Q. Why is it, if Jesus takes away the sin of the world, are only His followers going to Heaven? What does the word, "world," mean in this verse?
A. The short answers is that Jesus' sacrificial death and bodily resurrection are valuable and powerful enough to take care of every sin by every person in the world. That is the potential. However, the sins of those who are actually taken away are the individuals who repent of their sin and receive Christ as their Savior and Lord and experience the new birth (John 3:3). While forgiveness may be offered to all, it must be received to be applied. It is not something that is automatic because it has a relational aspect as well as a judicial aspect. In answer to the second question, I believe that the word "world" would mean "all of humanity" in this context.
Q. If we are believers, is there a time when the Holy Spirit is not with us?
A. The Holy Spirit is always in us to some degree as believers. Jesus said this in John 14:16-18. Jesus said that the Spirit would be with us forever. This does not mean we cannot grieve and quench the Holy Spirit. We can certainly do that. This will hinder His working in our lives. The power of God will be limited by sin in one form or another. Remember He is the Holy Spirit.
Q. Why did Jesus have to return to the Father? Can only one person of the Trinity be separate from the other two at a time?
A. Jesus talks about this in John 16:7-11. There are actually reasons why Jesus needed to "depart" from them. Part of this reason for departure was His death on the cross, burial and resurrection. With out this, there would be no gospel to save us. He had to "depart" from them in death.
Second, he had to depart from them in his bodily presence.Here is why he needed to ascend. It was in order to send the "other" Helper. This other Helper would not be outside of them, as Jesus was, but would be "in" them. He would be in them in a way that was not possible before. I am not talking about their salvation because the disciples were already saved. If Peter or James or John had died before the Day of Pentecost that year, they would have still had heaven as a home. What Jesus is talking about and what I am talking about is power. The Spirit is the presence and power of Jesus in every disciple. Jesus had to ascend to "sit" at the right hand of the Father in order to accomplish this. Sitting at the right hand of the Father means that Jesus was on the throne. The Father gave all things to Jesus. Jesus is the control-center of all creation and rules from his throne in heaven. His role in heaven is also to intercede for us, on our behalf.
This does not have anything to do with the Spirit and Jesus, two members of the Trinity being in the same location together. It has to do with function, rule, roles and power. Jesus is now enthroned. The Holy Spirit is his presence here in his body, the church, doing His bidding to empower it to heal, destroy the works of Satan, to proclaim the good news and to enlarge the Kingdom of God. Isn't this exciting?
Posted on
Mon, April 16, 2012
by Jimmy Kinnaird
filed under