New Believer's Bible Sample - Flipbook - Page 64
J ohn 15
23
Jesus
page 1016
replied, “All who love me will do
what I say. My Father will love them, and we
will come and make our home with each of
them. 24Anyone who doesn’t love me will not
obey me. And remember, my words are not my
own. What I am telling you is from the Father
who sent me. 25 I am telling you these things
now while I am still with you. 26 But when the
Father sends the Advocate as my representative—that is, the Holy Spirit—he will teach you
everything and will remind you of everything
I have told you.
27 “I am leaving you with a gift—peace of
mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift
the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled
or afraid. 28 Remember what I told you: I am
going away, but I will come back to you again.
If you really loved me, you would be happy
that I am going to the Father, who is greater
than I am. 29 I have told you these things before they happen so that when they do happen, you will believe.
30 “I don’t have much more time to talk
to you, because the ruler of this world approaches. He has no power over me, 31 but
I will do what the Father requires of me, so
that the world will know that I love the Father.
Come, let’s be going.
Jesus, the True Vine
“I am the true grapevine, and my Father is the gardener. 2 He cuts off every
branch of mine that doesn’t produce fruit, and
he prunes the branches that do bear fruit so
they will produce even more. 3 You have already been pruned and purified by the message I have given you. 4 Remain in me, and I
will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you
cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me.
5 “Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches.
Those who remain in me, and I in them,
will produce much fruit. For apart from me
you can do nothing. 6Anyone who does not
remain in me is thrown away like a useless
branch and withers. Such branches are gathered into a pile to be burned. 7 But if you remain in me and my words remain in you, you
may ask for anything you want, and it will be
granted! 8 When you produce much fruit, you
are my true disciples. This brings great glory
to my Father.
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C O R N E R S T O N E S
How the Holy Spirit works in our lives
read JOHN 14:15-17
The New Testament uses three different Greek prepositions to describe the different ways
in which the Holy Spirit works in our lives. We see two of them in this passage, and the
third is found in the Gospel of Luke:
1. The Holy Spirit works with us (para) as nonbelievers. Before we come to faith
in Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit convicts us of our sin and reveals Christ as the answer (see
John 16:8). Some might dismiss this prodding as that of one’s conscience. Yet it is the Holy
Spirit who opens our eyes to our terminally sinful condition, exposing our need to turn our
lives over to Jesus Christ.
2. The Holy Spirit comes into our lives (en) when we turn to Christ. Once we accept
Jesus Christ as our Savior and invite him into our lives, the Holy Spirit comes and sets up
residence, so to speak. First, he starts the process of salvation in our hearts. Jesus said,
“I assure you, no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of . . . the Spirit”
(John 3:5). Second, he assures us that we have done the right thing. Scripture says, “For
his Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God’s children” (Romans 8:16). Now
he can begin changing us from the inside out and developing the new nature within us.
3. The Holy Spirit will come upon us (epi) to empower us as believers. Jesus
describes the dynamic empowering of the Holy Spirit upon our lives in Luke 24:49, where
he says, “And now I will send the Holy Spirit, just as my Father promised.” This is what the
early Christians experienced in Acts 2, and it dramatically emboldened their witness for
Jesus Christ. This power is still available to believers today. Scripture says of the giving of
the Holy Spirit, “This promise is to you, to your children, and to those far away—all who
have been called by the Lord our God” (Acts 2:39). You can ask God to fill and empower
you with the Holy Spirit right now.
For the next note on “Who Is the Holy Spirit?” turn to page 1029.
