Weekly Sermon
In John 14:16-17, during His upper room discourse with His disciples on the night before His crucifixion, our Lord Jesus Christ declared unto them, “And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; 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.”
Now, in Galatians 5:16-23 we learn of the spiritual fruit that will be brought forth in our lives as believers when we walk in the Spirit. There we read, “This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.”
In like manner, in John 15:4-5 our Lord Jesus Christ (also during the discourse with His disciples on the night before His crucifixion) spoke concerning the spiritual fruit that will be brought forth in our lives as believers when we abide in Him. There He declared, “Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: he that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.”
Yet the truth of these two passage raises a question – What is the Biblical relationship between the fruit bearing of walking in the Spirit and the fruit bearing of abiding in Christ?
In John 14:16-17, during His upper room discourse with His disciples on the night before His crucifixion, our Lord Jesus Christ declared unto them, “And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; 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.”
Now, in Galatians 5:16-23 we learn of the spiritual fruit that will be brought forth in our lives as believers when we walk in the Spirit. There we read, “This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.”
In like manner, in John 15:4-5 our Lord Jesus Christ (also during the discourse with His disciples on the night before His crucifixion) spoke concerning the spiritual fruit that will be brought forth in our lives as believers when we abide in Him. There He declared, “Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: he that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.”
Yet the truth of these two passage raises a question – What is the Biblical relationship between the fruit bearing of walking in the Spirit and the fruit bearing of abiding in Christ?
I myself believe that these two ideas are simply two Biblical ways of referring to the same spiritual reality. Galatians 5:16 & 22-23 reveals that walking in the Spirit will result in the bearing of spiritual fruit. John 15:4-5 reveals that abiding in Christ will result in the bearing of spiritual fruit. Therefore, if it can be Biblically demonstrated that walking in the Spirit and abiding in Christ are the same spiritual reality, then the fruit to which each of these passages refers is the same spiritual fruit. Even so, I would present the following three evidences that walking in the Spirit and abiding in Christ are, indeed, the same spiritual reality.
Evidence #1: Our Lord Jesus Christ is one with His Holy Spirit.
In John 14:16 our Lord Jesus Christ revealed this truth to His disciples, saying, “And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he [this “another Comforter”] may abide with you for ever.” Already in this discourse with His disciples, our Lord had revealed that He was only going to be with them physically for a little while longer and that He was soon to depart physically from them in order to go unto His Father’s house. In John 13:33 He declared, “Little children, yet a little while I am with you. Ye shall seek me: and as I said unto the Jews, Whither I go, ye cannot come; so now I say to you.” Furthermore, in John 14:2 He declared, “In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.” Our Lord Jesus Christ knew that His time had come. He knew that He would be crucified the very next day, that He would rise again from the dead on the third day after His crucifixion, and that He would then ascend into heaven shortly after His resurrection to sit at the right hand of the Father in heaven. Thus our Lord sought to prepare His disciples for these events.
Even so, in John 14:16 our Lord Jesus Christ promised that after His ascension into heaven, He would pray the Father to send another Comforter for the sake of His disciples to abide with them and in them forever. First then, let us take note that this “another Comforter” is a replacement Comforter for a previous Comforter. Who then was the disciples’ previous Comforter? Who then had been their first Comforter? The Lord Jesus Christ Himself was and had been their first Comforter. He Himself had walked with them, talked with them, taught them, guided them, directed them, encouraged them, and strengthened them for the previous number of years. Now He who had served as their first Comforter was soon to depart from them physically. Yet as their loving Lord, He would not leave them without any Comforter. Although He Himself was to depart from them physically, He would pray the Father to sent them another Comforter, a replacement Comforter for Himself. Who then is that replacement Comforter? In the opening phrase of John 14:17, our Lord Jesus Christ gave answer, saying, “Even the Spirit of truth.” Brethren, the Holy Spirit of God and of Christ is the replacement Comforter for the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. The Holy Spirit has been sent to dwell with and in us who are God’s dear children in the stead of our Lord Jesus Christ’s physical present with us.
Yet there is something more. The Holy Spirit is not only the replacement Comforter for Christ, but is also the same kind of Comforter as Christ. In the Greek language of that day, there were two different Greek words that carried the meaning of “another.” One of these Greek words meant “another of a different kind.” It is the Greek word that the apostle Paul employed in Galatians 1:6 when he reproved them for turning aside after “another gospel,” which was not the true gospel at all, but was different from and a perversion of the true gospel. However, the other Greek word that carried the meaning of “another” meant “another of the same kind.” This is the Greek word that our Lord Jesus Christ employed in John 14:16-17 when He referred to the Holy Spirit as “another” Comforter. Indeed, the Holy Spirit of Christ is a Comforter of the same kind as Christ. Just as God the Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, is a fully equal and divine Person with God the Father in the eternal Godhead, even so God the Holy Spirit is a fully equal and divine Person with God the Father and God the Son in the eternal Godhead. Even so, just as when God the Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, walked physically upon this earth, He was known as “God with us,” even so in that our Lord Jesus has ascended into heaven and has sent His Holy Spirit from God the Father to us, God the Holy Spirit is now to be known as “God with us.” Our Lord Jesus Christ and His Holy Spirit are one. Thus I present to you that walking in the Spirit and abiding in Christ are one and the same spiritual reality.
Evidence #2: Our Lord Jesus Christ dwells with us and in us through the Person of His Holy Spirit.
Having revealed to His disciples in John 14:16-17 that He would pray the Father to send the Holy Spirit as His replacement Comforter, our Lord Jesus Christ continued in verses 18-20, saying, “I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you. Yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more; but ye see me: because I live, ye shall live also. At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you.” First, our Lord revealed to His disciples that He would soon depart from them. Then our Lord revealed that He would pray the Father to send the Holy Spirit as His replacement Comforter. Finally, our Lord revealed that He Himself would come to them. Yet what does He mean? Was our Lord to depart from them or to come unto them? Ah, the answer is that He was to do both. He was to depart from them physically and ascend into heaven. Yet He was also to come unto them spiritually through the Person of the Holy Spirit, with whom He is perfectly one. Indeed, the Holy Spirit with us and in us is our Lord Jesus Christ with us and in us. Even so, in John 14:20 our Lord Jesus Christ revealed that at that day, (at the very day in which the Spirit of truth would be sent unto them) then they would know that Christ was in the Father, and themselves in Christ, and Christ in them. Thus again I present to you that walking in the Spirit and abiding in Christ are one and the same spiritual reality.
Evidence #3: Our Lord Jesus Christ abides in us through the Person of His Holy Spirit.
In the epistle of 1 John, under the inspiration of God the Holy Spirit, the apostle John expounds upon the truth of our abiding in Christ, and our allowing Christ to be abiding in us. Involved in this he presents the truth of 1 John 3:24, saying, “And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth [or, abideth] in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us.” Herein we find a direct, Biblical connection between the Holy Spirit who has been given to dwell with us and in us, and our abiding in Christ. Our daily relationship with our Lord Jesus Christ is our daily relationship with the Holy Spirit of Christ; and our daily relationship with the Holy Spirit of Christ is our daily relationship with our Lord Jesus Christ. Even so, I present to you that walking in the Spirit and abiding in Christ are one and the same spiritual reality. Furthermore, I would present to you that the fruit of walking in the Spirit and the fruit of abiding in Christ are also one and the same spiritual fruit – “joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance.”
Evidence #1: Our Lord Jesus Christ is one with His Holy Spirit.
In John 14:16 our Lord Jesus Christ revealed this truth to His disciples, saying, “And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he [this “another Comforter”] may abide with you for ever.” Already in this discourse with His disciples, our Lord had revealed that He was only going to be with them physically for a little while longer and that He was soon to depart physically from them in order to go unto His Father’s house. In John 13:33 He declared, “Little children, yet a little while I am with you. Ye shall seek me: and as I said unto the Jews, Whither I go, ye cannot come; so now I say to you.” Furthermore, in John 14:2 He declared, “In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.” Our Lord Jesus Christ knew that His time had come. He knew that He would be crucified the very next day, that He would rise again from the dead on the third day after His crucifixion, and that He would then ascend into heaven shortly after His resurrection to sit at the right hand of the Father in heaven. Thus our Lord sought to prepare His disciples for these events.
Even so, in John 14:16 our Lord Jesus Christ promised that after His ascension into heaven, He would pray the Father to send another Comforter for the sake of His disciples to abide with them and in them forever. First then, let us take note that this “another Comforter” is a replacement Comforter for a previous Comforter. Who then was the disciples’ previous Comforter? Who then had been their first Comforter? The Lord Jesus Christ Himself was and had been their first Comforter. He Himself had walked with them, talked with them, taught them, guided them, directed them, encouraged them, and strengthened them for the previous number of years. Now He who had served as their first Comforter was soon to depart from them physically. Yet as their loving Lord, He would not leave them without any Comforter. Although He Himself was to depart from them physically, He would pray the Father to sent them another Comforter, a replacement Comforter for Himself. Who then is that replacement Comforter? In the opening phrase of John 14:17, our Lord Jesus Christ gave answer, saying, “Even the Spirit of truth.” Brethren, the Holy Spirit of God and of Christ is the replacement Comforter for the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. The Holy Spirit has been sent to dwell with and in us who are God’s dear children in the stead of our Lord Jesus Christ’s physical present with us.
Yet there is something more. The Holy Spirit is not only the replacement Comforter for Christ, but is also the same kind of Comforter as Christ. In the Greek language of that day, there were two different Greek words that carried the meaning of “another.” One of these Greek words meant “another of a different kind.” It is the Greek word that the apostle Paul employed in Galatians 1:6 when he reproved them for turning aside after “another gospel,” which was not the true gospel at all, but was different from and a perversion of the true gospel. However, the other Greek word that carried the meaning of “another” meant “another of the same kind.” This is the Greek word that our Lord Jesus Christ employed in John 14:16-17 when He referred to the Holy Spirit as “another” Comforter. Indeed, the Holy Spirit of Christ is a Comforter of the same kind as Christ. Just as God the Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, is a fully equal and divine Person with God the Father in the eternal Godhead, even so God the Holy Spirit is a fully equal and divine Person with God the Father and God the Son in the eternal Godhead. Even so, just as when God the Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, walked physically upon this earth, He was known as “God with us,” even so in that our Lord Jesus has ascended into heaven and has sent His Holy Spirit from God the Father to us, God the Holy Spirit is now to be known as “God with us.” Our Lord Jesus Christ and His Holy Spirit are one. Thus I present to you that walking in the Spirit and abiding in Christ are one and the same spiritual reality.
Evidence #2: Our Lord Jesus Christ dwells with us and in us through the Person of His Holy Spirit.
Having revealed to His disciples in John 14:16-17 that He would pray the Father to send the Holy Spirit as His replacement Comforter, our Lord Jesus Christ continued in verses 18-20, saying, “I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you. Yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more; but ye see me: because I live, ye shall live also. At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you.” First, our Lord revealed to His disciples that He would soon depart from them. Then our Lord revealed that He would pray the Father to send the Holy Spirit as His replacement Comforter. Finally, our Lord revealed that He Himself would come to them. Yet what does He mean? Was our Lord to depart from them or to come unto them? Ah, the answer is that He was to do both. He was to depart from them physically and ascend into heaven. Yet He was also to come unto them spiritually through the Person of the Holy Spirit, with whom He is perfectly one. Indeed, the Holy Spirit with us and in us is our Lord Jesus Christ with us and in us. Even so, in John 14:20 our Lord Jesus Christ revealed that at that day, (at the very day in which the Spirit of truth would be sent unto them) then they would know that Christ was in the Father, and themselves in Christ, and Christ in them. Thus again I present to you that walking in the Spirit and abiding in Christ are one and the same spiritual reality.
Evidence #3: Our Lord Jesus Christ abides in us through the Person of His Holy Spirit.
In the epistle of 1 John, under the inspiration of God the Holy Spirit, the apostle John expounds upon the truth of our abiding in Christ, and our allowing Christ to be abiding in us. Involved in this he presents the truth of 1 John 3:24, saying, “And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth [or, abideth] in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us.” Herein we find a direct, Biblical connection between the Holy Spirit who has been given to dwell with us and in us, and our abiding in Christ. Our daily relationship with our Lord Jesus Christ is our daily relationship with the Holy Spirit of Christ; and our daily relationship with the Holy Spirit of Christ is our daily relationship with our Lord Jesus Christ. Even so, I present to you that walking in the Spirit and abiding in Christ are one and the same spiritual reality. Furthermore, I would present to you that the fruit of walking in the Spirit and the fruit of abiding in Christ are also one and the same spiritual fruit – “joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance.”
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