I was reading this section from the BT this morning. I have read it before but I find it to be very profound and wanted to jot down some notes. Yeshua seems to wrap everything up about faith, kingdom living and our future as sons of God. This is from 193:2.2.
“Peace be upon you. You rejoice to know that the Son of Man has risen from the dead because you thereby know that you and your brethren shall also survive mortal death. But such survival is dependent on your having been previously born of the spirit of truth-seeking and God-finding. The bread of life and the water thereof are given only to those who hunger for truth and thirst for righteousness—for God. The fact that the dead rise is not the gospel of the kingdom. These great truths and these universe facts are all related to this gospel in that they are a part of the result of believing the good news and are embraced in the subsequent experience of those who, by faith, become, in deed and in truth, the everlasting sons of the eternal God. My Father sent me into the world to proclaim this salvation of sonship to all men. And so send I you abroad to preach this salvation of sonship. Salvation is the free gift of God, but those who are born of the spirit will immediately begin to show forth the fruits of the spirit in loving service to their fellow creatures. And the fruits of the divine spirit which are yielded in the lives of spirit-born and God-knowing mortals are: loving service, unselfish devotion, courageous loyalty, sincere fairness, enlightened honesty, undying hope, confiding trust, merciful ministry, unfailing goodness, forgiving tolerance, and enduring peace. If professed believers bear not these fruits of the divine spirit in their lives, they are dead; the Spirit of Truth is not in them; they are useless branches on the living vine, and they soon will be taken away. My Father requires of the children of faith that they bear much spirit fruit. If, therefore, you are not fruitful, he will dig about your roots and cut away your unfruitful branches. Increasingly, must you yield the fruits of the spirit as you progress heavenward in the kingdom of God. You may enter the kingdom as a child, but the Father requires that you grow up, by grace, to the full stature of spiritual adulthood. And when you go abroad to tell all nations the good news of this gospel, I will go before you, and my Spirit of Truth shall abide in your hearts. My peace I leave with you.”
Yeshua’s teaching is centred on spiritual growth, personal responsibility, and the true meaning of salvation. It challenges His disciples to look beyond the mere fact of physical resurrection and instead focus on the inner transformation required to attain eternal life.
In the BT, Yeshua says that the resurrection is not really the core of the Gospel message. He acknowledges that His followers rejoice in His resurrection, but He quickly redirects their attention. The fact that the dead rise is not the good news itself, but rather it is simply a consequence of a deeper spiritual truth. The heart of the Gospel lies in the promise of sonship with God, the idea that through faith, men and women become eternal children of a divine Father.
Spiritual rebirth precedes survival after death. Yeshua said that survival after mortal death is not automatic. It hinges on being “born of the spirit”, referring to an experience which is rooted in truth-seeking and a sincere longing for God. I think this tells us that faith is an active, ongoing pursuit, which requires a hunger for spiritual understanding and a thirst for moral righteousness.
He taught that fruits of the spirit is evidence of true faith. Salvation, while it is described as a free gift from God, comes with a natural expectation, meaning those who are spirit-born must bear “the fruits of the divine spirit.” These fruits are definitely not abstract ideals; the text of BT says they are concrete expressions of character and behaviour, including loving service, unselfish devotion, honesty, hope, trust, and peace. It is clear that spiritual rebirth must manifest in the way believers live their lives. Without these fruits, a person’s faith is considered lifeless—like a barren branch that will ultimately be pruned from the vine.
Yeshua moves on to spiritual maturity and growth. The Master spoke of spiritual progression. Entering the kingdom of God may begin with childlike faith, but Yeshua insists that this is only the start. The heavenly Father expects believers to “grow up”—to mature in their spiritual understanding and moral integrity. This journey is one of continual progress, with the yielding of ever-increasing spiritual fruits as a sign of advancing towards God. This is an absolute necessity in this life.
We learn that the Spirit of Truth is a guide and companion. Yeshua reassured His followers that they will not undertake this spiritual mission alone. As they spread the message of sonship and salvation, the Spirit of Truth will dwell within them, guiding their hearts and offering His abiding presence. This spirit represents a divine companion, a source of inner strength and wisdom as they walk the path of faith.
Have you ever thought of peace as being a gift and a responsibility in one package? The Master concluded with a powerful bestowal of peace. It is obvious this was not just a simple comforting farewell; it was actually a reminder that true peace arises from oneness with God and from living a life shaped by the fruits of the spirit. Thus, peace is not only a gift received but also something Yeshua’s disciples are meant to embody and extend to others.
What I see in this passage is Yeshua teaching us to move our focus from mere belief in miraculous events to the personal transformation required to embody the Father’s will. Faith is not validated by dramatic signs, but by a life overflowing with divine qualities, which turns out to be an ongoing journey of spiritual growth and loving service.
There is a lot packed in this passage for us to digest, so I hope to go into more detail in some future notes and studies.
Br J