For me personally, the testimony of John has been my anchor point in this time of upheaval within the church. I love his holistic take on the gospel. I believe that can only come from having a very close and personal relationship with Jesus.
He starts by framing this person of Jesus in the context of creation...
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through Him all things were made, and without Him nothing was made that has been made. In Him was life, and that life was the light of men. The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
This Word became flesh and "came to His own, but His own did not receive Him". "But to all who did receive Him... He gave the right to become children of God".
The true Light who gives light to every man was coming into the world. He was in the world, and though the world was made through Him, the world did not recognize Him. He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. But to all who did receive Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God— children born not of blood, nor of the desire or will of man, but born of God.
The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us. We have seen His glory, the glory of the one and only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.
In the final hours before his arrest, He took the opportunity to explain to His disciples that even though He was going away, He would "prepare a place for them". And note that He also said He would come back and welcome them into His presence...
"Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe in Me as well. In My Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and welcome you into My presence, so that you also may be where I am.”
And then He reassured and reminded them of the importance of everything they had gone through up to that point...
You know the way to the place where I am going...
I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. If you had known Me, you would know My Father as well...
whoever believes in Me will also do the works that I am doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father...
Knowing that His disciples were weak and vulnerable, He promised to send them an Advocate, Helper, and Teacher in lieu of Him being there to help them...
If you love Me, you will keep My commandments. And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Advocate to be with you forever— the Spirit of truth...
I will not leave you as orphans...
the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have told you...
When the Advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the Father—the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father—He will testify about Me...
when the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all truth. For He will not speak on His own, but He will speak what He hears, and He will declare to you what is to come. He will glorify Me by taking from what is Mine and disclosing it to you...
There's a tendency in some church cultures to define "walking in the Spirit" as a euphemism for following a biblical set of rules - especially now with all the upheaval in Charismatic communities.
What's happened should not be a call to "cessationism". That might be safe, but that's not what the text encourages. Personal caution is always warranted. John said that we should "test the spirits". The gift of the Holy Spirit is a promise made by Jesus for "you".
Listen again to the statements of Jesus as recorded by John. The presence of the Holy Spirit working with us, and then in us - is the essence of the "new heart" foretold by the prophets.
