‘If anyone loves me he will keep my word,
and my Father will love him,
and we shall come to him and make our home with him.
Those who do not love me do not keep my words.
And my word is not my own:
it is the word of the one who sent me.
I have said these things to you while still with you;
but the Advocate, the Holy Spirit,
whom the Father will send in my name,
will teach you everything
and remind you of all I have said to you.
Peace I bequeath to you, my own peace I give you,
a peace the world cannot give,
this is my gift to you.
Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid.
You heard me say: I am going away, and shall return.
If you loved me you would have been glad to know that I am going to the Father,
for the Father is greater than I.
I have told you this now before it happens,
so that when it does happen you may believe.’
There are two things that you can count on in this life. One, there will always be trouble and an ample supply of anxiety. And two, if you belong to Christ, you will have the peace of the Holy Spirit.
In this scripture, Jesus is preparing his disciples for his departure. They were no doubt confused by what Jesus was saying. They had been preparing for a kingdom on earth and now Jesus was leaving. And how is it that Jesus is "going away but shall return".
Every indication from scripture seems to note that the disciples comprehension of spiritual things was spotty and lacking. We, on the other hand, have had centuries to discern what it meant and our faith is based upon it- The Resurrection Of Christ.
But a spiritual reading of this scripture denotes that the Advocate is not just for the period of time between the crucifix and the ascension. He is for all time and for all believers.
Anyone who has experienced Christ after the Ascension has experienced the Advocate. It is His teaching, reminding, prodding, and convicting that sums up "Christian Living" in it's fullness.
And it is His peace that is given as a gift. A Gift that is sometimes forgotten but nonetheless there, always, for us.
So, even if just for today, if you've lost your sense of worldly peace, "Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid." Try hard to know Christ's peace. Remember His Advocate, the blessed Holy Spirit is with you and in you. He is your gift, a part of that peace, sent from the Father by the Son.
If you died today, are you absolutely certain that you would go to heaven? You can be! TRUST JESUS NOW
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