Take a sponge. Squeeze it in your hand as tight as you can make your fist. Place your fist / sponge under water, entirely. Hold the sponge under water. The sponge is now in the water. Now, open your hand so that water flows into the sponge. The water will fill all the pores of the sponge as you hold it under water. Now the sponge is filled with water.
The water is in the sponge and the sponge is in the water.
Baptism puts us into Christ (Rom. 6:3-4). We are submerged into Christ; that’s what the word “baptism” means. We are submerged into Christ. But when we do that, the Lord dwells in us. The bulk of this message is my dad’s. According to the note on the file folder where Dad kept the sermon, I heard it preached in Hiawassee, GA on 2/10/85 when I was 14 years old. Dad preached it only one other time, this time after I had left home, in South Boston, VA (2/2/92).
The text is Dad’s choice: John 14:22-23. This chapter is a part of a discussion that Jesus had with His 11 apostles (Judas Iscariot is going to leave in order to meet with the Jewish leaders to betray Jesus).
When Judas asked his question to the Lord, it furnished an occasion for these encouraging and instructive words which we are studying. The disciples had evidently expected Jesus to manifest himself to the world, as well as to his disciples but from the remarks he had just made, they clearly saw that he was not going to do that. It was then that Judas asked the question.
When Jesus replied, it is a noticeable fact that he answered in an impersonal way. That is, Jesus said, “If anyone…” This language clearly shows that the manifestation would not be to the apostles only, but to anyone who complies with the conditions of the promise. In fact, no one, not even the apostles, would be permitted to share in his manifestation, except those who love him and keep his word.
THE CONDITIONS OF DIVINE MANIFESTATION:
1. These conditions, as the text plainly states, are love and obedience. Obedience alone is not enough; there must be loving obedience. One must do that which the Lord commands, but he must love to do it (2 Thess. 2:10-12).
2. It may be said that loving obedience is the very pulse of life. The universe itself is governed by law, and only those who comply with those laws are truly benefited. There are laws of health, laws of learning, and laws of seeing God (Matt. 5:6, 8).
3. As already indicated, the source of true obedience is love. Love and obedience have always been the conditions upon which the enjoyment of the Divine Presence has depended (Matt. 22:35-40; John 14:21).
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4. Love has been described as the hidden fountain, while obedience is the visible stream. There is no love, worthy of the name, that does not obey. If you show me godly love, I will show you an obedient heart and life (1 John 5:3).
THE MEANING OF DIVINE MANIFESTATION:
The religion of Christ represents God returning to the soul of the people who are reconciled to him through Christ. In our text, there are thirteen references in chapters 14 & 15 to Jesus, the Spirit, or the Father abiding, dwelling, or remaining in the followers of Jesus (cf. 2 Cor. 5:18-20).
Neither the Father, the Son, nor the Holy Spirit will make their home in a heart that does not love and obey Jesus Christ. As we have the promise in Acts 2:38, the Spirit does not take up residence in a heart until that person repents and is baptized into Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins. Like a sponge, water cannot get into the sponge until the sponge is in the water. The Holy Spirit cannot get into our hearts until we are immersed into Jesus Christ.
THE ABIDING GUESTS:
The language of the text makes it plain that the Divine Presence will not be temporary. As long as loving obedience continues, the Father and the Son and the Spirit will remain. In 14:17, Jesus promises that the Spirit will dwell in Christ’s followers and in verse 23, Jesus refers explicitly to the Father and Himself, the Son. So we have references here to all three members of the Godhead dwelling in Christ’s followers (see Eph. 2:19, 22; 1 Cor. 3:16-17; 6:19-20).
If you want to have a “dwelling place” in the Father’s house in heaven, if you want to have Jesus come back to take you “home” to be with Him forever, Jesus must dwell in your hearts here and now. But Jesus can only dwell in a heart that loves and obeys. That heart is where the Lord delights to dwell.
Let us love and obey Jesus Christ so the Godhead will be dwelling in us!
Paul Holland
