Or, as some translators of His Word substitute, "to whom the Son wills to reveal."
This offers an interesting insight for those who are seeking His truth beyond the walls of religious culture and constructs. For if we consider what Jesus is actually saying here, we begin to understand what Jesus was saying in John 10:30. That is, "I and My Father are one!" And similarly, if you have seen Me, as Jesus told Philip, you have seen the Father. (John 14:6-12) Because in order to know the Father, you have to understand how He willingly delivered His abundance of love through the Son.
"For God so loved the world ..." (John 3:16)
Indeed, for God so loved the world that He prepared for Himself a body so that He could become the perfect sacrifice on a cross, shedding His precious holy blood for you and I.
"Of which salvation the prophets have enquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you: searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow." (I Peter 1:10-11)
The SAME Spirit which led/followed the Israelites through the Red Sea -- the spiritual Rock which was Christ. (I Corinthians 10:1-4)
"Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; and were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea; and did all eat the same spiritual meat; and did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ." (I Corinthians 10:1-4)
The SAME Spirit -- in whom Jesus alluded, "I will never leave you comfortless. I will come to you" when speaking of the Holy Ghost -- the Comforter who would come after He was taken up, giving commandments THROUGH the Holy Ghost to the apostles whom He had chosen. (Acts 1:2-3; John 14:26; John 15:26)
The SAME Spirit who moved upon the face of the waters in the beginning. The SAME Spirit which was with Jesus' disciples, but would be in them. The SAME Spirit which the 120 in the upper room tarried for in Jerusalem. The SAME Spirit which was the testimony of the prophets.
"See thou do it not: I am thy fellow servant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the Spirit of prophecy.” (Revelation 19:10)
"These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth." (Hebrews 11:13)
The promises that we have been privileged not only to witness but to partake also in His goodness and grace and mercy and love -- which surpasses all human understanding -- and similarly should make us strangers and pilgrims on the earth, when we receive the truth of the good news gospel of our Lord God and Saviour Jesus the Christ.
"But God hath revealed them unto us by His Spirit: for the Spirit searches all things, yea, the deep things of God. For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.
Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teaches, but which the Holy Ghost teaches; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But the natural man receives not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
But he that is spiritual judges all things, yet he himself is judged of no man. For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that He may instruct him? but we have the mind of Christ." (I Corinthians 2:10-16)
"If thou put the brethren in remembrance of these things, thou shalt be a good minister of Jesus Christ, nourished up in the words of faith and of good doctrine, where unto thou hast attained." (I Timothy 4:6)
"If any man teach otherwise, and consent not to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness ..." (I Timothy 6:3)
"Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God ..." (Hebrews 6:1-2)
"Whosoever transgresses, and abides not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abides in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son." (II John 1:9)
Sadly, even with the number of scriptures including Jesus own words, there are some who will not hear the truth. Instead, these promote a false religious doctrine that has no scriptural foundation in the Bible. They rely instead on the traditions of men, adhering to the false doctrine of a trinity (God existing in three persons - co-existent and co-eternal) rather than the doctrine of Christ, wherein God became manifest in the flesh. And in so doing, these worship an "unknown" God.
Nevertheless, Jesus said, "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No man comes unto the Father but by Me." (John 14:6) Why? Because there is not another, but the One and Same God who created us in the beginning, loved us enough to bring us salvation. Yes, God Himself became our Saviour.
"And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory." (I Timothy 3:16)
Don't be fooled by the whims of a religious culture, whose sandy footings are about to crumble for one and all to see, because our Lord God and Saviour Jesus the Christ will not be mocked. He is the King of kings and Lord of lords. He is Alpha and Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the ending. He is our all in all. His Name in this current dispensation of grace is JESUS. (Matthew 1:21-23)
So, when someone tries to preach to you another gospel, be like the disciples and "go unto this people, and say, "Hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and not perceive. For the heart of this people is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes have they closed; lest they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them." (Acts 28:26-27)
Search the scriptures this day. Ask the Lord to fill you with His understanding and wisdom. Stand in the offering plate.
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