagogue (from their religious sects). In fact, the hour is coming when everyone that kills YOU will imagine he has rendered a sacred service to God. 3 But they will do these things because they have not come to know either the Father or me. 4 Nevertheless, I have spoken these things to YOU that, when the hour for them arrives, YOU may remember I told them to YOU. “These things, however, I did not tell YOU at first, because I was with YOU. 5 But now I am going to him that sent me, and yet not one of YOU asks me, ‘Where are you going?’ 6 But because I have spoken these things to YOU grief has filled YOUR hearts. 7 Nevertheless, I am telling YOU the truth, It is for YOUR benefit I am going away. For if I do not go away, the helper will by no means come to YOU; but if I do go my way, I will send him to YOU. 8 And when that one arrives he will give the world convincing evidence concerning sin and concerning righteousness and concerning judgment: 9 in the first place, concerning sin, because they are not exercising faith in me; 10 then concerning righteousness, because I am going to the Father and YOU will behold me no longer; 11 then concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world has been judged. 12 “I have many things yet to say to YOU, but YOU are not able to bear them at present. 13 However, when that one arrives, the spirit of the truth, he will guide YOU into all the truth, for he will not speak of his own impulse, but what things he hears he will speak, and he will declare to YOU the things coming. 14 That one will glorify me, because he will receive from what is mine and will declare it to YOU. 15 All the things that the Father has are mine. That is why I said he receives from what is mine and declares [it] to YOU. 16 In a little while YOU will behold me no longer, and, again, in a little while YOU will see me.”
Jesus said the comforter would take from what is his and would give it to us. Jesus also said his food was for him to do his Father's will. In large measure, that was to teach us what he learned from his Father. (John 18:37; John 5:19; John 5:30; John 6:38) The comforter, the holy spirit, will help us learn and apply what Jesus taught us; what his Father taught him. While this site provides a thumbnail sketch of the entire Bible for the sake of understanding and faith, the focus is on our day, and most importantly, on what Jesus is doing in our day through the holy spirit. (Acts 10:38; Luke 5:17) We must take in God's spirit by listening to the words of Christ. (John 6:63 - Matthew, Mark, Luke and John)
Today, in the midst of this tribulation, Jesus is riding forth destroying his enemies with the sword of his mouth. (Rev 2:16; Rev 19:11-16) His teachings are laying them bare and rendering judgment throughout the whole earth. (John 3:18-19) That is what you are now hearing. (Deu 30:15-16)You are judging yourself by your response to Christ's words.(John 12:47-50)Share what you are learning with other people!(Rom 10:11-15)Print out these webpages and give them to everyone you know.
