Tag: Evangelism

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To Increase and Abound in Love

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To Increase and Abound in Love

© C. O. Bishop

1st Thessalonians 3:11-13

11 Now God himself and our Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ, direct our way unto you.

12 And the Lord make you to increase and abound in love one toward another, and toward all men, even as we do toward you: 13 To the end he may stablish your hearts unblameable in holiness before God, even our Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints.

Introduction:

Last week we saw that the passion of the Shepherds, including that of the Great Shepherd Jesus, is for the people of God to thrive, spiritually, and to become strong and healthy, as believers, and to consistently reflect the priorities and compassion of Jesus.

Our “prime directive” from Jesus is quite different than that of the television series, Star Trek, where the characters insist that their “Prime Directive” is that they must not disturb any other culture’s pattern of thinking, or way of life. Jesus stated our Prime directive: “Love one another as I have loved You.” That is an utterly different direction, and it has entirely different results.

It is OK to talk about the Bad News!

Notice that Jesus did not hesitate to “disturb our way of thinking,” nor to warn us of impending doom. In fact, He spent more time warning of the coming Judgment than He did elaborating on the joys of Heaven.

Jesus came specifically to turn us away from our old way of life. He did not say that “whatever we are doing is fine,” or that “all ways were equally good.” Quite the opposite: He cut across the grain of every culture in the world, by stating that Sin is what stands between us and God, and that the result will be eternal condemnation, apart from God’s intervention. But God has intervened!

How did God intervene?

God intervened through an act of selfless Love…Agapé Love. Jesus summed it up in His famous statement, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” It literally says, “in this manner, God loved the World…” This is HOW God intervened. And, most importantly, His intervention included the whole world.

But Jesus cut across the smug self-righteousness of the Pharisees and Priests, and He also cut across the pompous worldly-wise self-confidence of the Gentile philosophers. He offered the absolute truth of God to Man, enclosed in Human flesh.

The One and Only:

He clearly stated His unique position as the only begotten Son. The Greek word is “monogene.” It means the “Crown Prince; the “Heir to the Throne.” He is not “one of many ways,” but the Way. Jesus the Messiah is not “one of many truths,” but the Truth. He is not “one of many sources of Life,” but the Life! His own “prime directive” was to satisfy the righteous demands of God’s Holiness on behalf of the entire human race. He fulfilled that directive by a perfect life and a perfect sacrifice at the Cross. He bought the whole World by the shedding of His Blood.

And Jesus gave us our prime directive, in John 13:34, 35. He said that we are to exhibit that same Agapé Love toward one another. We are to “intervene” by Love. We are not to allow other believers to just “slide off” into unfruitfulness and to become the wreckage Satan desires for each of us, but rather to intervene and encourage one another to press on, and walk in obedience to Christ. Remember that the command “Love one another” comes in the context of the foot-washing lesson, in John 13.

Galatians 6:1 clearly states that we are to help one another in the spiritual battle, and to restore one another to fellowship, as needed. This is all part of our “prime directive.”

What About the World?

Paul reiterates that “prime directive” of Agapé Love in 1st Thessalonians 3:12. He expands upon it to point out that the command includes extending that Agapé love toward all people: not just other believers. We are not directed to “allow people to just go their own way,” but rather, we are to warn them that judgment is coming, and offer them the gift of God.

Romans 6:23 says, “The wages of sin is death” (There is the judgment!) “…but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ, our Lord.” (There is the gift we are sent to offer!) This is how we are to love the world as Jesus did! It is by taking the necessary risks of rejection and possible persecution, and going ahead with the job of evangelism.

Paul’s Example

In verse 12, Paul also concludes that they could take his and the other evangelists as a working model of how to apply this concept. Paul, Silas, and Timothy had taken the necessary risks to bring the Good News of Jesus to Thessalonica. They endured the danger there, just as they had done in Philippi, though in Thessalonica, they escaped further injury.

Remember, we read in Acts 17, that they had gone to the synagogue, in Thessalonica, probably still bleeding from the wounds received in Philippi. They accepted the calculated risk that the Jewish leaders might resent the message that Jesus was their true Messiah. The evangelists (missionaries,) showed all of the people in the synagogue (from the Jew’s own scriptures,) that the Messiah was expected to suffer death at their hands. They showed that Jesus had, in fact, fulfilled their scripture by subjecting Himself to the abuse, torture and crucifixion He had endured at Jerusalem.

Some of the Jews believed the message. Many Gentile proselytes believed. And the result was quite literally, a riot. It has often been observed that, wherever Paul went there resulted a revival, or a riot, or both. In this case, it was both. And yet, he said that the Thessalonian believers could take him and his fellow laborers as examples of how to live.

What Effect Did Paul Expect in Their Lives?

In verse 13, Paul said that if they committed themselves to that “Prime Directive,” the expected result should be that they would find their hearts increasingly established and strengthened in a practical Holiness, so that at the Lord’s return they would stand blameless before Him.

Positionally, believers have already been declared “holy” by God. Positionally, we already stand blameless before Him. (See Ephesians 1:4) Our position in Him, our salvation, is a gift. Nothing can alter that position. But, in terms of reward, all the results are very much conditioned upon responding to Him consistently in obedience.

Compare Two Ministries

Several times I have compared the ministries of Jeremiah and Jonah: Jonah got great “results,” but he had begun in complete rebellion, and even in the face of a major revival, he was bitter toward God for saving the enemies of Israel. God had to remind him that those people were precious to Him, too.

In contrast, Jeremiah poured himself out for the souls of the people to whom he was sent, though they abused him. He prayed and wept for them, seeking their repentance. But, as far as we know for sure, only two of his audience responded in faith.

We do have a choice How we serve!

Given a choice, I would rather be like Jeremiah than to be like Jonah!  Consider how Jeremiah exhibited Agapé Love. Then compare Jonah. Jonah hated the people to whom he was sent, and was hoping to see them destroyed! He was bitterly resentful toward God for saving them, and said, in effect, “I knew you were going to do this! That is why I ran away to begin with!”

Yes, God rewards obedience, but He also rewards obedience from the heart: not just “outward compliance.” God knows our hearts. He honors His Word, simply because it is His Word! But he honors us for willingly joining with Him in the double harness of service that He offers.

Service is a Privilege.

First, it is a privilege reserved for those who have been born again, into His family. Secondly, it is reserved for those believers who willingly respond to the call of God.

In Isaiah 6:1-8, the prophet Isaiah heard that call: “Whom shall I send and who will go for us?” (We might call that a “rhetorical question,” as the call was being directed to Isaiah!) But Isaiah responded as though he were a volunteer, saying, “Here am I, Lord! Send me!” He was eager to join Jesus in the Work of the Gospel.

What about Counterfeits?

Do some people imitate the service of God? And are they possibly even earnestly coveting His favor and reward? Absolutely they do, and that may be their earnest hope. But if you circumvent the Cross, refusing to deal with your sins, then you are impersonating a child of God. As a lost person attempts to serve God without His approval, they are similar to the people we sometimes hear about who impersonate police officers. Some of them even buy uniforms, and paint their cars to look official, and then go out and attempt to arrest “bad guys.”

The problem, of course, is that it is a crime to impersonate a police officer. Thus, even if what they are doing while wearing that counterfeit uniform is technically a “good thing,” they will not be rewarded for their supposed “good deeds.” They will be punished for the crime of impersonating an officer of the law.

Jesus knows the Difference!

Jesus said that there will be people under judgment, who protest that they are the “good guys!” They will say, “But we did all these great things in your name!” And He said that His response will be “…but I never knew you! Depart from me, you workers of iniquity!”

He will not say that to any of His “born ones.” (By the way, the Greek word translated as “children,” in reference to those reborn into the family of God, is “teknoi,” meaning “Born Ones.”) He will not reject you for wrongdoing, though your rebellion or neglect may cost you much of the reward you had hoped to earn.

Practice, Exercise, and Growth

As with everything else in life, this new life in Christ takes practice to gain any stability. It is not something “natural” we are attempting, any more than it was “natural” for Peter to walk on the water with Jesus. It was impossible unless Jesus enabled him, and even then, the moment he shifted his focus to the surroundings, he began to sink. The same holds true for us!

It requires practice and exercise to gain experience and stability in a walk with Jesus. And it requires spiritual food to grow strong and healthy. In 1st Peter 2:2, we are told, “As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the Word, that ye may grow thereby.” If we are not feeding on God’s Word, and practicing the application of His Word in our lives, then we cannot hope to grow strong and stable as believers. And we certainly cannot hope to become proficient at walking with Him if we do not consistently practice doing so.

Learning to Walk

When you were physically learning to walk, as a baby, success meant always getting up one more time than you fell down. As we are learning to walk with God, we often find that we have stumbled and fallen into sin. We confess it to God: (That is how we get up!) He forgives us, and we again set out to walk with Him.

Paul says that as we continue to practice exercising the Agapé Love in our relationships with others, including our outreach to unbelievers, we will become stronger, more effective, and more fruitful in our walk with Him. That growth and experience gives us great confidence as we go to meet Him, or, even just on a day-by-day basis, as we anticipate His return.

Perhaps this phrase seems small and unimportant, in the context of the things in the coming chapters, but since the Lord’s primary command is in view, we need to take it seriously, and consider how to apply it in our lives.

Lord Jesus, please open our eyes to the state of the World around us, and help us to see the people of the world as You see them: rather than seeing them as servants of the enemy, let us see them as victims of the enemy. Give us a heart of compassion to reach out to the lost around us, and to encourage one another as we see Your return approaching.

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Lifting up the Son of Man

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Lifting up the Son of Man

© 2023 C. O. Bishop

John 12:23, 31-34; Romans 10:11-17

Introduction:

Jesus said, “The hour is come that the Son of Man should be glorified,” In this passage, Jesus referred to his imminent death. He later said, “And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.” He told the manner of death by which He was to die: (to be crucified, not stoned or any other form of execution.)

I don’t want to wander away from that central theme, here, but I do want to expand upon it a bit. How does the crucifixion “draw all men” to Jesus? At this time (right now,) His death and burial and resurrection (the message of the Gospel) are not “drawing” anyone to Him, in places where the Gospel has never gone.

Example:

When Jim and Judy Burdett (Missionaries with Ethnos 360) carried the Good News of Jesus to the people in the Dom language in Papua New Guinea, the “drawing to Jesus” began there in that first village.

People saw that Jesus could set them free from their fear of the evil spirits. They began to see hope, beyond the grave. That hope had never been available to them before. They saw changes in their own lives as well as those around them. Those changes came as the indwelling Christ began to alter the thoughts and actions of the believers.

Unbelievers began asking questions, too. Eventually, people from neighboring villages began to ask for someone to come and share that message with them, too. You see, Jesus was drawing those folks to Himself.

How does the Gospel Work?

Turn to Romans 10:11-17

11 For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. 12 For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. 13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

14 How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? 15 And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!

16 But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Esaias saith, Lord, who hath believed our report? 17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

Four Questions:

Paul laid out a logical series of questions, here, addressing How the Gospel can change lives. He said that it works for all people, Jews and Gentiles, because God is the same God, no matter where the Gospel goes. Paul confirmed that “Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” But then, he asked four questions:

  1. He asked, How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed?
  2. Then he asked, How shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard?
  3. Then he asked, How shall they hear without a preacher?
  4. And Finally, How shall they preach, except they be sent?

Those four questions, if we can answer them, will together answer the question, “How does the Gospel Work?” It also answers the earlier question, “How does the death and burial and resurrection of Jesus draw people to Him?” And the answer to all four questions is “They can’t!”

The Limitations of the Gospel

If the people don’t believe in Jesus, they can’t call on Him as their Savior. If the people have never heard of Him, they can’t hope to believe in Him. And, if no one tells them about Jesus, in language they understand, then they have not “heard” about Him. This is the truth, though some may protest, “Oh, but we broadcasted the Gospel on the Radio, for years!” There are thousands of people groups who only speak their local language…and no outsider speaks that language. (More than 6,500 languages, worldwide!)

So, someone must physically go to them, and learn that language. They must go with the express intent of telling them about Jesus in their own language. And unless they do, those people will never hear! And they will never believe…and never call on Jesus…and never be saved! Finally, if churches are not sending those committed missionaries, then they usually can’t go. Travel to some of the mission fields is extremely expensive. To live there is very difficult as well as expensive. These are just facts.

We support missionaries to remote places, because we understand these principles. But what about here at home?

The Same Gospel Works the Same Way in all Times and Places!

Romans 1:16 tells us that the Gospel of Christ is the only way God saves sinners. It says, “I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God unto salvation unto every one that believeth, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.”

Everywhere Paul went, he first offered the Gospel to the Jews. (They were the original recipients of the promise, and had been waiting for centuries. So, they got the first news of the fulfillment.) But, of the Jews to whom he first spoke, the majority rejected the message. So, he then turned to the local Gentiles. The result?

There were a few Jewish believers. Their parents and priests had thoroughly trained them in the scriptures from childhood. And they were now training a larger group of Gentile believers who barely knew anything about the Lord. In some cases, Paul left a functioning church in as little as three weeks!

The Message is the Same

But his message didn’t change: He said ,“I delivered unto you first of all [“as of first importance”] that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day, according to the scriptures.”

That is the Message of the Cross: the message of Jesus’s death, and burial and resurrection. That message is the power of God unto Salvation! Nothing else can replace it! Our culture rejects that message, because the people see it as being “primitive and violent, and ignorant, and ugly.”

But the fact is, our sins are primitive, violent, ignorant, and ugly, as well. The Bad News of our sin is what makes the message of the Cross “Good News.”  If it were not for our terrible need for a Savior, the message of the Cross would be useless and pointless, and really sad!

How can we “Lift up the Son of Man?”

God calls us to “lift up” Jesus, in another sense of the word. Jesus referred to His being physically lifted up on a Cross. They spiked Him onto that Cross by nails through His hands and feet. The Roman soldiers lifted up that cross, with Jesus on it. They dropped it into the post-hole (or the frame) that held it upright, They “lifted Him up for the world to see Jesus.” The crowds came to stare at Him, to mock Him and to revile Him as they passed Him by. But they did not believe in Him, nor did they see Him as their sacrifice for Sin. They completely rejected Him.

But He calls us to Exalt the Name of Jesus, and lift up our hands unto Him in worship and praise. 1st Chronicles 14:2 says that David’s kingdom was lifted up, because of the people of Israel. In that sense, God calls us to raise up the Person of Jesus. We lift him up in our own lives and with our own voices. We work to see that the message of the Gospel is constantly going out. It goes out by the practical testimony of our lives and by our spoken testimony, whenever people will listen.

Losing Our Testimony

Some time ago, I told you about a man where I once worked. He always wore brightly colored t-shirts with powerful Christian slogans and statements prominent on the front and back. But his behavior and words made a lie of the message on his clothing. He was not “Lifting up Jesus” by his lifestyle or his words and actions. As a result, the other people saw the messages written on his shirts as false. He once told me that people should not judge him by his harsh words, and his bad language. But they did! And they did it with God’s approval!

Jesus gave the World Three “Means by which to Judge” the Church:

  1. Behavior: Even if you can’t speak the language of the people you want to reach, they are watching your behavior. By the time you have learned their language, they already know whether the words you speak are true. In Matthew 5:15, 16, Jesus said, “So let your light shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in Heaven.” If your behavior is not in keeping with your message, then the people will see the message as false: they simply will not believe you.
  2. Love for one another…the Agapé Love. In John 13:34, 35, Jesus said, “By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one for another” If believers are cold or inconsiderate toward one another, then the dirt they can see in our lives will obscure the light of Christ in us.
  3. Unity of the believers. In John 17:21, Jesus said, “That they also may be one in Us, that the World may know that Thou didst send Me.” If believers are bickering amongst themselves, badmouthing one another, or striving over minor points of doctrine, then the people will also see our message as corrupt. We have lost our testimony.

Lifting Up the Son of Man

How can we change? Can we alter our behavior, our attitudes, and our priorities, to “Lift up the Son of Man” in our daily lives? How can we better glorify Jesus, and honor Him: lifting up His name as God in the Flesh; our Redeemer, and our Savior? Stop and consider: how can we “Lift up Jesus” in our daily lives? Are there things that need to change? Do we need to change our behavior patterns? Do we need to change our Attitudes?

Behavior

People are watching how you treat your family members, coworkers and neighbors. They see what kind of respect you evidence toward the authority God has placed over you. they see how you act toward supervisors at work, toward the police, toward the government in general. Do you pray for them and treat them with respect and appreciation, or do you scorn them and treat them with resentment?  Do you treat others with kindness, or not?

All these things are part of “letting your light shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in Heaven.” So…it’s possible that we are failing in this regard, and thus we are not glorifying Jesus. Don’t imagine that I am pointing my fingers at anyone: As I think back over my fifty years as a believer, I can recall many times when I responded in the flesh, and shamed the Lord.

Love

Agapé love reaches out to do what is best of the other person, regardless of how it affects you. This is the one where we have to be sensitive to God, to do what He wants, rather than just following our own ideas. But the Agapé love is not a feeling: it is action. It means putting others first, deliberately “stepping back,” from what we may consider our “rights,” to be a blessing to someone else. If you have doubts about what this is, please read 1st Corinthians 13:4-8, as it describes the Agapé Love, in no uncertain terms.

Unity

What does it mean to have unity? Does it mean “we can all quote the Lord’s Prayer, in unison?” Of course not! It means we are at peace with one another, caring for one another, and not bickering over personal preferences, or trying to claim “territory” within ministry. We are not “choosing sides” against one another. We are working to maintain the Unity of the Spirit in the Bond of Peace. (Ephesians 4:1-3) We are working to correctly understand God’s Word, to have unity there, as well, but we do not fight over small differences in understanding.

Testimony

We are each called to be an ambassador… all the things we have mentioned to this point are just telling us “how we are to live as ambassadors.” But if a nation appoints a person as an ambassador for that nation, then that person also has to speak for that nation. They represent that nation to others..

Jesus called us to speak for Him. That is not a “special job” for a limited group. It is the assignment for the entire body of Christ. Jesus said that the believers are to be witnesses for Him throughout the whole World, starting with where we are. (Acts 1:8. 9)

We recognize our calling, and we accept the fact that Jesus called us to be witnesses. So now, we begin asking, “How do we do this?” (That is a good question to ask!) Please bear in mind that “evangelism is nothing more (or less) complicated than one beggar telling another beggar where to find free food.” If you really don’t know how to be saved, then you can’t tell someone else “where that free food is.” If so, then that is what we need to address! (We can change that!) Remember: All you have to do is tell them how to get that food: you can’t make them accept it.

Bold Hearts!

But if you do know the message, and you are just afraid to open your mouth, that is a separate issue. We need to collectively seek to gain bold hearts to open our mouths and speak, to share the bread of Life with others. Paul expressed that need in his own life! (Ephesians 6:18, 19)

Jesus was feeding the five thousand: He told the disciples, “Give them something to eat!” In their own strength, they had nothing to offer. But Jesus multiplied the bread and fish, and He gave it to the disciples. Then they were able to give to the people what Jesus had given to them! And that is all we are doing, too: we are giving to others the Grace and Eternal Life that He has given to us. Those who believe the message, receive His Grace, and the gift of Eternal Life, the same way we did: By faith…plus nothing.

I think this is a good thing for us to be thinking about, as we begin a new year! Those are good goals to reach for, and we can work on them together.

Lord Jesus, change our hearts to beat as Yours, yearning for the lost souls around us to be saved and to walk with You in eternal Life. Embolden our timid hearts. Give us a deep enough love for others that we will not stand idle and watch people pass into eternity without You.

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The Testimony of Revival

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The Testimony of Revival

 © 2022 C. O. Bishop

John 12:9-19

9 Much people of the Jews therefore knew that he was there: and they came not for Jesus’ sake only, but that they might see Lazarus also, whom he had raised from the dead. 10 But the chief priests consulted that they might put Lazarus also to death; 11 Because that by reason of him many of the Jews went away, and believed on Jesus.

12 On the next day much people that were come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, 13 Took branches of palm trees, and went forth to meet him, and cried, Hosanna: Blessed is the King of Israel that cometh in the name of the Lord. 14 And Jesus, when he had found a young ass, sat thereon; as it is written, 15 Fear not, daughter of Sion: behold, thy King cometh, sitting on an ass’s colt. 16 These things understood not his disciples at the first: but when Jesus was glorified, then remembered they that these things were written of him, and that they had done these things unto him.

17 The people therefore that was with him when he called Lazarus out of his grave, and raised him from the dead, bare record. 18 For this cause the people also met him, for that they heard that he had done this miracle.

19 The Pharisees therefore said among themselves, Perceive ye how ye prevail nothing? behold, the world is gone after him.

Introduction:

When we spoke about Lazarus being raised from the dead, we saw that he was only raised back to natural life. It was a genuine, physical revival of one who was thoroughly dead…but not the same as the “resurrection.” The Resurrection is yet to come. (Lazarus could and would still die, physically.)

But his revival had an impact on the world around him. People were attracted by the “miraculous change” in his life. They wanted to meet him personally, and hear for themselves what had happened. Those who had been there in person, testified to the truth of the miracle. And, the enemies of Jesus were pretty stirred up, too. They wanted to kill Lazarus as well as Jesus. The Truth of Lazarus being raised from the dead meant nothing to them. And the implied power of God, through Jesus, meant nothing to them: they wanted Him silenced!

So, the testimony of the revival was having a definite effect, for good or for evil.

A National Revival in Israel’s History

In 2nd Chronicles 29, we see a genuine national revival in Israel’s history. They were spiritually dead, as a nation. The temple was closed, actually boarded up and heathen idols were set up, literally in every part of Jerusalem (2nd Chronicles 28:24.) The previous ruler, King Ahaz, had even sacrificed some of his children to those gods, at those altars.

But, somehow, in the midst of all that evil, God raised up a young man, named Hezekiah, who had a heart for God. He was Ahaz’s son, buthis mother was a godly woman, the daughter of a priest. The very first thing he did when he inherited the throne from his evil father Ahaz, was to open up that boarded-up temple, and repair the doors.

Then He called on the priesthood to go in and complete the work inside the temple, and consecrate it for worship once again. When they were done, he came personally, leading the rulers of the city (they had to follow him: he was the king!) They brought sacrifices for sin; for their own sins and those of the nation. Hezekiah required the priests to make atonement for the entire nation of Israel (not just Judah.)

They had a worship service, with instrumental music and singing, and public prayer and offerings. Everyone was invited, but not everyone attended. But those who did attend were filled with Joy, to see the relationship with God restored. It was the beginning of a genuine national revival. If we read the next three chapters, we see how the revival spread to the rest of the city. As the revival increased, all the heathen altars were torn down and removed. We can see how the revival spread to the other tribes, beyond Judah, and the people’s hearts were awakened.

Other National Revivals

Throughout history, other nations have occasionally repented of their collective sins and turned back to God. It is rare, but it has happened, especially in the nations in which there had once been a strong relationship with the God of the Bible.

Church Revivals

There have also been whole denominations of churches who claimed faith, but which have been swept with a fervor for God. They have become a genuine testimony of God’s Grace and Hope in whatever community they lived. And, just as the testimony of the physical Revival of Lazarus had mixed responses, the spiritual revivals in communities, cities, and nations have had mixed responses.

There have always been some who genuinely responded to God, from the heart, and their lives were transformed. Some persevered in their walk with God for the rest of their lives. Some became distracted by the world and fell away into the temporary spiritual deadness that always results when we stop walking with God. They were saved individuals: their position was permanently established in Christ. But they were no longer experiencing the benefits of that relationship because they chose to “disconnect” at a practical level.

There have also always been those who were excited about the “movement,” but in whom the truth of the Gospel never took hold. They liked the thrill, and the feelings involved, and saw the value of the change in their community, but they failed to respond to the spiritual reality involved: they never got to know the Savior for themselves. He never became their personal Redeemer. Possibly they never even admitted to themselves that they needed a Savior.

Personal Revival

“God saves people one by one.” The big “movements,”  whether national or local, are exciting, and we are thrilled by the feelings of “belonging” and of “unity.” But the reality is that each individual member of the Body of Christ is linked to the Head of the Body: Jesus Himself. We are not only members of one another: we are specifically members of Christ.

So, comparing the actions we saw in 2nd Chronicles, where the revival began with one man making a choice to turn his own heart toward God and exerting what authority he had in that direction, we can see that personal revival begins with our will. (“The door to the truth is the will, not the intellect.”)

Every person has the right (and the responsibility) to make a decision to give proper attention to God: To approach the throne of God through the Person of Christ. We see from the scripture that He can only be approached by faith, and that the specific “pathway of faith” we are required to follow, passes through the Cross. Romans 3:25 states that Jesus is “the satisfaction of the righteousness and holiness of God (that is what the word “propitiation” means) for us through faith in His Blood.”  That is pretty specific!

Jesus made it Personal

In John 14:6, Jesus Himself said, “No man cometh unto the Father but by me.” If any ordinary man said such a thing, it would be the worst kind of arrogance and blasphemy. In Jesus’s case, it was simply the truth!

Also, we can see that the immediate response of the people, after that first step of “going back to the God of Israel,” was to tear down the idols in their lives. In their case, it was physical idols: shrines and altars to false Gods, all over the city of Jerusalem. In our case, it may be that we look over our lives and are convicted that some things in our lives, cherished by us, perhaps, are simply a contradiction to the truth of Jesus.

There may be things (attitudes, actions, habitual sins) that no longer are fitting, if we want to walk with God. So, we “tear them down:” we abandon those practices and habits and actions, and attitudes, and we strive to draw nearer to God, relationally.

What else can we see?

The responses of the people to the revival in Jerusalem spread fairly rapidly, but that was a national revival. What about the response of people to the physical revival of Lazarus? As we pointed out before, Lazarus had been dead long enough that his body had begun to decay, but his return to life was still a revival, not a resurrection, in that he still died again, physically, and he is with the Lord today. The resurrection of his old body is still yet to come.

But the responses of the people who witnessed that revival are really interesting and something from which we can learn.

Four Responses:

  1. Some people came looking to see Lazarus. It was a “phenomenon” they had heard about and they wanted to see Lazarus for themselves. (What they did with that knowledge once they saw him still varied, but that is why they originally came.)
  2. Some came to see Jesus. They heard what was done in Lazarus’s case, and wanted to know Jesus themselves. (That is best of all.)
  3. Some already knew Jesus, and had known of Lazarus’s fatal sickness and his death: they testified of his revival. They publicly declared that, “Yes, he had been dead for four days, and yes, we personally witnessed his revival.” His revival became part of their own testimony.)
  4. Some were enemies who also witnessed the revival and they hated Jesus even more, because of it! They saw that many people were responding in faith, and they were angry! They admitted that they were losing the “popularity contest,” and they said that their only hope for “victory” was to kill both Jesus and Lazarus.

We can see varying responses to our own salvation testimony as well.

  1. Some may be cautiously pleased for us, as they see that it has been beneficial in one way or another: They will say, “Yes, I knew him before, and he was a real mess! Whatever he’s got, it seems to be real, and it seems to be working for him.”
  2. Some may see the change in our life and immediately recognize the need in their own life. They may want that same Jesus for themselves. They may see themselves as sinners in need of a Savior. (That is best response of all!)
  3. Some, already believers themselves, may testify, because of the change they see in our life, “I know someone who was about as far from God as one could be. He was headed for hell on a greased pole! But somehow, God got through to him, and I want to tell you: his life is totally changed! Jesus Christ has miraculously transformed him into someone who is a blessing to everyone around him!” And, finally,
  4. Some may be disgusted and repelled. They may mock you personally, and publicly, verbally “shooting you down” in every way they can think of. They may slander you behind your back, lie about you to other people, maybe even attempt to get you fired from your job, or any other wickedness that comes to their mind. Why? They had nothing against you before (although they may have been secretly despising you.)

The Problem is Jesus!

The pharisees had no real problem with Lazarus before his revival: they almost certainly looked down on him, just because they looked down on everyone. (And, if you were friends with Jesus, you were already in trouble with the Pharisees. In John 7:49 they condemned the Jews who believed Jesus was the Messiah, saying,  “…these people who know not the Law are cursed.”)

They considered themselves to be the “teachers of Israel,” but they made no attempt to know the Truth, when the One Person, who was the Way, the Truth, and the Life, was talking to them face to face. Jesus said, “Ye shall know the Truth, and the Truth shall make you free!” And He was that Truth, who could set them free from their sin.

When He demonstrated Who he really was, by raising Lazarus from the dead, they were not “happy for Lazarus.” They did not “see the need in their own lives and want Jesus for themselves.” They wanted Him silenced! They plotted to kill Him! And the testimony of that revival was so strong that the only way they could hope to silence it was to kill Lazarus, too!

What is Our Testimony of Revival?

Each of us can testify, “I was spiritually dead, separated from God. Jesus died for me, and I trusted in His blood as the full payment for my sins. He brought me to life, spiritually, and now I want to live for Him.” That is not the Gospel: it only testifies to the effect of the Gospel.

We can be more specific:

For example, I can say, “I was an atheist until I was 18. God used various people and specific scriptures to awaken me to my need, as a lost sinner. I eventually placed my trust in Jesus Christ as my Savor and Redeemer. Now I belong to Him, and I want to serve Him with my life. I often fail Him, but He is still working in my life, to correct me and strengthen me for His service.”

You will notice that there is nothing very specific in there, except three things:

  1. I was lost
  2. Jesus saved me
  3. Now I belong to Him and I want to serve Him.

It can be Short

You will also notice that it was only 73 words. There was no need to go into a long history, explaining my life as a lost sinner, nor my initial confusion about the actual message of the Gospel. If someone is receptive and they want more information, I can give it to them.

If they want to know how they can be saved, I can tell them that, too. In fact, that is my only goal in giving my testimony. My testimony is not the Gospel. It testifies to the effect of the Gospel.

The Gospel can be pretty simple, too!

In 1st Corinthians 15:3, 4, Paul gives it in three parts:

  1. Jesus died for our sins, in fulfillment of the prophecies (according to the Scriptures.)
  2. He was buried, really dead, also fulfilling the scriptures.
  3. He rose from the dead after three days, also fulfilling the scriptures.

And Romans 1:16 says, that message, being believed in, is The Power of God to save sinners!

Your testimony can have an effect on the lives around you. It will be a mixed response, for sure, but it can have an impact…if it is heard. If you hide that testimony for fear of public opinion, then it will not get a bad response from enemies, but it will also have limited effect on others.

We need to learn to live our testimony, for sure, but we also need to be ready to testify verbally, and to confirm the truth of the Gospel of Christ.

Lord Jesus, free our hearts from the prison of our fear. Allow us to joyfully, confidently tell of Your Love and Grace, testifying to the work You have done in our own lives.

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One Thing I Know: I was Blind. But Now I See!

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One Thing I Know: I was Blind. But Now I See!

©  2022 C. O. Bishop

John 9:1-38

Introduction:

In a way, today’s message could be categorized as “Apologetics”—defending the faith.

Or, it could be called Evangelism, as in giving one’s testimony.

It could be about Persecution, because the fellow in this chapter who gave his testimony was excommunicated from the temple and publicly condemned for the completely factual and honest testimony he offered.

Or, we could simply see it as the history of a man, who was born blind, and who, after many years of blindness, was given his sight. In that case we should ask at least three questions:

What happened, Where did it happen, and Who were the witnesses?

John 9:1-38 (Where did it all happen?)

“1And as Jesus passed by,…”

(Passed by, where?) In the previous verse, John 8:59, we see that Jesus was just leaving the temple. The Pharisees had attempted to stone Him, but somehow, He walked away without their attacking Him…and it says, He “passed by.” The next verse says, “and as he passed by…” So, wherever he was, it was evidently quite near the temple.

“… he [Jesus] saw a man which was blind from his birth. 2 And his disciples asked him, saying, Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind?

Possibly the blind man was begging just outside the temple. That was a common way for a blind or crippled person to seek sustenance, in that time period. (We see it also in Acts 3:1-3.) And, in verse 8, here, it says that had been the practice of this particular blind man. Whether or not he was begging when Jesus and the disciples saw him, is not important.

First Witnesses

So, to begin with, we have at least Jesus and His disciples as witnesses to what happened next. (So far, we can’t count the blind man, as he can’t see them.)

But the disciples asked whose fault it was that he should be born blind. To us, this seems a strange question: But to people who thought that all sickness is a judgment from God, it seemed a logical question.

There are people, still today, who think that “If you are living right, then nothing bad will happen to you.” But Jesus made it clear that bad things can happen to good people (Job was a prime example!) And, in the Psalms it was made clear that good things often happen to bad people. They often get rich by evil means, in fact. (Read Psalm 73) But they will face judgment, the same as everyone else, and God has not forgotten their evil.

Jesus gave a clear answer to His disciples: “Nobody was “at fault!” This was not punishment. In this particular case, God was about to receive great glory by demonstrating His power..

 3 Jesus answered, Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him.

Jesus reminded them that He was the Light of the world: (He had just told them that, earlier the same day.) And He commented that while he was in His earthly ministry, His light was the only obvious source. But, He also said the night was coming.

 4 I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work.  5 As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.

He was probablywarning that no one continues working after they die. We can only “shine” for the Lord while we live. Every one of us faces the end of our “working day.” We have been given a job to do, and we will run out of time. Jesus knew His time was short: We need to see our lives in that same light. My bestunderstanding is that this is what He meant. So, what did He do?

What Happened?

6 When he had thus spoken, he spat on the ground, and made clay of the spittle, and he anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay, 7 And said unto him, Go, wash in the pool of Siloam, (which is by interpretation, Sent.) He went his way therefore, and washed, and came seeing.

Jesus spit in the dirt, and made “mud,” as we would call it. He made mud, and wiped it all over the man’s eyes. Then He gave three commands:

  1. “Go” and
  2. “Wash”
  3. “In the pool of Siloam,”.

The name “Siloam” means “sent”…was this an admonition that we (also) should go where the Lord sends us, and do what he commands? Or, as some commentators feel, was it a reminder that Jesus was sent from God?

I guess it could be either. But the result was that the man did “go where he was sent,” and he did “obey by faith”…and he came back seeing completely normally. So, now he is a witness, too! He knows what happened, and though he couldn’t point out the Man who healed him, because he had never seen Him, he knew his name. He knew the Name of Jesus! That is worth something all by itself.

More Witnesses!

8 The neighbours therefore, and they which before had seen him that he was blind, said, Is not this he that sat and begged? 9 Some said, This is he: others said, He is like him: but he said, I am he. 10 Therefore said they unto him, How were thine eyes opened? 11 He answered and said, A man that is called Jesus made clay, and anointed mine eyes, and said unto me, Go to the pool of Siloam, and wash: and I went and washed, and I received sight.  12 Then said they unto him, Where is he? He said, I know not.

The neighbors and other people were “witnesses,” too,”but all they saw was the result. They knew he had been blind before. They could see the change in the man’s life, as it was obvious that his eyes were healed. But they could not understand what caused the change. (They knew the “before” and the “after,” but they had no idea what had happened to him.)

They asked him for an explanation, and he told them in very plain language exactly what had happened, from his own perspective. That was his first testimony, and it was perfect!

This is a perfect example of what we are commanded in 1st Peter 3:15! They asked, he was ready, and he gave a straight answer! There was no “messing about” with human storytelling. Everything he said was the simple truth, without any “embellishment.” And what did the neighbors and other people do? Did they throw a party and celebrate with him and his family? Nope. They dragged him off to the Pharisees, for an investigation!

13 They brought to the Pharisees him that aforetime was blind. 14 And it was the sabbath day when Jesus made the clay, and opened his eyes. 15 Then again the Pharisees also asked him how he had received his sight. He said unto them, He put clay upon mine eyes, and I washed, and do see.

Here is another “sabbath day healing! Jesus seemed to do it on purpose, to expose the hypocrisy of the Pharisees. Over and over, Jesus healed on the sabbath, and they were offended every time! But they couldn’t escape that they were now witnesses, too!  They saw only the effect…they did not know him before, and they rejected all testimony from others.

16 Therefore said some of the Pharisees, This man is not of God, because he keepeth not the sabbath day. Others said, How can a man that is a sinner do such miracles? And there was a division among them.

Even the Pharisees could see there was a problem: The one group said, “He must be a ‘bad guy!’ He’s working on the sabbath!” The other group said, ”How can a ‘bad guy’ heal the blind??” There was a division among them, because the Truth was staring them in the face, and they were rejecting it! So, they went back and began questioning the healed man again.

17 They say unto the blind man again, What sayest thou of him, that he hath opened thine eyes? He said, He is a prophet.

The only possibility the healed man could think of, is that anyone who could heal like that must be a prophet of God. He had just been made the recipient of a first-class, “Old Testament-style” miracle!  And the only people who could do such things, according to scripture, were prophets of God!

18 But the Jews did not believe concerning him, that he had been blind, and received his sight, until they called the parents of him that had received his sight. 19 And they asked them, saying, Is this your son, who ye say was born blind? how then doth he now see?

Of course, the next step is to accuse the blind man of lying: that he had not been blind at all! If there were no other witnesses, this would not necessarily be a bad thing to suspect. But all of the neighbors, and other people who brought him in, could testify that they had seen him for years, begging near the Temple…and that he had indeed been blind. But that wasn’t good enough! They dragged his parents into it!

20 His parents answered them and said, We know that this is our son, and that he was born blind: 21 But by what means he now seeth, we know not; or who hath opened his eyes, we know not: he is of age; ask him: he shall speak for himself. 22 These words spake his parents, because they feared the Jews: for the Jews had agreed already, that if any man did confess that he was Christ, he should be put out of the synagogue. 23 Therefore said his parents, He is of age; ask him.

So, they called in the man’s parents…how strange! (Now, some commentators suggest that the “man” was simply “over thirteen,” thus, having passed his Bar Mitzvah, he was “legally able to give testimony.” They see that as why he was legally “of age,” but still under his parents’ authority.

I would remind you that, in Exodus and in Numbers, the people under twenty were considered children, and not old enough to be counted in the census, or to be a part of the collective decision to reject God’s offer of the land. So, everyone over twenty at the time of that rebellion, died in the wilderness during the next forty years, and all those who remained were, after that period of time, “of age.”)

My guess would be that the man was at least 20, and possibly thirty, as there were certain public responsibilities a man could not partake in unless he was at least 30. (That is why Jesus did not begin His public ministry until He was 30.)

God lets us see the “inside story,” here: He tells us why the parents were afraid to back their son in his testimony. They were afraid of being kicked out of the temple! (Besides, they did give honest testimony: “Yes, that is our son! Yes, he was born blind! Beyond that, we have no idea what is going on, here! You will have to ask him!” Yes, they were afraid of the Pharisees, but they also were being completely honest and logical.)

 24 Then again called they [the Pharisees]  the man that was blind, and said unto him, Give God the praise: we know that this man is a sinner.

They were commanding the healed man to recant, and to agree with their claim that Jesus was not the One who healed him! They accused Jesus of being a sinner!

What was His Defense?

25 He answered and said, Whether he be a sinner or no, I know not: one thing I know, that, whereas I was blind, now I see.

This is the “bottom line” testimony of every believer. Jesus saved me! Jesus has changed me! (“I once was lost, but now am found, was blind but now I see!”)

A personal testimony always has that advantage: it is hard to argue with someone’s personal experience, though it is possible that a person could be mistaken or even lying. In this man’s case, all he could tell them was, “Look, fellows! I was born blind! Today is the first time in my life that I have ever seen anything! You can say what you want about Jesus, but he healed me!”

It seems the man was beginning to catch on, regarding the politics involved, here: From this point forward, his answers begin to take on a different flavor. They have “crossed a line,” in his mind, and he begins to “push back” a little, defending his own testimony: defending his faith!

26 Then said they to him again, What did he to thee? how opened he thine eyes? 27 He answered them, I have told you already, and ye did not hear: wherefore would ye hear it again? will ye also be his disciples? 28 Then they reviled him, and said, Thou art his disciple; but we are Moses’ disciples. 29 We know that God spake unto Moses: as for this fellow, we know not from whence he is.

This is another odd line of attack. “We know about Moses (whom we have never seen, but we have read about him in the Torah.) But this man we know nothing about…so he must be bad!”

30 The man answered and said unto them, Why herein is a marvellous thing, that ye know not from whence he is, and yet he hath opened mine eyes. 31 Now we know that God heareth not sinners: but if any man be a worshipper of God, and doeth his will, him he heareth. 32 Since the world began was it not heard that any man opened the eyes of one that was born blind. 33 If this man were not of God, he could do nothing.

Isn’t it interesting that a formerly blind beggar is given enough wisdom to “walk the Pharisees through” the logic they needed to figure out the Origin of the Power of Jesus!

He offered three points of fact, and a conclusion. The facts::

  1. God doesn’t hear sinners!
  2. If a man is a worshipper of God, and an obedient servant of God, God does hear him.
  3. No one in the history of the World has ever healed the eyes of one born blind.

His Conclusion:

“If the man were not of God, He could do nothing!” (It’s odd: they didn’t respond well to his little “Lesson in Logic!”)

Rejection!

 34 They answered and said unto him, Thou wast altogether born in sins, and dost thou teach us? And they cast him out.

Yeah, proud people don’t like getting “schooled” by people they consider inferior to themselves. They get pretty huffy about such things. And, since they were in a position of power, they “pulled rank” and had him excommunicated from the temple. I’m sure that hurt him, emotionally. He had just received the biggest blessing of his life, and the result was that he was rejected by his community. But he had at least a rudimentary knowledge of Jesus: He had “been through something” with Jesus!

Knowing Jesus

 35 Jesus heard that they had cast him out; and when he had found him, he said unto him, Dost thou believe on the Son of God?

This is kind  of a touching scene: Jesus went and found the man he had healed. He had never seen Jesus before, and had only once heard his voice. Jesus probably found him feeling pretty discouraged…dejected…depressed, maybe. But he asked whether he “believed on” the Son of God. It means “do you place your faith on the Son of God?”

36 He answered and said, Who is he, Lord, that I might believe on him? 37 And Jesus said unto him, Thou hast both seen him, and it is he that talketh with thee. 38 And he said, Lord, I believe. And he worshipped him.

He worshipped Him! Jesus willingly received the worship of this man and others! That only leaves about three possibilities:

  1. He is crazy, and he thinks he is God. Or…
  2. He is an incredibly audacious Liar, and wants other people to think He is God. OR…
  3. He really is God!

This man finally made the connection that this was Jesus: the one who had healed him. And he suddenly knew that there was another possible person who could heal, other than just a “Prophet of God:” (Of course!) GOD can heal a man who was born blind! Jesus had his total respect and gratitude before, when he thought Jesus was “just a Prophet.” Now Jesus has the man’s faith and devotion and love. Now the man knew Jesus was God!

What about Us?

There are all sorts of lessons we can learn here: One is that we need to have our eyes opened by Jesus. Also, we need to know from His Word how we were born again,. We also need to be ready to give an answer and able to say, “He saved me!” Finally, it behooves us to at least be able to offer some defense of our faith. Even if it is just the simple statement that “I believe in ‘the Jesus of the Bible!‘ There is no substitute for Him.”

Lord Jesus, open our eyes, so that we can see as this man did, how you have healed us of the sickness of our souls, and set us free from our slavery to sin. Let us speak to Your glory.

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My Doctrine isn’t Mine, but His who Sent Me

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My Doctrine is not Mine, but His that Sent Me

© 2022 C. O. Bishop

John 7:14-25

Introduction:

Last week, we focused on Jesus’s “negative” statement that “My time is not yet come.” It was the fact that Jesus had a very exacting life to live, with almost no deviations He could make. We compared it to the fact that our lives are not choreographed, and that the length of our lives could vary quite a bit, depending on choices we make. But we also saw that, regardless of the choices we make, our lives are still in God’s hands. Many who have lived pure, righteous lives in the last two centuries, have died young. They were victims of tropical diseases, because they chose to follow God’s leading and take the Gospel to a place it had never gone before. All we can do is to choose to obey God, and to trust Him for the outcome.

But this week we will focus on another “negative” statement: “My Doctrine is not Mine!”

My Doctrine is not Mine, but His that sent Me

14 Now about the midst of the feast Jesus went up into the temple, and taught. 15 And the Jews marvelled, saying, How knoweth this man letters, having never learned? 16 Jesus answered them, and said, My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me.

Jesus was teaching in the Temple, not in the marketplace, or the local Synagogue. The Jews heard Jesus teach, right there in the temple, and they were astonished at His teaching, His Grace and His wisdom, etc. (Remember, This was not the first time that people were astonished at his wisdom: when he was twelve years old, he visited with the elders in the temple, and they were amazed at His precocious grasp of spiritual things. And again, when he was about thirty, (Luke 3:23; 4:16-30) He had taught in the synagogue in Nazareth, and they were amazed at His gracious words…and then tried to kill Him when he pointed out their multiple failings to have recognized the prophets of the past.)

What was the source of the teaching?

The people recognized that Jesus lacked “Formal Education.” They knew who he was, at least some of them, as we see in verse 27. It may have been a fairly superficial knowledge, but they at least knew Him well enough to know that he had very little formal education, and they may have known his background, that he was “Jesus, the carpenter’s son.”

In his home area, everyone knew him, as we see in Mark 6:3, and they were offended when He taught. Some of those from Nazareth were there in Jerusalem, for the same reason that He, Himself was there: It was the feast of Tabernacles, and all the Jews went there.

But they were amazed that He could teach with such power and grace, and Jesus heard their collective question between themselves, and, though it had not been directed to Him, He replied: “My doctrine is not Mine but His that sent Me.” Then He went on to explain to them how they could recognize His message as God’s Word, and how to recognize a prophet sent from God.

How Can We tell the Difference?

 17 If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself. 18 He that speaketh of himself seeketh his own glory: but he that seeketh his glory that sent him, the same is true, and no unrighteousness is in him.

Jesus said that if any person was willing to do the will of God, them he or she would have the spiritual insight to know whether Jesus was truly transmitting the thoughts of God, or was “just teaching his own thoughts.” He said that the primary clue would be found in the motive of the teacher: He said, “he that speaketh of himself (on his own authority) seeketh his own glory.”

Jesus sought no glory, and never “took up an offering.” He sought neither glory nor gain.

False teachers are all too willing to accept credit for all that they do (and more) and to tell you how “superior” their relationship with God is, boasting of all the wonderful things God has done through them. Frequently, if one is alert at all, there are also some fairly recognizable and clearly ulterior motives: Something that “feeds the flesh.” It could do so in a wide variety of ways.

Personal Glory and Personal Gain

Some are in “the ministry” for personal gain…and they see every church and every believer as a potential “market” for whatever they are attempting to “sell.”  For some, it is less “corrupt,” but they still see the “ministry” as being “just a job:” a way to earn a living. They see it in the same light as any other career: as a job, rather than a calling, to which all else must take second place. So, if another church offers more money or better benefits, it does not hurt their conscience to leave the flock which had been entrusted to their care, and just “grab a better job.” And, if that is what the “ministry “ is really supposed to be about, then no one can fault them.

I once had a young man tell me that he intended to become a “youth pastor.” So, I asked him why; and he freely told me that “They get to go on lots of outings, rafting trips, concerts, and so forth, all paid for by the church!” (The word “pastor” means shepherd: you are supposed to be feeding the flock! Some do it better others, but that is the central command to shepherds!) I felt sad, and sickened by his response, but he was a very young man, and I barely knew him, so I did not push very hard, trying to dissuade him. And I was told years later, by a mutual friend, that he had eventually changed, and now pursued ministry for the sake of ministry: I hope that it is true.

But whatever other ulterior, fleshly, worldly, or even demonic motives false teachers may have, they definitely want “honor” for their efforts. In Matthew 6:5; 23:7-12; Luke 20:46, 47, Jesus addressed such people personally, saying that they were hypocrites: they loved the honor, and the respectful greetings in the marketplace, they loved to be called “Rabbi.”

(This is still a trap today: “Ah, good morning, Pastor Smith! Good to see you, Deacon Jones!”)  But Jesus said they were also preying on the people they were supposed to serve, seeking to buy out the properties of widows, and not caring for the poor, but rather, enriching themselves. This directly echoes the condemnation God extended to the false shepherds of Israel in Ezekiel 34:3, “Ye eat the fat, and ye clothe you with the wool, ye kill them that are fed: but ye feed not the flock.”

God condemned those false shepherds of that age, and He condemns such behavior today! He sees His Flock—the believers of all history—as being His personal possession: and anyone who mistreats that flock, He sees as a predator, endangering His flock.

This is why Jesus condemned such people as “Wolves in sheep’s clothing.” In Matthew 7:15, He said, “Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.”

Today, in the Church Age, we are warned of “false teachers.” 2nd Peter 2:1, says, “But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction.” The Lord sees these teachers as predators who “fleece” His Flock, or who draw them away from Him, away from His truth and His guidance and His care. He does not take this lightly; and neither should we.

What about the Law?

Jesus drew the crowd’s attention back to the prime accusation the Jewish leaders made against Him: They said that He was teaching people to break the Law. They said because he healed on the Sabbath, he was a lawbreaker. But He reminded them that none of them kept the Law. He didn’t go into a lot of detail in this passage, though He did in other places. Here, He only said that none of them kept the Law, but they wanted to kill Him for “breaking the Sabbath.”

19 Did not Moses give you the law, and yet none of you keepeth the law? Why go ye about to kill me? 20 The people answered and said, Thou hast a devil: who goeth about to kill thee?

This is where the people (perhaps some of the conspirators) denied that anyone was seeking to kill Him, and they accused Him of being demon possessed. But, looking ahead to verse 25, we see that the crowd absolutely knew that the authorities were seeking to kill Him. (incidentally, the word translated “devil” here (v. 20) is the Greek word “daimonion,” meaning an “evil spirit,” and used almost exclusively in reference to demon-possession.

21 Jesus answered and said unto them, I have done one work, and ye all marvel.

This is in reference to the healing of the man at the pool of Bethesda: John 5:16-18 says that they absolutely had wanted to kill Him after he healed the man on the Sabbath, and then, when He defended His actions, by saying that His Father (God) was working that day, on the Sabbath, they more vehemently sought His death, because He claimed (truthfully) to be the Son of God.

What about the Sabbath?

Knowing that the reason the authorities had originally (a year earlier) sought to kill him was the issue of the Sabbath, Jesus brought up a logical argument to support His having healed on the Sabbath: The Law of Moses required that all male Jewish children be circumcised on the eighth day after birth: no exception was made for the eighth day falling on the Sabbath.

22 Moses therefore gave unto you circumcision; (not because it is of Moses, but of the fathers;) (circumcision goes back to Abraham, far predating Moses.) and ye on the sabbath day circumcise a man. 23 If a man on the sabbath day receive circumcision, that the law of Moses should not be broken; are ye angry at me, because I have made a man every whit whole on the sabbath day? 24 Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment.

He shows the logical “disconnect” in the response of the Jewish religious authorities. But in so doing, He evidently “joggled the memories” of those who had been there the year before, and they all realized, “Oh, now I remember! This is the one who got in so much trouble last year!”

25 Then said some of them of Jerusalem, Is not this he, whom they seek to kill?

It is interesting how human memories can be so selective: Everyone seems to have forgotten what happened the previous year, with the man Jesus healed and the response of the rulers at that time. There were other healings He had done at about that same time, but the one on the Sabbath was the one over which the trouble had begun. The people of Jerusalem definitely knew!

Why were the Authorities silent?

26 But, lo, he speaketh boldly, and they say nothing unto him. Do the rulers know indeed that this is the very Christ?

So, the next logical question in their minds was. “Look, He is teaching openly, in the Temple! So, why aren’t they doing anything? Why aren’t the religious rulers getting right down here and arresting him?”

It was logical that they should ask, “Do they know something we don’t know? Is He really the Messiah? Are they afraid to confront Him??” and we see in the following verses that people were beginning to believe in Him. In the next passage, though, beginning in verse 32, we see that the Jewish rulers actually did send officers to arrest Him, but they went back empty handed, saying “No man ever taught the way this man teaches!”

What was different about Jesus?

Why did the officers go back empty handed? What was so special about Jesus? They had heard hundreds of teachers before, but this one was different. Matthew 7:29 and Mark 1:22 both say that “He taught as one having authority, and not as the scribes.” Jesus didn’t need to insert disclaimers, saying, “Well, the best authorities and scholars all say…” He was the best authority: It was His Word that He was teaching! And what we have seen, in both the Old Testament and the New Testament, is that God’s Word is what changes lives: God’s Word is powerful and alive and penetrates through to our deepest heart-secrets. No one could hear Jesus and not be affected!

Were they all affected in the same way? NO! Not at all! The same sunlight that softens wax hardens mud! The same daylight that causes night-creatures to take cover, causes creatures of the day, whether birds or butterflies, to wake up and get busy living! God calls us children of the light, and children of the day, and He calls us  to wake up and get busy living!

The Doctrine is not Ours but His that sent us!

We have nothing of our own to offer. Every atom of our bodies and of the whole universe already belong to God. He has chosen us in Christ, to be ambassadors for Him. And the message we bring is not ours to choose: The Gospel is clearly spelled out, and He says it is His only means by which to save souls. Romans 1:16 makes that completely clear.

When we share the Gospel with another person, attempting to do the job we have been given, we do not have the authority to “water down the message, and make it more palatable.”

Paul said, “We preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumbling block, and unto the Greeks foolishness.” If we shrink from presenting the Gospel unadorned, and unsweetened, then the reality is that we are “ashamed of the Gospel.”

Romans 1:16 says “I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God unto salvation, to everyone that believeth, to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.”

Are you ashamed of that message? Are you uncomfortable with it? Do you admit to yourself that this message is what we are sent to share, and that being an ambassador for Christ is the only job He has given to us?

We need to come to grips with the simple fact that, as Jesus said, “The doctrine is not mine but His who sent me!” I do not have the option to stray off into other messages, whether it is just my personal opinion, or things of political expediency, or social acceptability. I have no such option!

Jesus admitted that, in spite of His supreme authority as God in the Flesh, He still presented the message He was sent to present: not just His own ideas. And, when we do the same, preaching, teaching, and sharing His  message, not some clever thing we thought up on our own, then we can expect that the result will be to God’s Glory, and for His Gain.

We need to take hold of that single concept, accept the fact of our universal calling as ambassadors of Christ, and then step out with the doctrine of Christ, and share it without shame with anyone who will listen. Then we can cheerfully and confidently leave the results up to Him.

Lord Jesus, teach our hearts that the message of the Gospel did not originate with us: It is Your doctrine, Your message, and Your assignment to the Church. Help us to respond in faith and obedience.

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Jesus: The Judge of All the Earth

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The Judge of All the Earth

© 2022, C. O. Bishop

John 5:15-23

Introduction:

We have been studying through the Gospel of John, and we have come to a place where a fairly heavy doctrinal question is posed: “Who are we really dealing with in the Person of Jesus?”

In the context, here, Jesus had healed the man at the Pool of Bethesda, and the man had responded by “turning Jesus in” to the Jews…probably the religious rulers. So, in verses, 15 and 16, we catch the initial sense of “what is happening.”

15 The man departed, and told the Jews that it was Jesus, which had made him whole. 16 And therefore did the Jews persecute Jesus, and sought to slay him, because he had done these things on the sabbath day.

The man identified Jesus as being the one who had healed him (more specifically, the one who had told him to take up his bed and walk) and we see that the immediate response of “The Jews” was to persecute Jesus and seek to kill him. I always have inferred that the passage referred to the religious leaders, but, as I read it over again, I see that it does not specifically say that. It just says, “the Jews.”

However, we want to remember that this happened in Jerusalem, and the Jews in Jerusalem seem to have had a different response than did the Jews of smaller cities and villages, as a rule. And Jerusalem was ultimately the key response for the entire nation. Bethany received Jesus as the Promised King and Savior, but Jerusalem clamored for His death!

The Initial Accusation

So, the first accusation they made was that Jesus was breaking the Sabbath. This is apeculiar thing, as He seemed to deliberately heal on the Sabbath to further challenge His accusers. The word “Sabbath” means “rest!” And Jesus was giving the sufferers Divine Rest, through the healing He provided.

He delivered them from the bondage of their illness, paralysis, or demon-possession, and He gave them rest! In Hebrews chapter 4, we will eventually see that Jesus is our Sabbath: And, having received Him as our deliverer, we now “labor to enter into His Rest,” on a day-by-day basis.

Jesus did not try to explain any of this to His accusers. He simply stated His claims and continually demonstrated His authority. What incredible authority; to speak and cure paralysis! To speak and cast out demons (who recognized Him and called Him by name!) To speak, and raise the dead! To speak, and calm the storm! And their only response was to try to kill him! What an amazingly wrong-headed response! It was bad enough that they continually argued against Him, but to want to kill the only one who had the power of life seems incredibly short-sighted!

Jesus’ Reply, and the Second Accusation

Jesus’ spoken reply to His accusers made them even more determined to kill Him:

17 But Jesus answered them, My Father worketh hitherto, and I work. 18 Therefore the Jews sought the more to kill him, because he not only had broken the sabbath, but said also that God was his Father, making himself equal with God.

You see, now they really thought they had him cornered: He was convicted by His own words! They correctly understood that He was claiming Deity. He was not saying, as a person today might say, “My Heavenly Father (in contrast to my biological or human father) is watching over me.” They correctly understood that He claimed to be the Heir, God in the flesh!

The odd thing to me, there, is that in their own Scriptures they had that express promise made to them. In Isaiah 7:14, God said that “The Virgin shall be with Child and shall bear a Son and shall call His name Immanuel.” The name, “Immanuel” literally means “God with us!” That sounds like a pretty precious promise, to me!

So, if someone came along, claiming to fulfil that promise, wouldn’t the logical response be to “check His credentials?” There were lots of prophecies they could turn to, to check Him out, but they did not bother to do that. They just assumed He was lying, and they attacked Him.

19 Then answered Jesus and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise.

He pointed out the illogical character of their response, saying, in effect, “Look at the Works!” He later said, “if you don’t believe my words, believe for the sake of the works!” He showed that the works themselves had to come from the One who had the authority to heal! At the very least, they should have been able to see that He was sent from God.

In John chapter 9, we see that this precise argument was raised by the man who had been born blind, and whom Jesus healed. He said, “No man can do such things unless God is with Him! From the beginning of the world, it has not been heard that a man received sight who had been born blind!” And, again, the response of the Jews was only to accuse the man who was healed, and to cast him out of the temple, rather than confess the strength of his argument. They were not willing to see Jesus for who He truly was, even when confronted with irrefutable truth.

Jesus went on to describe the relationship between the Father and the Son:

20 For the Father loveth the Son, and sheweth him all things that himself doeth: and he will shew him greater works than these, that ye may marvel. 21 For as the Father raiseth up the dead, and quickeneth them; even so the Son quickeneth whom he will.

He described the Love relationship between the Father and the Son, and further said that the miracles were about to increase, specifically so that they should “marvel”—be filled with amazement. And raising the dead was what he said was coming up.

Now, they had not yet seen Jesus raising the dead, but He offered a preview, of what was going to happen: speaking to those who were His sworn enemies, He offered the resurrection! He claimed the authority to raise the dead at will. What proof could He give of that authority? They would see the proof, but, so far, He had not done such things. In John 11, he publicly raised to life someone who had been dead long enough to begin to decay. And, in John 12, their response was still to want to kill him!

If someone who has already demonstrated that He could heal people who were completely wrecked by disease, makes the claim that He can raise the dead, He should at least be given the opportunity to prove His claim. But that was not their response. Nor is it the usual response today. I have had someone declare to me that if they saw someone raised from the dead, they would have to believe. But, in Luke 16:31, Jesus said that is not true, either: He said that “if they will not believe Moses (God’s prophet…God’s Word) then they would not believe, even if they saw someone raised from the dead.”

The Universal Response

So, what is the usual response of Humanity to God? We see in scripture that the Jews’ response was not unusual for the rest of the World either. So, we should be cautious about condemning the Jews for their response. Jesus taught that very few would actually enter in by faith…that most people would choose the path toward destruction.

Keep in mind that their response is by their own choice. Even in the Old Testament, God says that the voice of Wisdom calls to the simple and the foolish, to turn from their ways, and also that God takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked. But the depravity of the Human race is universal. Our egos war against God, by nature.

In Psalm 14:2, 3, God said, “The Lord looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, and seek God. They are all gone aside, they are all together become filthy: there is none that doeth good, no, not one.”

We want to “re-write” such a passage to say, “…not very many…” but God says, “No, not one!” Collectively, we have rejected God. He has pursued us with His Grace and Love and Kindness and attempted to reconcile the World to Himself. Also, that passage from Psalm 14 is quoted verbatim in Romans 3:9-12.This is not an “Old Testament problem.”

God’s Solution

God saw that Human reasoning and Human “wisdom” would never result in a right relationship with God. (1st Corinthians 1:21 says, “for after that in the wisdom of God, the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.” ) So, He chose, before the foundation of the World, to receive a specific group: those who would respond in faith to the Good News of God’s Grace.

Jesus said in John 12:32 “And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.” He gave Himself as the “magnet” to which people would either respond in faith or not. Some may respond with indifference. Others may be “attracted,” but still unwilling to believe, because of the offensive nature of the Cross. Some may respond in ridicule, saying that the entire message is utter foolishness. Still others may respond in anger, claiming that they are “Good People!” They see no need for a Savior and are insulted that we would suggest they need one!

But, still others will respond in faith, choosing by faith to lay their hands upon God’s chosen sacrifice, and see Him as their only hope. Faith is a choice. To those few who choose to believe God, He gives eternal life and eternal forgiveness of their sins.

So, Jesus has named Himself as the one through whom the resurrection is to be had. He has named Himself (back in John 3:16-18) as the only Savior, and said that the only requirement is faith. He said that those who believed in Him (as their Savior) would not be condemned, but that those who refused to believe were already condemned, specifically because they do not believe. But what else does he say, here in John 5:22, 23?

Jesus, the Judge of all the Earth

From Human perspective, we have been told that God is the eternal Judge: and so He is! But we frequently fail to consider the triune nature of the Godhead. John began to investigate this truth, way back in John 1:1 – he said that “the Word was with God and the Word was God.” Now, in any other context, that statement alone is contradictory—paradoxical: Something (or someone) cannot be with another being, and simultaneously be that other being.

So, we had already begun to see that this “Word” who was later identified as Jesus, was in some mysterious way to be seen as being God, Himself. That is an important point to grasp. Later on, Jesus brought it to everyone’s attention that only God can forgive sins, and that, while a human may say “your sins are forgiven,” it becomes the ultimate in “cheap talk” unless they can prove that they have the authority to forgive sins. So, He proved His authority to forgive sins by demonstrating His authority to heal a paralyzed man. (He simply spoke, and healed him!)

But what else does that suggest about Jesus? If He has the authority to forgive sins, does He not also have the authority to not forgive? That makes Him the Judge! And Jesus confirmed that truth, in the next two verses; also warning the hearers of the consequences of unbelief:

22 For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son: 23 That all men should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father. He that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father which hath sent him.

Here are four points to grasp from that statement:

  1. God the Father does not judge.
  2. God the Son does judge…and all judgment has been committed unto Him.
  3. The goal of God is that people will honor the Son as they honor the Father who sent Him.
  4. Whoever does not honor Jesus in the same way as the Father, does not honor the Father!

Where does this leave the people who say that they believe in Jesus, but see Him as somehow less than God in the Flesh? Many people say they believe Jesus is the Son of God, but deny that He is God. This is a stumbling block to all the cults: they want to appear to honor Jesus, but they balk at admitting His deity. And, the person they are dishonoring is the one who is their Judge.

Old Testament Evidence

What evidence do we have that I am not just misinterpreting Jesus’s words? Genesis 18:25 sees Abraham pleading with God in the Flesh (to whom he had just served lunch…beef, bread, butter and milk…and who had eaten it) and addressing Him as “the Judge of all the earth!”

Well, so long as I see that person as God (and it is) there is no information there to support what Jesus said…except that, there is one more New Testament passage that caps it: John 1:18 says “No man has seen God at any time: the only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He hath declared Him.” So, yes, that was God, but not God the Father!  Abraham called God the Son “Judge of all the Earth!”

If I compare the two passages, where Jesus claims to be the only Judge, and where Abraham called Him that to His face, then I begin to see that the person the Jews were hating and seeking to kill, was literally:

  • God in the Flesh
  • The only Savior who would ever be offered on their behalf, and
  • The Eternal Judge before whom they would stand if they rejected His offer of peace.

It is hard to imagine being so hard-hearted as to not see the joy of the people Jesus healed, and to not hear the pure wisdom He taught. But to be confronted with the reality of His authority, and to deny it as though he were only a political rival, seems insane. And yet, that is where we all have stood, originally, and it is where the vast majority of the world still takes its stand, today.

How can we apply this truth?

So, what can we do with this knowledge? If we have already received Him as our Savior, then perhaps it will remind us of the importance of daily seeing Him as our Lord: our Master. Perhaps it can give us greater drive to share with others our hope of redemption, our only hope of forgiveness and eternal life.

Remember that evangelism is nothing greater (nor less than) one beggar telling another beggar where to find free food and shelter. We came to Christ as beggars, condemned and unclean. He gave us a new life, completely holy before Him. But we still have nothing, outside of what He gives us. So, we offer that gift freely, without any condescension… we are just saved sinners ourselves. We aren’t looking down our noses at anyone. But the one we serve is the true Master of all things…the only Savior and the Eternal Judge. Take it seriously and pass that Grace to others!

Lord Jesus, change our hearts to truly see You as the only hope for the world, and more specifically, the only hope for every individual sinner in the world. Help us to see through Your eyes, and care with Your heart. Make us to serve as Your hands and feet and to speak as Your voice.

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John the Baptist: “He must increase; but I must decrease.”

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John the Baptist: “He must increase; but I must decrease.”

© 2021 C. O. Bishop

John 3:22-36 (Compare John 1:6-8, 19-34, 36; Luke 1:12-17, 67-80) 

Introduction

As we study through the first few chapters of the Gospel of John, the prophet John the Baptist shows up several times. Taken as a whole, the scriptures that involve him tell us something about his character. Over in Luke 1:12-17, we are told why he had that character: He was filled with the Holy Spirit from his mother’s womb…before he was born. And that state continued through his whole life. In John the Baptist, though we are told very little about him, we can see what a spirit-filled life looks like. There are many other examples, of course, but in John the Baptist, we see some specific traits that could easily be missed in some of the other accounts.

Who is John the Baptist?

John the Apostle introduced him simply as “a man sent from God, whose name was John.”

Luke gives the full background, including the miraculous intervention by God, to bring about his birth, and the fact that he is Jesus’s cousin, and approximately six months older than Jesus. But it concludes that he was growing strong in spirit, and lived in the desert until the time when he was to be shown to Israel.

One of the prophecies concerning this man (Luke 1:17) was that he would going before God “…in the spirit and power of Elijah, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.” There were a lot of specific prophecies, including the fact that he would not drink wine nor strong drink. So, neither the ordinary wine, of which virtually everyone partook, nor the stronger liquors which were also common. But when he was revealed to Israel, (Matthew 3:4) he was eating a very strict diet, limited apparently to locusts (what we call grasshoppers) and wild honey…and water, evidently. (And, because of his diet, his detractors accused him of being demon-possessed.) He was dressed oddly, too—in camel hair, with a crude leather belt…one passage just says a hide belt. (Camel hair was not seen as a luxury item in those days: this was not a “camel-hair suit.”)

John came as a forerunner for Jesus the King: a herald. He announced the coming Messianic Kingdom, reiterating the Holiness, Righteousness and Judgment of God, and warning those who hoped to enter into God’s kingdom to behave accordingly. Those who believed and agreed with his message, he baptized in the Jordan, as a sign of their identification with the coming King. (That is what baptism is about: it is for identification.)

But, like many thrilling and convicting messages, as people flocked to the messenger, it became a “movement” and others came, just to be seen as part of the movement. John recognized them for who they were, and called them out on their hypocrisy, warning them that their lives had better match what they were claiming to believe! (Matthew 3:7-12) He warned that while he himself only baptized with water, the one who was to come after him would “baptize with the Holy Spirit and with fire.” We frequently ignore the rest of the passage, where he specifies that the fire to which he refers is hell-fire. The believers would eventually be baptized with the Holy Ghost at Pentecost: those who proved to be His enemies would end up in unquenchable fire. This has nothing to do with the “cloven tongues” that looked like fire, landing on the disciples at Pentecost. John was warning of eternal damnation for those who defied the coming King. There is no mistaking his intent in that message, unless we ignore the latter half.

What Sort of Man was John?

It would be easy to see John as a real “fire-and-brimstone preacher…” and, in a sense, he was just that. But he also gave some sound teaching, all within the context of the coming Messianic Kingdom, which both he and Jesus preached. John preached it until he was executed: Jesus, up until the time when Jerusalem rejected Him, accusing Him of serving Satan. After that event, Jesus was headed for the Cross, and He never again offered the kingdom.

The Church was not in view, and it was not revealed in its fulness until more than eight years after His ascension. But by the end of the book of Acts, the Church was well established, and in the book of Ephesians the doctrine is clearly spelled out, and is rather pointedly said to have not been known by any of the Old Testament Prophets. (Ephesians 3:8-12)

So, John was the last of the Old Testament prophets, as Jesus and John both lived out their entire lives under the Law…the Old Covenant. (Jesus said that the New Covenant was the Covenant in His Blood: so, it began after His death, and from a practical viewpoint, it began on the day of Pentecost.)

We see John as a “fire-breather” because of how he confronted the Pharisees and Sadducees, and again, later, as he confronted Herod the tetrarch. But if we look at how he talked to the ordinary people, he seems quite down to earth: He told them to share with one another, care for the poor, don’t cheat other people, don’t abuse your authority.

Even the soldiers, he only told to be satisfied with their wages and to not abuse their authority. Same to the tax-collectors. These both were unpopular people in that society: The soldiers were the “law-enforcement” of that day, and the tax-collectors the IRS of that day. Things haven’t changed a lot: the average person still thinks evil of such government agents. But John gave them sound counsel: he did not tell them to quit their jobs, but only to do their jobs honestly and not to abuse their positions.

One result of his sound teaching (and his prophecies concerning the coming Kingdom and the coming King) was that people began to jump to the conclusion that perhaps he was that king. (Which is very odd…he had already told them very plainly that the King was someone else!)

So, then they wanted to know whether he was Elijah, since they knew that there was a prophecy that Elijah would come before the great and terrible day of the Lord. And John told them plainly that he was not Elijah, which was perfectly true. (Elijah will come during the great tribulation, just before Jesus returns in Glory. But John is John.)

John made no special claims regarding himself. He did not attract attention to himself except as he spoke and acted to direct people’s attention to the Messiah. He claimed nothing for himself, declaring that he himself was not worthy to untie the sandals of the coming King, nor even to carry his shoes.

He sought no glory for himself. When he eventually rebuked Herod for taking his sister-in-law as his wife, Herod shut him up in prison. We can’t be sure what Herod would have done, but we do know that eventually, he put himself in a position where he felt obliged to have John executed.

From prison, John began to wonder about the ministry of Jesus, whether He really was the Messiah: (Luke 7:19-23) So, he sent messengers to ask. Jesus had them hang around and watch: He cast out demons, healed the sick, and preached to the common people…the poor. Then he told the messengers to go on back and tell John what they had seen: He knew that the fulfilled prophecies would answer John’s questions more fully than a simple “Yes!”

What was the nature of John’s ministry, as compared to that of Jesus?

Initially, John’s ministry drew a lot of attention, just as it was intended to do: People publicly confessed their sins and were baptized in repentance, choosing to believe his message. When Jesus arrived, and was baptized by John, John knew who He was for the first time: John did not want to baptize Jesus, and protested that he himself needed to be baptized by Jesus. Jesus told him, “Allow it to be so for now, that we may fulfill all righteousness.” Jesus needed to be identified with the message of John, because John preached the coming Kingdom, and Jesus was the King!

John was completely humble: his ministry was designed to be eclipsed by that of Jesus. So, when he pointed out Jesus to the crowd (more than six weeks later, after Jesus’s fasting in the desert) he said, “Behold the Lamb of God which taketh away the sins of the World!” He did not say anything to connect himself to Jesus, even, or try to “share some of the spotlight,” so to speak: He simply pointed people to Jesus.

The day after he had announced Jesus to the crowd, he gently “nudged” two of his own disciples, directing their attention again to Jesus. They responded by leaving John the Baptist, to follow Jesus. In this matter alone, we begin to see what it means to be a man filled with the Holy Spirit: Over in John 16:13, 14, we see that the Holy Spirit does not speak of himself, but speaks to glorify Jesus. So, John the Baptist, under the direct influence of the Holy Spirit, behaved just as the Holy Spirit behaves: He glorified Jesus, and directed others to Him!

Very few modern preachers would willingly turn their own proteges away, to deliberately send them to follow someone else. But John did exactly that, and then continued his preaching of the coming kingdom.

Was there a Conflict? No!

But the time came when Jesus’s ministry began to overshadow John’s ministry. John’s protégé’s were offended for his sake, evidently, as they came and told him that Jesus was baptizing more people than John was (although the scripture points out that Jesus Himself was not baptizing at all—his disciples were.)

John 3:22-36 tells us the rest of the story:

22 After these things came Jesus and his disciples into the land of Judaea; and there he tarried with them, and baptized. 23 And John also was baptizing in Aenon near to Salim, because there was much water there: and they came, and were baptized. 24 For John was not yet cast into prison. 25 Then there arose a question between some of John’s disciples and the Jews about purifying. 26 And they came unto John, and said unto him, Rabbi, he that was with thee beyond Jordan, to whom thou barest witness, behold, the same baptizeth, and all men come to him. 27 John answered and said, A man can receive nothing, except it be given him from heaven. 28 Ye yourselves bear me witness, that I said, I am not the Christ, but that I am sent before him. 29 He that hath the bride is the bridegroom: but the friend of the bridegroom, which standeth and heareth him, rejoiceth greatly because of the bridegroom’s voice: this my joy therefore is fulfilled. 30 He must increase, but I must decrease. 31 He that cometh from above is above all: he that is of the earth is earthly, and speaketh of the earth: he that cometh from heaven is above all. 32 And what he hath seen and heard, that he testifieth; and no man receiveth his testimony. 33 He that hath received his testimony hath set to his seal that God is true. 34 For he whom God hath sent speaketh the words of God: for God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto him. 35 The Father loveth the Son, and hath given all things into his hand. 36 He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.


Remember, this is John the Baptist telling his own disciples the difference between himself and Jesus. Apparently, thus far not all of them had understood.

Verse 30 is the key verse, here: “He must increase, but I must decrease.” That is actually the key to the life of a disciple of Christ! It is not about you or me: it is about Jesus! The less people see of “Me,” and the more people see of Jesus, the better my service will be.

John had a ministry similar to that of a comet: A comet is there in the sky, temporarily, reflecting the light of the sun, and catching the attention of all the people of the earth, as a rule…and it passes rather quickly, and then, after a few days, it is gone. But the Sun continues to shine.

John reflected the light of the Son of God, for a short time, and some were attracted to him alone, not recognizing that He only reflected light. John 1:7, 8 clearly says that “John himself was not the light, but he bore witness of the light.” And John verbally confirmed this truth on several occasions. Some of his disciples eventually transitioned to become believers in Jesus. Some (including the Pharisees and Sadducees, whom John had warned about being fakes) probably did not. It is relatively easy to join a movement, join a church, go to meetings, sing songs, pray prayers, etc. and to fool people around you. That is what the Pharisees and Sadducees were doing.

But there are no counterfeits in the Body of Christ, proper: the Holy Spirit sees our hearts, and takes the believer at the moment of faith, and plants them in the Body of Christ. It is impossible to fool the Holy Spirit: He is God! He knows our hearts. No one fools God!

John called his disciples to bear witness, saying “Remember, I said ‘I am not the Christ!’” Then he said something really interesting: this is the first mention of the “Bride and the Bridegroom:” He said, “He that hath the Bride is the Bridegroom!” He pointed out that the friend of the bridegroom who stood and heard his voice (we might call him the “best man” today) rejoices to hear His voice. Then he said, “This my joy, therefore, is fulfilled!” His greatest joy was to see the Bride beginning to accumulate to Christ, the Bridegroom! That should be our Joy, as well!

John’s testimony regarding Jesus: (John 3:33-36)

John went on to say that Jesus came from Heaven, and that He testified of what He had seen and heard. He said that those who willingly receive the testimony of Jesus are setting their seal to the fact that God is true. He concluded that whoever believes on the Son has everlasting life (present tense) …and that he who does not believe the Son, not only does not have the life, but shall not see life; but rather, the wrath of God abides upon him!

What a stern warning! And it is exactly what he had said from the beginning. John was completely consistent in his teaching. He always pointed people toward Jesus, and he always told them very plainly the results of belief and of unbelief. He never “sugar-coated” the truth.

Our Testimony:

We frequently try to persuade people by “sweet words.” Perhaps sometimes that bears fruit, especially with little children: but Jesus did not do that, nor did the Apostles, and John the Baptist certainly did not. Jesus was usually pretty gentle, it is true…but not always. He said very clearly that the way into eternal life was narrow and tight, and that few would enter therein. He went on to say that the way into eternal destruction was broad and easy, and that many would go there.

But I have heard preachers teaching exactly the opposite: One in particular told me, “I always assume people are already saved unless they give me reason to believe otherwise.” Another, from the pulpit, stated that “No one has ever been saved by being told that they are a sinner!”

The fact is: Jesus said, “no one comes to the Father but by me.” That is pretty narrow, all right! And He had already taught that the majority will reject His Grace and be lost. So, why would I ever assume that people were “already saved?” And finally; no one has ever been saved without finding out that they are a sinner: What do you think they are they being saved from?

We need to think carefully about what it is we are telling people. And we need to think carefully about our motivation: If I am attempting to get more people to attend this church, I have wrong motives. If I am attempting to “have a bigger following,” then I have wrong motives. Paul warned the Ephesian elders that leaders would arise within the flock who desire to “draw away disciples after themselves” and “not considering the flock.” We need to point people to Jesus. That is what John the Baptist did, throughout his ministry. We need to maintain the concept that “He must increase, but I must decrease!” Otherwise, the reverse is very likely to occur: We will puff ourselves up, to the dimming of the Cross.

Lord Jesus, we want to direct people’s attention to You: to turn their eyes to You as their Savior and to turn their hearts to You as their Lord. Help us to step out of the way and allow you to pour your grace through us to the dying world so that You can save those who will believe. Cleanse our hearts and make us clean channels for Your Love and Mercy.

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Christ the Lamb of God

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Christ the Lamb of God

© C. O. Bishop 2011 (revised 2021)

(THCF 2/19/12) Revised 2021

John 1:29 “…Behold the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the World!”

Introduction:

John has already introduced us to Jesus, as the Word of God; the Creator; the Light; the Life; the Source of Grace and Truth. And we have seen him in His incarnation, as the Word made Flesh. Now John (the Apostle) introduces another concept…”Christ, the Lamb of God”.

When I was young (and an unbeliever, by the way), I had no idea what this phrase meant. I knew what a lamb looked like, acted like, and smelled like…and heard people refer to lambs as gentle, or harmless, or cute and cuddly, but I didn’t see how any of those things applied to Jesus, and honestly found the idea somewhat repugnant—silly and sentimental at best.

What I did not understand was that to the Hebrew culture, a Lamb was primarily a sacrificial offering, and that they understood perfectly what kind of Lamb was meant when John the Baptist pointed to Jesus and said, “Behold the Lamb of God!”  They probably did not understand how it could apply to a Man, but they definitely knew what a Lamb was all about.

Further, they probably doubted the second clause: “…which taketh away the sin….” They knew that the blood of the lambs they sacrificed only temporarily covered their sins: so the idea that sins would be permanently removed was somewhat foreign, although we will see that the Old Testament scriptures predicted just that.

Finally, I am sure they completely balked at the idea that the blood of the Lamb could take away “the sins of the World”. It was their idea that the Messiah was to come and save Israel—not the world. And yet, the Prophets had predicted that he would be the savior of the Gentiles as well, and that the Gentiles would be given to Him as His inheritance.

So, John the Baptist really said a mouthful:

  1. He said that a Man would be the sacrificial Lamb.
  2. He stated that that Lamb would take away sin; and
  3. Finally, that He would take away the sins of the World.

Let’s see how that holds up in the light of God’s Word.

Jesus in Genesis

In the Beginning, we saw the creation (and Christ was the Creator), and we saw the Fall of Man into sin. The curse that fell as a result of sin included the prediction of the destruction of the Serpent—not the snake specifically; the Serpent— later identified as Satan. (Genesis 3:15, cp. Revelation 20:2) The One who would fulfill that promise was someone called the “Seed of Woman.” And the only one in History who could qualify as being specifically the Seed of Woman was Jesus, in the virgin birth.

Adam trusted God’s promise of a coming Savior, and God sacrificed animals to cover the nakedness of Adam and Eve. This was the first blood sacrifice: it was conducted by God, not Man. The first recorded blood sacrifice brought by a human was by Abel, in Genesis chapter 4. God accepted that sacrifice, and told Cain that if he, too, would do right, then He (God) would also accept his offering. But, Cain refused, and was lost.

Later, in Genesis 23, Abraham was commanded to offer his son Isaac. Abraham had no way to know that this was “only a test.” But he passed the test: he built the altar, laid the firewood, bound Isaac, and lifted him onto the wood. When he picked up the knife, to actually kill Isaac, God stopped him, and provided a substitute…a ram, which had been there all along, but unseen by Abraham or Isaac until the proper time.

Isaac had earlier asked Abraham, “where is the Lamb?” Abraham had answered with a statement of faith: “God will provide Himself a lamb”. God certainly did provide the Lamb, and He has done so once for all time, at the Cross. But, in Genesis, in the cases of Adam, Eve, Abel and Isaac, there was one lamb for one individual.

Jesus in Old Testament History

In Exodus 12, Israel was in bondage in Egypt. God was about to take them out of that bondage and remove them to another land. Pharaoh had refused permission for them to leave, so God sent ten plagues on Egypt—the last being the death of the firstborn of every household. But He offered an escape from that judgment, through the blood of a lamb.

Every family, house by house, was to choose a flawless lamb from their flock: they were to kill that lamb. They were to catch his blood in a basin, and then dip a bundle of hyssop in the blood and strike that blood onto the lintel and the two doorposts of the house. (try these motions—you are making a cross in the air.) They were to stay inside their houses that night, under the protection of that blood. When the destroying angel went through Egypt, He would pass over that house, sparing all who were under that blood. One lamb died for each family, though each individual was to eat of that lamb, personally. In every house without the blood, someone was dead. The blood of those lambs looked forward to the Cross.

The Passover was to be celebrated every year. They celebrated it as a commemorative feast, every year, with one lamb per family. There were other sacrifices, as well: each to cover sin. The Day of Atonement (“covering”) was observed once every year: one animal for the whole nation. Individual lamb offerings were brought for both individual sins, and for the covering of the firstborn.

In every case, these blood-sacrifices looked forward to the one Lamb of God that would come into the world and bear the sins of the human race. One lamb for the whole world. Judgment has fallen on the whole world, because of sin. We are given the option to place ourselves under the blood of God’s sacrifice and be saved. Every soul who fails to place himself under that blood is lost.

Romans 5:6 says that “in due time” Christ died for the ungodly. Revelation 13:8 says Jesus was “the Lamb slain from the foundation of the Earth”—he was there all the time, like the Ram in the story of Abraham and Isaac, but we had not seen him. He died at the proper time in history.

Why So Many Lambs?

Over the centuries, millions of lambs had died sacrificially, in hope of the salvation of Man. Obviously, some were offered by unbelieving hearts, only following a “form.” That is true today as well. Many recite catechisms, or creeds, without applying that truth to their own case. They say the words, but they don’t believe. In those days, the lambs died, but to no advantage. In a sense, that is true today, as well. Jesus truly died for the sins of the whole human race (1st John 2:2,) but for those who do not believe, it is to no advantage.

The lambs, bulls, and goats of the Old Testament sacrifices had three major flaws:

  1. Not being human, (unrelated to the sinner) they could not be the Redeemer—and could not cleanse the sinner. The Law of the substitute (and the Kinsman-Redeemer) required a willing, voluntary substitution of a free individual who was a close relative of the sinner.
  2. Even as a “covering,” though ordained by God, the animal sacrifices could only cover sins temporarily. The Day of Atonement was yearly, by necessity. The sin offerings were repeated every time someone sinned. We need a permanent solution for sin, and animals simply cannot serve that purpose.
  3. Though they truly were ordained by God, the animal sacrifices were only effective until the “Real Deal” came through. Once Jesus was offered at the cross, the animal sacrifices no longer covered the guilt of the sinner. If we reject the offering of Jesus at the Cross, then the animal sacrifices are no more acceptable than the sacrifices offered by pagans.

But there was definitely a time of full forgiveness coming, when God said he would remember their sins no more (Jeremiah 31:34.) And, in Isaiah 1:18, God promised that He would cleanse them from their sins: that though their sins had been red like crimson, they would be clean as newly washed wool. Covering and cleansing are two different things. Maybe the Jews thought that this would only happen in the Messianic Kingdom. They were partly right—it only happens in the Messiah!

And when Messiah comes, God promises that the gentile nations would rejoice in his presence. (Isaiah 11:10, 60:3) These things had evidently been passed over or ignored by Israel. I can understand that—I have frequently found passages that I know I must have read dozens of times and suddenly I see it clearly, as if it had not been there before.

Jesus in New Testament Doctrine

Let’s look at Hebrews chapters nine and ten: In Hebrews 9:19-22 (read it), we see the sprinkling of blood in the Old Testament sacrifices. This was ordained by God. He approved this practice. But, in Hebrews 9:23-28, God goes on to show the superiority of the sacrifice of Christ. (Read this, too). Hebrews 10:1-10 continues the thought, and states that it was impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.

Finally, he points out that if we reject Jesus’ sacrifice then the Old Testament sacrifices are no longer valid. (Hebrews 10:26-31 …remember the context: the comparison of animal sacrifice to that of Christ.) The people to whom he was speaking were believing Jews; they had the history of the sacrifices. They evidently felt that they could always go back to the animal sacrifices if they decided they didn’t like Jesus. God warned them that they could not go back: the old animal sacrifices would no longer do any good.

Now: we can compare this with John 1:29, which we read at the beginning, and see that Jesus came to take away sins. He satisfied the holiness of God, as our propitiation (1st John 2:2) and He took away the sins of the whole world, just as John predicted. So, if the sins have all been taken on Christ, and judged at the Cross, why does anyone still face judgment?

In John 3:18, 19 Jesus said,  “He that believeth on Him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that Light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.”

Jesus said that the judgment people now face is for not believing the Gospel…not trusting in the blood of His sacrifice. In effect, just as the Egyptians in Exodus, and Cain in Genesis, they have refused to place themselves under the blood of God’s chosen sacrifice—the Lamb of God—and so they fall under the judgment of God, just as if He had not died for their sins.

Finally, unlike the Old Testament temporary sacrifices, Jesus’ blood has a permanent effect. In Hebrews 10:14-18, God explained that Jesus’ one offering cleansed forever those who trusted in Him. A believer becomes literally a child of God, and as such, begins to demonstrate the attributes of God. The sins of a believer are already purged at the cross, and are not being held against him/her. God sees you, the believer, as being Holy…exactly as Holy as Jesus.

Conclusion—Jesus in You

When John the Baptist said, “Behold the Lamb of God” it raised some questions in the hearts of those who heard. They probably found it confusing: they thought they knew all about lambs and sacrifices. We may have the same response. The questions we should be asking ourselves are:

  1. If Jesus is truly the chosen sacrifice of God, how can I lay my hands on that sacrifice, and endorse it as the one sacrifice for my own sin?
  2. Am I under the blood of that sacrifice?
  3. Do I care about those around me? Are they under that protection as well, or am I leaving them to be lost? What attributes of God do I demonstrate by my choice?

The answer to the first question, (“…how can I lay claim to that sacrifice?”) is simple: You lay hold by faith; by believing that Jesus died for your sins and placing your dependence on His shed blood as full payment for your sins. Jesus said, “Verily, verily I say unto thee, he that heareth my word, and believeth on Him that sent me hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation, but has passed from death unto life.” (John 5:24)

The second question is one that only you can answer. Either you already have trusted Jesus as your Savior, believing that his blood alone can take away your sins, or you have not. If there was ever a time in your life when you believed that Jesus was your only hope for salvation, and you trusted in Him, then you are under the blood of His sacrifice, and you will be there forever!

The answer to the third question must be addressed daily: Will I show the love of God, and reach out to the dying lost world around me with the hope of the Gospel? Or will I just let them stay lost? What possible excuse could I offer the Lord for having allowed those around me to perish without my having at least made the effort to reach them?

It seems to me that if I am truly under the blood of that sacrifice, and have become literally a child of God, and if am to be displaying the attributes of His character, as His ambassador, then the care that He extends to the world should be mine as well. Sadly, I have to confess that it frequently is not. I am frequently too caught up in my own issues. Yes, I have shared the Gospel with those with whom I work. I have led a few to the Lord, but not many. And usually, when I pray, I am not praying for their souls, but only that I can “get through the day without collapse or anger.” My first concern should be for the salvation of their souls, not my own comfort and happiness.

When I hear John the Baptist’s cry, “Behold the Lamb…”, I need to consider these things, and remember that his blood was shed not for just my sins, but also for the sins of the whole world. This is a call to faithful service, and evangelism, all to be tempered by humility and love, which are also attributes of God.

Please consider daily the challenge of John the Baptist, and behold the Lamb from the perspective of those who have been born again, and who owe our allegiance to the Cross.

God help us as we step forward by faith.

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Feeding on, and Holding Forth the Word of Truth.

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Feeding on, and Holding Forth the Word of Truth.

© 2020 C. O. Bishop

2nd Peter 1:4; Philippians 2:16; Psalm1, 119:9, 11; Deuteronomy 17:19; 1st Timothy 4:13

Introduction:

We have been studying through 1st Peter, and passages related to that book: we read in 2nd Peter 1:4 that by means of the “Exceeding great and precious promises” in God’s Word, we are to “become partakers of the Divine Nature.” We are to feed on God’s Word, according to 1st Peter 2:2, so we need to examine how that is supposed to happen. Does it mean, “If I go to church once a week, and read my Bible for a few minutes before I go to sleep, then I am OK?” Or is there more to it than that?

And what are the results expected to be? We already saw that one result is that we are to “become partakers of the Divine Nature.” But we also have seen in Philippians 2:15, 16, that we are expected to shine as lights in the world, holding forth the Word of Truth. So we need to do some thinking about what that means, as well.

Our involvement with the Word of God has two aspects: what we are to take in, to affect our own lives, and what we are to give out, to affect the lives of others. So, let’s talk about both of those ideas: Intake and Output.

Intake: Feeding on the Word of God

As we look through God’s Word, we find at least five levels of involvement described for us, in taking in the Word of God: Hearing, Reading, Studying, Memorization, and Meditation.

  • Hearing is always important, and it should lead to a change in behavior all by itself, although we are warned (James 1:25) that it is possible to be a “…forgetful hearer and not a doer of the Word.” So we don’t want that to happen. But we also know that “Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God!” (Romans 10:17) So hearing is really important: No one has ever been saved without hearing (or receiving in some way) the Gospel of Christ…the preaching of the Cross, (1st Corinthians 1:17, 18).
  • Reading is commanded in both the Old Testament and the New Testament: In Deuteronomy 17:19,Israel’s kings were commanded to read the scripture daily, for a combination of the effect in their own lives and the result in the nation. (I wish our leaders today were doing this.) In 1st Timothy 4:13, referring to the public reading of scripture for the edification of the hearers, reading of the scriptures was clearly commanded to be done on a regular basis. But we are also warned to take the time to think about and understand what we read. (Matthew 24:15)
  • Study is at least implied, in the Bible, though the Biblical term “study” means to “give effort and attention to” something. We tend to only use that word to mean book-work: intense reading and careful analysis of a topic or a passage. But, “giving effort and attention to understanding God’s Word” does imply some “book-work,” as a rule, and we are encouraged to “study to show ourselves approved unto God.” (2nd Timothy 2:15) but, it goes on to say, “rightly dividing the Word of Truth!” That does imply Bible Study, and mastering the content of our Bibles so that we use the scriptures appropriately, not taking things out of context: not misinterpreting the intent of scripture. The result is that we are each to become “a workman that needeth not to be ashamed.” (That is a good goal all by itself!)
  • Memorization is only mentioned a few times, but Psalm 119:11 makes it pretty clear: “Thy Word have I hid in mine heart that I might not sin against thee!” Someone has famously pointed out that “either the Word will keep you from Sin, or Sin will keep you from the Word.”  That is fairly accurate. We tend to find ways to occupy our thoughts so as to not consider the changes that need to occur in our lives, or any other uncomfortable thoughts. So all sorts of activities and entertainment are marketed precisely to meet that desire in humans. But if we deliberately turn away from all those distractions and focus on God’s Word, the Word begins to change us, and to change our desires, so that we are less driven to “escape the presence of God,” and more likely to desire to “walk with Him.” Think of the difference between the response of Adam and Eve fleeing from the presence of God, and Enoch, walking with God.
  • Meditation is the last means of “taking in” God’s Word, and it has the deepest effect upon the believer. “Meditation,” in scripture does not mean the “blanking or emptying of one’s mind so as to allow every passing, vagrant idea to have free rein in one’s heart” but rather the deliberate focus of one’s unhurried, conscious thought upon a particular concept or passage in scripture, so as to allow that truth to “soak in” and permeate one’s thinking. Psalm 119:9, along with all of Psalm 1, gives the idea of what meditation on God’s Word implies, and the expected result in one’s life. Psalm 119:9 says that “taking heed thereto according to thy Word” would have the effect of “cleansing” my way. If I want my life to change for the better, so that I am learning to walk with God, I need to apply God’s Word to my life: take heed to my life, in accordance with God’s Word. Psalm 1 says that a man who meditates on God’s Word day and night, will be blessed and flourish before the Lord; that “he will be like a tree, planted by rivers of water.” He will be strong, and unshakeable, and he will flourish spiritually, at the very least.

All five of these activities concerning the Word of God are commanded in scripture. I find it a good memory aid, or object lesson, perhaps, to consider the fact that I have five digits on each hand: if I grip something with just my smallest finger, I really can’t get a secure grip. So, unless the object is very light, or perhaps has a hole through which I have inserted my smallest finger, I really can’t depend upon that grip. I compare that idea to limiting my intake of God’s Word to just “hearing.” It will not prove sufficient, in the long run, or in times of trial.

If all I ever do is hear the scripture, unless I hear a great deal of it, I am not likely to develop a good “grip” on God’s Word. Now, there can be exceptions: I knew a fellow whose job allowed him to listen to tapes on ear-bud headphones during work, so he bought a full set of Bible tapes—eighty-four 45-mimute cassettes, comprising the entire Bible, being read aloud—and he proceeded to listen to them all day, every day, at work! That meant that every two weeks or so, he “heard” the entire Bible being read to him, on those recordings. He wasn’t just “casually listening,” either: he was hungry to learn, so the sheer volume of “hearing” the Word, was getting closer to “study,” even though all he was “physically” doing was hearing it.

But, the more “fingers” I add to my “grip” the better my grasp of scripture will become. The fellow with the tapes did not restrict himself to simple hearing: he went home and looked things up, reading for himself, and taking time to think about what he was reading. He quickly moved along into genuine study, and from there into memorization through sheer familiarity, if not by deliberate “rote memory.” And Meditation came right along with the rest. The result was that God was rapidly transforming his life, as he was feeding heavily on God’s Word.

He began to lead his family members to Christ, beginning with his elderly mother, who died just a few months later. Next, he led all of his adult children and all their spouses to Christ, and began teaching them the Scriptures. The transformation was astonishing, and it was entirely due to the effect of God’s Word, working by the Holy Spirit, to mold him into the likeness of Christ! This is how “Intake” turns into “Output!”

“Output:” Holding Forth the Word of Truth

You see, what happened in that man’s experience was the natural outworking of God’s Word changing a life: The result of a constant, powerful intake of God’s Word soon became the powerful outflow of God’s Word into the lives of others. And that “chain-reaction” will continue, provided that those who are being “fed” on the Word gain the same passion for understanding that their teacher has: but there is no way to guarantee that will occur. If they become satisfied to just sit and be “fed;” a little here and a little there, then perhaps they will never go further. But we all are admonished to “lay aside every weight, and the sin that doth so easily beset us,” and to pursue with diligence the “race” that is set before us. (Hebrews 12:1) If that happens then there is no limit to God’s Power in the human life.

So, what forms might “Output” take?

  • Being a Living example is required of all of us, but it is the “minimum.” It has to be there, but our lives alone cannot transmit the Gospel. They can only give credence to it as it is spoken. Jesus said “let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father which is in Heaven.” This sort of learned behavior is part of what the Bible calls “discipleship.” It means “following Jesus and learning from Him.” And that truly is the minimum requirement for our lives, if we want to walk with God.
  • Preparing to give an answer is also required, in terms of “output,” but it requires more study. It means deliberately thinking through our testimony, writing it out, perhaps, and practicing it privately, so that when questions arise, we can clearly articulate why we believe what we believe, how we came to believe it in the first place, and what change it has made in our lives. (1st Peter 3:15) We are thus prepared to give a spoken testimony, whether a single sentence, or a one-minute short explanation, or a longer, more detailed account of our own journey from being lost to being saved, how it is accomplished by faith in God’s promise, and what changes it has made in our own lives.
  • Learning to accurately quote the Scriptures (memorization) is, at the very least, a defense against temptation. Jesus demonstrated this in Matthew chapter four. But it also stands as the single most effective way to answer arguments against the Gospel: It puts the adversary into the position of arguing against God, rather than against our logic, or our understanding. Even if I only have a handful of memorized scriptures to use, they are a better tool (and/or a better “weapon”) than my own reasoning will ever be.
  • Holding Forth the Word of Truth is what we are all supposed to be doing (Philippians 2:16): it means the Written Word as well as the Living Word. We are offering the spoken word, reflecting the Written Word, when we share with others. We offer a glimpse of Jesus, the Living Word, as they see the reality of Christ worked out in our lives; and we offer the Living Word as a permanent gift of Eternal Life, when we offer the Gospel as God’s only plan of salvation. All of this is “Holding forth the Word of Truth.”
  • Feeding the Flock was specifically commanded to Peter (John 21:15-17), but, along with the Great Commission, it applies to all mature believers. We have a job to do, and while the main thrust of it has to do with offering the Gospel to a lost world, the other part has to do with building up the Body of Christ (Ephesians 4:11-16.) The whole body ministers to itself, strengthening itself and becoming more effective in the assigned work. We encourage one another, and help one another with the burdens of life, and work together to see the assembly become healthy and strong, as well as reaching out to believers in other places, through missions, and letters and prayer.
  • Discipleship is not only required of each of us as a lifestyle, it is the commanded means by which to transmit the values and knowledge and skills necessary to continue the spiritual “chain reaction.” It is the specific way that spiritual reproduction is to take place, and it is part of the great commission: When Jesus said, “Go ye therefore and teach all nations…” the Greek word “matheteuō,” translated “teach” in this passage, is actually the verb-form of the word “Disciple.” It actually means “be a disciple” or “make disciples,” depending upon the context. It is not the common word “didaskō,” meaning simply “to teach.”  In the remainder of that verse, when it says “…teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you…” the Greek word is from the common verb “didaskō,” simply meaning “teach.” But the stated goal is discipleship!

So, in 2nd Timothy 2:2, though he does use the common word “teach,” when Paul commanded Timothy “And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also,” the idea is that Timothy is training disciples in the manner Jesus meant, whose purpose is to carry on the teaching of sound doctrine. The “Faithful Men” are those to whom he commits the training and the subsequent ministry. They are believers, and committed to the Lord, as well as being specifically those gifted to teach others: those who hopefully will become the leaders, elders and shepherds Paul had already described in 1st Timothy 3:1-8. But the fact is, we are to make disciples of all those hungry enough to feed on the Word. God is the one to decide specifically what He will do with their lives. We do not “assign” gifting nor individual tasks. Jesus is the head of the Church!

All of these are just examples of how God might choose to pour His Word through believers to reach out to others, whether to other believers or to unbelievers. This is by no means an exhaustive list: there are far more ways for God to pour His Word, His Grace, His Mercy and His Blessing through His people than there are ways for us to “drink in” the fullness of His Word. But we are told to feed on His Word and to expect to see His divine nature manifesting itself in our everyday lives. This is not something to be taken lightly, as if it is a “hobby” or a pastime. This is the core of who we are as His people! This is the “normal Christian life!”

Jesus is identified in several places in scripture as being “the Word of God:” the Living Word of God. It seems to me that the manner in which we respond to the written Word of God may reflect deeply on how we are really responding to the Living Word.

Give that some thought! Consider how you approach the Bible…and how often. It is far more than just an “instruction manual for life,” though we sometimes refer to it as such a manual. It is the ink-and-paper manifestation of God’s Redemptive plan for the Human Race. Thousands, over the centuries, have given their lives to make the Bible available to us. Thousands still today are spending their lives, and hazarding their lives, trying to bring the New Testament (and Jesus, personally) to people who have never heard of Him, and in whose language His name has never been spoken. It is evidently worth their lives to get that message to those who haven’t heard. How much is it worth to us?

Is it worth hearing God’s Word? (It must be, to most of you, at least: you are here, listening, and perhaps you also intend to read the notes and scriptures later.) Is it worth reading God’s Word? Is it worth studying it, carefully examining it word by word, phrase by phrase, spending the time to actually learn to understand what God says? Is it worth taking the trouble to memorize at least some key verses, so as to arm yourselves against the battle you know is already upon us? Is it worth taking the time, alone, to meditate on the Word, and allow God to actually speak through His Written Word, and by His Holy Spirit, so that He is free to work in your life, and set you free from the bondage of besetting sins, fears, worries, and distractions? Is it worth the time, and focus, and effort to do all of this?

I really hope it is! That is what this relationship is all about: it’s about getting to know Jesus, and learning to walk with Him, and being willing and able to serve as His hands, His feet, and His voice here among the human race.

Lord Jesus, please focus our hearts on You, the Personal Messiah and Savior, who died for us, to the extent that we will focus our minds upon Your written Word, allowing You to use Your Word to transform our lives, and remold us in Your image. Allow us to serve as Your hands, Your feet and Your voice so that as long as we live, we live for You.

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