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John 14.
Chapter verse 6.
Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life. No man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
If you had known me, you should have known my father also. And from henceforth you know him, and I've seen him.
Philip saith unto him, Lord, show us the Father, and it suffice with us. Jesus saith unto him.
Have I been so long time with you? And yet hast thou not known me, Philip?
He that hath seen me, have seen the Father. And how sayest thou? Then show us the Father.
Leave us thou not, that I am in the Father, and the Father in me. The words that I speak unto you, I speak not of myself.
But the Father that dwelleth in me he doeth the works.
Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father in me, or else believe me for the very work's sake.
And verily, verily, I say unto you, he that believeth on me.
The works that I do shall he do also, and greater works than these shall he do, because I go to my Father?
And whatsoever you shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you shall ask anything in my name, I will do it. If you love me, Keep my commandments, and I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, and he may abide with you forever. Even the Spirit of Truth, whom the world cannot receive because it see it, it seeth him not, neither knoweth him.
But ye know him, for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.
I will not leave you comfortless. I will come to you. Get a little while, and the world seeth me no more. But she see me because I live ye also you shall live also.
At that day ye shall know that I am in my father, and ye and me, and I and you. He did half my commandments, and keepeth them. He it is that loveth me, and he that loveth me shall be loved of my father, and I shall love him.
Will manifest myself to him.
Judas saith unto him, Not a scariest 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 loved 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 ye hear is not mine.
But the fathers 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, peace I leave with you. My peace I give unto you, not as the world giveth, give I unto you, Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
You have heard how, I said unto you.
I go away and come again unto you. If you love me, you would rejoice, because I said, I go unto the Father, for my Father is greater than I. And now I have told you before come to pass, that when it has come to pass, you might believe hereafter I will not talk much with you. For the Prince of this world cometh and hath nothing in me, but that the world may know that I love the Father and as the Father.
Gave me commandment. Even so I do arise, let us go hence.
Interesting that both of our hymns.
Book of the Father's house.
Also.
My father's house is mentioned in chapter 2 of John, and if we see the contrast, I think it'll help us understand.
The comfort and the teaching of the Lord for His disciples here on this occasion.
He came in chapter 2, John.
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And he found the house a House of merchandise.
And.
Rebukes speak strongly concerning that. That's the 16th verse.
Of John 2.
Just to get that expression.
My father's house.
He said, Jesus said take these things, hence make not my father's house and House of merchandise, that is. Yet Jesus was owning that temple and saying that's my father's house. Now we go back in thought to God coming down to dwell with men.
And our brother spoke of Exodus 17. I think he referred to the 15th chapter of Exodus.
Where you get a redeemed people and they say we will make him an habitation. My father's God, I will make him an habitation. That is the highest thought that man has ever had. Perhaps was to bring God down, to dwell with man. But God always has the highest thoughts. In our chapter He's beginning to tell us I'm going to take you up to dwell with me and have a father's house up there, but we follow that house on earth and we're God dwelt.
He takes them up on the 29th of Exodus. He said, Let them make me a sanctuary, that I may dwell among them. And they made it. And he came down the last chapter of Exodus. The glory of the Lord filled that Tabernacle. It was that Tabernacle for their passage through the wilderness when they got into the land.
In Solomon's day, they built the temple and the same thing happened. The glory of God filled that house.
And then we find that the glory of God left the house, and Ezekiel went up, and then in between the the ruin of the house came in, and the Gentiles and.
The temple was destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar's armies and a remnant.
Came back 70 years later and in Ezra's day they.
Rebuilt the temple.
You might notice in Haggai what it says about that.
And.
We'd look in Haggai.
We have a promise that is encouraging, certainly for the earthly people. God hasn't forgotten these earthly people.
We might notice verse seven of chapter 2, and knowing a little waste, Haggai 27 I will shake all nations, and the desire of all nations shall come. I believe that's the person Jesus is coming, and I will fill this house with glory, saith the Lord of hosts. The silver is mine, the gold is mine, saith the Lord of Hosts, and the glory of this latter house, If we would read that the latter glory of this house shall be greater than the former, saith the Lord of Hosts, and in this place.
Will I give peace? Saith the Lord of hosts. Now that's a promise to the earthly house which is yet to be fulfilled.
Following on in the history we.
Find that Ezra's temple was destroyed.
Perhaps in the days of the Maccabees, I'm not sure. Not in the Bible history anyway. And Herod had built a temple.
And that's the one the Lord came to. Now I'd like to refer to verse and Malachi and.
Maybe we might get some nice thoughts about this, but Malachi chapter 3.
Behold verse one. I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me. Now was that John the Baptist, or is that a coming, or is there two? Are there 2 fulfillments for this? And the Lord whom we seek, whom you seek, shall suddenly come to his temple. I know it's future, But was it partially done when the Lord was here, even the messenger of the covenant, whom he delayed in Behold, he shall come, saith the Lord of hosts.
And the Lord did come. He came the first time he came to his house. He found it full of merchandise. He rebuked them. In Matthew's Gospel he departed from the house. And then he says, your house is left unto you desolate.
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So now the Lord was going to leave those disciples. All this was history then, and oh, they felt it so much.
What's He do? He points them to that house, eternal in the heavens that we sang about. And He tells us of a heavenly people. And He tells us not just of God coming down to dwell with the people on the earth, but bringing us up and situating us in the Father's house. Truly the better part, No comfort could have been like this for those disciples who had walked with him.
These years. So the Lord begins to open that up and it's all for our enjoyment. But we'll just suggest that God hasn't forgotten these earthly people and he will come. And there are probably two more temples to be built there, one for provisional worship, at least introductory in the seven years, and then the temple of Ezekiel for the millennial day. So this helps to understand the term my father's house and tells us.
Of our better part, the heavenly part.
Verse 6 There's a little illustration that I have used many times and.
That may be old to some people, but I believe it illustrates.
What we have here?
Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life. No man cometh unto the Father.
But by me.
Perhaps would be helpful to the young people to use this illustration. In years gone by, there was a President in the United States by the name of Lincoln, and he had a son by the name of Tad Tad Lincoln.
And one day there was a man who stood at the gates.
Who wanted to get in to see the president?
He couldn't get in. Day after day, he stood there.
And one day, little Tad Lincoln was coming home from school, and he had a gate of his own that he came in.
And.
They looked at this man and he said, what do you want? Oh, he said, I have to see the president.
Guatemalan with me. They led him right into presence, presence, the lesson we have here.
It says, Jesus said to him, I am the way, the truth, and the life. No man cometh unto the Father, but by me it's the Son.
The Son of God, the Lord Jesus, that has brought us into the presence of the Father, And now we have in the New Testament.
The Father and it's connected with the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. We get that in Ephesians.
The Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, and he'll be known from this time forward what was revealed.
It's in the past now, but I mean revealed so that from this time forward.
The only known as the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
And that's the title he carries.
Because in the Old Testament he was not known as Father. There might have been an expression like Father of eternity or the everlasting Father, but that's not the sense in which we know him now. We know Him in a sense now in which he's come near to us through his son. So it isn't simply Father in a term we use, but it's the Father in the sense of relationship now that we should appreciate and enter into.
So that when the.
The Father son brings us to the Father. Then we are enjoying, or should be enjoying.
As we, I trust our this morning, that relationship that we have with God the Father.
And the temple was built. Solomon said that God dwelled in the thick darkness.
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God was not fully revealed. He could not come out. But when the veil was rent, then there's not only God coming out, but we ourselves can go in. And so we read of this. In 2nd Corinthians 3. There was a glory all connected with the old order of things. But now in Christianity, all the glory of God shines out in the face of Jesus Christ. And so the veil being rant, we go in, we enter into and enjoy this relationship.
A relationship that never could be known in the Old Testament. It's all, of course, consequent upon redemption, is it not?
And so in these closing chapters of John, we have Christianity anticipated.
The Lord in the 17th chapter says, And now I am no more in the world. He says. I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do so He could speak of this. And isn't it wonderful that when we look at the pathway of the Lord Jesus we see God fully revealed? If we see Him weeping at the grave of Lazarus, he's revealing the Father. That's the Father's heart, if we see Him touched with the feelings of the infirmities of those about him.
Still at the cry of a blind man. That's the heart of God our Father. It's most wonderful for us to see this. We wouldn't know Him. He'd still dwell in the thick darkness if it were not that the Lord Jesus had come and not only revealed the Father, but opened the way so that we could go in and that God could come out and make all known which could not be until redemption was accomplished.
Go in in full liberty.
There is a little hymn. We sing the holiest. We enter in perfect peace with God.
That's a little different thought, because there we have the nature of God before us.
But what we're thinking of this morning is that relationship.
And it's true that?
In Perfect Liberty, we enter the holiest.
The very presence of God.
Now, why is it that so? Oftentimes we have sort of a sense of distance from God.
As though there was not that nearness that Jesus has brought us into.
But we should really have a continual, daily sense of that nearness because.
There's a verse in Ephesians that says.
The followers of God as dear children.
Well, now we have something that.
Should give us the thought that.
Were brought right into the presence of God. How could we be followers of God if we're not?
In his presence, and it's the Son who brings us into his presence.
I am the way, the truth, and the life. No man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
John's Epistle. In the first chapter we have John Speaking of the first verse, that which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon in our hands of handle of the word of Life. For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and show unto you that eternal life which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us. That which we have seen and heard, declare we unto you.
That ye also may have fellowship with us, and truly our fellowship is with the Father.
And with his sons Jesus Christ, and these things rightly unto you that your joy might be full.
I don't think we fully appreciate what a marvelous privilege it is brethren that's sitting here. We can enter into and enjoy the very thoughts that are in the mind of God. The word fellowship or communion mean common thoughts, and here we can sit as a few of the redeemed ones and not feel God at a distance. But we can very enter into those very thoughts, those eternal councils that were in his heart, and we have fellowship in a known relationship. We know God is Father.
And with his Son Jesus Christ. And then when we come to the 7th verse.
We walk in the light. That's where we have been brought. That's not a conditional thing, brethren. It's a position that is brought before us in the seventh verse. We have been brought into the light and we have been fitted for the light through the blood. We may not be in the enjoyment of it. Someone asked Mr. Darby, what if a Christian turns his back on the light? Well, he said the light will shine on his back. But that's where we are. We may not be enjoying it, but the purpose of God is that we should enjoy it.
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And so that's really the theme of our chapter, I believe is communion that we might enter into and enjoy these things. Relationship, our joy would be full. The Father and the Son coming and making their abode with us. Oh, how wonderful. The truth of the church is not particularly developed, but the relationship of the family is particularly before us in John, isn't it? You spoke of condition or position.
Explain that just a little.
Well, every believer has an equal standing before God. That is, everyone is holy and without blame before him in love.
Everyone is clean every wet. Everyone is indwelled by the Holy Spirit. That's the position in which we are, but we may not be enjoying it. Just like a man might have a tremendous amount of wealth but not be in the enjoyment of it. Perhaps He's sick and can't enjoy it. It's his just as much. But He's not enjoying it and He would have us to be in the enjoyment of it. The Lord is speaking these things to the disciples.
To lead their souls into the enjoyment of it, and of course, assuring them of the coming of the Holy Spirit who would make these things good. John emphasizes it too in his epistle, because coldness and departure were coming in, and he desired that the Saints would be in the enjoyment of this. Their joy would then be full. Isn't that just what we have before morning?
The fact that we are in that right position through grace, but.
Most of us, I suppose, have to confess, at least in measure the.
Conditional side that we're not actually in the enjoyment and the fullness of these things.
And we shall we say it, we're taken up with so many things in this world.
That hinder us from entering into the enjoyment. And you don't have truth unless you enjoy it. You may have it in your mind, but you don't have in your heart. And you know the heart is the place where the truth rests forever. It may pass through the heart for the moment, as we have in the gospel. The truth entered the hearts, but it didn't stay there with some.
Because it has to pass through the conscience.
And I'm sure that when we're in the presence of God, because we are this morning.
That the truth.
Enters our hearts, and if there is.
The reality with us, the conscience will be awakened.
There isn't a person here, but what needs the conscience awakened? We never can get into the presence of God.
Ever. But what? The conscience is awakened because that's the way of growth in our souls will never grow without the conscience awaken, no matter how simple a subject is, the need of our hearts, whatever it is, no matter how simple.
Conscience must be awakened, otherwise we can't hold the truth.
The figure of the Bent Bale, I think, brings both of these truths before us as to communion that as soon as Jesus had expired, given up his life, that veil was rent from the top to the bottom, an act of God, almost as though he was relieved that he could come out into the light.
Before man, and show him all that grace and love had brought. Before that he was back in the darkness.
But that's God's side, and that's.
If we walk in the light, as he is in the light, that's God's side, that's possession. He comes out from the light and we're in the light position. But communion is a two way thing. And that veil was rent also so that men could go in in peace right into the presence of God resting on a finished work. And that's what you and I are invited to do, particularly in Hebrews.
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In prayer.
And in worship and if we're going to have peace as to going in there.
Then condition has a little bit to do with it, but this communion, God wants it and we want it so that our behavior does enter into our side of the things as to how much we enjoy. And like you said, it's what we enjoy that really controls us and gives us happiness down here.
Uh, that's something. All of this we can enjoy now by faith, but the full thing, I believe, is the actual carrying into the Father's house.
Jesus said I am the way, the truth, and the life. No man cometh unto the Father, but by me and everyone of God's children. Everyone of the household of faith is going to be brought there by Jesus. Let's look at Hebrews chapter 2 to get an expression about it.
And it carries us right to the time when we are brought in in this chapter.
And we can enjoy looking at this because it could be today.
It uses that expression chapter 2 of Hebrews, verse 10.
It became him For whom are all things? And by whom are all things? In bringing many sons under the glory, no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
The one who does it, it tells about him to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings. Well, that's a whole lot there as to his priestly service right now. But he's going to bring us in and I think we get the introduction in verse 13.
The last part of it, behold I and the children which God hath given me. Now Jesus has undertaken to bring many sons to glory, and he's going to get us all there. So I think we ought to enjoy that. We're getting very close when he finally brings us in there in the new bodies, right into the Father's house in glory.
I'm sure that.
I'm sure that Lord Jesus.
Enjoyed Phillips question in verse eight of our chapter.
Philip saith unto him, Lord, show us the Father.
And it suffice us. Or he could say, Lord, show us the Father, and that will be enough for us.
And I'm sure the Lord Jesus enjoyed that question because that was his mission.
He had come for that very purpose, to show the Father, and it must have really been a precious thing for the Lord to hear this question from Philip.
And get that response that Philip said. It'll be enough for us if we just know the father.
And I think that's a precious question and a real godly desire. And I would want that desire too.
Some of you know my son Mark.
He was asked to give a little talk at one of the.
Young people's meetings not too long ago.
And someone said to us who was there? Why? They said he looks like his mother and he talks like his father.
Well, that made us both feel good.
And.
We like to think that there would be something come out of our children that would represent us.
And in the Lord Jesus we see this in its full bloom.
He was here on that mission to represent his father.
To demonstrate his father and throughout the book of John, as you all well know.
He never left the father's bosom.
In his soul he was always demonstrated as the only begotten Son who was with the Father.
Who was here to declare the father? And it just amazes me. In fact, I have just been enjoying a personal reading through the book of John.
And I've had to go slowly, because it's so bright and so full. But I see the Lord Jesus in every detail of his life of pleasing the Father. It made no difference what he did. It was always in view of doing the Father's will, and even if it was a question of receiving.
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People who came to him. Why? He says. I received them because the father sent them.
And he says, I won't cast anybody out who comes to me, because the Father sent them to me. And I wouldn't cast out anybody that the Father sends to me. Him that cometh to me I will. In no wise cast out follows the verse that he said. All that the Father giveth me shall come to me. So even in receiving the Sinner, he receives them as a gift from the Father. And when it comes to giving his life, he says, I lay it down.
My Father gave me the commandment and the authority to do so. So it just thrills your heart to see the Lord Jesus in every detail of his life, acting as a display of the Father's heart and a a representative of the Father's business. Now it takes us to verse 9, where the Lord Jesus speaks back to Philip, and he says, Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you? And yet hast thou not known me, Philip.
He that hath seen me hath seen the Father.
And how sayest thou then Show us the Father.
Well, I like the way the Lord Jesus answers Philip. He answers him in a gracious way and brings before us the wonderful truth that the Father is fully displayed.
In the Lord Jesus Christ.
And I thought I'd mention this too, that I think is profitable.
We've been talking a lot about the father's house.
Which is our ultimate destination.
And sometimes young people say to us.
Are we going to see the Father when we get to the Father's house?
Are we going to see the Holy Spirit when we get to the Father's house?
Now that's a good question.
And we have the truth of God to answer that question for us when you and I get home to the Father's house.
We are going to see the Lord Jesus Christ.
He is the visible display of the Godhead.
And we're going to be very conscious of the father's presence. We're going to be very conscious.
Of the Holy Spirit's presence. But our eyes will be forever fixed upon the glorious Person of the Lord Jesus Christ. And when we see Him, we will see the Father displayed. So we are not going to see the Trinity. We are not going to see the full display of the Godhead in the three Persons who are distinct and definite. There are three persons in the Trinity, God the Father, God the Son.
And God, the Holy Spirit, all our God, and all have the right to the title Jehovah. They are all God. They are all Jehovah. We will not see the three members. But when we look upon the Lord Jesus Christ and fix our gaze upon Him forever with joy, we will see the full display of the Godhead in him. And that's enough for us, brethren.
There are several verses that confirm what our brother has just brought before us, and I'll just mention a few in the Missile for the Colossians, that in him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily in second, in first Timothy three we have that God was in Christ.
Manifest in the flesh mystery of greed is the mystery of godliness. God was in Christ manifesting the flesh justified in the Spirit scene of angels and other verses that confirm that we see in him. Hebrews chapter one the express image of his person. So we see everything of God fully displayed in a blessed man has gone on high and he is the one who has.
Manifested the Father. No man has seen God at any time.
But the only begotten Son who is in the bosom of the Father, he hath revealed him to us. So we see all of the Godhead perfectly exhibited in that blessed man, our Lord Jesus Christ.
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Someone who's asked the question.
Or asked the question of Mr. Darby once I believe in Montreal, his visit there.
They were perplexed about this subject and they said we'll ask Mr. Darby when he comes.
Mr. Darby, But we see God in heaven.
His answer was could you think of being for a whole eternity?
In the presence of God, without being conscious of his presence.
That's sufficient.
Conscious of his presence in this expression we have here.
In the eighth verse, Philip was one who did not say much, but what he said was worthwhile.
Lord, show us the Father, and it suffice of us, does it, brethren?
As we look at Jesus the heaven, Hebrews says. But we see Jesus.
Does that suffice us or do we have to have something else? I say does it suffice or do we have to have something else?
Lord, answer that in an interesting way. He answered with a question. Have I been so long time with you? And yet thou hast. Hast thou not known me, Philip? That's a very personal and very probing question, isn't it, brethren?
If some of our young people sometimes like to get to know each other, in fact some of them got up early this morning and had a little volleyball game and I think they got to know each other a little bit through that volleyball game. But we might ask.
Ourselves, how do we get to know one another? And someone might say, well, we spend some time with them and we notice that the Lord is saying, Philip, you've spent a lot of time with me and yet you haven't got to know me. And I I think that it is possible for people to be married for a lifetime, spend time with with each other, and maybe not really know each other, because the answer is not spending time with each other as Philip had with the Lord.
But the answer is, as has been brought out earlier, in communion with one another. And so in communion we get to know each other. It is if I spend all of my time talking to my wife, I don't get to know her, but when I listen to her, then I get to know her so.
Phillip had spent all of this time, but he didn't really know the Lord. And if he had known the Lord then he would have known the Father, because they too.
Where one, and I just say, this brethren, we might ask ourselves this question. How long is it that we have been saved? How long is it have we that we have been traveling along this pathway with the Lord Jesus? And if he were to ask us this question, have I been so long time with you, Dan? And yet thou hast not known me. It's kind of a probing question, isn't it? We might consider it and.
Ask ourselves, do we really know the Lord? Or when we hear the shout and we step up there on the cloud?
For the very first time, and we see him face to face, will he seem like a stranger to us?
He and the Father were worn out, and I did a show all the time now.
John Miller is very deep.
Do you live in the pub?
Person of the Lord Jesus is an unsearchable mystery, isn't it? Someone was asking me just yesterday about or Saturday about the 28th verse, for my Father is greater than I. And here we see the Lord Jesus as the one who came down into this world in humiliation. We read in Philippians chapter 2 That it was no robbery for him to be equal with God, yet he took upon him in the form of a servant and was made in the likeness of man.
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And saw having taken the place of a man who remains a man for all eternity.
And if he takes the place of a man, he fills it perfectly. In the place of a man was obedience.
And our precious Savior, who never left His place in the Godhead, came down and took that place remains a man, really. So we can see him as it says in the first chapter of John, No man has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father.
He has declared him, And so the Lord Jesus if you turn over to.
One Corinthians 15.
I think this is very beautiful what is brought before us here.
The 24th verse then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the Kingdom to God, even the Father.
When he shall have put down all rule, and all authority and power, for he must reign, till he has put all enemies under his feet. The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death, for he has put all under his things under his feet. But when he saith, all things are put under him, it is manifest that he is accepted, which did put all things under him. And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him.
That God may be All in all.
You see in the pathway of the Lord Jesus how?
He took that place of obedience. He didn't speak a word without a command from his father.
He didn't do anything unless his father told him to do it. The Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works, and that blessed one who is still God, he remains in that position. What for will to have our company? That's the marvel of marvels of the scripture, like the Hebrew servant who wouldn't wouldn't go free. And so his ear is bored through with it all, and he serves forever in order to have the company of his bride.
And to please his father who wanted him to do this. And so how?
Wonderful, it says. And when this expression ends here it tells us the sun will be subject, and that is, he will remain a man in the proper place of a man with the company of redeemed man, as we had it in Revelation 21. The Tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and God himself will be with them and be their God. Man's sin was in submission, but the Lord Jesus fulfills the place.
Perfectly. And we'll have our company. But this expression that God may be All in all.
Is not the Father merely there? It's the whole Godhead. And that's very beautiful.
Past God created man and placed him in a position of headship over the earth, and he spoiled everything.
Was God going to be frustrated in his purposes? No. But the only way those purposes could be fulfilled was for God to become a man and the person of Christ.
And so he becomes a man and sets everything right.
As it tells us in the Psalms, then I restored that which I took not away.
And so God is All in all. God had a purpose. God's Son fulfills his purpose, and it's by the power of the Spirit it's fulfilled. And God is All in all, and in the eternal scene, by the purposes of God will be fulfilled His blessed Son. There the one who fulfills that place, God has a family of children. The Lord Jesus introduces us to the Father's house. Behold, I and the children whom God hath given me.
We stand in the new relationship in Christianity as his bride and the Spirit of God is the power by which all this is accomplished. And God is All in all in the eternal state. Well, it's very beautiful the way these things are brought out in the scripture. Those who try to understand the mission of Christ only fall into error. But when we just take it in simplicity as God has stated it, it's all very blessed, but it's beyond our minds.
No man, nor the son, but the father, that's the 10th person, believe itself.
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To know the truth is one thing, but to believe it is another, and to believe it is where the conscience has reached the heart.
Just to know it is in the mind, it's true that all truth that you'll ever get passes through the mind.
But it's for the heart to go through the conscience.
So that it might become your own.
Believe us thou on this. Remember what the Lord said to Martha.
When in the case of Lazarus?
In the grave, he says I am the resurrection and the life. Well, that's a fact. Then he says Believe us all this.
That's what it reaches the conscience. If she believes that that had reached the conscience, be a part of her forever.
And so it says here.
Believe us thou not, that I am in the Father.
And the Father in me, the words that I speak unto you, I speak not of myself.
But the Father that dwelleth in me, he does the work, believe me.
Notice that word believe. Believe me that I'm in the Father, and the Father and the Father in me.
Or else, believe me, for the very work's sake.
You are saying that the Lord Jesus will restore everything.
For the Father.
It's been said, you know that if there's one created thing that's missing.
And the.
Time of the Kingdom being set up, God will not have fulfilled his purpose what he said.
We're here today about certain things that are extinct. They'll all be there when the Kingdom set up. Everything will be restored, then restored. I that which I took not away.
I was glad, Brother Aho.
That you called our attention to the 28th verse of the chapter.
Where it says my father is greater than I Now that's not the first time that the Lord Jesus said that. He said it in that familiar verse that we love so much.
In John 10 verse 29.
My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all.
No, that doesn't. I'm not correct on that. I thought there was another place where the Lord Jesus said the Father is greater than I I thought it was in the 10th chapter.
But I'm mistaken.
But at any rate, I'm glad you brought that thought to us, that my father is greater than I.
And I've often used that.
That illustration that.
The Lord Jesus is the Son of God.
And he's the only member of the Trinity, whichever humbled himself.
And became a man. The Father has not humbled himself and become a man. And the Holy Spirit has not humbled himself and become a man. But the Son of God has humbled himself and become a man. So in that sense the Lord Jesus can say about his Father My Father is greater than I because the Father has not taken the holy place that the Lord Jesus has. Is that not correct?
I've often used that with people that deny the Trinity and they use that verse to do so.
I tell them that the Lord Jesus is the only member of the Trinity.
Who has taken an inferior position, He did not abandon his.
Place as a member of the Trinity. In so doing he was not less.
What he was by the position that he took, but he did take a position of loneliness, which the other members of the Trinity did not take. And that's why he can say my Father is greater than I. Is that wonderful though, for the reason that the very person you're Speaking of, the man that has been brought out already this morning in him, brought us all the fullness.
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Of the Godhead.
Bodily.
The physical body.
And him dwelt all fullness, nothing missing.
Him And get that in the Hebrews one where you see all those glories that belong to God are seen in Jesus, and yet he became a man.
We understand that very simply and natural things. If the king had a sudden and his son went out to be an example to a group of workmen and put on working clothes, he is still the son of the president, no less at all because of those clothes he has put on at that position he has taken. And so the Lord Jesus humbled himself. I say we understand it in natural things and in divine things it's beyond us because he remains God.
He could control the waves, he could raise the dead to life. He could do everything and saw he was God and man equally and one person. But the fact that a person takes a lower place doesn't mean he's left the highest place even in natural things, and so we just simply bow to it as God has told us. Another verse that causes people a problem is the beginning of the creation of God.
But there are two creations. If I can speak in that way, there is a creation that was ruined by sin.
And the first man was placed at the head of that creation. He spoiled it all.
But there's a person who came into this world who is the beginning of new creation, and in him everything that has been spoiled is going to be set right. And that blessed one, in whom all the fullness of the God had dwells, is the beginning of this new creation. We need to be very reverent and remember that we're treading on holy ground when we speak of the glory of the person of Christ. But these things are very simple where there's simple faith in the soul.
And were warned against leaving the simplicity That's in Christ, aren't we?
Because he's.
For in him all the fullness of the Godhead was pleased as well.
Yes.
A simple truth.
The reason? He could say in verse 7 or believe for the very worst state. He did works that only God could do, didn't he? And so he was God and man. He never lost anything by taking that lower place. The works testified that he was divine.
1St 10.
Depression I am in the Father, and the Father is me and.
The expanded a little in chapter 16 and verse 32.
Where it says, Behold, the hour cometh, yay, and is now come, that ye shall be scattered, and everyone to his own, and shall leave me alone. And yet I am not alone, because the Father is with me. Not has often been pointed out that the Lord Jesus, and the Father being one.
Is a wonderful truth. But we know that on the cross he cried out, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? And this has brought questions in the minds of some. And I know it's the character of God, and it's also the character of the Father. And I think it relates to the thought that we've had that the Lord Jesus, in whom all the fullness of the God had dwelt bodily, is yet man perfect man. And so perhaps we could have a few words on this thought of the 22nd first verse of the 22nd Psalm, the Lord Jesus on the cross And yet.
Being one with the Father.
So we really only understand the truth as we have it worth the scripture. And so we know that the Lord Jesus on the cross in addressing the Father Father forgive them, for they know not what they do. And but when in the hours of darkness He is forsaken of God, Scripture doesn't use the expression forsaken of the Father, yet God was His Father at that time and there was never any time in all eternity when He was more.
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Pleasing to his Father, and glorifying his Father that in that very time.
But nevertheless, as God He is holy, He's infinite, and so he cannot look upon sin. And so the Lord Jesus speaks to him as the one who is holy. Thou art holy, Thou that inhabit us the praises of Israel. So we just leave those things as the Scripture has put them. We find those who say, well, God died because Jesus is God.
But the scripture doesn't speak in that way. And yet he was God and even.
When he died, he was upholding all things by the word of his power. He never.
Left that place, we just leave these things where God has put them. But we know that Father speaks of relationship, Jehovah, the covenant keeping God the Almighty. There are many titles of God, and so the Lord Jesus in those hours of darkness is forsaken of God who is infinite in holiness. I don't think we can go much farther than just to leave it as it tells us in First Corinthians 2 which things also we speak not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth.
But which? The Holy Ghost, Teacher. And so if we take these things up in the words of Scripture, they're very simple. They reveal blessed facts, but we leave them where God has put them, don't we?
Very peaceful. Realize that after having said my God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? He then says, Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit, giving us an example of absolute confidence in his God to although he would take the consequences of sin, his Father still would receive his spirit. What confidence?
1.
Who with whom he had that everlasting relationship of father and son?
Of course we understand, don't we, that that was after the hours of darkness were over, and it was only in those powers of darkness that we hear Him expressing, that being forsaken, He even right up to the beginning of the hours of darkness, all the expressions are Father, and then when they're ended, Father again. It shows the perfection of the Scripture and the holiness of God.
When the Lord Jesus took that place, he was He has made him to be sin for us who knew no sin that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.
So much knowledge today of these things and you can talk with many people who are not Christians even and they seem to know many truths.
And that's one thing. And if we gather here simply to know truth, it's one thing. But if we don't get the person before us that in these meetings, we haven't really gotten a hold of what's intended. It's the person. I'll give an illustration.
Some years ago I had the occasion to go into a certain manufacturing plant and when I went to the office, the person said.
To a man, there was sweeping, sweeping around.
Could you show this man through the plant? Yes.
So after he'd taken me through the plant and explained everything to me.
He turned to me and he said, what's your name? My name is Mr. Bush. He was the owner of the entire establishment. So you see he was taking a place of doing what he could around the place.
In sweeping up. But he was the owner of it all.
That's the person, you see. We want to get ahold of the person this morning, not just something about him.
The person.
Of the Lord Jesus Christ.
When we know the person of the Lord Jesus Christ, then we see the Father and the Father that's before us in this gospel, and each we're on the way to the Father's house. So I'm wonderful to know God is our Father.
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There were great works that were done in the early part of the Acts by the disciples, but I often have thought that the greatest work is what we have in 2nd Corinthians 5. We pray you in Christ stead, be reconciled to God, and now then we are ambassadors for Christ. What a tremendous privilege that this blessed one who was here in this world, in whom all the fullness of the Godhead was pleased to dwell God the Son.
He's accomplished that work of redemption that has brought us into such a place of nearness that we can in Christ stead bring a message right from the heart of God to man. What a great work that is No Old Testament St. could proclaim to somebody as it was mentioned to us, justified from all things. And here to us poor sinners say by grace, has given this immense privilege to me. It's better and more wonderful than the miracles of healing and all that that were wrought in the acts to confirm the Word.
No promise that they would continue, but the gospel goes out until.
The Lord Jesus returns again, and we have the privilege of being the messengers.