[Jn]3:33=RECEIVE, [Jn]6:66=REJECT

"For God so loved the kosmos He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever WILL RECEIVE Him..."-(Jn3:16)

John 16:8-13 "And when he is come, he will reprove (convince & convict) the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: Of sin, because they believe not on (would not RECEIVE) me; Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more; Of judgment, because the prince of this world (Satan) is judged. I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot BEAR (to RECEIVE) them now. Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into ALL truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come."

1Cor 3:2,3 "I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to BEAR (to RECEIVE) it, neither yet now are ye able. For ye are yet carnal:..."

THE sin Jesus refers to here as the "sin of sins", (to "blaspheme the Holy Spirit"), means to call Him ["make-Him", or to "prove-Him" {by your life} to be] a liar! He is, after all, the "SPIRIT of TRUTH", so THE sin that is unforgivable, is to reject the "Reproof" [Instruction, Discipline, Guidence] of the Holy Spirit as to the sinfulness of the world (and the flesh), and His Testimony of the Righteousness of Jesus Christ, and the Judgment of Satan! [This is "taking the Lord's Name {Character} in VAIN"]

Mk 3:28,29 "Verily I say unto you, All sins shall be forgiven unto the sons of men, and blasphemies wherewith soever they shall blaspheme: But he that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost hath never forgiveness, but is in danger of eternal damnation:"

And further, in Lk 12:8-10 "Also I say unto you, Whosoever shall confess me before men, him shall the Son of man also confess before the angels of God: But he that denieth me before men shall be denied before the angels of God. And whosoever shall speak a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but unto him that blasphemeth against the Holy Ghost it shall not be forgiven."

Jesus specifies that "blaspheme" is exclusively the rejection of the Testimony, Teaching, Guidance, Discipline & Reproof of the Holy Spirit of Truth! He even marks a distinction between "speaking a word against" HIM and "blaspheming" the Holy Spirit!

But back to the point of "bearing" means "receiving" and not "rejecting": Both Jesus and the Apostle Paul indicate the mandatory necessity of spiritual maturity as an absolute pre-requisite for "bearing" or "receiving" and not "rejecting" the Testimony of Truth, or the "Meat" of the Gospel (i.e, "world- sin///Christ-Righteousness///Satan's-judgment").

The real test, then (that proves the true condition of the heart of a man), is whether or not he can "bear testimony" to (receive & not reject) the Gospel of Jesus Christ! And not just part, but the full Gospel. [I am NOT a "de-nomen-ational-ist"]

Jn 3:18-21 "He that believeth on (truly receives) him is not condemned: but he that believeth not (rejects Him) is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name (God's Testimony) of the only begotten Son of God. And THIS is the condemnation, that light (God's Word-Incarnate) is come into the world (kosmos), and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil (they had too much to lose). For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved (and he must give them up). But he that doeth truth (hears & obeys God) cometh to (& receives) the light, (so) that his deeds may be made manifest (exposed, examined, tested, proved accepted or crucified by God), (so) that they (which remain) are (have been) wrought (made) in (by) God."

After all, what else do we think Jesus meant by these words? It seems clear the primary reason God considered David "a man after My Own Heart" was summed up in his prayers as Ps 139:1-10 "{To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David.} O LORD, thou hast searched me, and known me. Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off. Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways. For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O LORD, thou knowest it altogether. Thou hast beset me behind and before, and laid thine hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain unto it. Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence? If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there. If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me."

Only a man "after God's Heart" as David was can truly "Ask!, Seek! & Knock!", as Jesus commanded us. There was a good reason why David asked God Ps 139:23,24 "Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting."

Why would any man asks such things from God unless he knew that ONLY God could purify what he now knew and was convinced was a heart lost to sin without such Divine correction?

But Jesus makes it clear that only such a repentant heart can "receive" ("bear") such conviction. Indeed, it is not only the Merciful Mission of Conviction (leading us to Repentance) which is the Holy Spirit's Goal, but also the Comforting Correction Which Heals that which has been Circumcised from such evil which grips our hearts.

No man can "bear" (receive) such Light as Divine Comparison in a sinful condition without the Strengthening Support of Holy Comfort. Such "Circumcision" as is our death-in-Christ-in-Spirit would surely kill a sinful man so exposed to Holiness were it not for the amazing Power of Christ's Resurrection!

And, as surely, this was the Hopeful-Vision placed before King David (even though he was a murderer) that kept him ever-Loving God. What mortal man RECEIVES GOD and lives? Only one such as has touched the Living Blood of Jesus Christ at the Cross of His Repentance from this world of sin, renouncing the Devil & all he "possesses"!

"Anti" means "against" (to "reject" or "refuse-to-receive"). The "anti-Christ" spirit is abroad in this world! And men would do well to avoid vain speculations and empty conclusions of specifics as to "when", "who", "where", "how", etc., and focus on "bearing (receiving) the Testimony of Truth of the Holy Spirit"!

We see (discern) the "spirit of anti-Christ" as in I Jn 2:18.19 "Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time. They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us."

And 2Jn 1:7 "For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist."

So rejection of Jesus Christ's Reality-in-Truth as God's Son-in- the-flesh, Who Died for our Soul's Eternal Life is the spirit of anti-Christ. We see this occur amongst His own disciples as they "stumble" at the "Stone of offence" and take umbrage at their Messia. They're rejection of Him (lest we be too quick to judge their wicked hearts & forget our own) is joined by all remaining at the Cross of Rejection which Jesus dubbed "sifting".

Every heart that day "rendered" unto "Caesar" the awful sin which was its lust. Every demon danced His Death in every nitch-dominion in Satan's lair. Messiah was a failure, sure! He's dead & gone forever - so they thought.

But Christ had prayed that through the sifting (none were spared that trial by "fire") those who Loved Him might endure unto the end (perfection of fruition). His prayer was heard, & they were Saved - even from their own SHIRKING, shrinking HEARTS!

David's prayer had been answered too. And every Prophet, Priest & Servant of the Lord was now atoned. All had "decreased", and He had "Increased" as John the Baptist had said in Jn 3:30 "He must increase, but I must decrease."

NOW man could "render unto God that Which Is God's" as we see manifestly proscribed in Jn 3:33 "He that hath received (BEARS) his testimony hath set to his seal (verified, validated, proven) that God is true."

Now "whosoever WILL" receive the Testimony of Truth as Witnessed by the Holy Spirit regarding the Son of God Jesus Christ (the Gospel) ..... may now "render unto God"!

Every heart may now RECEIVE the Truth, so that every tongue might confess the Reality of Jesus Christ as Lord - RIGHT NOW!

And, Oh, the Glory to God if given (in Love, now) rather than extracted (in Vengeance, later)!

God will be Served! His Will WILL be done! No one rejects God's Word-of-Testimony, (who names the Holy Spirit "Liar"), & lives!

But those who "bear" & "receive" & "render" ... have Life, & Peace, & Love, & Joy, & Fellowship with God, ... & all the Mind of Christ ... in His Holy Spirit - forever!