Wider, longer, higher, deeper

Jesus releases us to the Holy Ghost. He has more to say:

“I have many more things to say to you, but you cannot bear them at the present time. But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come. He will glorify Me, for He will take from Mine and will disclose it to you. All things that the Father has are Mine; this is why I said that He takes from Mine and will disclose it to you.” – John 16:12-15 NASB2020

As Jesus walked on the earth, He realized how vulnerable and helpless man is in his daily life. Often, He is taken aback by the disciples’ inability to see and hear the words of life from day to day.

“Have I not been with you this long, and you do not know what I am saying.”

So vulnerable to doubt and unbelief and, no matter how many times He told them about His death and that He had to leave, they were not able to comprehend. Just as the men of old, when the Holy Ghost came on them they ascended and did great exploits, but when the Holy Ghost lifted, they returned to their own ways.

In the book of Judges, Sampson is an example of the ups and downs of Israel. So often such victory was short-lived, and then came defeat.

Circumstances changed but not their ways.

Jesus, in His last days with them, spends time introducing them to the Holy Ghost, the third person of the Godhead. When He, the Holy Ghost, comes, the spirit of truth, He will lead you into all truth. Our lives are the laboratory where the Holy Ghost’s primary purpose is to lead us into, not about the truth, but a continual revelation of all truth: Jesus.

There was so much that Jesus had to say, but they were maxed out and could not bear any more. Without the Holy Ghost, everything was going to end with them. Oh, they would have lots to remember, and while He was with them their hearts burned within them, but they would be lost. To go back into the old system would not be possible. In their minds, it was over. It did not matter that He was so clear that He would send to them another Helper. They would not be without leading, they would not be without truth, and they would not be without knowing what is to come. It was to their advantage that Jesus should go. God the Holy Ghost would take up from where Jesus left off, and now they would know who Jesus was, is, and is to come.

Our lives are to be lived by the Holy Ghost leading us into the truth of knowing Him. We so often look for our circumstances changing rather than being led into the truth that is hidden in them. Jesus said He will take from Me and give to you. Not theology, not doctrine, but all things that pertain to life and godliness. He, the Holy Ghost, leads us INTO truth, which one could say is deeper into Jesus, who is the truth.

Paul writes,

…that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner self, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and height and depth… – Ephesians 3:16-18 NASB2020

May our comprehension take hold of and contain, to enlarge our capacity. This is what going wider, longer, higher, and deeper in Him means. He, the Holy Ghost comes, and will lead you into all truth! John prophesied, He, Jesus, will baptize you in the Holy Ghost and with fire, His truth is fire. Hallelujah to the Lamb!

-Keith Curlee