Today, part of my reading was in John 14. In verse 22, Judas, not Iscariot, ask how Jesus will manifest himself to them, and not to the world. This is a very interesting question. We know that Jesus is not manifest to the world; not all the world will know Jesus. What does this mean?
First, we need to think about the word manifest. Manifest means to make known. The question is, how will Jesus make himslef known to believers, but not unto the world?
The answer is really simple. Jesus says, He and the Father will make their abode with those to whom He is making himself known. What Jesus means by making His abode, is a staying or abiding, a dwelling with. The KJV New Testament Greek Lexicon says it is a metaphor for God the Holy Spirit indwelling believers. So, Jesus will manifest himself to them by sending the Holy Spirit to dwell with them.
Jesus also answers the question of how the believer will know the Holy Spirit is dwelling in them. The Holy Spirit will lead the believer to love the Father and keep His Words. Actually, Jesus states a very important point in the verses before verse 22. He that hath my commandments and keepth them, He it is that loveth me. We can know that the Father and Son are dwelling with us because the Holy Spirit is leading us to keep the commandments of God. The Spirit will not lead us to forsake the commandments, but follow them. He will not lead us to disobedience, but obedience.
Jesus makes himself manifest through the person of the Holy Spirit. We know He is with us through the leadership of the Spirit. This is how Jesus manifests himself to the believer and not the entire world. The whole world does not know him. He is not manifest to the whole world. He is manifest to only those with whom He abides.
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