Introduction

Hello, everyone.

In the blink of an eye, we have come to the fifth message in Grace and Truth. Over these five messages, many people have been set free. This has far exceeded anything I asked for or imagined. Why? Because we lack truth within us. What, then, is truth? Truth is the law governing the development of spiritual things. Grace is a very important truth. Today, we come to the fifth message in Grace and Truth: The Spirit of Truth.

In the past, on our journey to know the truth, we may, knowingly or unknowingly, have misled our brothers and sisters. We thought that climbing the heights of truth was terribly difficult. Listen to one of Pastor Liu’s messages, and you would sweat and weep; you could collect the tears in a mineral-water bottle. Forget it.

Today, I want to apologise to you. I conveyed the wrong impression. To climb the spiritual heights, we depend on the Holy Spirit. To reach the heights of truth, we depend on the Holy Spirit.

Later, there was another detour. Do not let what I have said undermine your faith. You may say, “He is often wrong. Today he corrects himself again. We have followed him and gone round in a big circle.” Do not worry. Why not? Many people are still wandering at the foot of the mountain. We have already climbed up, and we will continue climbing. Do you understand? It is perfectly normal to make a few turns and take a few wrong paths from time to time. Why? Because this is how the Spirit of God leads us.

Then came a second, remarkable revelation. We used to think that there was only one route up Mount Everest. In fact, Mount Everest does not have only one route. You can ascend by different routes. Do you understand? The question is whether you can get up there.

Usually, when someone finds one route and climbs Mount Everest, he thinks he has achieved something great. But how much does he really understand about a mountain as high as Mount Everest? Very little. There are many extraordinary things about that mountain. The heights of truth are like Mount Everest. At every level, there is much truth. The truth of God fills every level, just as the waters fill the sea.

We must never think it is time for celebration merely because we have reached the summit. You came up by only one route. Every level is full of truth. Then what did I discover? I discovered that it is the Holy Spirit who leads us into truth. Why do we not engage in the knowledge of good and evil? Because the Holy Spirit leads us up one path, does He not? As for the other places—this room and that room—there are many keys.

You open one door and discover much. Then you open another door and discover much more. Within every level are thousands upon thousands of rooms and doors. Behind every door lies a store of precious treasures. Thank God that He has given me some self-knowledge. What I know is but one drop from the sea, one hair from nine oxen. What we know today is very shallow. There is still so much more.

Therefore, the Holy Spirit must lead us into truth. Today we are speaking about the Spirit of Truth. Brothers and sisters, do not drive yourselves mad, saying, “Why have I still not figured it out?” That is not how it works. It is the Holy Spirit who leads us into truth.

At this stage of the church, we suddenly discover: my goodness, grace and truth! We have spoken about grace, but within grace there are treasures upon treasures.

Why have so many brothers and sisters been set free in recent times? Because we have taught a truth—the truth of grace. Grace and truth are powerful indeed. Only truth can set people free. Yet grace, including the Holy Spirit leading us into truth, is all the grace of the Holy Spirit. It is not your achievement. It is the work of the Holy Spirit. Therefore, everything is grace.

It sounds easy to say this. Yet to summarise it in such a concise sentence—everything is grace—is no simple matter. Without the grace of God, without the leading of the Holy Spirit, how could we have summed it up so precisely? Is that not so?

I used to feel pleased with myself. I thought it was rather good. But what is there to boast about? We should humble ourselves. Was it not God who led you? If God had not led you, could you have understood it? You could not.

Therefore, brothers and sisters, there is no need to be anxious. No matter what spiritual level you are at, no matter what stage you are in, no matter how high you stand on the mountain of truth, you and I must still depend on the Holy Spirit to understand God’s word more deeply and to understand truth more fully. Let this grace continue to increase.

Recently, demons have begun to manifest. You see, in their manifestation, we have come to understand the truth concerning the manifestation of demons.

Do you know that if they do not manifest, demons cannot be driven out? Let me tell you: when Jesus Christ was still an infant, Mary carried Him into the temple. There was an old man named Simeon. When Simeon saw Jesus, he saw a little baby. The baby knew nothing. He was just a tiny lump of flesh, was he not? Fair and chubby. A child at that age could not even call his mother.

Yet Simeon said, “My goodness, I have seen salvation!” We are puzzled. He saw a baby, yet he saw salvation. He said something especially good: “This child is appointed to reveal the hidden thoughts of many hearts.” Of course, he said other things as well, but let us focus on this: the hidden things of the heart are revealed.

How are they revealed? Let me tell you, I thank God greatly for this.

People care very much about sleep. How are the hidden things revealed? “Pastor, I cannot sleep.”

I say, “Then you cannot sleep.”

“But if I cannot sleep, my heart races. My whole body trembles.”

There you have it. Have the hidden things of the heart been revealed? They have.

What do we do after they are revealed? I speak to the person. After I have spoken, he seems to understand, yet not fully. The next day, he starts struggling again. On the third day, he struggles again. Then I say, “Ah, now I understand. There is no faith inside.”

Before this, the person standing before me seemed full of faith. When ministering to others, he could speak for three hours without repeating himself. He appeared most impressive. But when insomnia comes, that is all man amounts to, is it not?

It does not count when you can move your bowels. It counts when you cannot. When you cannot, all your strength is useless. Some say, “Pastor, my child has not moved his bowels for five months.” Well, then all your talk counts for nothing. You cannot exert any strength.

Do you understand? How can you force it? Can you even urinate? Some people cannot even urinate. It may sound funny. When you can sleep, that does not count. When you cannot sleep, that is when it counts. Have the hidden things of the heart been revealed? They have. That is all you are capable of.

When you were shepherding others, you went on and on, and people thought you were impressive. But now you cannot manage, can you? Of course, even with these weaknesses, you may still be effective when you shepherd others and go on speaking. That is still useful.

So, brothers and sisters, we must know that manifestation is a truth. When there is manifestation, it is good.

“Pastor, I cannot sleep, and you still say it is good?”

Yes, it is good. The demon can no longer hide.

Then a voice begins to speak within: “Why can you not sleep? Because you indulge the flesh too much.”

“Oh, I indulge the flesh too much.”

That is it. There is no truth in it.

Then the person says, “I must put the flesh to death.” He struggles with this for an hour, and the more he prays, the more troubled he becomes.

“Pastor, why do I become more troubled the more I pray?”

What are you praying for?

“I want to put my flesh to death.”

Is that truth? No, it is not. It is the Holy Spirit who puts to death the evil deeds of your flesh. Moreover, before your flesh has been put to death, God still gives you grace. If you have to put the flesh to death before you can sleep, forget it. You may as well sleep slowly in your coffin. Then you need never wake up.

Is that not nonsense? Since when was putting to death the evil deeds of the flesh your job? This is the truth.

I tell you, say to that demon: “While we were still sinners, Jesus Christ died for us, and He died on the cross.”

Good. The demon comes again. You tell it to get out: “Jesus Christ died for us. In this, God’s love is made manifest.”

The demon is exposed. Then it says, “You must put your flesh to death!”

But the demon is exposed again, and you sleep very well. Has the flesh been put to death? Not yet.

Why? Because it is the work of the Holy Spirit. Is the Holy Spirit not putting it to death? Is that not what this entire process is about? Is He not destroying the worldly system of logic within you? If you could sleep well and eat well all the time, how would He destroy the worldly system of logic within you? How would He put to death the evil deeds of your flesh? Do you understand now? This is truth.

I thank God. The revelation I receive from God is effective, because I speak God’s word.

Then it comes again: “I do not live by sleep. I do not live by food. I live by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God!”

The demon is exposed again.

The demon comes and says, “You have to eat. If you do not sleep, how will you work tomorrow? You should rest for a while.”

One sister said something even more interesting: “You need to eat something, so that you will have strength to fight demons.”

After hearing this, I said, “What kind of talk is this?” Jesus fasted and prayed for forty days and forty nights. He did not say, “Eat something first, so that you will have strength to fight demons.” I was deeply struck. What kind of talk is this? Eat something to have strength to fight demons? You may have a little strength, but spiritual warfare does not depend on that.

This past week, I passed five barriers and slew six generals. I was like a general on horseback, with a bright silver spear in hand, taking the heads of enemy commanders on the battlefield as easily as reaching into a bag. What did I depend on? The Holy Spirit and truth. I depended on grace. It was powerful indeed.

One came, and one fell. That old horse was beaten until it groaned. Last night, during prayer, a young shepherd asked me, “Pastor, why is it groaning?”

I said, “That old horse is groaning. It has lost the battle. What else can it do?”

So, standing at our present spiritual height, we understand that manifestation is the key to deliverance. If there is no manifestation, when will you ever rise to a higher level?

Look at your present condition: your muscles are strained, your legs hurt, your backside hurts, your waist is weak, your cervical spine is giving you trouble, your mind is not working very well, and your eyes are not working very well either. Yet even so, you often hold your head high and think you are quite good.

Without these things, if I were to say, “Sister, you need to know the truth,” she would say, “What? You do not like the look of me? You alone know the truth? What is wrong with me?”

Therefore, when people have problems, I thank God. Am I watching a joke? No. I am watching deliverance. I am watching the devil’s joke. I am watching the devil being defeated.

My goodness, look at how often we have gone astray.

“Pastor, whenever I pray, I get a headache.”

Exactly. That is how it is. When you pray, your head hurts; then the pain moves about, now here and now there. Good. Without the Holy Spirit, could it move?

I have several classic statements:

“Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.”

It is effective.

“While we were still sinners, Jesus Christ died for us, and He died on the cross. In this, God’s love has been made manifest to us.”

The demon loses its power, does it not?

How did I come to know this? Let me tell you: by the Holy Spirit. Do you think I am impressive? I am not. But I seek. The Holy Spirit is powerful.

Later, I came to feel that everything is grace. To climb the spiritual heights, we depend on the Holy Spirit. To put to death the evil deeds of our flesh, we depend on the Holy Spirit. To know the truth and cast out demons, we need the Holy Spirit.

How does Scripture put it? “Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit.” What a good summary, is it not?

Later, I came to see one thing clearly in my ministry: the Spirit of God is especially effective in ministry.

“Pastor, I cannot sleep.”

“Pray: God, let me sleep. Spirit of insomnia, get out. I want to sleep.”

Does that work? No.

Why not? Why ask for that? We do not live by sleep. We seek truth. We seek the Spirit of Truth. The Holy Spirit leads us into truth.

Truth is like a key that opens a door. Inside are precious treasures. Take out one treasure, hold it up, and the demon is exposed.

You ask for healing: “Lord, heal me.” Why ask for that? Seek the Spirit of Truth, then carefully keep and obey God’s word.

Why can you not sleep? Because you have violated God’s word. When you violate God’s word, you come under a curse. Yet God still gives you grace, so that He may deliver you from the curse.

What is the key? Let me tell you: the key is that you desire to carefully keep and obey God’s word.

There is no use asking for sleep. There is no use asking for healing. There is no use asking for money. There is no use asking for anything. It is meaningless to ask for smooth work and a successful career. You must ask for the Spirit of Truth.

The Bible tells us this plainly. Jesus said it clearly: if earthly fathers know how to give good things to their children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him?

Do you understand?

I once taught that I suffered greatly while fighting demons on the plain of the knowledge of good and evil. Later, the Spirit of God led me to climb the spiritual heights. When I got up there, it felt wonderful. We Northeastern Chinese like to say, “It feels terrific.” That expresses it fully.

When you climb the spiritual heights, it is truly good, because you know the truth. Why are demons exposed when they come to me? Because I have God’s word within me. Otherwise, why not try it someday? Just those few statements I use are highly effective. Those few statements alone have already brought down many demons.

When I see brothers and sisters set free, I feel wonderful. To see brothers and sisters released from bondage—what joy! We now come to the fifth message in Grace and Truth: The Spirit of Truth.

No longer will you struggle and strain by your own effort. The Holy Spirit will lead you. You must depend on the Holy Spirit. Everything is God’s grace. It is not because you shed blood and sweat. It is because of the Holy Spirit. It is because Jesus Christ shed His blood.

Scripture

“If you love Me, you will keep My commandments. And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever—the Spirit of Truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him. But you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. In a little while, the world will see Me no more, but you will see Me. Because I live, you also will live. On that day, you will know that I am in My Father, and you are in Me, and I am in you. Whoever has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me. The one who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I too will love him and reveal Myself to him.” Judas said to Jesus, “Lord, why do You intend to reveal Yourself to us and not to the world?” Jesus answered, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word. My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him. Whoever does not love Me does not keep My words. The words you hear are not Mine, but belong to the Father who sent Me.”
(John 14:15–24)

Prayer

Lord, grant us grace today. Grant us the Spirit of truth. This is a great grace: to lead us into all truth, to help us understand Your word, and to know how precious Your truth is. We know that You are our way, our truth, and our life.

God, grant us the Spirit of truth today. Let us keep swimming in this ocean of truth and climbing the heights of truth. Let us truly understand Your word and Your will, and let us keep and obey them. God, we long to know You more. Lead us today, that we may know You more. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen!

Background of the Scripture

This old John lived a long life, well into his nineties. An old man has seen much. He witnessed with his own eyes the corruption of the Jerusalem church, brought about by James, Peter, and the others. He also saw how firmly the churches established by the Apostle Paul held to the pure gospel. He saw every sort of church condition and every conceivable variation.

By his old age, Peter had likely died, Paul had died, yet old John was still in this world, carrying the banner of the gospel and pressing on. Old in years, but not old at heart. Then he saw that people’s understanding of grace had gone badly off course. Do not assume that things were good in John’s time. The devil had been at work from the days of Adam, Eve, and Cain, through Moses, through Jesus Christ, and through the Apostle Paul. He never stopped corrupting the church and corrupting people.

Old John saw this clearly: once people spoke of grace, they discarded truth; once they spoke of truth, they lost grace. The devil is truly vicious. Then, the moment people wanted the Holy Spirit, they began praying, assuming that this was the great thing. But it is not so.

Let me tell you: prayer in tongues and interpretation of tongues are often handled in the most absurd way in churches. People pray in tongues, interpret tongues, and do all kinds of things. What exactly are they doing? Old John’s heart ached. They had twisted everything out of shape. Brothers and sisters, have you noticed this? The moment you start handling these things, they go crooked. Is that not strange?

It is sobering. So, at this point, old John wrote another Gospel. After the Gospels of Matthew, Luke, and Mark, in his very old age, John recalled what Jesus had said to him. Why had he not understood it then? Let me tell you: they all heard it. After Jesus spoke, He asked, “Do you understand?” They replied, “We understand.” Jesus said nothing. He merely looked at them. Understand what?

Why are the accounts in Matthew and Luke so different from that in John? Much of what they heard then, they did not understand. Why was John’s account different from the first three Gospels? Because John spoke of being “full of grace and truth.” Many matters that troubled the church at that time were made plain in the Gospel of John.

Do we need grace? Of course we do. Do we need truth? Of course we do. Grace came through Jesus Christ, did it not? And truth—do we need it? Yes. Yet many people bury themselves in libraries, thinking they can find truth there. That will not do. Truth comes by the Spirit of truth. Our heavenly Father will give us a Helper, the Spirit of truth. People are interesting. In one stroke, this makes grace and truth clear.

During this period, we have continually emphasised grace and truth. Today, we speak again of the Spirit of truth. Is the work of the Spirit of truth your work? No, it is God’s work. So why boast because you know the truth? There is no need to strut about. It is the Holy Spirit who leads you into the knowledge of truth. In the end, it is all grace, is it not?

The moment we speak of truth, we easily turn to works-based thinking. The moment we speak of grace, we indulge the flesh. Have we not gone crooked again? By John’s time, healing and deliverance in the church had lost its power. But if we preach according to old John’s teaching, I tell you, the power to cast out demons is tremendous.

Then John suddenly remembered something, and he wrote the Gospel of John. John made the matter of loving God very clear. Old John liked to speak about whether one loved God or did not love God. Grace and truth are God’s work. But the question is: do we truly love God? It is not a matter of saying, “I want wealth, so I come to church.” God has brought you to church so that you may long for His truth. Do you understand?

Old John recalled an incident that the other Gospels did not record. Only John’s Gospel contains it: the conversation between Jesus and Peter. At that time, people did not want to record it. Why? Because Peter was still alive. While Peter was alive, people did not want to bring it up. You had to give Peter some face, did you not? But this time John thought: Peter has finally died. I no longer need to preserve his reputation. So he told the story in which Jesus asked, “Do you love Me?”

Do you know why? Because Peter was quite muddled. After Jesus rose from the dead and appeared to them, Peter took the brothers fishing. Gospel or no gospel, kingdom of heaven or no kingdom, resurrection or no resurrection—let us go fishing. We still have to eat tomorrow. Then he fell in love with fish. Jesus had once said, “I will make you fishers of men.” Forget it. Better to catch fish. So they went out to sea to catch fish.

But once they went fishing, God made sure they caught nothing. Is this not like many of our brothers and sisters? They love money, and they keep loving it until they have no money left. Peter loved fish. What kind of mind is that? Even when you fall in love, you cannot fall in love with fish. They fished until they were dejected. If they had been hauling in net after net of fish, they would have gone to the fish market the next day. Forget Jesus. The fish market, with its pungent smell, would have seemed much more attractive.

But they caught nothing. Peter was furious: “I am a professional fisherman. Why do these fish run far away the moment they see me?” If God makes the fish flee, what can you do? Then Jesus stood on the shore and said, “Cast the net on that side.” They did so and caught one hundred and fifty-three fish. Then Jesus grilled fish for them. After they had eaten, He said, “Peter, do you love Me more than these?”

Only moments earlier, Peter had loved fish. Only moments earlier, he had been thinking, “Forget it.” That was Peter. He was calculating: sell the fish at the market, then the brothers can go out for a good meal. But Jesus was deeply grieved. Let me tell you, John had watched Peter’s life unfold before his eyes. Being beside him, could John not have known what Peter was like? So he wrote it down.

“Peter, do you love Me more than you love fish?” “Lord, I love You.” Jesus must have thought, “Forget it. If I had not prevented you from catching fish, and then later allowed you to catch them, who knows where you would be now?” “Do you love Me?” He asked again. “Lord, I love You.” Jesus said, “Forget it.” The third time: “Peter, do you love Me?” “Lord, You know that I love You.”

Let me tell you, Peter would have been better off not saying that. Brothers and sisters, you must understand this: if one day you hear the Lord Jesus ask, “Do you love Me?” that is a very weighty question. Say instead, “Lord, I do not seem to love You very much. Help me.” Do you understand? “Help me.” Do not pretend.

Peter was an expert at pretending. Even in Paul’s time, Peter was still playing that game. Old John saw it all. Could he not have understood? “Ah, my leader, our elder brother”—he was an expert at falsehood. Let me tell you, this sort of pleasing talk makes people like you, but the words are not true. It is detestable.

So old John once again addressed these troubles from a theological foundation. The foundation must be this: love God. Do you love God? If you want life, come to Jesus. If you want to walk a glorious path, Jesus is that path. If you want to live out the image of God, Jesus has the truth. If you want to live a proper and glorious life—a life glorious as God is glorious—Jesus has life.

Jesus also has the grace of the Holy Spirit. Old John dealt decisively with these matters. Let me tell you, it is exceedingly painful when the Spirit of God leaves a person. Once God’s Spirit leaves a person, as with Saul, demons come. Therefore, love God all your life. Since you have told God, “God, I love You,” then mean it.

If Jesus asks, “Do you love Me?” do not let your mouth outrun your mind and say at once, “Lord, I love You.” If you truly love Him, why would Jesus need to ask you that question? He would not ask it. Do you understand? We must often ask ourselves: “Do I love God?”

Let me tell you, to whom does God give the Holy Spirit? The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of truth. Whom does He lead? He leads those who love God. Never assume that a pastor who establishes a church necessarily loves God. Not necessarily. Perhaps he loves fish. Fish can be sold at the market and turned into cash. Today, there are so many among us who love money. It is deeply troubling.

So what is the background of this passage? Old John witnessed these things and recalled the Lord Jesus’ teaching. That was why he wrote as he did. He clearly recorded the Lord Jesus’ profound teaching before His crucifixion. What did Jesus teach? Our heavenly Father will give the Spirit of truth. He does not give Him to everyone. He gives Him to those who love God.

You see, when I was first establishing the church, I learned something from Paul. Paul said, “I pray in tongues more than all of you.” Recently I discovered that serving people is particularly effective. A little serving has greatly increased the amount of time I pray in tongues. At that time, I had no money, no people, nothing at all—except time. Since I had time, I knelt down to pray.

In those days, we all prayed on our knees. Each person had a prayer mat, just as Paul did in the early church. We prayed and sought God. Let me give you the clearest example. There were many things I did not understand. I read Genesis and did not understand it. Many people finish reading it and think they understand. They are like the disciples Jesus led. Jesus asked, “Do you understand?” They replied, “We understand.” But Jesus thought, “Forget it.”

I read Genesis and did not understand it. I knew every word. I understood every sentence. But did I truly understand it? Put them all together, and I did not understand. I said, “What is this talking about? In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.” After reading it, I thought, “What is this? What does it mean?” Why? Because I truly loved God, and I truly wanted to understand how to keep and obey His word. I truly wanted to understand how to put this word into practice. If I could not practise even the first sentence of the Bible, then what was the point?

So I prayed. Then the Spirit of God—the Spirit of truth—came and led me into truth. It was truly a dialogue. Let me tell you, I was astonished. Those who have heard my lessons before know how this dialogue took place. But to make this message more complete, let me say a little more.

I said, “God, I cannot understand it. I know every word, and I understand every sentence, but when they are put together, I do not know. I do not know how to practise it.” Is that not a powerful statement? Why? Because loving God means keeping and obeying God’s word. Yet I had already gone wrong at the very first sentence.

Then God’s word came to me. He said, “This word can be practised. You were made in My image. Therefore, what I do, you do also.”

I said, “But surely I cannot create the heavens and the earth again?”

God’s word said, “What I do, you do also. I do something great; you do something small.”

I asked again, “But how do I do it? I cannot create the heavens and the earth.”

He said, “People often face conditions of emptiness and chaos. You must let My Spirit move there. You must declare with your mouth: ‘Let there be light. Let there be hope.’ Then there will be light in that place.”

My goodness! Let me tell you, Genesis chapters one, two, three, and four are treasures beyond measure. You need not concern yourself with anything else. If you carefully study what I have taught on Genesis chapters one through five, you too will become formidable. To whom is the revelation of the Holy Spirit made known? To those who long to practise God’s word. God gives them the Spirit of truth. Do you understand?

If you love God, you will keep His commandments. You will long to practise His word, and God will give you the Spirit of truth. Then old John remembered: “Ah, Peter did not understand Genesis either, because he could not read.” Only then did John begin to understand that this was the matter. The Spirit of truth is not given to the world. The Spirit of truth is given to those who long to keep and obey God’s word.

As for the healing and deliverance in our church, and among our brothers and sisters, I tell you, I often weep inwardly. When I see brothers and sisters like this, my heart weeps. Why? The reason is simple. I know that what God requires of us is to do justly and love mercy.

Recently, I received a great deliverance. Do you know what a great deliverance is? I came to know that I must still rely on the Holy Spirit. My anxiety is useless. I must work together with God. As we taught the series Grace and Truth, many people received deliverance. The Holy Spirit teaches us all things and brings to our remembrance the words Jesus Christ spoke. Do you understand? This was written by old John. He remembered! John’s Gospel is full of grace and truth.

Let me tell you, the Gospel of John is lofty. The Gospel written by old John stands at a level far above the first three Gospels. The Lord Jesus once again set an example for us. What did He say? He said, “I love God, but I do this so that the world may know that I love the Father, and that I do exactly as the Father commanded Me. Rise, let us go.” Then He went to be crucified.

How powerful this is. Love God. Whatever God tells us to do, that is what we do. This was what old John remembered.

So let me tell you this: if you want to seek a way—a way of life—you must begin with the truth of God. Let me explain the background of this passage. This is wonderful! This time, Jesus did not simply say, “Forget it.” Our heavenly Father will not say, “Forget it,” either. Our heavenly Father sits upon His throne and tells us: God loves us, and He will surely lead us into continual victory!

Brothers and sisters, you will be my great comfort. One after another, you will overcome the old horse and become those who ride white horses. God’s purpose will be fulfilled in us. Our tears will not have been shed in vain. Every one of us will become a victorious soldier. Amen? Our names will all be recorded in heaven.

In the days to come, we will reign with Jesus Christ. We will no longer merely be asking for healing, asking for victory, or asking for truth. Are you glad? In fact, I have suffered for many years. But today, I have been set free. For God is moving in our generation, in this season, at this stage, to lead the whole church into another breakthrough! Every one of us shall become a victorious soldier.

The Lord Jesus Is the Way, the Truth, and the Life

At this point, Jesus was about to be crucified. The disciples seemed to understand, yet they did not understand. Jesus said to them, “I am leaving you. You know where I am going, and you know the way.”

Then Thomas said to Jesus, “Lord, we do not know where You are going. How can we know the way?”

Thomas! I wonder whether Jesus’ heart was breaking at that moment. He had followed Me for more than three years, and he still knew nothing.

“Lord, where are You going? What are You going to do? Where is Your way?” He was completely confused.

Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. If you know Me, you know My Father also. From now on, you know Him and have seen Him.”

Thomas was still confused. Let Thomas take his time. Perhaps later, the Holy Spirit would lead him into this truth.

In fact, to truly understand these words is not difficult, yet it is very difficult. It was only in old John’s time that John understood what Jesus meant when He said that He was the way, the truth, and the life. Why? Because by then, the Spirit of truth had led John to say, “Ah, now I understand!” He deliberately wrote about Thomas. By then Thomas was gone, so there was no need to spare his feelings.

Then Philip said, “Lord, show us the Father, and that will be enough for us.”

Jesus said to him, “Philip, I have been with you for so long, and yet you do not know Me? Whoever has seen Me has seen the Father. How then can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?”

Jesus’ heart was bleeding. Was it not? Thank God! God gives us the Spirit of truth. “You do not understand now, but I will ask the Father, and He will give you the Spirit of truth, who will be with you forever.”

I believe that if a person wants to walk out a way of life, he must have truth. And if he has truth, he must have the Holy Spirit. Only with the Holy Spirit can we be led onto the way of Jesus. Do you know why our vision and mission are so good? They are called, “Imitating Jesus Christ.” Why? Because He is our way. That is our way. Our way is simple: how Jesus walked, that is how we walk. Is that not plain enough?

In the early days of our church, we had this saying: “What Jesus did, they do not do. What Jesus did not do, they do plenty of.” This is not something I began saying today. More than ten years ago, when I had just begun building the church, I said the same thing. Many people put labels on me: “What? You think only you are right?”

In truth, I was not doing everything right then either. I was in tears and distress. But thank God, after all these years, to imitate Jesus Christ and to imitate the apostle Paul—that is our way. What Jesus did, we do properly. What Jesus did not do, let it go. All those things Jesus did not do—forget them. Thank God!

This truly is the way. It is not merely a way; it is the way of truth and the way of life. To live like Jesus was our longing in the earliest years. We longed to be like Jesus. No matter how many people poured cold water on me and said, “You? Like Jesus? A toad wanting to eat swan meat!” So what? Even if I was a toad, I still wanted to be like Jesus. What is wrong with that? At that time, I truly was like a toad. But God did not despise me. God did not despise me. Even though I was like a toad, God did not despise me, because within me was a longing to love God and to do what Jesus did.

Believe Because of What Jesus Did

What did Jesus say? Jesus said, “Believe Me! I am in the Father, and the Father is in Me. But if you do not believe Me, believe because of the works themselves.”

Today, brothers and sisters, as we read the four Gospels, we see what Jesus Christ did. What Jesus Christ did is what our heavenly Father does—full of grace and truth. When He saw people like sheep without a shepherd, His heart was moved. Jesus had compassion on them.

The fact that we do not imitate Jesus well is a matter of shame in our hearts. In the early days, even when someone had a fever, we would pray until it felt as though we were coughing up blood. We truly did not look like Jesus. Yet we longed for it. We longed deeply to climb up from a very rough and crude beginning. God has abundant grace and mercy. Believe in Him because of what Jesus did! Why should we do what Jesus did? Because Jesus said, “What I have done, you shall also do.” Today, these words ring in our ears once again.

Have you truly seen what Jesus did? If what Jesus did was to make the blind see, the lame walk, lepers cleansed, and the dead raised to life, do you know that our God is such a God? This is the gospel! The captives are set free, and the oppressed are liberated. When we see what Jesus did, we see that He was full of grace.

Sometimes, when I see brothers and sisters living under bondage, I deeply long for them to be set free. Sometimes I want to build up their faith. Menstrual pain was healed; everyone I prayed for was healed. In fact, that is what happened. Have you seen what Jesus did? Do you long to do what Jesus did? That is real faith!

What we believe in is this: Jesus did such things. We believe in a God who gives people hope, in a Jesus who gives people hope, in a God who causes us to have hope! Begin to readjust yourselves. Love the world no longer. You may say, “I cannot help loving the world.” Then it is the demon within you that loves the world. Cast it out! Love money no longer. Indulge the flesh no longer. If you say, “I indulge my flesh,” that is all right. The Holy Spirit will give you grace to put it to death. The Holy Spirit will help you. Do you truly desire this? Do you truly desire to live out the image of God? Then believe in Him because of what Jesus Christ did. Is this not so? This is real faith.

If you ask me, “Do you really have the truth?” I do not know whether I have the truth. But because what I do is what Jesus did, you should believe this gospel. Amen?

What the Lord Did, We Must Also Do

Do you know what Peter did later? Many strange things happened in the church. As the church went on, it gradually removed casting out demons altogether. Once, I met an old pastor. He said to me, “Ah, it has been a long time since I cast out demons—at least several years.”

In those years, they were like Jesus. Now they are no longer like Him. In those years, they did what Jesus did. In these years, they no longer do it.

Do you not find this absurd? Why did they stop? Because they are too busy with church affairs. Busy—but was that what Jesus did? Did Jesus hire a secretary? Did He set up church administration? No. Church administration has been distorted and led astray.

Therefore, brothers and sisters, what the Lord Jesus did, we do. I said this many years ago: what the Lord Jesus did, we do well; what the Lord Jesus did not do, let it go. It may be done, or it may not be done. Do you understand?

There are many strange teachings today. Once, a person with rheumatoid arthritis, whose whole body was in pain, came to pray with me and was set free. After he was set free, he drove many hours to come and see me. I happened to be in another place, and he came there. Since they had travelled so far, I invited them to eat.

I said, “Let us open a bottle of wine.”

He said, “No, we cannot. Our elder would object if we drank wine.”

I said, “That is strange. Jesus drank wine.” Do you know that Jesus drank wine? He drank wine. Not only did He drink wine; He turned water into wine. Is this Christianity? Is this like Jesus?

Of course, what I mean is that whether you drink or do not drink is not important. What did Jesus do? He set captives free and liberated the oppressed! Have we done that?

Therefore, brothers and sisters, when I lead you in prayer, please cooperate with me a little. Whether you are healed or not healed, let me know after the prayer. Do you hear me? Do not say that only when you are sick should we care. Even when a little dog in our household is sick, my tears are about to fall. If a person’s heart is too hard, he cannot serve God. A person’s heart must be soft. In fact, our God—our God’s heart is exceedingly soft. He is full of tenderness.

He is full of grace and truth. Our God is not a cruel taskmaster. Every day, our God longs for us to turn back to Him, to obtain and find the way of life, to receive truth and life. Can you do all these things on your own? Without the Holy Spirit, you cannot.

God Will Give the Spirit of Truth

If you are to do what the Lord did, can you do it without the Holy Spirit? If you do not know the truth, can you do what the Lord Jesus did? You cannot.

If you want to be a shoemaker, you do not need the truth of the Bible. You may do many other things. But if you want to do what Jesus did, is that not difficult? Therefore, the Lord Jesus said that the heavenly Father would give the Spirit of truth. Why did He not simply say that He would give the Holy Spirit? Why did He say, “the Spirit of truth”? Because without truth, you cannot cast out demons.

If you want to fight demons, you must have a weapon in your hand. This weapon is called truth. How can you know these truths? It is by relying on the Spirit of truth to lead you into truth.

When we came to know the word of God, especially in the early days of building the church, it was truly the Spirit of God leading us step by step. It was not because I was capable. I knew my own limitations. I was merely a toad wanting to eat swan meat. I was not even fit to be called a dog; I was like a pile of dung.

But I greatly desired to build God’s glorious church. I did not want to see brothers and sisters suffering under bondage. Though there were many challenges, I continued to long for it. Thank God! The Spirit of truth led us step by step.

It was simply that we had too many preconceived ideas within us, and therefore it took many years before we came out of them. But it does not matter. Let the past be past. Today, let us put our faith in order. We must know this: putting the flesh to death is the work of the Holy Spirit; knowing the truth is the work of the Holy Spirit. This is all grace! The Spirit of truth is a great grace.

The Holy Spirit Will Teach Us All Things

John 14:25–26 says:

“These things I have spoken to you while I am still with you. But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.”

I have experienced this deeply: the Holy Spirit teaches us.

Over the past years, studying the Bible was a very difficult matter. We could not understand it. We knew every word, and we could repeat every sentence, yet we did not know what it meant. It was most strange. Thank God, the Holy Spirit leads us! The Holy Spirit will bring to our remembrance all that the Lord Jesus said.

That one statement alone is enough to occupy us: the Lord Jesus said, “What I have done, you shall also do.” After reading it, we still did not quite understand. What did the Lord Jesus do? The Lord Jesus healed the sick and cast out demons. The Lord Jesus trained disciples. Is that not so?

Today, when I think about it, I realise that many years ago, when I first believed in the Lord, I read the Bible for many years. After reading it, I seemed to understand, yet I did not understand. John wrote these things because Matthew had left out many details. Why could they not remember? Then, in old John’s day, he suddenly remembered and understood. Is that not so? This lets us see that the Holy Spirit is at work in us.

When we do what the Lord Jesus did, we truly understand. We remember what Jesus Christ taught us; we put His words into practice and carry them out. When things come to pass, then we can believe in such a gospel. Do you understand?

When we put it into practice—for example, recently, as I cast out demons, I gradually came to see: “Ah, so that is how it is.” As I continued casting out demons: “Ah, that is what it is about.” When things are accomplished, because the Holy Spirit teaches us little by little, we begin to see.

Conclusion

The Lord Jesus said this:

“I will no longer speak much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming. He has nothing in Me.”

We must imitate Jesus. If you can imitate Him in healing the sick and casting out demons, you can receive the Spirit of truth and let Him lead you into all truth. But these words carry great weight: the ruler of this world has nothing in us. We no longer speak merely human words, nor do we speak demonic words.

Then you will discover that you can pass through every barrier and overcome every enemy. In the spiritual realm, you can trample upon the enemy. You will have a name in the spiritual world. When demons hear your name, they will tremble. The ruler of this world was coming to crucify Jesus Christ, but he had nothing in Jesus. That is victory.

If we are to imitate Jesus Christ, the best imitation is to offer ourselves to God. Walk the road that the Lord Jesus Christ walked. You must have such a resolve. You may not necessarily do it, and no one may actually want to crucify you, but you must have such a resolve.

When the ruler of this world has nothing in us, we are not merely being delivered from bondage; we deliver others from bondage. It is by the Spirit of God that things are accomplished. It is not by might, nor by power, but by the Spirit of God that things are accomplished. You cannot do it, but the Spirit of God can help you. Amen! May God bless you all!