Seems that there are a host of opinions on this topic. Here is what Jesus said about it
If ye love me, keep my commandments. 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. 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. He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him. Judas saith unto him, not Iscariot, Lord, how is it that thou wilt manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the world? Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father's which sent me. These things have I spoken unto you, being yet present with you. But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you. (John 14:15-26 KJV)
Shortly after Jesus was crucified, resurrected and ascended.
The Day of Pentecost came and the disciples received the Holy Spirit
The early church was set up in keeping with the commandments of Christ
The followers had all things in common, shared their earthly belongings with the poor.
Now in these times, the Christian church preaches another doctrine contrary to Christ.
The Holy Spirit it is allegeded ensures
- that they will follow the commandments.
- that they have the true doctrine
Four such 'true doctrines'
- that Jesus is the same as and equal to God
- that they have no commandments to follow
- that good works and righteousness are signs of an unsaved person
- that faith in Jesus sacrifice is all that is necessary
Yet no Christian can produce any evidence of Jesus saying any of these things.
Originally posted by @rajk999Another key point that bears repeating is that in that passage Jesus makes it clear that receiving the Holy Spirit is contingent on "KEEP[ing] HIS COMMANDMENTS".
[b]Three times in the preceding verses where Jesus is telling his disciples about his coming departure, Jesus says ' KEEP HIS COMMANDMENTS'.[/b]
No matter how many times it gets pointed out the them, many seem to believe that they have the Holy Spirit even though they have not fulfilled the prerequisite: they must cease to commit sin.
Originally posted by @thinkofoneYou boys amaze me, I myself have not seen anyone advocating sin and saying it is ok. ToO do you keep all the commandments as Jesus stated and have ceased from sin?
Another key point that bears repeating is that in that passage Jesus makes it clear that receiving the Holy Spirit is contingent on "KEEP[ing] HIS COMMANDMENTS".
No matter how many times it gets pointed out the them, many seem to believe that they have the Holy Spirit even though they have not fulfilled the prerequisite: they must cease to commit sin.
Originally posted by @leunammiJesus preached what He preached. In this case that receiving the Holy Spirit is contingent on "KEEP[ing] HIS COMMANDMENTS".
You boys amaze me, I myself have not seen anyone advocating sin and saying it is ok. ToO do you keep all the commandments as Jesus stated and have ceased from sin?
Why do you take such offense at this?
Originally posted by @leunammiHave you not seen people advocating that they are eternally saved, and that no sin will stop them from entering the Kingdom of God?
You boys amaze me, I myself have not seen anyone advocating sin and saying it is ok. ToO do you keep all the commandments as Jesus stated and have ceased from sin?
Have you seen that? Well then that is advocating sin.
Especially when the teachings of Jesus and Paul sate the opposite.
You continue to support their false doctrines and yet claim that you dont.
Originally posted by @thinkofoneI take no offense to what Jesus preached, quite the contrary.
Jesus preached what He preached. In this case that receiving the Holy Spirit is contingent on "KEEP[ing] HIS COMMANDMENTS".
Why do you take such offense at this?
Its your badgering of others and talking about Chrisitans, and supposing what you think they do, mainly sin, that I am bothered with. I have seen nobody (christians) advocating sin and that it is ok, it is in your head and rajk.
Originally posted by @leunammiFollowing is what I wrote in my post:
I take no offense to what Jesus preached, quite the contrary.
Its your badgering of others and talking about Chrisitans, and supposing what you think they do, mainly sin, that I am bothered with. I have seen nobody (christians) advocating sin and that it is ok, it is in your head and rajk.
Another key point that bears repeating is that in that passage Jesus makes it clear that receiving the Holy Spirit is contingent on "KEEP[ing] HIS COMMANDMENTS".
No matter how many times it gets pointed out the them, many seem to believe that they have the Holy Spirit even though they have not fulfilled the prerequisite: they must cease to commit sin.
The first sentence points out what Jesus preached.
The second sentence points out that many do not seem to BELIEVE what Jesus preached.
Nowhere does it say that people are "advocating sin and that it is ok".
You seem to have taken offense to something that you've made up in your head.
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Originally posted by @rajk999The first purpose of the "another Comforter" ... is to COMFORT them
The purpose of the Comforter -
[b] to remind followers of the teachings of Christ[/b]
In John's Gospel the actual coming into the disciples of "another Comforter" occurs when the resurrected Jesus breaths INTO His disciples to give them "peace" by means of the Holy breath or Holy Spirit.
" ... the doors were shut where the disciples were for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in the midst and said to them, Peace be to you. And when He had said this. He showed them His hands and His side. The disciples therefore rejoiced at seeing the Lord.
Then Jesus said to them again, Peace be to you, as the Father has sent Me, I also send you.
And when He had said this, He breathed into them and said to them. Receive the Holy Spirit." (John 20:19c-22)
I would say that His [the Holy Spirit's] first operation in the believers is to comfort them giving them a divine peace. That is a peace that neither the world or religion can provide.
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The first priority of the Comforter was to comfort the disciples, not leaving them as orphans, but furnishing away Jesus could come TO them - albeit in another form.
"And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Comforter, that He may be with you forever.
Even the Spirit of reality, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not behold Him or know Him; but you know Him, because He abides with you and shall be in you.
I will not leave you as orphans, I am coming to you." (John 14:15-18)
He would not leave them.
He would come to them.
He would come to them in another form, as another Comforter.
He would comfort them by being with them ... FOREVER .
He dwelt WITH them temporarily for three and one half years.
But He will not leave them without Him in the future as "orphans" . He will come TO them.
The "He" in verse 17 suddenly changes to the "I" in verse 18.
"*He* abides with you and shall be in you.
*I* will not leave you as orphans. *I* am coming to you."
The FIRST function of the Comforter is to bring Jesus Christ TO the disciples, comforting them for eternity not leaving them as lonely Christless, Godless orphans.
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So here we have the underlying command of Jesus after His resurrection. That command is:
"Receive the Holy Spirit"
Please notice. It is not "Figure out the Holy Spirit" but "Receive the Holy Spirit" .
His first priority is that we receive Him in His form in resurrection as the Holy Spirit, the "another Comforter".
Paul's chapter on resurrection proclaims that Christ, the second man and the last Adam became a divine life imparting Spirit.
"the last Adam became a life giving Spirit" (1 Cor. 15:45) [/b]
It is the coming of Jesus TO us which is an unspeakable comfort. It is His coming to us as the Spirit of truth to be with us for eternity which is a comfort that the world cannot give.
"And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Comforter, that He may be with you forever, ..." (John 14:16)
Doesn't it make perfect sense that the life giving Spirit gives eternal life because He is with the believers "forever" ?
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Some of you may be thinking "Ah, sonship is teaching Modalism."
No, I am not teaching Modalism. The Spirit is the eternal Spirit (Hebrews 9:14)
Nevertheless, beloveds, how about we say AMEN to the pure word of God.
"the last Adam became a life giving Spirit" (1 Cor. 15:45)
How about we believe BOTH brothers and sisters?
The Spirit of God is eternal, always was, from eternity as God the Father always ways. Yet -
"the last Adam [Christ the Son] became a life giving Spirit." (1 Cor. 15:45)
If the Unitarian condemns us of "cognitive dissonance" or "selective abstraction" ... well, we'll just have to bear it.
But we have the unspeakable comfort of the Comforter, the Holy Spirit, the life giving Spirit that Christ became.
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Now, others of you are thinking that all this I have written has nothing to do with obedience of Christ's commands.
I do not argue against the need to follow Christ in obedience at all. The fact of the matter is that the life giving Spirit must give life to more ... and more .... and more ... and more of our being as we follow and obey Him.
What?? You didn't read it about Jesus Christ making His home in our hearts by faith?
"That Christ may make His home in your hearts through faith." (Eph. 3:17)
This is not just the initial coming of Christ to our hearts.
This is the ongoing expansioning and deepening of Christ settling down in EVERY way into our hearts.
He comes to make His home. That means He exercises more and more authority over of. He settles not in one room of our being, but goes on to occupy another room, and another, and another and into ALL the chambers of our personality.
This is through "the obedience of faith" (Rom. 1:5) .
I received Christ. But I am still receiving Christ.
Christ came into my heart.
Christ is more and more making His HOME in my heart through the obedience of faith.