John 14:22-26
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 you 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."
Abode:
- a place in which a person resides; residence; dwelling; habitation; home.
- an extended stay in a place; sojourn.
Who comes into a person upon belief in Christ as Lord and Savior?
Verse 23 tells us that Jesus Christ, The Son of God, and His Father, God The Father, will take up residence in us. But there is room for one more.
Verse 26 tells us that God The Father will send us The Holy Ghost who will not only comfort (The Comforter) us (when Jesus is gone from this earth and back with His Father), but teach us all the things which are in The Word. The Holy Ghost will bring to our remembrance, remind us, of that which Jesus has been speaking of throughout His ministry.
It is not just Jesus who takes up residence in our hearts and lives, it is His Father, it is The Holy Ghost, as well! The Triune presence of God lives in us! How awesome is that to read and realize?
The unbeliever will never know this awesomeness until his heart is surrendered and becomes a believer, too. They are lost in the darkness of this world and it is our job, our privilege, to shine the light of God's Love, His only begotten Son Jesus Christ, into the darkness and reveal the Truth of God's Word to them.
We are the conduit of God's Love to the world around us. We are the vessels He has chosen to carry the gospel to our families, our friends, our neighbors, our strangers, the enemies of our faith.
We bring Jesus and Him crucified to what is fast becoming an unchurched world. Children growing up without ever being inside a church need to hear the gospel. Adults who never grew up hearing about the God of the Bible need to hear the gospel. People who use the name of God as a swear word need to hear the gospel. Folks who think the holiness of God can coexist with the unholiness of the gods of this world need to hear the gospel.
The dwellers in the hearts of the unbeliever cannot over-power The Dwellers who will take up residence once the unbeliever becomes a believer: God The Father, God The Son and God The Holy Ghost will abide with the believer! This is so too awesome!
Abide:
- to endure, sustain, or withstand without yielding or submitting
- to to wait for; await
- to accept without opposition or question
- to act in accord with
- to submit to; agree to
- to remain steadfast or faithful to; keep
- to remain; continue; stay
- to continue in a particular condition, attitude, relationship
In Strong's Exhaustive Concordance, the word "abode" in verse 23 means "God and Christ by their power and Spirit exerting a most blessed influence on the souls of believers."
Have God and Jesus Christ manifested themselves unto you? Are they living in you through their power and Spirit? Have you accepted Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior?
Now is the acceptable time, as The Word says, in 2 Corinthians 6:2. To day, if you will hear His voice and not harden your hearts (Hebrews 3:7,8; 4:7).
Romans 10:9 'That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.'
Romans 10:10 'For with your heart you believe and are justified, and with your mouth you confess and are saved.'
Romans 10:13 'For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.'
Acts 2:21 'And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.’
Hebrews 4:16 'Therefore we should come with boldness to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and may find grace for help in time of need.'
Why is salvation necessary? There is a hell which God created for Lucifer and all who followed him in the war against God in heaven. But people who choose not to believe God and not follow His commandments will also be choosing this hell as their eternal dwelling place.
We who believe do not want to see anyone in hell. We pray for your salvation daily. We pray that you believe before you die, that God The Father and God The Son and God The Holy Ghost would take up residency in your hearts by faith in Christ Jesus, who died on the cross and rose from the dead and walked out of the grave. Whose punishment (whippings and beatings) heals us, whose death (crucifixion) washes away our sins when we repent of them; whose resurrection (rising from the dead and walking out of it) gives us the hope of eternal life.
Jesus walked out of the grave and into my heart. Will you let Him live in your heart, too?
