Tag: Salvation

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Jesus Prepared His Disciples for His Departure

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Preparing His Disciples for His Departure

© 2023 C. O. Bishop

John 13:31-16:33

Introduction:

Judas received the sop from Jesus and was possessed by Satan. From that moment, there is a countdown, headed for the Cross. Jesus only had a few hours left with His disciples, and He had to accomplish several things:

  • Jesus had to prepare the remaining eleven disciples for His departure. He assured them of His return, so they knew that they had not simply been abandoned.
    •   He had to teach His prime commandment, which covered all the others.
    •   He had to prepare them for His death, to prevent despair when he seemed to be defeated.
  • Jesus had to teach them what to expect, regarding the Holy Spirit who would soon indwell them (Who is He? What will His ministry be? How could they know His influence as opposed to that of other spirits?)
    • He had to make sure they understood that His commands could not be carried out in their own strength, but that He would have to work through them.
  • Jesus had to pass through Gethsemane and betrayal by Judas, to face the trial and the Cross.
    • He knew his disciples would flee, and abandon Him in that event, and He had to prepare them to know that their failure was not a surprise, but only proof that they could not function without Him.

The Prime Commandment

John 13:34, 35 teaches the undergirding strength of the whole Church. Empowered by the Holy Spirit, we are commanded to continually relate to one another in the Agapé Love. He had already taught that the Agapé love (being committed to the well-being of those around us) is the single most important evidence of the Truth of the Gospel, and its reality in the lives of Believers.

Jesus said, “A new commandment I give unto You, that ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.”

Do you suppose they truly understood Him at that point? It is possible, but, I rather doubt it, because they had not yet been indwelt by the Spirit of God. They heard the words, and they understood the meaning, but probably could not imagine how the command could be carried out.

Preparing to Leave

Peter caught on immediately that Jesus was getting ready to depart, but he did not understand what was happening. He asked, “Lord, whither goest thou?” Jesus understood that Peter genuinely desired to go with Him, and He gently replied, “Whither I go, thou canst not follow me now, but thou shalt follow me afterwards.”

Of course, Peter was confident of his strength and abilities. He assured Jesus that he would gladly lay down his life for Him. But, Jesus knew the truth: He knew the limitations of His human followers. He said, “Wilt thou lay down thy life for my sake? Verily, Verily, I say unto thee, the cock shall not crow, till thou has denied me thrice.”

Preparing them all for His departure

Jesus did not belabor the doubts Peter had, but told the whole group they should not be disturbed by His departure: He assured them that He was going away to prepare an eternal dwelling place for them all. He promised that he would return and take them to Himself; so that, wherever He was, they would also be. He also said they did know where He was going, and how to get there.

Thomas was thoroughly confused: he said, “No, we do not know where You are going, so how could we know the way?!”  Jesus replied with the famous statement, “I AM the way, the truth, and the Life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me.” (Did they understand His meaning? Possibly so, but I suspect they simply accepted it by faith, and they waited to learn the meaning.)

Assuring Them of His Deity

Philip asked Jesus to show them the Father. Jesus replied by saying, “Philip, you have known me all this time! How are you now asking me to show you the Father? If you have seen ME, you HAVE seen the Father!” I’m sure that rattled their brains! It certainly rattled my brain for a few years, as I tried to grasp the Deity of Christ.

I can accept the fact that Jesus truly is “God in the Flesh.” I hear His words, saying “the Father is greater than I.” But when I see the prophecy saying that “the Son shall be called the Everlasting Father,” I find that it is beyond my comprehension. I expect that it was a struggle for the eleven disciples, as well.

The Promise of the Spirit

We will not spend much time on the Holy Spirit, in this message: He is the subject of many messages.  Next week, we will concentrate on all that Jesus said about the Indwelling Holy Spirit. For now, take a look at John 14:16; “And I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter, that He may abide with you forever.”

The Holy Spirit will be with you forever. In this passage, He is also called the Comforter…the Greek word is “paracletos,” meaning “One called alongside to help.” He is our Comforter and our Guide, who helps us through all of the tough, hard, painful times in Life.

If you remember the story of Abraham’s Servant, in Genesis 24, bringing home the Bride to Isaac, you can rest assured, that in the same way, the Holy Spirit is “Bringing home the Bride,” to Jesus: He will not leave you, and He will not lose you!

A New Relationship

Jesus said, in John 16:15-17 that He would no longer address the disciples as His servants, but rather, as His friends. He said that servants do not know the plan of the Master. But Jesus was revealing the plans of the Father to His disciples, as friends, and partners in the work.

He reminded them that they did not choose Him, but that He had chosen them, personally, and by name. They were intrigued by Him but, until He revealed it, they had no idea what He was going to do in their world. He chose them for a purpose. Verse 16 says that He chose them and ordained them to go and bring forth fruit…and that their fruit should remain. (Notice that this is not about the Fruit of the Spirit, which has lasting value, but it can easily be set aside by our sin.)

Eternal Fruit

Jesus wanted the disciples to “bear fruit” in the sense of reproducing among the peoples of the World. He reminded them that they were to Love one another, and then He warned them that the World would not respond favorably.

He said, “If the World hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you.” He said they were no longer “of the World,” so it was impossible for them to “fit in,” now. Because we are “no longer of the World,” we can expect that world will reject everything we teach, and all that we stand for: it will reject us because it rejects Jesus Christ.

He warned that His disciples would be persecuted for the sake of their relationship with Him. He said whoever hates Jesus, hates the Father, too. In John 5:23 we saw that the reverse is true as well: Jesus said, “He that honoreth not the Son, honoreth not the Father who sent Him.”

A Dangerous, but Priceless Association

Because the Disciples were now “in Him” (as we will see in John 17:21-23) and He was to be “in them,” the World would reject them in the same manner as they rejected Him. He warned them that the time would come when anyone who killed a disciple of Jesus would imagine that he was doing service to God.

This was fulfilled in the person of “Saul of Tarsus” (who eventually became the Apostle Paul”) and in the lives of other unbelieving Jews who violently attacked the believers, and who assumed that, in doing so, they were “fighting the good fight,” and honoring God. God eventually took hold of Saul, and He used him (as Paul) to lay the foundation of the Church throughout the Mediterranean world.

But all down through history, the false churches and world religions have frequently taught that “torturing and murdering Christians is a good way to serve God.” Thousands of persons whose only offense was to confess that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, was their Savior, were tortured to death, burned at the stake, and fed to savage animals for the entertainment of the World.

And such treatment is on the rise again, worldwide. This was not some “passing fancy” that only the first-century believers might endure. It is the “conflict of the ages,” and it will culminate in the Great Tribulation. Yes, we know who “wins,” but in the meantime, we need to be prepared to “suffer the consequences of Faith.”

The Legacy of Peace

In John 14:27, Jesus said, “Peace I leave with you. My Peace I give unto you: not as the World giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”

This legacy of Peace that Jesus gave is a two-part package: We gain Peace with God, as we place our trust in Jesus, and are declared righteous by God. (Romans 5:1) The Disciples already had this peace: God declared them righteous by Grace, through faith. So, they are eternally at peace with God. But they still suffered doubt and fear, and Jesus moved to heal that fear.

We are called to experience The Peace of God, on a daily, moment-by-moment basis. That is what Jesus was bequeathing to His disciples. They would not fully experience it until the Holy Spirit came, in Acts 2. They feared for their lives and were hiding, until that time. But that was before the Holy Spirit was given. The new relationship blossomed on the day of Pentecost.

Before the Spirit was given, the eleven disciples fled when Jesus was arrested, and they were in grief: hiding, fearing that they would be the next victims of the evil leaders in Jerusalem.

Transformation

But afterward, they boldly preached the News of Jesus: When they were arrested, beaten, and imprisoned, they counted it a privilege. They were not at all discouraged by such mistreatment. The result of their collective, courageous testimony was that thousands of other people received Christ as their Savior, and the ancient World was “turned upside down” by the change.

Since that time, everyone who believes is immediately indwelt by the Spirit of God, and that Legacy of Peace is immediately available to all who will lay hold of it by faith.

They Were Prepared, though they did not “Feel” Prepared

Jesus had given them the information and the encouragement that they needed. However, until the Spirit was given they were not able to put the teaching to use.

That is the case in our lives as well. Most of us know a good deal more of the Word of God and the promises therein than we can put into practical use. We find ourselves powerless to apply it in practice. But we were told in advance that apart from the Holy Spirit using us to reach into the lives of those around us, it simply cannot be done.

When Jesus said, (John 15:5) “apart from me ye can do nothing,” He was not exaggerating. He was speaking the simple truth.

We have been Prepared too: Now we are called to Walk!

We who have placed our trust in Jesus as our Savior, are already indwelt by His Spirit. But, as believers, we are commanded to “walk”in the Spirit. Day by day, and moment by moment, we are to ask Him to lead, and then follow His leading. It means, moment by moment, confessing when we sin, receiving His promised forgiveness, and then walking with Him again.

Next week we will spend more specific time reading about the ministry of the Holy Spirit, both in the World and in the Church. In the meantime, let’s try to apply what we already know. Step out by faith to live in obedience to your Savior.

Lord Jesus, teach our hearts to receive Your gift of Peace on a daily basis and to trust Your Holy Spirit to work through us to reach the World around us. Raise us up to serve You in the Newness of Life.

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“If I Wash Thee Not:” (What did Jesus mean by this?)

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“If I Wash Thee Not”

© 2023 C. O. Bishop

John 13:1-11

Introduction:

1 Now before the feast of the passover, when Jesus knew that his hour was come that he should depart out of this world unto the Father, having loved his own which were in the world, he loved them unto the end.

Chapter thirteen begins with a peculiar comment: John 13:1 concludes, “…He Loved Them to the End.” We might take that in several ways, I suppose, but we must consider the context, that He was about to be offered up as our sacrifice: we can see that He did not just say, “All right, fellows: I’m going to be preoccupied for the next few days, being tried, crucified, buried and resurrected! You all can just take a break: I’ll meet you in Galilee next week!”

No; He loved them to the end! He included them in everything right up to the point where they were separated from Him by force. 1st Corinthians 13:8 says, “Love never fails.” The Agapé Love personified in Jesus did not fail, at any point. (It never has!) But in the next several verses, we see something else that is rather strange:

Why did Jesus Wash the Disciples’ Feet?

2 And supper being ended, the devil having now put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, to betray him; 3 Jesus knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he was come from God, and went to God; 4 He riseth from supper, and laid aside his garments; and took a towel, and girded himself. 5 After that he poureth water into a bason, and began to wash the disciples’ feet, and to wipe them with the towel wherewith he was girded.

From a historical, Biblical perspective, and especially from the disciples’ point of view, it was culturally and relationally out of place for Jesus to take on the clothing of a servant, and to wash the (dirty) feet of the disciples. (Keep in mind that, without “indoor plumbing, closed sewers, concrete sidewalks,” etc., all city streets were truly filthy, and anyone walking anywhere arrived there with dirty, smelly feet.)

How did they Deal with Dirty Feet?

As a rule, then, a courteous host at least supplied water, with which a guest could wash his own feet. In a wealthy household, the homeowner might assign their lowest servant to do the “dirty work” of washing the feet of the guests.

But one would never expect a respected Teacher to set aside His position as “Master,” and take up the position of that lowest of servants. Peter saw the “discrepancy,” there, and he tried to refuse. But Jesus told him that submission to this cleansing was absolutely necessary.

6 Then cometh he to Simon Peter: and Peter saith unto him, Lord, dost thou wash my feet? 7 Jesus answered and said unto him, What I do thou knowest not now; but thou shalt know hereafter. 8 Peter saith unto him, Thou shalt never wash my feet. Jesus answered him, If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me.

How could He deal with Peter in such a “harsh-sounding” way? What was really going on, here?

Why does this passage begin with the fact that Judas had already received the notion to betray Jesus? It says Satan had given him the idea…perhaps he wasn’t committed to it, yet, but he was getting there. (…the devil having now put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, to betray him;)

 Why was that even part of the story, here? And why does John remind us, in this place, that Jesus knew He came from God and was about to return to Him? This whole passage raises some questions!

Context is Important:

Jesus knew exactly what was going on in the hearts of each of His disciples. He knew which ones had believed, and which had not, as we saw in John 6:64. He also knew that Judas had received from Satan the notion to betray Jesus, and that he was already beginning his plans to do so. Finally, He knew His own origin, and His own destiny…which is more than we can say.

So, within that context, Jesus set aside His position as “Teacher” and “Master,” and took upon Himself the form of the lowest of servants. (That is nearly an exact demonstration of what we see in Philippians 2:5-7.) Then, He began to cleanse the disciples’ feet; removing the accumulated dirt of their journey, however small or great. He was not suggesting that they were unclean, as a whole, but just that, in the process of normal living, they had picked up something unclean. They needed to clean their feet.

Understanding the Cleansing

Peter resisted the offered service, saying he would never allow Jesus to wash his feet. But Jesus said that without such a cleansing, he could not share in the walk with Jesus. Then Peter reversed his stance, and asked that he have his head and hands cleansed as well. Possibly Peter was beginning to understand the cleansing…that it was in reference to sin, not “just dirt.” Maybe he realized that his thoughts and actions were faulty, not just where he had walked. We can’t be certain, but that seems to fit what Peter said.

9 Simon Peter saith unto him, Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head.

But Jesus corrected that thinking, as well: The believers did not need a bath, again…they only needed to wash their feet. So… let’s think through what that means: You see, Jesus went on to say that not all of them were clean.

10 Jesus saith to him, He that is washed needeth not save to wash his feet, but is clean every whit: and ye (plural) are clean, but not all. 11 For he knew who should betray him; therefore said he, Ye are not all clean.

How are We Cleansed?

As we read in John 6:64, Jesus knew who believed, and who did not. And that faith is what made the believers “clean.” But unbelief had left the unbelievers “unclean.” How do we know? Skip ahead to John 15:3… (after Judas had left, in John 13:30), Jesus told the eleven remaining disciples, that they all were clean. How were they clean? He said “Now ye (plural) are clean through the Word which I have spoken unto you.” They were cleansed through the Word!

In Ephesians 5:26, we see that Jesus cleanses the Church with “the washing of water by the Word.” And Psalm 119:9, says that the way a young man can “cleanse his way” is to “take heed thereto” according to God’s Word. No matter whether the Word is applied by another brother or sister, or by our own reading in the Word, Jesus, as the Living Word, is still the One doing the cleansing! This is not a “physical process,” such as soap and water, nor is it truly “self-help.”

What is our Part in the Cleansing?

Yes, we are told to “go to God’s Word,” for wisdom, and we are told to “apply God’s Word to our own lives” and to “take heed to God’s Word, as unto a light that shines in a dark place.” (And the World is a very dark place! We need His Light!)

But, regardless of how we go to the Word, or the Word comes to us, Jesus is the One who cleanses His Church. Why? Because He is the Living Word, and He uses His Written and Spoken Word to cleanse His Church.

What is the difference between “Washing” and “Foot washing?”

All the disciples in John 15:3 had been cleansed (fully washed) by the Word. Yet, in chapter 13, He said that though they had been washed, and thereby they were clean, they still needed to wash their feet. (One did not usually sit down to a meal in someone’s house with one’s feet still reeking of filth from the street.) What is the significance, then, of that comparison?

Jesus said they had been cleansed by the Word which He had spoken unto them. He spoke all the same words to Judas Iscariot! Judas was there for all the miracles, and he heard all the same teaching that the other disciples had heard. So, why was Judas different?

Judas did not believe in Jesus as his Savior. He did not believe that Jesus was really who He claimed to be. So, he had never been “washed” by the Word and he was “not clean.” He had one last chance to repent, in chapter 13, but he pressed on to his destination, and finally, in John 13:30, we see him committed to the betrayal of Jesus, and he left. And the scripture says, “…and it was night.”

But the other disciples, though they had all been washed by the Word, through faith, still had a sinful nature, and they would continue in failures, both small and great. Peter wept bitterly over his terrible failure in denying the Lord, after he had boasted that he would die before he would deny the Lord. So…was Peter still clean? As a matter of fact, yes, he was! But he had dirty feet!

Where do we find answers to our questions from John chapter 13?

In 1st John 1:5-10, we see a passage, dealing with “sin in a believer’s life.”

5 This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.  6 If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:

7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. 8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all. (The Holiness of God is pointed out, here, compared to light. Sin is compared to darkness in contrast to the Light of God.)

Contrasting Light and Darkness: Righteousness and Sin

The result of seeing the moral and Spiritual Light of God’s Character, is that if we “say” that we have fellowship with Him (Meaning we are walking in light) but are clearly walking in darkness (sin) then at best, we are fooling ourselves. He does not sugar-coat it, though: He says, “we lie, and do not the truth.” (Whether it is only lying to ourselves or to another person, it is still a lie.)

Then He says, “if we walk in the light, as He is in the Light, then we have fellowship with one another, and his blood cleanses us” on an ongoing basis. But he says, “if we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.”

So, if Peter had continued to deny that his feet needed washing, he would be deceiving himself, and contradicting Jesus. The result would have been that fellowship was broken. He had already been cleansed, and that was not in question. The fellowship was the issue. A sinning believer, though eternally secure in their position in Christ, cannot have fellowship with Him and is acting just as if he had never been cleansed.

Salvation and Fellowship

Verse nine says, “If we confess our sins (agree with God about them) then He is faithful and just, to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” Peter agreed with Jesus about his need, and submitted to cleansing, on a fellowship basis. He had already been cleansed positionally. His condition was that he needed his feet washed.

What about Judas? Evidently he fell under verse 10: “If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His Word is not in us.” Believers are permanently indwelt by the Living Word of God! Judas did not believe. He was not cleansed. God’s Word was not in Him.

Years ago, I had a friend, right here in church, crying in pity over “Judas losing his salvation.” But Judas did not “lose his salvation;” He was never saved! Jesus said so! Furthermore, in John 17:12, during His high priestly prayer, Jesus called Judas “the Son of Perdition.” The only other person in the Bible called “the Son of Perdition” is the Antichrist! (2nd Thessalonians 2:3)

If you have heard the Good News of Jesus’s completed work at the Cross, and if you have believed God’s Promise: you have trusted in His shed Blood as the full payment for your sins, then according to Jesus’s promise in John 5:24, you are already cleansed, Your sins already have been taken away. You are already saved. So, you have eternal life now! You do not need to wait until you die to “know for sure.”

But How do we regain fellowship when we have sinned?

1st John 1: 9  This should be a “memory-verse” for every believer.

This is how we regain fellowship when we find that (again) we have sinned. There is no need to remain out of fellowship, feeling the burden of guilt. Confess your sin to Jesus and be cleansed!  If you have wronged someone else, then you may need to deal with that, as well: But there is no “waiting for an appointment,” with God. Go to Him immediately, and be freed from guilt! Go back to enjoying your relationship with your Savior!

Do you think Peter was “feeling good” about his relationship with Jesus, after he had denied that he knew Him? Of course, not! He went out and wept bitterly! But, in 1st Corinthians 15:5 we see that Jesus had a “private talk with Peter,” before he met with all the disciples together. (What did they talk about? Evidently it was private, as we are not told anything about that meeting beyond the fact that it happened.) But after that, we see Peter in fellowship with Jesus again… at least until the next time he needed correction. And the same is true of each of us!

So,  How do we “wash one another’s feet?”

Looking ahead to verse 15, we see that Jesus told us to imitate what He had just done. Does that mean we should physically get soap and water, and go wash people’s feet? (There are churches that practice this, but it misses the point.)

No, we go to another brother (or they come to us) in full humility and gentleness, showing a sinning brother or sister that he or she needs his or her “feet washed;” That they are out of fellowship. That they need to confess their sin, repent of their hardness of heart, or whatever the issue is. (This is not attacking or criticizing one another!)

A Personal Example:

I had a brother come to me in Bible School, when I had become bitter and cold toward God. In total gentleness and humility, that young man begged me to repent. Initially, I rejected his plea, but I knew it was God speaking to me, and after a few more minutes of conversation, I was convicted by the Word, and my stubborn resistance crumbled. I finally prayed with him, confessing my bitterness and anger, and I was restored to fellowship.

Jesus says that we are to do this for one another. And we have already seen the need in our lives for such cleansing. So, we need to be receptive when someone shares a concern with us. Will “they always be right?” Not necessarily, but if our hearts are closed to them, then, just as Peter was initially wrong to reject Jesus’s ministry toward him, we will “always be wrong.”

What is your Motive?

This is a matter of mutual care: we are not to be “attacking one another.” And both parties need to see it that way, or it will have no fruit. Galatians 6:1 makes this abundantly clear: we are to seek restoration. We are not there to “Straighten each other out.”

Humility, gentleness and a genuine desire for restored fellowship are the key…and we need to constantly be aware that we could be mistaken. Perhaps we are wrong in our perception. This is not a “sly way” to criticize others, camouflaged by “pious concern.” Check your heart. Why are you really wanting to speak to them?

This is a tough subject because we are proud people. We are touchy and oversensitive, and usually quite blind to our own faults. But Jesus said we need to deal with our own issues, before trying to correct someone else. So, take this teaching cautiously: Don’t seize upon it as a license to go around “policing” other people. They have the Holy Spirit. Let Him do the convicting.

Lord Jesus, correct our proud hearts and give us a deep, genuine love for the believers around us. Help us to pray for one another, and not to criticize. Fill us with Your Love, for Your glory and honor.

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What is the Basis for Judgment and for Salvation?

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Judgment and Salvation

© 2023 C. O. Bishop

John 12:44-50

44Jesus cried and said, He that believeth on me, believeth not on me, but on him that sent me. 45 And he that seeth me seeth him that sent me.

46 I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness. 47 And if any man hear my words, and believe not, I judge him not: for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world.

48 He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day. 49 For I have not spoken of myself; but the Father which sent me, he gave me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak. 50 And I know that his commandment is life everlasting: whatsoever I speak therefore, even as the Father said unto me, so I speak.

Introduction:

This is a powerful passage: It identifies and equates

  • Jesus with the Father, (he that seeth me seeth him that sent me) and
  • His Word with the Father’s Word, (even as the Father said unto me, so I speak.) and
  • His Father’s Word with Eternal Life. (His commandment is life everlasting.)

In terms of logical order, and in light of the fact that He has already been identified as the Living Word, He has just made the claim that He is Eternal Life. Later, we will see that this is a pretty close approximation of what He was getting at.

Identifying with the Father:

Jesus will increasingly identify Himself as “being One with the Father” and make statements to the effect that “If you have seen Jesus, then you have seen the Father.” He had already claimed to be deity, using God’s personal name to identify Himself, in John 8:57, when He said, “Before Abraham was, I AM.” The Jews correctly understood that claim and sought to kill Him for blasphemy.

But we have observed before, that if someone makes such a claim, and there is no question that this is really what they said, then there are only three real possibilities:

  1. They are a liar and a blasphemer, because they knowingly and falsely claimed to be God. (This is what the Jews assumed about Jesus, and they sought to kill Him.) Or…
  2. They are mentally disabled, in some way, so as not to be accountable for what they say. (No, they are not God, but they also cannot be blamed for their words, as they are not in their right mind. They are rather to be pitied.) Or…
  3. They really are God, in which case they should be prepared to prove it. And Jesus spent three years proving it over and over! So we have to respond accordingly. We have to make a choice!

Identifying His Word With the Word of the Father

“Jesus cried and said, He that believeth on me, believeth not on me, but on him that sent me.”

We sing about this, every Christmas: “Word of the Father, now in Flesh appearing!” (O Come let us Adore Him!)

When we read John 1:14, where it says, “And the Word was made Flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld His Glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father) full of Grace and Truth!”, we meditate on something almost unimaginable.

God’s Spoken Word

We tend to find the idea just too much to grasp that God’s spoken Word, who, in verse one, already had been identified as being God, could take upon Himself physical life. I try to understand the fact that God’s Spoken Word became a human child, growing up as a human man, and becoming our sacrifice forever. We struggle with these concepts, unless, by faith, we also accept the truth that , “In the Beginning, God created….” You see, in Hebrews 11:3, we read that God spoke the world into existence (including every form of life, whether spiritual or biological.)

If His spoken word can cause an entire universe, and everything in it, to spring into being, then it seems a very simple thing that His Spoken Word could be, itself, made to take on physical, biological life. (“In Him was Life, and the Life was the Light of Men…”)

When Jesus Spoke, the people were hearing the Voice of the Father… He is the voice of the Father…the first and final communication of God!

God Spoke To Us!

Hebrews 1:1, 2 says, “God, who at sundry times and in divers manners, spake in times past unto the fathers by the prophets, hath in these last days spoken unto us by His Son, whom He hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also He made the worlds.”

Yes, He spoke through a variety of prophets over the millennia; but now, His final communication has been revealed! God the Son, the Living Word, has been manifested to the world, and we all have choices to make regarding that revelation.

Jesus assured His audience that He only spoke exactly what God told Him to speak. They were literally hearing the “Word of the Father, now in Flesh appearing!” So, if they believed Him, they believed God the Father. Genesis 15:6 says, “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as Righteousness.”

And that is how people have always gained a relationship with God, down through the ages! When we choose to believe God, rather than believing the World, rather, even, than believing our own corrupt thought-patterns and self-deceit, we embrace Him as our only Hope. And, just as He promised the thief on the Cross, we can expect to be with Him in eternity.

Romans 10:17 says that “Faith cometh by hearing, and Hearing by the Word of God.” We each had to hear His message before we could believe it. And that is what we owe to the people of the world around us, as well. That is why Paul said, in Romans 1:14, “I am debtor both to the Greeks and to the Barbarians; both to the wise and to the unwise.”

Identifying His Father’s Word with Eternal Life

“Jesus said, in John 12:50, “And I know that His commandment is life everlasting…” But, this is not the only place where He makes such comments.

In John 17:3, Jesus said, “And this is Eternal Life, that they may know Thee, the One true God, and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent.” The word translated as “know,” here, is the Greek word, “ginosko.” It means a personal, experiential knowledge…not just “knowing a fact.”

We gain that relational, experiential knowledge of God, initially, through believing Him, so as to receive Him as our Savior. But faith leads to more faith, and we grow in that experiential knowledge, as we learn more of His Word, and as we believe and Obey Him through His Word. And, in that way, we get to experience eternal life in the here and now.

One Promise, Two Conditions, Three Clauses

In John 5:24 Jesus said, “He that heareth my Word, and believeth on Him that sent Me, hath eternal life and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto Life.”

Do you see how precious that promise is? He said, if you Hear Him and Believe Him (those are the only two conditions,) then you have eternal life now! You do not have to “wait until you die, to find out for sure.” (There are many people who insist that “you cannot know for sure that you have eternal life;” but we see that not only Jesus says that you can know, God says He wants you to know!

1st John 5:11-13 says “And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life and this life is in his Son. He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life; and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.”)

Permanent Security

Further, He promised that, if you hear Him and believe Him, you will never again be condemned by God! That is a great source of assurance for broken, damaged, and wounded spirits like ours, who have been hammered by condemnation from human disapproval, spiritual onslaughts, and self-doubt. God says, (Ephesians 1:6) that once you have entered into this relationship by faith, you are “Accepted in the Beloved!” In Ephesians 1:7, He says you have redemption, and the forgiveness of sins! All of this is present tense! In Romans 8:1, He says, “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus!” And Jesus said there never will be again! (…and shall not come into condemnation….)

God says, once you belong to Him, He is eternally on your side, and you are permanently connected to Him. He will never let you go! (Hebrews 13:5 says, “…He hath said, I will never leave thee, nor will I ever forsake thee.”)

And Jesus says that you have permanently crossed over from death into life. Jesus confirmed this in John 10:27, 28, when He said, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me, and I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish!”

(That’s a pretty amazing Promise!)

Equating Jesus’s Words with Eternal Life

In John 6:63, (among other things,) Jesus said, “…the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.”

In that specific context, the people had been arguing with Jesus about the teaching He had just given regarding the bread of Life. They were especially upset after He told them that “He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood hath eternal life.” I can understand why they were confused and arguing: people today are still confused and arguing about that verse. Some teachers claim that it means that you gain eternal life by taking Communion. At one time, C. S. Lewis actually taught this, in his book, “Mere Christianity.” (I hope he later changed his mind.)

But the answer becomes pretty clear, when we read verse 63, where Jesus said,“It is the Spirit that quickeneth (that means, “gives life”); The flesh (anything “you can do” with your body) profiteth nothing: the Words that I speak unto you, they are Spirit, and they are Life!”

Jesus then went on to say, “But there are some of you that believe not.” (John comments, saying, “Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believed not, and who should betray Him.”)

The WORD Is Spirit and The WORD is Life!

Can you see the connection, here? Jesus said His words were Spirit and His Words were Life. And he concluded that there were some who had failed to believe…showing that their disbelief (failing to receive His Word) was what barred them from receiving the Eternal life He was offering to them.

He is the Word! Back in John 1:12, it says, “But, as many as received Him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name.” God chose this way for sinners to approach him. One great thing about this God-ordained path to approach Him, is that it cannot be forced by anyone else, and it also cannot be prevented by anyone else. No government (well-meaning or not) can establish a state religion and force people to believe. And no Government (or any other authority) can prevent people from believing.

What is Our Part in the Plan?

The only thing they can try to control is the spreading of the Gospel: the preaching of that message of Eternal Life. And sharing that message is our God-assigned task. That is our part in the Plan of God for the salvation of a lost world. So long as we are here on earth, we are called to be His witnesses, and His Ambassadors. We only have this one life in which to join Jesus in the work of reaching the World He died to save.

Lord Jesus, fix in our minds the urgency of telling people how they can have eternal life. Raise us up as your witnesses, and ambassadors, offering the Word, the Bread of Life, to the lost souls around us. Don’t allow us to continue in complacency.

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What is the Link between “Idols, gods, and demons?”

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What is the Link between “Idols, gods, and demons?”

© 2023 C. O. Bishop

Psalm 106:37, 38; 1st Corinthians 8:1-6; 2nd Corinthians 4:4

“Thou Shalt Have No Other God Before Me”

We have sometimes asked the question, “What (or who) are the “other gods?” What ere the gods which the heathen nations served, and which Israel was warned to avoid?”

The LORD (the God of Israel) repeated the warning many times, that Israel must not serve other gods. Yet, in Isaiah 43:10, and other places, that same God of Israel (YHWH, “the Great I AM,”) says that there are no other gods…there never have been and never will be!

What other gods?

So, what is going on with the various other “gods,” mentioned, (sometimes by name,) in the Old Testament? (The scriptures mention Nisroch, Dagon, Baal (Baalim, plural), and Astarte (Ashtoreth, plural.) In addition, there are Moloch (sometimes spelled Molech, or Milcom), ‘The Queen of Heaven,” Tammuz, and others, by name.)

It sometimes confuses us, a little, to see them all named in various contexts, and then to see in other contexts that God, the Creator says that “there are no other gods.” God understands our confusion, so, He explains it to us:

The Physical Idols are not the Only Issue

In 2nd Corinthians 8:1-6, we see that the physical idols themselves, at least, are nothing. They are just a piece of wood, stone, metal, plastic, or whatever. But, in that passage, Paul says that, for believers, there is another problem. There is a “testimony issue” involved, regarding the “eating of meats sacrificed to idols.”

If your host (or whomever) told you that the meat in question was sacrificed to an idol, then don’t eat it. In that way, they cannot claim that “you took part in a sacrifice to an idol.” But, he also said, “if you are not told, don’t ask.” (The meat is not hurt by the sacrifice, nor are you. But your testimony could be damaged.)

The Spirits behind the Idols

However, in Psalm 106:37, 38, God gives us another, grimmer perspective. There, we see that there is a “spirit-entity” behind the worship of those idols. The service of those spirits is what is so strongly condemned. Notice that in verse 37, it says “…they sacrificed their sons and daughters to devils (literally ‘hairy ones…goat-gods.’)” As if in explanation, in verse 38, it says they sacrificed these innocent children “…to the idols of Canaan.”

Therefore, the idols themselves were just physical materials. But, as we understood from the passage in 2nd Corinthians 8, there were spirits represented by those idols. God concludes that, in reality, the people were sacrificing their children to those demonic spirits!

The God of this World

Finally, in 2nd Corinthians 4:4, Paul refers to Satan as “the god of this world.” (Hinduism is said to have 200 million gods…it is hard for me to even to imagine it. And there are thousands of other religions.) Ultimately, the millions of idols and false deities in the world all can be traced back to Beelzebub, the “prince of the demons.” (It literally means, the ‘lord of the flies.’) The same spirit is also simply called Satan (meaning, “the adversary.”)

The adversary (also called “the devil,” as we are told, in 1st Peter 5:8) is “prowling about as a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.” He is not omnipresent, but he has millions of “henchmen” in the persons of the demonic host. As believers, we need have no fear of him. However we are warned that he never sleeps. He is always watching for the opportunity to entangle believers in sin, so as to render them ineffective for God. So, we are admonished to be sober and vigilant, watching against such traps. (Sober means “take this seriously.” Vigilant means “be watchful.”)

Covetousness and Idolatry

As believers, we may never find “classic idolatry” (with an image we worship) to be a problem. But, in Colossians 3:5, we see something that should reduce our complacency. “Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry:”

The usual word for “covetousness,” (Greek philargurion… “the love of silver”) is not used here. Rather, it is the broader term (Greek pleonexian…”greed” or “avarice”) used, here. God says that our constant yearning for “more,” (whether for physical things or worldly honor or whatever,) is a form of idolatry. We don’t see it that way, but God’s clear warning is there for us to read.

What Conclusion can we Draw?

We have to draw the conclusion, that, just as there was a “spirit entity” behind the idols of the ancient world, there is also a Spirit enticing us to greed. The whole pattern of Worldly pursuit draws us away from the path the Lord is walking, and in which He desires to lead His people.

There is a passage describing people who followed that lure. Philippians 3:19 says, “Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.”

You see, these people had chosen an “attachment to things.” They never learned a genuine “attachment to the Savior.” And, the result is everlasting shame, instead of the glory of God. We really want to avoid any form of idolatry in our lives. Be warned: even though it is invisible to us, this is reality!

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What is the Cause of Spritual Blindness?

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Light and Blindness

© 2023 C. O. Bishop

John 12:35-46; Isaiah 6:9, 10; Romans 11:25

Introduction:

In John 12:35-46, Jesus touched again on the topic of spiritual light and spiritual blindness.

35 Then Jesus said unto them, Yet a little while is the light with you. Walk while ye have the light, lest darkness come upon you: for he that walketh in darkness knoweth not whither he goeth. 36 While ye have light, believe in the light, that ye may be the children of light. These things spake Jesus, and departed, and did hide himself from them.

37 But though he had done so many miracles before them, yet they believed not on him:

38 That the saying of Esaias the prophet might be fulfilled, which he spake, Lord, who hath believed our report? and to whom hath the arm of the Lord been revealed?

39 Therefore they could not believe, because that Esaias said again, 40He hath blinded their eyes, and hardened their heart; that they should not see with their eyes, nor understand with their heart, and be converted, and I should heal them. 41 These things said Esaias, when he saw his glory, and spake of him.[John is quoting Isaiah 6:9, 10]

 42 Nevertheless among the chief rulers also many believed on him; but because of the Pharisees they did not confess him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue: 43 For they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God.

44 Jesus cried and said, He that believeth on me, believeth not on me, but on him that sent me.

45 And he that seeth me seeth him that sent me. 46 I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness.

Light and Blindness

We should address several issues, here: the first is the concept of spiritual and judicial blindness. In the scripture, we repeatedly see that our disregard for God’s light produces a judicial blindness. That condition will last until we repent of our sin of unbelief. Isaiah predicted this in Isaiah 6:9, 10. Jesus quoted that passage, here in John 12. Paul confirmed it in Romans 11:25, saying that “…blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.”

When we were studying John 1:4, 5, we saw that “in Him (The Word) was life, and the life was the Light of men. And the light shined in the darkness, and the darkness  comprehended it not.” The unbelieving heart cannot understand God’s light, and darkness cannot extinguish it.)

In John 1:14, we see that Jesus is the “Word” in this context. “The Word was made Flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the father) full of grace and truth.”

In John 8:12, Jesus actually introduced Himself as “The Light of the World.” We want to keep these ideas in mind, as we consider what Jesus meant. In John 3:19, He said that light has come into the world and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. What does that mean?

Light and the Word

In fact, since the Light and the Word are so closely tied together, we need to keep those two tied together in our own minds. When we consider light, in the scripture, we need to be thinking in terms of The Word. And when we see references to the Word of God, in the scripture, we need to consider whether that reference is directly (or indirectly) pertaining to Jesus, the Word of God.

Revelation 19:13 says one of the titles applied to Jesus, (the Messiah, the King of Kings)…is “The Word Of God.” Don’t take that lightly! If Jesus truly is the Living Word of God, then we need to Believe Him! And, if He truly is the Light of the World, hen we need to walk in His Light. Finally, if He is the light that the World is rejecting, then we do not want to ignore His Light, and neglect His Written Word.

God has not forgotten His Word. Psalm 105:8 says, “He has remembered His covenant forever, the Word which He commanded to a thousand generations.”

Psalm 119:89 says, “ Forever, O Lord, thy Word is settled in heaven.”

And Psalm 119:105 says, “Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.”

Why am I citing all these passages comparing the Word to the Light, and connecting Jesus to the Word and to The Light? Give this some thought! Consider how to apply them in life.

Walk while Ye have the Light

The Jews in Jerusalem were continually challenging Jesus, questioning His integrity, His character, and the truth of nearly anything He said. In John 12:34, They had just said “We have heard out of the Law, that the Christ (the Messiah) abideth forever: how say you that the Son of Man must be lifted up? Who is this Son of Man?”

They clearly understood that His comment about “lifting up the Son of Man” was in reference to His death. But they were so busy arguing every point Jesus made, that they failed to understand the overall message. They were so busy arguing about the character of His light that they failed to simply receive that light and walk in that light. So, Jesus admonished them (the Jews in Jerusalem) to “Walk while ye have the light.”

 2nd Peter 1:19, 20 admonishes us, as believers, to use the Written Word as our source of light, by which to walk in the World. “19 We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts:”

So, What Does that Mean for Us, as Believers?

The New Testament believers have received the whole counsel of God’s Word. We are learning to “rightly divide the Word of Truth,” so we can have a fairly good idea about which portions of God’s Word are directed to us, as New Testament believers, and which are specific to some other group. We also know that ALL of God’s Word is for us, even though not all is directed to us. So, whenever we fail to respond to His Word, God can rightly hold us accountable for what we know.

Jesus said that those who knew to do right and chose not to do it will be judged more strictly than those who did not know to do right and because of their ignorance, failed to do God’s will. The truth is, as believers, we really have no excuse: we disobey what we know God says, because we choose to go our own way. It’s that simple. Whatever excuses we make for not reading, not hearing, and not obeying God’s Word, it still comes down to a choice we make.

What about Feelings?

We say, “I don’t feel like studying, attending a class, reading, working on memorization,” etc. And we think that is an adequate cause for straying from the Shepherd. But it is not: Feelings are very seldom an accurate reflection of reality, and they are certainly not a good basis for decision making.

But we do this all the time. We make decisions on the basis of what we “feel,” rather than what God says about something. We even write songs, glorifying such things: “How can something so wrong feel so right?” and “If Loving you is Wrong, I don’t want to be Right!”

Sometimes we take it even further and declare something to be right or wrong, based entirely upon our feelings. A believing friend once told me that she felt it would be morally wrong for her to tell someone else how to be saved. She felt that it would be wrong for her to attempt to share the Gospel with another person. She believed she would be wrong to speak, hoping to lead them to eternal life in Christ. Her only reason for this belief was her “feelings.”

I was almost speechless. I tried to understand how a believer could think that direct obedience to a direct command from Jesus could be morally wrong. But nothing I said could sway her: She was directed by her feelings, and the result was her adamant opposition to the Written Word.

What about “Following your Heart?”

Nearly everyone, today, will tell you to “follow your heart.” They insist that “Your heart will never lead you wrong!” But that is the opposite of the truth! Jeremiah 17:9 tells us that “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked!” So, from God’s perspective, there is no more sure way to go astray than by just “Following your heart.”

If you are in submission to God’s Word and His Will, then possibly the “heart” you hear “speaking” is your new nature. Your new nature confirms God’s wisdom and His directive will. But, under any other circumstances, be aware that the single most likely source for misdirection in our lives is what we call “the heart:” our feelings. I’m sorry if this offends anyone. I know it is an unpopular thing to teach, but I can’t ignore what God says about such a thing. It is just the truth.

What Happens when Believers Ignore the Light of God’s Word?

Throughout the Scriptures, we see that disregard for light eventually results in judicial blindness. We will no longer respond to His light at all: not even to reject it… we simply no longer see it. When someone attempts to confront us about the sin in our lives, we mentally dismiss it as “just their opinion.”  If they persist, we may defend our actions or attitudes by accusing them of “judging us.” We forget that God is sovereign, and He sends one brother to correct another.

Another believer may attempt to share with me something taken straight from God’s Word. They have humbly, gently spoken His message, taken in the correct context. I need to take that intervention to mean that God is speaking to me through them!  

That is not a light thing: I have had it happen many times. And, I knew what was happening at the time it was happening. So, rather than arguing, or defending myself, I confessed that they were correct. And, I thanked them for correcting me. (Have I always responded that way? Nope! Sometimes, initially, I have hardened my heart. But then God continued to put pressure on me until I repented.)

What Happens when an Unbeliever Ignores the Light of God’s Word?

Jesus was speaking primarily to unbelievers in the passage we are reading, in John 12. They had a wonderful opportunity to hear God’s Word directly from the Source: Jesus is the Word! If they ignored Him, there would come a time when He would be gone. Then their source of light would at least be less clear. It would be obscured by the darkness of the world.

He said that the darkness was coming. He warned that those who walk in darkness don’t know what they are getting into. They can’t see where they are going. They have chosen to become blind to the truth of the Gospel.

But in John 3:17-21, Jesus said that His purpose in coming was to offer salvation to the whole World. And then He said that the World does not want what He has to offer.

17For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. 18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 19 And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. 20 For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. 21 But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.

In Proverbs 13:13, He says, “13 Whoso despiseth the word shall be destroyed: but he that feareth the commandment shall be rewarded.”

Is This Blindness Curable?

So, according to John 3:18, an unbeliever is “already lost.” They do not become “more lost” by ignoring the Gospel. But, they do run the risk of becoming “immune to Grace,” because they have become blind to the Light of God’s Word. They have been “innoculated against the truth.” Is it still possible that God can break through that blindness and bring them to repentance? Yes, it is! Otherwise. I would never have been saved.

2nd Corinthians 4:4 says, “In whom the god of this world [Satan] hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.”

What did Jesus say was the cure for that blindness? In John 12:36 He says, “While ye have light, believe in the light that ye may be the children of light.”

For us, as believers, that faith must include obedience by faith. For an unbeliever, it simply involves a change of mind regarding Jesus. (We call that “repentance.) It involves dropping their previous arguments and simply recognizing Him as their own Savior. And then, as a newborn believer, they can begin their new life of discipleship, faith and obedience.

Lord Jesus, open our eyes to The Light of Your Face, the Light of your Word, and cause us to reflect that Light, so that we shine out the Light of the Gospel.

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What Gospel do we Preach?

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Which Gospel?

© 2023 C. O. Bishop

Romans 1:16; 1st Corinthians 1:17, 18; Ephesians 1:13, 6:15; Matthew 4:23; Galatians 1:6-9

Introduction:

As we read Romans 1:16, it is pretty straightforward: It says “the Gospel of Christ is the power of God to save everyone who believes in it.” And, in 1st Corinthians 15:3, 4, Paul explains the content of that gospel (“Gospel” means “good news.”)

The Gospel is the “good news” of the:

  1. Death (by crucifixion,) the
  2. Burial (for three days and three nights) and the
  3. Resurrection (physical, visible, and eternal) of Christ, for our sins.

God gives these three points as being specifically for the forgiveness of our sins. We must receive them by faith alone. So, it is easy for us to see that the “bad news” of our sin is what makes the sacrificial, voluntary death of Jesus on that Cross, and His burial in the tomb, along with His subsequent resurrection, Good News!

But those three pieces of the Gospel all have to be there! If we omit the crucifixion-death of Jesus for my sins, then we do not have a Savior: The crucifixion was necessary to fulfill the prophecies!

If I leave out the fact that the people buried Him and that he remained buried for three days and three nights, then the hearers might conclude that He “wasn’t really dead,” but “just unconscious;” and the cold of the tomb somehow revived him. (Or perhaps they might conclude that he wasn’t buried at all, and that he just somehow “recovered from His wounds.” )

But, if I leave out the Resurrection, then they have to assume He is still dead, and (again) we have no Savior! (The fact is, “we serve a living Savior!”)

How Many Gospels?

So, the question we need to ask ourselves is, “What Gospel are we to preach?” There are seven true “gospels” mentioned in the New Testament, as related to human preachers. They are the Gospels of:

  1. The Kingdom (Mark 1:14; Matthew 4:23; 9:35, etc.)
  2. Your Salvation (Ephesians 1:13)
  3. Christ (Romans 1:16; Galatians 1:7, etc.)
  4. God (Romans 1:1; 15:16, etc.)
  5. His Son (Romans 1:9)
  6. The Grace of God (Acts 20:24)
  7. Peace (Romans 10:15; Ephesians 6:15)

The New Testament uses some of these phrases only once; and some twice, while it uses others many times. When we compare the seven true Gospels listed above, we also see that some are nearly identical:

The Gospel of Christ, the Gospel of Salvation, the Gospel of God, and the Gospel of His Son all seem to be identical, as the writer uses them interchangeably in some passages. Luke only uses the “Gospel of the Grace of God” once, but it also seems to be identical to these four. So, we can see that five of the seven on the list are essentially identical.

The New Testament defines the Gospel of God as the “good news that God sends, through Jesus Christ, His Son. It includes the promise of Salvation by God’s Grace, through Faith in the death, burial and resurrection of Christ.” All of that fits and fulfills everything we just read, above, in Romans 1:16 (compared to 1st Corinthians 15:3, 4.) By necessity, this Gospel, the Gospel of Christ, always includes the “preaching of the Cross,” as mentioned in 1st Corinthians 1:18 and other places.

The two remaining “Gospels”, from the list above, which are not identical, are the “Gospel of the Kingdom,” and the “Gospel of Peace.”

The Gospel of the Kingdom

John the Baptist and Jesus both initially preached this “good news” in Israel, letting everyone in Israel know that the “Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.” John and Jesus were not “preaching the Cross.” They were not “preaching salvation by faith:” Both of them were telling the “good news” that the promised Kingdom was available, then and there. And Jesus (as the King) in offering that kingdom, presented Himself to the people as the fulfillment of all the prophecies. John preached this message during his entire ministry, until Herod imprisoned and executed him. Jesus preached this Gospel of the Kingdom until the Jews firmly rejected the message.

As a nation, the Jews finally rejected the offer of the Kingdom; so God retracted the offer from that generation. After that point, Jesus no longer preached the Gospel of the Kingdom. He headed for the Cross! The Promised Kingdom is still coming, but it will come immediately after the tribulation period. And it will begin with the physical, triumphant return of the King.

The Kingdom still is “good news,” but we can’t really preach that good news today, because (a) we do not know when He will return, and (b) we do know that the Great Tribulation will precede His Kingdom: The Tribulation will be seven years of the worst news anyone has ever heard! So, God calls us to preach the Gospel of the Cross; the Gospel of Christ; the Gospel of Grace; the Gospel of Salvation.  But, what about that last one? What about “the Gospel of Peace?”

The Gospel of Peace

Paul only uses the phrase, “the Gospel of Peace” twice: the first time, in Romans 10:15, he quotes  Isaiah 52:7, and he summarizes what Isaiah said: “How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that sayeth unto Zion, Thy God Reigneth!”  This was not “the preaching of the Cross:” it was the message to Israel, (to Zion,) that God was sending peace (with God and Man) to Israel, and that God was bringing salvation from their enemies to Israel.

The other time Paul uses that phrase is in Ephesians 6:15, where he tells us Church-age believers that our feet are “shod with the preparation of the Gospel of Peace.” These “shoes” are part of the sevenfold “armor of God.” We use that armor to arm ourselves for the spiritual battles we all experience. So…what is the “gospel of Peace,” in this context? Remember that Israel had been “at odds with God,” nationally, and as a result, they had experienced chastisement through enemy raids, invading armies, and terrible wars.

Peace With God

Each of us, (all believers, but specifically, we Gentile believers) began life “at odds with” God. We were lost sinners, and Romans 5:10 says we were enemies of God, whether we knew it or not, and whether we admitted it or not. But Romans 5:1 states the good news that, as born-again children of God, “being justified (declared righteous) by faith, we have peace with God!” Yes! That is good news! We are no longer on “God’s list of Enemies:” We are now his “born” children!

And that particular good news, the news that God is on our side, is incredibly good news. That truth should give us “firm, secure footing” in the battles of life. This is the “Gospel of Peace.” We have peace with God. This is our position in Christ. It is a positional promise. (Not the same as the “Peace of God.” That peace is a conditional promise which we are invited to experience; and it is available to us, if we walk with God in faith. It is a conditional promise!)

But there is another “gospel” mentioned, too: A false gospel.

“Another Gospel”

There is one more “gospel” mentioned, in Galatians 1:6-9. It is a false Gospel: a message that turns people away from faith in Jesus. It supplants the Holy sacrifice of the Blood of Jesus with some other means by which to approach God. Usually, it supplants “faith in Jesus’s shed blood” with “Human works and religiosity:” human piety, or rituals. But it is a human-centered gospel, as opposed to a Christ-centered Gospel.

The message could include nearly anything, but it always includes “some other way to approach God.” It also always denies the full deity of Christ, saying that He is not the Almighty God: not God in the Flesh, not the Creator, and the Ruler and the Judge of all the Universe, who chose to be born in Bethlehem of a virgin mother, and who died on the Cross in our place, as the eternal sacrifice for our sins. Such false gospels also will always deny that Jesus’ blood was fully sufficient for our Eternal Salvation.

So, how does God feel about this “Other Gospel?” He condemns it in the strongest terms! And He specifically condemns those who preach it. Galatians 1:6-9 concludes, “…if anyone preaches to you a different gospel, let him be accursed!” (That is pretty strong language!)

What Gospel Should We Preach?

On occasion, I have heard a preacher say that he was going to “really give ‘em the Gospel!” But then, I listened very carefully to their message, and I was dismayed to find that they not only failed to “really give ‘em the Gospel:” they also did not even mention any portion of it!

  • There was no mention of the Holiness of God,
  • Nor was there any mention of personal guilt for sin.
  • They made no mention of coming judgment,
  • Nor did they mention the need for a personal Savior.
  • There was no mention of the Cross,
  • No mention of the Grave, and
  • No mention of the Resurrection!

They left out every bit of both the “Bad News” and the “Good News!”

So, what Gospel DID they preach?

It certainly was not the Gospel of Christ! God could not have saved anyone through hearing that message. The preachers did not address the message of Salvation in any way, nor did they even hint at it. Their message usually was some sort of exhortation to “live a better life,” or to “avoid a particular type of sin,” or possibly expounding the “value of church attendance.” But those messages cannot save. Only the Gospel of Christ, being believed in, can save sinners.

I’m sorry to have to condemn anything people say, and I really don’t like to condemn a preacher for his message, but that is exactly what is commanded in Galatians 1:6-9. And none of those things they were preaching were part of the Gospel of Christ. When those sorts of things are allowed to replace the true Gospel, then the message falls into the category of “another Gospel:” A false Gospel!

The people who persist in bringing such messages are teaching people to approach God by some other means than by the shed blood of Jesus. And Jesus said, “No man cometh unto the Father but by Me.” We need to listen carefully to the messages we hear, and especially, we must consider carefully what message we preach.

What do WE Preach?

Whenever I share with someone, I try to remember to explain all three points of the good news, as well as at least the “core issue” of the bad news: (We need a Savior because we are Lost!)

But, quite honestly, sometimes I have looked back and realized that I accidentally left out one or more points of the Good News, and maybe all of the “Bad News.” That is not acceptable: God is not going to “condemn me” because I forgot to include some part of the Gospel, but the result in the life of the hearer may be that they cannot “place their faith in Christ,” because I did not “give them the message.” I only gave part of the message of Salvation.

1st Corinthians 1:23 says, in part, “but we preach Christ Crucified…” We know ahead of time that it will not be a “popular” message. Why? Because the majority of the people believe either that they are “too good for God,” so that they “don’t need a Savior,” or they are “too smart for God,” so that they think the message is foolish…laughable…stupid! And, in either case, they find the message either repugnant or pointless.

Jesus said that the majority would reject the message: but He also commanded us to share it with all people. Mark 16:15 says “Go ye into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature.” (I’m pretty sure that means “all the people.”) There are those who believe that Jesus “only died for the elect:” But 1st John 2:1, 2 clearly says He is the propitiation not only for our sins, but also for the sins of the whole world.

Now What?

I have to conclude that, if Jesus accomplished that much at the Cross, not only on our behalf, but also for the whole world, then we truly are debtors to all people, to offer them that eternal life that He died to provide for them. That’s our job, and it is a Sacred Trust:

(Perhaps you don’t know this, but Angels are not permitted to preach the Gospel of Christ. Only we Humans have that privilege. The “everlasting Gospel,” in Revelation 14:6, is “preached by an Angel,” but it has no salvation content.) We need to take this privilege, this Gospel, and run with it!

Lord Jesus, fill us with the urgency of the message You have told us to proclaim. Help us to see the unspeakable privilege we have. Raise us up as Your witnesses and Your Ambassadors.

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Christmas Thoughts, 2022: What shall we do about Christmas?

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Christmas Thoughts, 2022

© 2022 C. O. Bishop

Genesis 3:15; Exodus 12; Isaiah 9:6, 7; Isaiah 7:14; John 1:1-5, 14; Hebrews 11:3;
Matthew 2, Luke 2

Introduction:

Usually, when we, as believers think about Christmas, even when we deliberately set aside what the World thinks is Christmas, we pretty much focus on Luke 2. The entire chapter speaks of the actual birth of the Messiah, and what immediately followed. Sometimes we mix in things that actually occurred a little later—the coming of the Magi, and the flight into Egypt, to escape the slaughter of the innocent babies in Bethlehem.

Sometimes, especially when we were young, we would mock some of the early hymns, probably because we didn’t really understand them. I remember as a child, singing, “We three kings of orient are, trying to smoke a rubber cigar: It was loaded, it exploded…Silent night!” (Lots of laughs, for an irreverent pre-teen.)

What do the hymns really say?

But let’s think about some of the scriptures that gave rise to those hymns.

Why did the hymnist assume there were three wise men? The ones he called kings? Because three gifts were named, in Matthew chapter 2, when the magi came to worship the newborn Messiah, whom they recognized as King of the Jews…and they knew something about him that no one else had guessed, yet: Those gifts, gold, and frankincense and myrrh, were prophetic in nature. The Hymnist spelled out that prophecy, in the rest of the hymn. “Born a king on Bethlehem’s plain, gold I bring to crown him again, King forever, ceasing never, over us all to reign.”

The Myrrh also was prophetic, speaking of His ministry as the eternal sacrifice, that was to be given once for all… it predicted the death of the Lord: “Myrrh, have I; its bitter perfume breathes a life of gathering gloom: suffering, sighing, bleeding, dying, sealed in the stone-cold tomb!”

And the Frankincense, predicted the fact of His priesthood and deity. “Frankincense to offer, have I: King, and God and sacrifice! Aleluia! Aleleuia! Worship Him, God on High!”

Not so funny, after all. And, historically, it turns out that these wise men from the east were most likely the descendants of the disciples of the prophet Daniel…He had predicted the coming King, the Messiah. Though as far as we know, he said nothing about a star, somehow they had combined what they knew from Daniel’s teaching with the appearance of this supernatural star, and correctly discerned that the Messiah had been born. And they took their journey on the basis of that faith. That is not only not funny: that is pretty amazing.

What about Charles Wesley’s Hymns?

We sing “Hark the Herald Angels Sing,” and we feel good about the Lyrics. Where did they come from, though? Charles was born again in 1738, when he was 31 years old. His older brother, John was born again a few days later.

Charles began a Bible Study, at their college, trying to methodically study and teach the Bible, but not long afterward, John took it over. (Yeah, I know, elder brothers can be that way…but I am willing to assume it was a practical matter of gifting. Look what eventually came of it.)

John and Charles made a powerful team: John preached sound doctrine, turning people’s hearts to Christ, and Charles wrote powerful hymns teaching the same doctrines in musical form, so that the teachings could be repeated and stick in people’s minds. During their ministry together, they salted down all of England with the Gospel, so that while the French Revolution was raging in France, just across the channel, England was having its collective heart drawn into a strong relationship with God. During that time Charles wrote about 7,000 hymns. We still sing some of them today. “Hark the Herald Angels Sing” was written when Charles was experiencing his second Christmas as a born-again believer. He was eighteen months old in the Lord.

What had John preached? I can only guess at that, but the doctrines in the hymn are very clear:

The Beginning

Christ by highest heaven Adored; Christ the Everlasting Lord

Before the Creation, Jesus, Creator God, the Son, was worshipped by angels. And yet, he was already the designated sacrifice for a world that had not yet been created. Revelation 13:8 says that He was “the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.”

Rise, the Woman’s Conquering Seed, Bruise in us the Serpent’s Head

The first promise of that Savior came in Genesis 3:15, where God promised that the Seed of the Woman would crush the Serpent’s head. Revelation 20:2 identifies just which serpent He meant: there he is called that old serpent, and the Devil, and Satan.

Come, Desire of Nations, Come

Not all nations have looked forward to the coming Messiah, but believers have done so throughout History. Job preexisted Israel, but he said, “I know that my Redeemer liveth, and at the latter day He will stand upon the Earth, and I shall see him with my own eyes!”  Job 19:25 That is referring to the second coming of the Messiah! After Job’s resurrection. But Jesus physically became our redeemer during His earthly ministry. Job looked forward through time as a prophet, and called out the death and the resurrection and the return of Jesus!

Fulfillment Begins

Late in time, behold Him come, offspring of the Virgin’s Womb!

From Human perspective, it seemed late: they had been waiting over 4,000 years since the original promise. But Romans 5:6 says He was right on time! It was at the perfect time, according to God’s Timetable! And the Virgin Birth was not an “extra detail:” it was an absolute necessity. He was the only one in History who was literally “the Seed of the Woman!” All the rest of us are the Seed of a man and a woman. Further, if Joseph had been Jesus’s father, Jesus was automatically disqualified from being king anyway, because there was a curse on one of Joseph’s great grandfathers: Jeremiah 22:24-30  said that no offspring of Coniah (also called Jeconiah, and in Matthew 1:11, Jechonias.)

Veiled in Flesh the Godhead See: Hail the incarnate Deity!

In Genesis 1:1, we saw God speak the World into existence. In Hebrews 11:3, we see it confirmed that the World was created by the Word of God. And, in John 1:1-5, 14, we see that that Word not only was the Creator, but that He (the Word) was made flesh, and that He in fact was Jesus. And Colossians 2:9 says that “in Him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead, bodily!” I am not required to understand that fact: I am only required to accept it by faith, and to proclaim it in obedience to the God who gave it.

Pleased as Man, with Men to dwell; Jesus our Emmanuel

Philippians 2:5-8, which we discussed earlier, tells how Jesus chose to become a human. But it was not a surprise. Isaiah 7:14 told us in advance that “the Virgin shall be with Child and shall bear a Son, and shall call His name Emmanuel.” That prophecy was fulfilled in Jesus.

Mild, He lays His Glory By: Born that Man no more may die,

Philippians 2:5-8 also spells out how He emptied Himself of His prerogatives as God the Son, and became a human for the express purpose of dying for our sins.

Born to raise the Sons of Earth, born to give them second birth!

He came specifically to offer His life a ransom for many. He told Nicodemus “Ye must be born again.” He also told him that “whosoever believeth” in Him would not perish but have everlasting life. And in Ephesians 2:6, it says that He has already raised us up as believers, to sit with Him in the throne…that we are already there with Him.

How to Receive Him

Hail the Heaven-Born Prince of Peace!

Isaiah 9:6, 7 called Him the Prince of Peace…(don’t forget that it also identified Him as the Mighty God, and the Everlasting Father!) But this line of the hymn is a command: it says, “Hail Him!” it means “Salute Him” as the Prince of Peace: Greet Him as Who He really is! Accept Him as your Savior and Master! Receive Him as your Redeemer and God!

Hail the Sun of Righteousness, Risen with Healing in His Wings!

Malachi 4:2 says, “but unto you who fear my Name, shall the Sun of Righteousness arise with Healing in His wings.” That is a direct quote of the prophecy!

The Result of Faith

Light and Life to all He brings

John 1:4 says that “In him was life and the life was the light of men” These are direct quotes from God’s Word! These are not the hymn-writer’s imagination running wild!

Come Desire of Nations, Come: Fix in us thy humble home.

In John 14:16-21, and other places, Jesus promised that whoever received Him as Savior would immediately and permanently be indwelt by the Holy Spirit; in fact, that, in the person of the Holy Spirit, the entire Godhead would dwell in each believer.

Adam’s Likeness now efface; Fix thine image in its place!

We have been recreated in the image of Christ. We now have two natures. Our new nature is sinless and created in true righteousness. Our old Adamic nature will be eliminated at death, and never plague us again.

Second Adam, from above, Reinstate us in thy love!

In 1st Corinthians 15:45-47 spells out that Jesus is the head of a new race. He is called the second Man, and the Last Adam. 1st Corinthians 15:22 says that we are either in Adam or in Christ. That is “positional truth.” If your position is still in Adam, you are still spiritually dead. If you are in Christ, you are eternally alive in Him.

Marching Orders:

Joyful all Ye Nations Rise! Join the Triumph of the Skies!

We are saved to serve! How? Every one of us is called to be an ambassador of Christ. And all the nations that have rejoiced in the Savior, have also rejoiced in Missions, at least for a time. That is how we Join the triumph of the Skies. We proclaim His birth…and His death, burial, and resurrection. We can offer the hope and Joy of Christmas every day of the Year.

With th’ Angelic Host Proclaim, Christ is Born in Bethlehem

Proclaim! That is our job! It should be our passion and our joy! In John 4:34, Jesus said, “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me and to finish His work!” In that context, He was talking about Evangelism! That is the Work he wants done!

The Results of the Gospel

Peace on Earth, and Mercy Mild; God and Sinner Reconciled.

We can experience the Heavenly peace God offered in Bethlehem on an individual basis. Romans 5:1 says, “being justified by faith, we have peace with God.” If enough people share that peace with God, they tend to also have peace between one another, as we do, here in our church. But, the only lasting peace for the whole earth will come when Jesus is eternally reigning on the new earth.

The word, “Hark!” means listen! We are called to give heed to the message, and to realize that we have a very temporary privilege of serving with Jesus: Working with Him, taking the light and joy of His Gospel to the world we live in. This is our one opportunity to serve!

Hark! The herald Angels Sing! Glory to the Newborn King!

So…what are we going to do about it? If we say, “Happy Birthday Jesus! But I’m not going to do what you asked,” it seems a pretty shabby response. Let’s change that into a pattern of reverence and obedience, and share His joy and peace with those around us..… We can say, “Happy Birthday, Jesus! I bring myself as an offering to You!” We all have that gift to bring.

Lord Jesus, fill us with Your love and transform us to be like You in every way. Raise us up as your soldiers and servants. Teach us to live for your Glory.

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Except a Corn Of Wheat Dies, it Remains Alone

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Except a Corn Of Wheat

© 2022 C. O. Bishop

John 12:23-33; Philippians 2:5-8

John 12

23 And Jesus answered them, saying, The hour is come, that the Son of man should be glorified.

24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.

25 He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal. 26 If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be: if any man serve me, him will my Father honour.

27 Now is my soul troubled; and what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour: but for this cause came I unto this hour.

28 Father, glorify thy name. Then came there a voice from heaven, saying, I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again.

29 The people therefore, that stood by, and heard it, said that it thundered: others said, An angel spake to him.

30 Jesus answered and said, This voice came not because of me, but for your sakes.

31 Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out.

32 And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me. 33 This he said, signifying what death he should die.

Philippians 2

5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:

6 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:

7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:

8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.

Introduction:

We don’t usually associate the Christmas season with the Crucifixion. In fact, the first thought some of us may have had when Christmas came on Sunday, was “Will we still have Church?” This is what Church is about! It’s the reason we have Church at all! If we really consider Christmas to be Jesus’s Birthday, why would we not come together to celebrate His birth?

And, if we really believe that His reason in coming was to die in our place, and in so doing, to purchase eternal life as a gift for us. then how could we hesitate to give Him back the gift of honor and love and obedience that He deserves?

Connecting the Cross with Christmas

In John 12:23-33, there are several key phrases, any of which could be expanded upon to make the core message of a sermon. I do not want to do that, this morning. I want to tie together several key phrases, and connect them to a companion passage in Philippians.

When we consider the Christmas story, we remember the precious promises being fulfilled there, and we are overwhelmed by the mystery of God. Perhaps we are filled with Joy, knowing the fact of history that validates our faith.

But, as we are reading here, in John, it is easy to forget that the gory, horrible, shameful murder of that Holy Child, the King, is not only coming, but it is the purpose for which He came.

Let’s look again at some of the key statements.

In John 12:

  • Except a corn (kernel) of wheat fall into the ground and die, it remains alone. (v. 24)
  • If it dies, it produces much fruit. (v. 24)
  • For this cause came I unto this hour. (v. 27)
    • Now is the judgment of this world. (v. 31)
    • Now shall the prince of this world be cast out. (v. 31)

What we just read was Jesus’s statement regarding His Birth and His Death! He said that He was born to die! He also said that His death had a specific purpose…and that purpose had several sub-clauses:

  1. He would bring forth fruit,
  2. the world is judged,
  3. the prince of this world is cast out.

What kind of Death?

He also gave a clue as to what kind of fruit He meant, and what kind of death He meant:

  • And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto Me. (v. 32)
    • This said He, signifying what death He should die. (v. 33)

He said that by means of the crucifixion He would “draw” all humans… The sins of the entire Human Race were judged at the Cross. He is the “magnet” drawing souls to God. We find the baby in the manger very touching, and the story of the miraculous birth thrilling. But the only means by which we can approach that Holy Child, that King, is through the Cross.

And in the midst of all that, He also let us know what we can do, if we are among those who have responded in faith. He says we are to follow Him. And He goes on to say, that those who are His servants will be where He is. He concludes that those who serve Him will be Honored by God the Father.

  • If any man serve Me, let him follow Me. (v. 26)
    • Where I am, there also shall my servant be. (v. 26)
    • If any man serve Me, him will My Father honour. (v. 26)

How can We Respond to His Call?

When Jesus said that His servants would follow Him, what did He mean? He obviously knew that they would all be scattered before the Cross, as His own assignment was to walk through that particular trial alone.

He knew that all the disciples would eventually be martyred. He also knew which of his servants throughout history would suffer for His sake and to what degree. Obviously they have not all had the same experiences. But the call is extended down through the ages: “Follow Me!”

What does it mean, to “Follow Jesus?”

None of us have ever seen Jesus, let alone followed Him in any literal sense, but when we read 1st Corinthians 11:1, we see where the Apostle Paul (who had only seen Jesus in a vision, not in the flesh) told the Corinthian believers “Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ.”

What was he telling them to do? He was telling them to live in obedience to Jesus. Throughout the New Testament we see admonitions to “walk worthy of the vocation where with ye are called.” (Perhaps you “don’t feel called!” Romans 8:28-30 should make you see that if you are a child of God, by Grace, through Faith, having been born again, then you are called! How you respond to that call is another matter.

Ultimately, it always comes down to a choice: Either I will, or I will not obey Jesus and daily seek to follow Him. Either I will, or I will not choose to feed on His Word, daily, and allow His Word to affect my thoughts, attitudes and actions. Either I will, or I will not look to Him for opportunities to serve Him in practical ways, serving as His hands and feet, and His voice, in this fallen World.

How Did Jesus Do It? Philippians 2:5-8

The Philippians passage we read made several statements about the choices Jesus made, in  “emptying Himself” of His prerogatives as God the Son, and becoming a human child. He:

  • Chose to set aside His prerogatives as Deity
  • Chose a position of no reputation (a poor man in a poor family in a poor nation.)
  • Chose to become a servant (Greek “doulos”…bondslave…a slave by choice.)
  • Chose to become a human servant (not angelic)
  • Chose to humble Himself
  • Chose a lifestyle of absolute obedience to His Father
  • Chose obedience through the Cross.

Can I do all of those? Obviously, the answer is “No, I cannot!” Of the seven choices Jesus made, only the last three are even open to me. I never was God, so there was nothing to let go of. I had no choice as to the place of my birth, let alone the family into which I was born.

But I can choose to honestly recognize that I am a human, not God! I can admit that I don’t know what is best, nor, often, even what is right. And I confess, that, on my own, when I do know what is right, I am liable to choose something else. I’m a sinner by nature. Apart from Jesus’s finished work at the Cross, I can’t even choose obedience. I can’t save myself.

What does the Cross have to do with Christmas?

In John 12:27, Jesus said, “For this cause am I come unto this hour.” In Luke 19:10 He said, “The Son of Man has come to seek and to Save that which was lost.” His whole purpose in coming is stated there. And the means by which it had to be done is stated in Philippians 2:5-8.

All of the prophecies had to be fulfilled in that one Person: in Jesus.: Taken together, the fulfilled prophecies established His credentials as the Redeemer. So, the place of His birth (Bethlehem) the family into which He would be born (lineage of David,) the sub-line through which He must not be born (Jeconias… also known as Jehoiachin, Jeconiah and Coniah—and Joseph was of that lineage!) So, the Virgin Birth was an absolute necessity, and all the other events surrounding His birth—all of them–had to be fulfilled to the letter.

Unwrapping the Gift of Christ

The reason we get emotional about the Birth of Jesus (and we should) is that it marks the beginning of the “unwrapping” of the greatest gift ever given. John 3:16 says it this way: “God so loved the World that He gave His Only Begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting Life.”

As individuals, we “begin to unwrap that gift” the moment we believe: when we place our trust in Jesus’s shed blood as full payment for our sins. But the “unwrapping” of the gift of Eternal Life takes all of the rest of our lives. One of the points at which we tend to “stick” is this idea of actually “following Jesus.” Please don’t allow that idea to cause you to stumble.

Saved to Serve

We don’t like the idea of slavery, even when we know our only Master will be the One who already owned us by Creation, and by Purchase, having bought us by His blood. He calls us to voluntarily submit ourselves to Him, through obedience to the Holy Spirit and His Written Word. And we still don’t like it. We are rebels by nature! So, it requires that we repent of our rebellion. It means that we change our minds about our stubborn desire for self-direction, self-determination, and self-will. That’s all repentance means: Change your mind!

Jesus came with a particular purpose in mind. And He carried out that Purpose. Ephesians 2:10 says that He saved us with a purpose in mind. (It says, “We are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which He has before ordained that we should walk in them.”) Now He calls us to walk in that purpose, fulfilling it by Faith and Obedience.

How are we Called to Serve?

He says that He saved us to be His ambassadors and His witnesses. He says that we were saved to serve. We do not lose that position if we fail to live up to it…we just don’t get the rewards associated with obedience.

Jesus came as a precious baby, but not just so that we could “sigh” over how precious babies are (and they are) but rather so that we could see that God keeps His promises. Now He calls us to approach that Holy Child, the Eternal King, as our Savior and Master, and to offer ourselves as a worship gift, seeking to be the people He has called us to be.

Lord Jesus, glorify Yourself in us, Your servants. Help us to daily choose to function as your servants, not serving ourselves, but serving You in the work You have chosen for us.

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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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