Submit to the Prophet (GL69)

    'Appreciating God's Love'

 

A) Last Prophet-John the Baptist

Mat 11:13  For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John."

    Since John the Baptist was the last prophet of the Jews in the Old Covenant, then every devout Jew must believe and support his ministry. They must accept his prophecies by obeying his words and instructions.

Ministry of John the Baptist

Luke 1:76-77,79  "And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Highest; for you will go before the face of the Lord to prepare His ways, to give knowledge of salvation to His people by the remission of their sins, to give light to those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace."

    John the Baptist was sent by God in the presence of the Messiah (before the face of the Lord) to prepare the way for the Israelites to believe the Messiah. He was to convict the Israelites to repent of their sinful and wicked ways and to obey the Mosiac law.

    God ensured them that if they became devout Jews by believing Moses and keeping the law, they would be able to understand the grace of God and their salvation by the remission of their sins at the cross.

    In Act 2, three thousand devout Jews were convicted and believed the gospel of grace and accepted Jesus Christ, who died on the cross for the remission of their sin, as their Messiah.

John 5:46  "For if you believed Moses, you would believe Me; for he wrote about Me."

B) Jesus Baptized by John

Mark 1:4-5  John came baptizing in the wilderness and preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins. Then all the land of Judea, and those from Jerusalem, went out to him and were all baptized by him in the Jordan River, confessing their sins.

    John the Baptist was sent to preach to the Jews the message of repentance for the remission of their sins and also to baptize them.

    Though our Lord Jesus was sinless, yet He humbled Himself to meet up with him and requested to be baptized by him, as a sign of His submission to John the Baptist as the last prophet of God.

    John the Baptist, when he recognized Him was reluctant to baptize the Messiah, the Son of God, who was sinless and did not need to repent nor be baptized.

    However, our Lord Jesus managed to convince him to baptize Him for righteousness sake.

Mat 3:13-15  Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan to be baptized by him. And John tried to prevent Him, saying, "I need to be baptized by You, and are You coming to me?" But Jesus answered and said to him, "Permit it to be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness." Then he allowed Him.

C) Jesus Preached Repentance

Mat 4:17  From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."

    Not only did Jesus submit to the baptism of repentance of John the Baptist, He even preached John's kingdom message. He knew that unless the Jews repent and keep the Mosiac law, they would not believe Him as their Messiah and be cast into damnation.

Luke 16:31  But he said to him, 'If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead.' "

Jesus sent out His Disciples

Mark 1:14-15  Now after John was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, and saying, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel."

    After John the Baptist was put in prison, Jesus continued to preach John's kingdom message to the Jews for He did not want to see any Jew lost. He even sent His disciples to preach the kingdom message to ensure that they would become devout Jews so that after Jesus' resurrection, they would believe and be saved at the preaching of the gospel of grace.

Mat 10:5-7  These twelve Jesus sent out and commanded them, saying: "Do not go into the way of the Gentiles, and do not enter a city of the Samaritans. But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. And as you go, preach, saying, 'The kingdom of heaven is at hand.' "

Jesus a Sinless Man (GL68)

     'Appreciating God's Love'

A) For All Have Sinned

Exo 34:6-7  And the Lord passed before him and proclaimed, "The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, by no means clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children and the children's children to the third and the fourth generation."

    According to the Mosaic law, God claimed that the sins of the father (but not the sins of the mother) are handed down to his descendants right down to the third and fourth generation.

    This means that everyone is born a sinner since there is no possibility of any one whose paternal ancestry who for four generations were all found to be sinless or righteous.

Note - sins of the mother are not handed down to her descendants.

Jesus Sinless at His Birth

Mat 1:20-21  But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins."

    Since Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit who is sinless, then He too will be sinless at birth. God also prepared a godly and righteous virgin to be His mother.

    So at birth our Lord Jesus was sinless, whereby every human is born a sinner because of the sins of the forefathers.

B) Circumcision of Jesus

Luke 2:21 And when eight days were completed for the circumcision of the Child, His name was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before He was conceived in the womb.

    Jesus' Jewish parents decided that Jesus should grow up as a Jew, so on the eighth day by faith Jesus was circumcised (just as by faith we have our children baptized into the body of Christ).

    Jesus had to live the rest of His life keeping the law and the Prophet in order to stay sinless,  so that He would be worthy to be the perfect sacrificial Lamb of God for the remission of the sins  of men.

Imparting Truth in the Temple

Luke 2:41-42  His parents went to Jerusalem every year at the Feast of the Passover. And when He was twelve years old, they went up to Jerusalem according to the custom of the feast.

    At twelve, Jesus was taken to Jerusalem to celebrate the Feast of the Passover. During His stay there, He spent His time with the religious teachers, doing God's work by learning and imparting His truth.

    Brethren, are you learning and imparting His truth from His words?

Luke 2:46-47  Now so it was that after three days they found Him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, both listening to them and asking them questions. And all who heard Him were astonished at His understanding and answers... And He said to them, "Why did you seek Me? Did you not know that I must be about My Father's business?"

C) Fulfilled Law and the Prophets

Mat 5:17  "Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill."

    In order for a Jew to be sinless, he must keep or fulfill the law and the Prophets, which our Lord Jesus did.

Righteousness of God

2 Cor 5:18, 21  Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation...For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

    To stay sinless, on top of fulfilling the law and the Prophets, our Lord must also overcome the weaknesses of the flesh and the devil's wicked schemes.

    Before His crucifixion, our Lord Jesus was victorious over all human weaknesses and also overcame all the deceptions and temptations of the devil to stay sinless, so that He can extent this help of victory to every Christian who is humble enough to come before His throne of grace.

Heb 4:15-16  For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

King of the Jews (GL67)

    'Appreciating God's Love'

A) Wise Men Looking for King

Mat 2:1-2  Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, saying, "Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him."

    The angelic host announced the birth of Christ to a group of shepherds. After worshipping the Babe in person, they proclaimed His birth in Bethlehem. Ironically, only the priesthood seemed to be oblivious to the widely circulated news.

     In retrospect, six months before the birth of Christ, John the Baptist was born into a priesthood family. He was the son of Zachariah, a serving priest. John's birth was to prepare the way for the birth of the Son of God. In fact, the priesthood were expecting the coming birth of their Messiah. Yet, they rejected Him from the very beginning because of their attachment to their status, wealth, power and comfort in lives.

     God had to send the wise men from the East to see King Herod, who had to summon the priesthood to find out the answer. The priesthood had to search the scriptures in order to learn the place of of their Messiah's birth! They were ignorant of scriptures pertaining to His birth because they did not want Him!

    Successful Christian leaders and believers today cringed at the mention of end times and do not want Him to return because of their love of the world!

Mat 2:4-6  And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. So they said to him, "In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it is written by the prophet: 'But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are not the least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you shall come a Ruler who will shepherd My people Israel.' "

B) Wise Men led by the Star

Mat 2:8  And he sent them to Bethlehem and said, "Go and search carefully for the young Child, and when you have found Him, bring back word to me, that I may come and worship Him also."

     Since the wise men (non Jews) came from hundreds and possibly thousands of miles away to meet up with this new born King of the Jews, this King must be special, who was indeed the incarnate of God Himself.

    God was even prepared to sacrifice many young children in Bethlehem to be massacred by King Herod by sending the wise men to meet up with him. God was hoping that these wise men would enlighten and encourage the stiff-necked priesthood to realize that Jesus was sent to be their Messiah.

     As soon as the wise men found out the place of His birth as prophesied, they immediately left for Bethlehem. Unbelievingly, not a single priest nor Jewish leader led these strangers to Bethlehem.

    Though they were highly disappointed by the unbelief of the Jewish priesthood, they rejoiced greatly when God again sent the star to lead them to the new born Messiah in Bethlehem.

Mat 2:9-10  When they heard the king, they departed; and behold, the star which they had seen in the East went before them, till it came and stood over where the young Child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy.

C) Presents of the Wise Men

Mat 2:11  And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

    As soon as the wise men saw the Baby, they bowed down and worshipped Him. They also honoured Him with the following presents:-

1. Gold - respecting Jesus as the Almighty King, the Word made flesh with His physical body being the holy temple of God for everything in the Most holy Place is made of gold.

2. Frankincense - proclaiming Jesus as the sweet incense offered at the golden altar and also the sweet aroma for the sacrifices and offerings to God.

Note Frankincense was added to all sweet smelling offerings to God

3. Myrrh - acknowledging Jesus the Anointed of God, who will anoint His people, servants and disciples with the Holy Spirit and also baptize them with the Spirit of truth.

Note Myrrh was the main ingredient added to olive oil to make the oil for anointing used by the priesthood for praying for the sick, and anointing.

Brethren, though the Gentile wise men acknowledged Jesus as the Messiah but the comfortable and respectable priesthood and Jewish leaders rejected and missed His first Advent, is it likely that our comfortable and respectable pastors and Christian leaders will miss the Rapture or His second Advent?

Messiah's Perfect Birth (GL66)

    'Appreciating God's Love'

A) Jesus Birth was God's Plan

Luke 2:1,4-5  And it came to pass in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered... Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed wife, who was with child.

    God sent Jesus the Messiah to be made flesh in order to redeem the sins of men as the Lamb of God. For Jesus to fulfill the law and the Prophets, as 'a qorban', God had to made sure that His birth was in an animal shed.

Note - A qorban was an animal sacrifice, such as a bull, sheep, goat, or a dove that underwent shechita (Jewish ritual slaughter). Yahweh commanded the Israelites to offer offerings and sacrifices on various altars.

Luke 2:7  And she (Mary) brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

    Jesus was born in an animal shed, where the new born animal meant for qorban was to be wrapped in the swaddling cloths.

B) Jesus Born in an Animal Shed

1. Born amongst the animals

Num 7:87-88  All the oxen for the burnt offering were twelve young bulls, the rams twelve, the male lambs in their first year twelve, with their grain offering, and the kids of the goats as a sin offering twelve. And all the oxen for the sacrifice of peace offerings were twenty-four bulls, the rams sixty, the male goats sixty, and the lambs in their first year sixty. This was the dedication offering for the altar after it was anointed.

     Since Jesus was born amongst the animals and in an animal shed, He was sent by God to fulfill the various types of sacrificial animals needed for the various religious ceremonies.

2. Wrapped in Swaddling cloth

Lev 22:19-20  you shall offer of your own free will a male without blemish from the cattle, from the sheep, or from the goats. Whatever has a defect, you shall not offer, for it shall not be acceptable on your behalf.

    As soon as Jesus was born in the animal shed, He was wrapped with the only available cloths - the swaddling cloths used to wrap newly born animals meant for sacrifices to prevent them from getting blemishes.

    This very action showed that God had prepared Jesus to fulfill all the animal sacrifices needed for

1. Sin Offering

2. Free Will Offering

3. Peace Offering

and all Sabbaths, Feasts and other Religious Offerings in accordance to the Mosaic law

3. Placed in the Manger

Luke 2:10-12  Then the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger."

    The manger is a trough for animal feed. In the olden days, animal feeds were a composition of cereals, fodders, fruits and other vegetation of the land.

     God placed our Lord Jesus in the manger to signify that He was sent as a grain and vegetation offering presented  in religious ceremonies.

Lev 2:14  'If you offer a grain offering of your firstfruits to the Lord, you shall offer for the grain offering of your firstfruits green heads of grain roasted on the fire, grain beaten from full heads.

Brethren, in order to save us from damnation, the Son of God was born in the humblest place! Even a beggar's child is better off!

No House but in an animal shed

No Room but living amongst the animals

No Clothes but wrapped with animal swaddling cloths

No Bed but in the manger meant for keeping animal feed.

Brethren, can we understand humility now?

Full of Grace (GL65)

    'Appreciating God's Love'

A) John 1:14  And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.

    Since the Jews failed miserably in trying to keep the Mosaic law God had to send the Word His Son to be made flesh in order to redeem them and also help them to overcome the deceptions and temptations of the devil.

    Our Lord Jesus manifested the glory of God with His miracles, signs and wonders and displayed His love for men in His grace and mercy for the sick and needy. The Jews had no excuse of rejecting Him as their Messiah as prophesied.

    For God to introduce the New Covenant of His grace to the Jews, resulting to the Old Covenant of Mosaic law being obsoleted, this grace of God must fulfill the law and the Prophets of the Old Covenant so that the Jews accepting the New Covenant were not rebellious nor sinful.

Heb 8:7-9,13  For if that first covenant had been faultless, then no place would have been sought for a second. Because finding fault with them, He says: "Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah— not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they did not continue in My covenant, and I disregarded them, says the Lord... In that He says, "A new covenant ," He has made the first obsolete. Now what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away.

B) Longsuffering of God

John 1:3  All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.

    Having created the heaven and earth, God created man in His own image and placed him in the garden of Eden. Adam failed Him by eating the forbidden fruit.

    Since then men became more and more wicked until God had to wiped them out (except for Noah's family) with the deluge.

Gen 6:5-6  Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And the Lord was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart.

Faithless Israel

Jer 31:31-32  "Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah— not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, though I was a husband to them, says the Lord.

     God chose the descendants of Abraham and preserved the Israelites in Egypt so that with a large population He led them to possess Canaan land.

    God was a Husband to them. He delivered them from Egypt with signs and wonders, miraculously nourished them with food and water, and gave them the Promised land, respect of neighbouring nations, prosperity, peace and securities.

    Yet the Israelites were faithless and rebelled against Him by practicing idolatry and abominations, which really hurt Him.

C) God's Sacrificial Love

Isa 53:3-4  He is despised and rejected by men, a Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him; He was despised, and we did not esteem Him. Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted.

    Though God had given everything for the good of the Israelites, yet they were unappreciative, stiff-necked, selfish, proud and rebellious. Men are just too proud to be told what to do and to keep and obey the law.

    Still the love of God for men is unfailing. Though the Israelites failed to be God's bride, yet God's faith in men that they will be able to overcome the deceptions of the devil to become the bride of the Lamb.

     God manifested His love for us by coming to earth to suffer the punishments meant for sinful men. He was wounded to take away our hurts and pains. By His stripes we are healed. He poured out His blood for the remission of our sins. His death on the cross sealed our peace with God.

     Brethren, it is His sacrificial excruciating pain for our healings and salvation, that can soften and change our heart to appreciate and love Him.

    Please watch the movie 'The Passion of Christ' again and again to change your heart.

Isa 53:5-6  But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned, every one, to his own way; and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.

The Word Made Flesh (GL64)

    'Appreciating God's Love'

 

A) The Word was God

John 1:14  And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.

    The Word was with God and the Word was God. All things were made by Him including the spirit of every child born. Throughout history, He had also made many covenants and promises with men.

John 1:1-3  In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.

The Word was made Flesh

Mat 4:1  Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.

     Out of His great love for men, the Word (Jesus) was made flesh and dwelt amongst sinful, revolting and rebellious men, so that he could understand the causes of man's failure in keeping His words.

    As a Man, He could experience first hand the constant horrific attacks of Satan against His people by using all types of deceptions and temptations, thus misleading them to reject and disobey His words and commandments.

    Having Himself suffered, Jesus is now able to help every born again Christian to overcome the deceptions and temptations of Satan.

Heb 2:18  For in that He Himself has suffered, being tempted, He is able to aid those who are tempted.

Jesus Came in God's Glory

John 2:11  This beginning of signs Jesus did in Cana of Galilee, and manifested His glory; and His disciples believed in Him.

    The Word manifested the glory of God so that men can believe Him after having witnessed the power of God in the signs and wonders performed by our Lord Jesus Christ and His constant love and compassion for healing or relieving the sufferings from sorrows, sicknesses, hunger and needs.

Blind Man Glorified God

John 9:24-25, 30  So they again called the man who was blind, and said to him, "Give God the glory! We know that this Man is a sinner." He answered and said, "Whether He is a sinner or not I do not know. One thing I know: that though I was blind, now I see." ..The man answered and said to them, "Why, this is a marvelous thing, that you do not know where He is from; yet He has opened my eyes!"

    Even the blind man could see the glory of God in our Lord Jesus Christ but the depraved priesthood and Jewish leaders were blinded by their hypocrisy and wickedness.

Jesus the Miracle Man

Acts 2:22-24  "Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a Man attested by God to you by miracles, wonders, and signs which God did through Him in your midst, as you yourselves also know-- Him, being delivered by the determined purpose and foreknowledge of God, you have taken by lawless hands, have crucified, and put to death; whom God raised up, having loosed the pains of death, because it was not possible that He should be held by it.

   It was His miracles, signs and wonders that men could believe and accept Jesus as the Messiah, the Son of God.

C) The Grace of God

John 1:17  For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.

   When our Lord was in the flesh, He knew of the difficulties faced by the Jews in overcoming the temptations and deceptions of the devil.

    He sacrificed Himself on the cross for the remission of sin so that His grace is given to men. Whoever believes in Him and accepts the gospel of grace will be saved.

    In time of need, more grace is given to every Christian who humbles himself before His throne of grace.

Heb 4:16  Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

The Truth of God

John 17:17  "Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth."

    Our Lord knew that for men to be set free from bondages they must know the truth, which actually sanctifies them from selfishness, wickedness, carnality and worldliness.

    Truth leads Christians to holiness. Since God is holy, so every Christian must also be holy. Hence God gave them His words so that whoever abides in them will be set free by the truth.

John 8:31-32  Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, "If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free."

The New Spirit (GL63)

    'Appreciating God's Love'

A) The Spirit of the Lord

I Samuel 16:12-14  So he sent and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, with bright eyes, and good-looking. And the Lord said, "Arise, anoint him; for this is the one!" Then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brothers; and the Spirit of the Lord came upon David from that day forward. So Samuel arose and went to Ramah. But the Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul, and a distressing spirit from the Lord troubled him."

    In the OT, the Spirit of God, the Spirit of the Lord or the Holy Spirit was given to every anointed of God such as priests, prophets and kings to help them to perform their various ministries for the sake of the people.

Note it was only after the Spirit of God had left King Saul that the distressing spirit could trouble him.

    During the building of the temple of God, the artisans and craftsmen were also anointed with the Spirit of God to empower them to perform their workmanship to perfection.

Exo 31:3-5  "And I have filled him with the Spirit of God, in wisdom, in understanding, in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship, to design artistic works, to work in gold, in silver, in bronze, in cutting jewels for setting, in carving wood, and to work in all manner of workmanship."

Holy Spirit of Redemption

Eze 36:27  "I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them."

    It was also prophesied that in the new covenant the Holy Spirit of redemption will be given to every born again Christian to help them keep Jesus' words and commandments.

B) Grace and Truth of Jesus

John 1:14,17  And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth... For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.

    The Jews only had the Mosaic law to abide in order to keep them in God's favour. Though God dwelled amongst them in the temple of God and was like their husband in supporting, helping and loving them, yet they were stiff-necked and rebellious.

    In order to save the Jews and all mankind, God sent His only begotten Son Jesus to be made flesh. Being filled with grace and truth, He died on the cross for the remission  of sins so that whosoever believes in Him will receive His grace.

Grace of Jesus  - Salvation

    Whoever believes and accepts the gospel of grace will be saved. He will then become a born again Christian. God then dwells within him and gives him the gifts of the Holy Spirit to enable him to keep His words and bear righteous fruits.

More Grace of Jesus - Truth

Jam 4:6  But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: "God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble."

    After having been born again and had humbled himself to Jesus by keeping His words and commandments, He will then reveals His truth to him and sets him free from bondages and worldliness.

John 8:31-32  Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, "If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free."

C) Mat 3:11  "I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire."

    So far the Spirit of the Lord or the Holy Spirit was given to the anointed of God and to every born again Christian. Only after our Lord Jesus had come in the flesh, died and resurrected, then He will baptize godly Christians with the Spirit of truth or New Spirit.

Eze 18:31  _Cast away from you all the transgressions which you have committed, and get yourselves a new heart and *a new spirit*. For why should you die, O house of Israel?_

The Spirit of Truth

John 14:15-17a  "If you love Me, keep My commandments. And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever— the Spirit of truth.."

    Our Lord Jesus will pray to the Father to send the Spirit of truth to every Christian who loves him by keeping His commandments.

Note Our Lord is just and righteous, so only those who keep His commandments will be given or baptized with the Spirit of truth.

    Whoever has been given the Spirit of truth, he will be set free from bondages and worldliness for the Spirit of truth will guide him into all truth. The Spirit of truth will also reveal to him the understanding of things to come especially end time prophecies and signs.

John 16:13-14  "However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you."