“However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth . . . .” John 16:13. When we read John 8:30-36, we can see what Jesus means by “the truth.” Jesus had spoken in such a way that many had come to believe in Him. They acknowledged the truth concerning Him—that He was God’s Son—but they did not want to acknowledge the truth about themselves. When Jesus wanted them to come to that acknowledgment, they became His enemies. “And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” V. 32. By saying this, Jesus also said that he who is a slave of sin has not known the truth. It is impossible to acknowledge the truth without being set free. Many people can acknowledge this truth that they are slaves of sin, but then they have many excuses; if nothing else they use the excuse that they have bad nerves. Such people do not acknowledge the truth. The truth is that “you are inexcusable, O man, whoever you are . . . .” Only by admitting this can you come to hate yourself; otherwise Jesus cannot set you free. All those who acknowledge the truth are set free. In Jesus’ time it was said, “Are we not Abraham’s children?” Now people say, “Are we not baptized and baptized in the Spirit and under the blood? We are free.” But Jesus’ reply is just as valid today: “Whoever commits sin is a slave of sin.” If all those who have been baptized in the Spirit and those who say they are under the blood were not slaves of sin, they would have fellowship, and there would be unity among them. To most of them Jesus would have to say today as in former times: “You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do.” V. 44. It doesn’t help anything if a person has experienced the baptism in the Holy Spirit if he cannot bear the Spirit as the Spirit of truth. Then the Spirit will soon leave him again. People want to have the Spirit for signs and wonders and wonderful feelings. All such people will be deceived if they do not want to have Him as the Spirit of truth. We live in the times before the revelation of the Antichrist, and now the mystery of lawlessness is active as never before. The coming of the lawless one will be according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, that they might perish who did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. 2 Thess. 2:9-12. The deception in which the masses of God’s people have ended up is terrible; they believe that they are God’s children and liberated Christians even as they live in sin and are conformed to this world. Yet they cannot bear to hear the truth, which is why they will be deceived. It is not just Satan who will deceive them, but God will send them strong delusion that they should believe the lie, that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness. Vs. 11-12. If you read books about the end times and about the Antichrist, thinking you have an understanding about these things, none of it will help you at all if you do not love the truth about yourself and acknowledge it. Therefore Paul praises God for the little flock that was chosen out for salvation through belief in the truth. V. 13. Only if we are faithful to the truth in love in all things can we grow up into Him who is the head. Eph. 4:15. May God give us great grace to know the truth, and great boldness to abide in the truth so He can use us for a revival to the truth in our land.Sigurd Bratlie

There are two areas in particular in which we are in dire need of revelation for the eternal benefit of ourselves and for others. 1) We need new light (revelation in the depths of our heart) concerning our own sin and wickedness and our great in sufficiency, despite all the grace and salvation of which we have partaken. We will be greatly benefited by viewing sin as exceedingly sinful, seeing that what we have reckoned as imperfections must rightly be called wickedness, and that what we have considered to be relatively small deficiencies are, nevertheless, proof of my wickedness. Unconscious wickedness clings to us. We are not properly rid of it as long as we are not aware of it. How profitable it is to have it revealed, for then I can be finished with it. 2) Next, we need great and many revelations about the height, width, length, and depth of how gloriously God can and will and must bless us with absolute certainty when we, as a consequence of these new revelations about our abundant wickedness, thoroughly cleanse ourselves from it. The words of Scripture concerning abundant and glorious blessings are very, very strong and comprehensive. According to standards that are usually used, they are fantastically strong, even fabulously strong! Nevertheless, they are true! Just read them! Read them carefully, and you will be very surprised! You will receive revelations!Elias Aslaksen