May 5, 2002 John 14:15-21
It’s In Your Blood
“If you love me, you will obey what I command. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever— 17 the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. 18 I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. 19 Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. 20 On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. 21 Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him.”
There’s a saying that goes, “you can take the boy off the farm, but you can’t take the farm off the boy.” The general idea is that if a boy grows up on a farm, it gets in his blood. He learns to love the outdoors - so much so that even after he moves into town, he still wants to live out in the country. The same idea goes with “purebred” dogs. Some dogs have been bread for specific specialties - sniffing scents, hunting, or protecting. You could literally say, “it’s in their blood.” Could we say the same about humans? Is it that some are just natural politicians, wrestlers, cleaners, or are they trained to be that way? Is it nature or nurture? Often times, it seems to be nature - that’s what they’re made to be.
I. What’s in your blood?
What’s in your blood? Do you have power tools in your blood? Pro wrestling? Football? Soccer? Racing? Finances? Knitting? Religion? Video games? When I mentioned those things, you either did one of two things. Either your ears perked up and said, “yeah!,” or you instead said, “yuck!” There isn’t too much middle ground. When I was about 16 years old I was able to take on a job as a newspaper typist for a local racing newspaper. I thought I might learn something about racing and actually enjoy it. Let me tell you, it was the most boring thing in the world. I can recall sitting in this back office - staring at a wooden wall - typing this stuff that I found to be absolutely tasteless. As much as I tried, racing just wasn’t in my blood. I don’t think it ever will be.
Jesus uses a similar illustration when he talks about people who have the Spirit of truth in today’s text. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. That’s a rather peculiar statement, isn’t it? For God also says in Romans 1:20 that - since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse. In one verse it says that God has been clearly seen through creation - and yet today Jesus says that the world neither sees nor knows the Holy Spirit - who is also God. What gives?
Have you ever seen one of those pictures that have a picture within the picture? You have to stare at it for a while - gaze through the picture - before the picture becomes clear. If you don’t look at it in this way, you’ll never get it. In the same way, that’s what the people of this world do. They look at the evidence for God - clearly see it - but then deny that it exists. For years scientists have claimed that the world evolved from single cell organisms into more complex beings. The idea was that a big bang made this one cell which then evolved into many more cells. But come to find out - a single cell organism is actually a very complex thing - with it’s own very complex genetic code that could not come about by an accident. But they were so caught up in the idea that things must have evolved - that the last thing they were every admit is that there is a Designer behind creation. You would think that if anyone would accept God it would be those who study His creation. But their eyes are blind - they can’t see him.
Take another example from the Scriptures. Even after Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, how did those who witnessed this great miracle respond? John 12 says, the chief priests made plans to kill Lazarus as well, 11 for on account of him many of the Jews were going over to Jesus and putting their faith in him. How blind can you be? It’s almost dumbfounding to us who see the truth so clearly!
Actually, it shouldn’t surprise us. For Jesus actually says, the world cannot ACCEPT him. Why not? Because God says in Ephesians 2:1 that the world is born DEAD in their transgressions and sins. It shouldn’t surprise us that a majority of people in the world cannot accept the Truth - because the Spirit of Truth is not in their blood. The reason this sounds so offensive is that we are constantly being fed with so much of this garbage decision theology on the radio and TV - how people supposedly have a “free will” to come to God - to make a “decision” for Christ. They act as if faith were a matter of the intellect - something that I can decide upon. It is NOT scriptural or TRUTH. Jesus couldn’t speak any more clearly today- the world CANNOT ACCEPT him.
So how did the disciples have the ability to “see him”? Jesus said to his disciples - But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. The only reason the disciples knew the TRUTH of salvation was because the Holy Spirit intervened in their lives - took up residence in their hearts, minds, and souls. And the only way they would survive the waves of doubt after Jesus’ death was if Jesus would not leave them as orphans - but would come back to visit them after his resurrection! Their spiritual lives were completely dependant on the only person who could bring life from death - someone who was greater than a man - the POWERFUL and MERCIFUL GOD.
Take some examples from Scriptures - Lazarus was dead in the tomb for four days. He did not have the ability to decide to become alive, because he was dead. The only thing that raised him was the voice of His God and Savior. The decision was not his, it was God’s. Paul was on his way to Damascus to persecute and put to death more followers of Jesus Christ. He had made the decision to persecute Christ. But God chose to change Paul’s heart through the call of Jesus in a vision on the way there.
Do you recognize then, the importance of the Holy Spirit living in you? Often times we stand in awe of the fact that our Savior Jesus Christ was born into this sinful world and took on human flesh - born in a cattle stall! What a filthy place for God to be born! In the same way, then, shouldn’t we stand in awe at what the HOLY Spirit does? Do you remember the old show called the Odd Couple - with Felix and Oscar? One was a complete and ungracious slob while the other was a perfectionist and good cook. That’s how you might compare our relationship to God. Here we were, living as slobs in the filth of this world. But then the Holy Spirit moved into our homes, cleaned us up, cooked our meals, and took care of us.
Yet even now, like spoiled little brats - a royal odd couple - we daily feast on God’s Word - swallow a wonderful meal, but then slap the Holy Spirit in the face by neither acknowledging his most important work or thanking him. Like slovenly pigs we eat his meals and never once stop to consider the Cook. We could very easily be in the boat of the world - blindly floating down the river of reason to the gates of hell. But thank God that the Holy Spirit does not work on commission. The blood of Christ does not flow into our veins only if we say “please” or “thank you.” The Holy Spirit continues to daily give us our daily bread and our forgiveness free of charge - because of HIS MERCY. Every day the Holy Spirit continues to live with us and give us spiritual life - feeding us meals and cleaning up our houses - even though it gets pretty stinky and smelly in here - because that’s what He does!
II. What does it make you do?
Here I’ve been talking to you as if you had the Holy Spirit living in you, but how do you really know? When it comes to modern diseases, you can do a blood test for HIV or other diseases. What is the litmus test for the Spirit? I would imagine there are some of us who look around our own church and judge our neighbor not to really be a Christian because they don’t come as often as we do, give as much as we do, or live as righteously as we do. On the other hand, some of you may count yourselves out of Christianity because you may think, “I’m just not a religious person.” You may imagine that in order to be Christian you need to wear a certain kind of clothing and have a certain kind of demeanor. Then you get the opposite extreme that says you shouldn’t judge anybody by anything they do - if they say they’re Christian then that’s good enough.
How do you know? What did Jesus break it down to? “If you love me, you will obey what I command. . . . 21 Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. Jesus calls on us to look at our actions to determine whether we love him or not. It’s just like looking at a dog with rabies. At first, you might not be able to tell that anything is wrong with the dog. But once it starts frothing at the mouth and growling, you will know that something is wrong with him. In the same way, you can tell someone who has too much alcohol in his blood by the look of his eyes and the words he speaks. It gives him away.
What about the man with the Spirit? Jesus said that the one who loves him - who has the Holy Spirit - will “obey” what he commands. This word comes from the Greek tareo. Those who tasted Jesus’ wine said that it was “saved” til last. It was also used of those soldiers who “guarded” Jesus on the cross. It’s general meaning is to keep or protect. So when Jesus says that the one who loves him will “obey what he commands,” what he is literally getting at is that such a person will pay careful attention to the keeping of Jesus’ commands. He won’t let people change what God tells them to do. He won’t let people add to what God tells them to do. And he finally will then be careful to DO what God tells him to do. The two go hand in hand. First of all, you have to know what God commands and hold onto it. Then you can do it.
Take for instance Jesus. The devil tried to use God’s Word to have him do something that was against God’s Word - jump from the temple. So Jesus had to keep God’s Word by first of all KNOWING it, and then doing it - by NOT jumping. As a matter of fact, right after Jesus finished talking to the disciples, he said to them, the world must learn that I love the Father and that I do exactly what my Father has commanded me. “Come now; let us leave. So Jesus went on to die for the sins of the world, as His Father commanded Him. Not only did Jesus prove His love for the Father in this sacrifice, but he also proved His love - an unconditional love - for us. As John 13 said, Having loved his own who were in the world, he now showed them the full extent of his love - by dying for them. Greater love has no one than this - that he lay down his life for his friends. Jesus showed us his love by making the ultimate sacrifice for us - taking the punishment of hell on his shoulders. Why did He do it? Because that’s who he was - the Savior.
Therefore, it shouldn’t surprise us that Jesus tells us to look at our actions to determine what is in our hearts. If you want to know if you love God, ask yourself, “do I care what God tells me to do?” Or do you say, “nobody can tell me what to do!” The attitude of the heathen says, “I am captain of my soul - master of my own fate.” The will of the Christian says, “Jesus lead us on til our rest is won.” Do you have an attitude that says, “I want to learn more about what Jesus wants me to do,” or “I have better things to read and do”? Are you one who twists the Word of God to meet your beliefs and actions, or believes and acts according to what God’s Word says? The will of a Christian says, “I love you enough to listen to you and do whatever you say, Lord.”
Notice again the way that Jesus says this. If you love me, you will obey what I command. He doesn’t say you should do it, or you could do it, but you will do it. I think this is an important point. If you have the Holy Spirit you will listen to Jesus and want to do what Jesus says. Will you do it perfectly? No. Will you do it all the time? No. You are still a sinner - who has a part of you that doesn’t like to do things that God says. But nonetheless, with the Holy Spirit in you - you WILL do it. Why? Not because you should. Not because you have to. But because the Holy Spirit has converted your will so that for the most part you WANT to. Even though you’ll still struggle at it, it’s what a Christian does - because that’s what a Christian is. It’s in your blood.
You see, Christianity isn’t a matter of putting on a certain outfit or trying to meet a certain cookie cutter outline that is called “Christianity.” It’s not like a child who tries to be a police officer by putting on an outfit and carrying a fake gun. You don’t become a Christian by putting offerings in a basket or kneeling down in church, joining prayer circles or coming to church. Christianity is a matter of being who you are - someone who believes in Jesus as His Savior - no more, no less. If you have power tools in your blood, then run your power tools to the glory of God and love to Jesus. If you have automobiles in your blood, then use them out of thanks to God. Being religious doesn’t mean you have to walk around in a monks robe and sigh to heaven every five seconds. Yes, it involves listening to God’s Word. Yes, it involves prayer. It involves worship. It involves thanks and praise. But don’t get so wrapped up in how to act - just stay in the Word and then do what comes naturally.
There once was a dog named Arthur who was at the pet store. Every day it seemed that someone would come and pick up a different animal - while they left Arthur sitting in the store. So Arthur thought the only way he could be picked was if he acted like different animals. When a rabbit was picked, that night he learned how to eat carrots and act like a rabbit. But that didn’t work. When a fish was picked, that night he tried to learn to swim in the fish tank and act like a fish. But he still wasn’t picked. Finally, after days of acting like a snake, a fish, a bird, and every other animal, Arthur gave up and just laid behind the window and acted like . . . a dog. It was that day that a little girl came by and said, “I just want this normal dog.” And so she picked Arthur.
It’s easy for us as Christians to look at ourselves as Arthur did in this world. We don’t feel as far along in our sanctification as many other Christians. We want to be like the guard dog Christian, the smooth Christian, or the Christian parrot with the good voice. And so we wonder if we really do love God or fit into his kingdom - because we don’t do as much as others or look like others.
But Jesus’ message to us is so comforting. Because I live, you also will live. Our whole life revolves in and around the life of Christ. God accepts us - not because of what we do or a decision we make - but because of what Jesus has done for us - his life. So Jesus says, “stick with me. I won’t desert you! I’ll send you the Holy Spirit to change your life.” The closer you stick to him, the more you’ll find yourself doing beautiful things. So keep on being who you are - loving Christians. After all, it’s only natural. It’s in His blood, and it’s in your blood. Amen.
