Live to Love Scripture Encouragement

John 16:13 “But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come.”
Jesus had just told His disciples that He had more to say, but He had restrained Himself because they were not able to bear it. But that didn’t mean that they would miss out on those things He had to say. They would receive them from Him later, once the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of truth, came to them. We have some hint from this verse about the things on Jesus’ mind—they were things “to come.” The Holy Spirit would guide them when they needed it. The Holy Spirit speaks what He hears from Jesus just like Jesus spoke what He heard from the Father. Again we may be encouraged by the union of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Jesus is the son of truth, and the Holy Spirit is the spirit of truth. Neither of them spoke on His own initiative. If we walk by the Spirit, then we also should be careful not to speak when we feel like it. Just as love restrained Jesus with His disciples, we can expect love to restrain us as the Holy Spirit guides us. John referred to this wonderful truth of the Holy Spirit’s guidance and teaching when he wrote in 1 John 2:27 “As for you, the anointing which you received from Him abides in you, and you have no need for anyone to teach you; but as His anointing teaches you about all things, and is true and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you abide in Him.” This is the reason I pray in the Live to Love prayer these words, “Father, anoint and fill me with the Holy Spirit, the presence and power of Christ, so that I can love and trust You and love the people You put in my path today, for Your glory.” May we abide in the gift of the Holy Spirit, the spirit of truth, as we live to love with Jesus today. Whatever we hear from Him, let us speak in love with confidence.

Acknowledgment: Music from “Carried by the Father” by Eric Terlizzi. www.ericterlizzi.com

John 16:12 "I have many more things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now.”
Jesus had given them much to bear or carry since they had eaten their last meal together in the upper room. Because Jesus is the incarnation of the love of God, we know it is love for His Father and for His disciples that gave Him freedom to speak to them as He had. At this point, apparently there was an inner restraint in sharing more with them about what was to happen to and in them in the future. Love restrained Him. He knew they were not able to carry more than He had given them.
As we live to love with Jesus, we also need to have His sensitivity to the spiritual state and circumstances of those He puts in our paths. We might ask ourselves, “Are they spiritually able to receive the things I want to share with them? Are their circumstances in life such that more information would be overwhelming? Do they have ears to hear? Is it in their highest good for me to share with them? This verse informs us that there are times when we should restrain ourselves from saying things, even if they are words of encouragement, insight, and wisdom, out of love for someone. My guess is that most of us have “many more things to say,” but that doesn’t mean it is best or loving for us to say them. May the Holy Spirit give us discernment and discretion as to when and what to speak to those we love. Remember, apart from Jesus, we can do nothing. If He isn’t speaking, then neither should we.

Acknowledgment: Music from “Carried by the Father” by Eric Terlizzi. www.ericterlizzi.com

John 16:11 “and concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world has been judged.”
Let’s consider how the presence of the Holy Spirit in the lives of believers convicts the world of judgment. Jesus said He convicts the world of judgment because the ruler of this world has been judged. Who is the ruler of this world to whom Jesus referred? Certainly, it is the devil, aka Satan. Only minutes before, Jesus told His disciples, “I will not speak much more with you, for the ruler of the world is coming, and he has nothing in Me” (14:30). We know Satan was at work in those who were his in the world from the betrayal of Jesus by Judas through the burial of His body in the tomb. God gave Jesus, an innocent, righteous man, into the hands of the devil and his world, and judged him as a hater and murder of God. He saw it in him, gave him the occasion to confront Jesus, and God’s judgment was right. Satan killed the righteous Son of God.
Now what does the presence of the Holy Spirit have to do with that judgment? The sending of the Holy Spirit testifies to the world that they are just like their father, the devil. As the disciples, and all in whom Jesus dwells, express His life in this world, those in the world hate them and want to kill them. The world wants believers our of their lives! They hate Jesus and murder Him, just like their father. God sees it in them, gives the occasion to confront Jesus in His disciples, and God’s judgment is righteous. They are children of the devil. Their ruler has been judged, and so have they. Jesus loves those who are in the world through us. They will never be able to say that Jesus did not love them. We should not be surprised that they will sabotage His love and twist it, just like their ruler did when Jesus was here on the earth. As we live to love with Jesus, the Holy Spirit is at work. He will convict the world concerning sin, righteousness, and judgment.

Acknowledgment: Music from “Carried by the Father” by Eric Terlizzi. www.ericterlizzi.com

John 16:10 “and concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father and you no longer see Me;”
After Jesus’ resurrection, ascension, and sending of the Holy Spirit, the disciples were transformed by the presence of the life of Christ dwelling in them. Even though the disciples no longer could see Jesus with their physical eyes, their testimony was that Jesus was in them. So it is with everyone who lives to love with Jesus. They convict the world of what they lack—the righteousness of God. Unlike the world, who cannot see Him, we practice righteousness (live to love with Him) because He lives in us. We love because He first loved us. His love was seen in His coming to perform a righteousness for us, bearing our sins in His body on the cross, going to the Father, having made a place in Himself for us to live with Him, and then sending the Holy Spirit to us.
The presence of His love in us testifies concerning righteousness. Rom. 5:1-5 says it best. “Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace which we stand; and we exult in hope of the glory of God. And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.” There is the truth that convicts the world concerning righteousness. Believers have the love of God poured out in them and through them. May Jesus’ love flow through us today for the glory of God.

Acknowledgment: Music from “Carried by the Father” by Eric Terlizzi. www.ericterlizzi.com

John 16:9 concerning sin, because they do not believe in Me;
The apostle Paul wrote to the Romans, “Whatever is not of faith is sin.” Do you believe this? The world doesn’t. Jesus commanded in John 14:1, “If you believe in God, believe also in Me.” To obey Jesus’ command is to believe that Jesus is God in the flesh, and that He is the way, truth, and the life, and is the only way to the Father that God has provided for mankind. Those who believe in Jesus, realize and therefore believe that Jesus is life and the source of all that is life. Everything they do that isn’t connected to Him or doesn’t come through His life in them, they believe to be sin. Why? Because the standard is the glory of God. If the words and work are not from and through Jesus, then God doesn’t get the glory, and their words and works fall short of the glory of God. Falling short of the glory of God is another way to define sin. Paul also wrote to the Romans, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (3:23). Look how convicting this is to the world concerning sin! Jesus said that we can do nothing apart from Him. So we conclude that apart from faith in Jesus, all is sin. Since the world has no connection to Jesus, everything they do is sinful. That’s convicting! We should not be surprised if they hate us as we live to love with Jesus, because holiness exposes sin and unbelief.

Acknowledgment: Music from “Carried by the Father” by Eric Terlizzi. www.ericterlizzi.com