And when these things begin to come to pass,
then look up, and lift up your heads;
for your redemption draweth nigh.
|
|
March 20, 2008:Traditions | Just a few more weary days and then... I'll fly away... And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh. |
| December 29, 2007:New Year's 2008 | ||
| November 3, 2007:How To Be Successful in Christian Ministry | ||
| October 23, 2007:Salmon |
| ||||||||||
| Freedom in Christ William H. Haller |
|---|
Today's lessons deals with the last part of John 8. This is the last part of what is known as the second temple discourse. It is instructive to back up and read this entire chapter of John rather than starting in the middle.
John chapter 8 starts with the scribes and Pharisees bringing a woman taken in adultery to Jesus while He is teaching the people in the temple. What happened to the man who was with her isn't recorded, but that was a clear omission on their part. They point out that Moses says that the woman should be stoned to death for her sin and want to know what Jesus says on the subject. If He says no, they've got Him because He would be contradicting the law of Moses. If He says yes, they've got Him because He would be taking Roman law into His own hands. One of those great lose, lose propositions they were always coming up with. His response is to write some unrecorded words on the ground with his finger and when they pressed Him to declare that whoever was without sin should cast the first stone. He then goes back to writing on the ground.
As they think about His words, they begin to leave - from the oldest to the youngest, being convicted by their own conscience. Jesus, the woman, and those He was originally teaching are left. He releases the woman to go about her way, saying that He doesn't condemn her and gives her an injunction to sin no more.
The rest of the temple discourse is then recorded. Jesus says He is the light of the world. The Pharisees among those He is teaching claim that what he says is invalid because you can't bear witness for yourself. Jesus counters that the Father is His witness. The Pharisees ask who His Father is. He declares that they don't know Him or His Father.
He then says that He will go His way, and that they will die in their sin of unbelief because where He is going they can't come. This confuses them, thinking he is going to kill himself. He then speaks more clearly to them and declares the Gospel Message in two short verses. Mankind is of the world. Jesus is from above and not of this world. If you don't believe in Christ, you will die in your sins.
He goes on to predict the way He will die - "When ye have lifted up the Son of man, then shall ye know that I am he, and that I do nothing of myself." He declares that the Father is with Him and that He does things that please the Father. At these words, the Bible declares that many who were listening believed on Him. From there, the lesson starts.
The quarterly writer tends to say that the same Jews who believed on Him in verse 30, then turned on Him in verse 33 and following. I would like to take the position that His comments where He says "If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." was directed as translated - to those Jews in the audience which believed on Him. I would prefer to believe that all the negative comments and arguing that followed was coming from the same bunch of Jews who were already plaguing Him in the first part of the chapter, and who simply continued on as described in the lesson today.
Be that as it may, what Jesus says here is instructive. I think that the quarterly writer did correctly interpret what He says so let's look at that in detail. There are two main items. Only by continuing in the Word will we be saved in the end. We need to stay firmly rooted in the vine. We can't be one of the branches that is broken off or pruned because it doesn't bear fruit. Yet I worry that many in the church today will get to heaven - those who have accepted Christ as their Savior - only to discover that even if they were rich on earth, they will be poor in heaven because they have not produced any fruit.
God is merciful! Praise the Lord! His grace abounds towards us constantly. Sadly, there are many more who attend church, assuming that by doing that minimal thing they will be saved. Yet, they never accept Christ as Savior, much less make Him King in their life. Many times the churches don't stress this one single necessary step. Shame on us. Others think that by riding the coattails of their parents they will make it to heaven. Others think that just living a good life and not doing much damage will be enough to get them to heaven. The Bible says it isn't so. When you know about Christ, and reject Him, you reject the only means of salvation there is. Choose Jesus - choose life.
The second way of looking at this "continuing in my word" phrase requires a lot of work. Jesus gave a great many guidelines for living and many commandments during His earthly ministry. This section of John was written about events that occurred late in His ministry. He went up out of Galilee to the feast of Tabernacles (John 1:1-2), which would have been about 7 months (according to Dake) before His crucifixion. So by this time, He had given much instruction on what we should do. The scriptures of the temple discourses provide even more. If you read the tail end of many of the Gospel books, you can get a flavor or the style of teaching He was doing and many of the discourses include references to the fact that He was teaching daily in the temples. To follow in His walk, take up our Cross and follow Him, doing the things he has asked us to do, takes a lot of time and effort. It is a walk of sacrifice. It is a walk, usually without much of what the world would say was the finer life and things. But the walk of a disciple is one that reaps eternal rewards.
What are you doing for God today? What did you do for God in the last year? How have you made a difference? Are you abiding in the vine, but bearing no fruit? He says that if you continue in His word, ye will be disciples, ye will know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. You will be free of a sinful nature. And equally important, you will be free to do the work He asked us to do. When you're working for Him, you have a lot less time to get into trouble doing the things you hadn't ought to be doing.
If you don't continue in His word, let's look at some other paths that open up. If you become a pew warmer, only putting in the minimal effort to do His work, then Satan has an easier time derailing your Christian walk. There's sick kids, fishing, sports, and a host of other things that Satan will throw in your path to give you a reason to choose something other than church where you can be nourished. Sure, you can get that nourishment from Bible reading and other Christian methods, but hey - if you don't have time for church, you probably won't take time for Bible reading either. And if Satan can distract you from church, it's a cinch he can find a way to distract you from Bible reading or other ways to stay rooted and growing in Christ. Prayer - you soon won't be making time for that. Soon, you'll be one of those Christians who thinks they are fine, but in fact are just showing up for formal services like Christmas and Easter. Your roots will be withering, and soon, you will be out doing things you shouldn't do and find yourself away from God. At some point you will have crossed the line where Christ will have to say He doesn't know you anymore. Where that line is I don't know. I know His mercy and grace are wide, but He has limits. You need to stay in the Word and keep growing in the Word, or you are at risk.
What is this truth Christ speaks of. As the quarterly writer points out, there are many types of truth out there today. There is some absolute truth out there. We live on a planet with positive gravity, as Spock mentioned. I don't need to watch a rock drop to know that if I let go of it it will in fact drop. That is absolute truth. It's something God established, and it will always work that way.
Many of the facts about our history we regard as truth. There is an old expression that history is written by the victors though. Real truth may never be completely known. Yes, Pearl Harbor was bombed on Dec. 7, 1941 by the Japanese. That is a fact. But everything that happened that day will never be known. There is a ton of truth there, but it is mostly colored by what was remembered and recorded at the time. Since such history wasn't divinely inspired, we can't completely rely on its truth.
Then there is all the manufactured truth that is out there in the commercial and political world. There's lies, damn lies, and statistics is another popular quote. How you ask a particular question can be used to influence the answer the person being polled makes. Ask the right questions the right way and the population will appear to have a particular truth. Ask slightly differently phrased questions the right way and the population will appear to have a different truth.
There is even some that is finding its way into churches. Again shame on us. The Bible is our truth. If we start trying to warp it to fit the world, or to be more popular to the world, then the truth isn't in us. There is only the one objective truth. The world will never like it. The Bible says so. The world prefers darkness and shies away from the light. We will never be successful as churches if we try to dim the lights to make the world comfortable. We are no better than any other world religion if we don't stand up for what the Word has declared.
Let truth be truth again in Christian churches. Let us each try to live up to Christ's Christian standards in the days, weeks, months, and years to come. For as long as God gives us, let light shine again. Don't let sin and compromise be found in the church. The church today acts too much like the Jews in the rest of the chapter. We have heard the teaching of Christ, but we don't like what it says. So we question the authority. Don't like what a Bible verse says about a particular sin issue - no problem. Just get a panel of experts that feel the same way to rewrite the Bible verse a little bit so that it says something different that isn't offensive to us anymore. Pick that as the standard Bible we use in denomination X. Problem solved.
Don't like the sermons the pastor is preaching (or the Sunday School teacher or webmaster, for that matter...). No problem. Fire the pastor and find someone that fits in better - doesn't take a hard line on sin - lets us get away with what we want and live the way we want... Elect more permissive and liberal leaders in the denominations in the name of inclusivity. Don't let the truth be proclaimed at annual conferences. Only send people who will build consensus and grow the denominations at any cost. You think I am off base. How many denominations look askance at someone who gives a prophecy in the Spirit, speaks in tongues or gives an interpretation, or uses any of the other gifts of the Spirit for that matter... Beware, there's demons there! That same argument was used by the Jews against Christ in this very passage. Take care when you stand against God's work.
This isn't the truth that God wants to hear coming from Christians. It is a lot more like the Jews who say we have a heritage that is glorious and we are not slaves or in bondage.
Let the spirit of truth prevail in our churches once again. God was the witness for Christ. He should be our witness as well. He should be able to stand behind the words that we say and the actions that we take and the things that we do. The Holy Spirit was Christ's empowering agent on Earth. He wants to be ours as well so that our words would be backed up by power. If the Father is our witness and we are doing His work, He will be glad to give us the gift of the same Holy Spirit that was poured out at Pentecost if we will ask and receive.
Let's allow the Holy Spirit to have His way in our lives and services again. The world needs to see our witness, backed up with power from above to set us apart once again. We need to get back to doing what the Father has told us to do and doing what we see the Father doing as directed by the Holy Spirit if we want to be fruitful as Jesus instructed us to be. Be filled with the Spirit and you'll be a lot closer to having that freedom that He talks of. The Holy Spirit will be there to correct you of sin and to lead you in ways of righteousness. Ask for the gift and wait. It may take a time of tarrying and praying, just like it did for the disciples, but it is still a gift freely given. Ask, in faith, nothing wavering, for all the help God has for you, and expect Him to answer. Just as He is standing at the door to people's hearts knocking, even so we should knock at His door for the fulfillment of His promises.
Christ came to set men free. He wants to set you free from the curse of sin today. All you have to do is ask, repent, and let Him be king in your life. Stay in the Word. Don't drift and take chances with your soul's eternal destination. The choice you make in this brief vapor of a lifetime will have consequences that last forever. Don't make the wrong choice. Who knows how long God will tarry. Who knows whether you will have another opportunity before something unexpectedly ends your life. Don't wait.
