Jesus Said, "If Ye Continue In My Word, Then Are Ye My Disciples Indeed, And Ye Shall Know The Truth, And The Truth Shall Make You Free - Part 1766

"But God be thanked, that ye WERE the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you ... being then made free from sin, ye BECAME the sons of righteousness!" (Romans 6:17-18; II Timothy 1:13)

Jesus said to those Jews which believed on Him, "If ye continue in My Word, [then] are ye My disciples indeed; and ye shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free." (John 8:31-32)

And, as a consequence of remaining steadfast in His Word, the apostles' doctrine, and in fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers, we can know (beyond a shadow of a doubt) that God hath not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. Indeed, Jesus said to His apostles, just prior to being taken up wherein He THROUGH the Holy Ghost would give commandments unto the apostles whom He had chosen, that "ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you ..." (Acts 1:2-3, 8)

We witness this happening on the day of Pentecost, when they were with one accord in one place, and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. (Acts 2:1-4)  However, the multitudes who came together were confounded because every man heard them speak in his own language. (Acts 2:6-13)

So, Peter, standing with the eleven, lifts up his voice and says unto them, "Ye men of Judaea and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem, be this known unto you, and hearken to my words, for these are not drunken as you suppose, seeing it is the third hour of the day." But rather, says Peter, this is exactly the moment the prophet Joel had spoken of so many years before. (Joel 2:22; Acts 2:16-21)

That is, "it shall come to pass in the last days," saith God. "I will pour out of My Spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams: and on My servants and on My handmaidens I will pour out in those days of My Spirit; and they shall prophesy; and I will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth, beneath blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke: the sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood before that great and notable day of the Lord come; and it shall come to pass that whosoever shall call on the Name of the Lord shall be saved." (Joel 2:22; Acts 2:16-21)

Not a different Spirit as the modern day religious culture suggests but "My Spirit" saith God. The One and Same Spirit of God who moved across the face of the waters in the beginning. (Genesis 1:1-2) The Same Spirit of God to which we look this day -- "looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us ..." (Titus 2:13; I Corinthians 1:7; I Timothy 3:16; Matthew 1:21-23; Isaiah 9:6)

"If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sits on the right hand of God. Set your affections on things above, and not on things on the earth. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God ... when Christ who is our life shall appear, then shall ye also appear with Him in glory." (Colossians 3:4)

Indeed, as Peter so clearly points out -- God said, "I will pour out of My Spirit upon all flesh ... I will pour out in those days of My Spirit and they shall prophesy." And as we know from Acts 2, those who "gladly received the Word" that day repented of their sin and were baptized every one of them in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ, so that these too c/would receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. (Acts 2:26-38)

Why? Because these saw the glory of the Lord which was to be revealed, for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken. (Isaiah 40:5; Isaiah 35:2) It is no wonder these faithful continued daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, eating their meat with gladness and singleness of heart, praising God, and having favour with all the people. (Acts 2:46-47; Acts 1:14; Luke 24:53; Acts 20:7; Acts 5:14)

The Lord said -- "This people have I formed for Myself; they shall forth My praise!" (Isaiah 43:21)

And we would know -- "To wit, that God was in Christ reconciling the world unto Himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the Word of reconciliation." (II Corinthians 5:19; Romans 3:24)

And because of His love and kindness are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption" ... for He hath made Him to be sin for us, who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him.

And that, according as it is written, "he [we] that glorieth, let him [us] glory in the Lord." (I Corinthians 1:30-31; II Corinthians 5:21; Jeremiah 9:23-24)

Stand in the offering plate.