How Well Do You Know?
Do you know?
I have a good friend I have known for many years since coming to know Christ. We have journeyed together and experienced many things. I recently asked him what he would do if someone came to him and reported that I had smacked them, cussed them out, and key-scratched their car because they upset me. His response was quick and concise. He said, “I would tell them I don’t believe it even for one second because I know you and know you wouldn’t do such a thing.” Then he said I would encourage them to avoid spreading such a lie.
His quick response came from a place of knowing me well enough not to believe something contrary to the character he had witnessed in me. He’s spent enough time with me to know that I have no desire to hurt anyone, even when they’ve done me wrong. He really knows me; he doesn’t just know about me through someone else report.
When Jesus met the Samaritan woman at the well, He spoke to her and revealed things about her life that led her to believe in Him. As a result of this encounter with Jesus, she told the people where she lived to come out and meet a man who told her everything about her life and who is the Messiah.
This is what they testified after meeting Jesus for themselves,
John 4:39 And many of the Samaritans of that city believed in Him because of the word of the woman who testified, “He told me all that I ever did.” 40 So when the Samaritans had come to Him, they urged Him to stay with them; and He stayed there two days. 41 And many more believed because of His own word. 42 Then they said to the woman, “Now we believe, not because of what you said, for we ourselves have heard Him and we know that this is indeed the Christ, the Savior of the world.”
The woman’s testimony of Jesus served as an invitation to come and meet Him for themselves. Had they refused and said, “We now know about Him, and that is enough,” they would never have benefited. They needed to hear Him speak to them in a real way, in a personal way.
During the recent election, there was much information circulating about the two candidates for president. Listening to information from separate sources carried two very different opinions, as a bias was clearly evident. I learned a lot in my endeavor to get to know all I could about each candidate in order to make an informed vote. I had to weed through all the biases to come up with my own thoughts. But for all I learned, I still could not say with integrity that I really knew either candidate. I know about them, and in this particular case, it was enough for me to do what I needed to do. However, I do not personally know either one of them. If you asked me about them, I could tell you what I learned and became confident about. But I could not speak like one who was close to them.
I have shared all this to say that religion seems to think that knowing things about Jesus on an informational level is equal to truly knowing Him, and nothing could be further from the truth. Jesus is more than just a historical figure from the pages of Scripture about whom we can learn. He is a person who desires to know us intimately and have a personal relationship with us.
Jesus gives the Holy Spirit to those who ask to ensure that we know Him intimately. His ministry is to help us realize our connection and grow in personally knowing Jesus. Knowing Jesus up close and personally is far more powerful than just knowing things about Him. The enemy is good at debating and stealing perspectives that are not rooted in personally knowing Jesus. This is why Scripture testifies of the importance of believing in Him, not about Him, but in Him.
John 6:29 Jesus answered and said to them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent.”
Think About It
Are you in a tough spot?
Have you ever wished the world would stop spinning for a moment, giving you a chance to process something before demanding you get back to it?
Have you ever had to move from a very serious and sad moment to dealing with the everyday affairs of life?
This happened to Peter, one of Jesus’ disciples. While all the disciples were in Galilee with Jesus, He spoke to them.
Matthew 17:22 Now, while they were staying in Galilee, Jesus said to them, “The Son of Man is about to be betrayed into the hands of men, 23 and they will kill Him, and the third day He will be raised up.” And they were exceedingly sorrowful.
Jesus has just informed His disciples that He is about to be betrayed and will be put to death, but He lets them know He will be raised to life again three days later. It tells us how this made them feel. They were exceedingly sorrowful. Not just a little sorrowful but exceedingly so.
Then, after they arrive in Capernaum, Peter is approached by the temple tax collectors.
Matthew 17:24 When they came to Capernaum, those who received the temple tax came to Peter and said, “Does your teacher not pay the temple tax?” 25 He said, “Yes.”
And when he had come into the house, Jesus anticipated him, saying, “What do you think, Simon? From whom do the kings of the earth take customs or taxes, from their sons or strangers?” 26 Peter said to Him, “From strangers.” Jesus said to him, “Then the sons are free. 27 Nevertheless, lest we offend them, go to the sea, cast in a hook, and take the fish that comes up first. And when you have opened its mouth, you will find a piece of money; take that and give it to them for Me and you.”
Can you imagine? Peter is probably still trying to process the idea that Jesus said He would be betrayed and die, and these tax collectors are expecting to collect taxes from Jesus and challenging Peter about it.
I love that Jesus knows Peter is concerned about their perceptions of him and is willing to help Peter find peace. Peter did not mention the tax matter to Jesus, Jesus anticipated it. In other words, Jesus already knew about it and how Peter felt about it. In like manner, Jesus knows when we are in a difficult place brought on by something significant happening to us and sees how the things of life will continue to come at us. He cares.
I love the simple solution Jesus has for the occasion. Although Jesus knows Peter’s concerns, Jesus does not pass on the opportunity for it to be a lesson in faith and trust. The solution is a simple one, but it requires childlike faith to possess it. Jesus sends Peter to do something he enjoys and relaxes him, such as go fishing. The challenge is to believe that the first fish he catches is to check in its mouth for the money to pay the temple tax for both Jesus and himself.
Sometimes, when life is coming at us fast and hard with all its demands, Jesus will tell us to do something that allows us a moment to relax and unwind, and He will show us the solution. It can be difficult to hear His solution when we are anxious and hurried, but Jesus cares, and if we approach with childlike faith, He will show us a simple solution to our problem. If you have a problem or a concern, take it to Jesus and let Him speak to you about it. What He tells you might challenge your faith in Him, but it will bring you peace.
What If?
Are you up to a challenge?
The Bible contains a very interesting story about a leper from Syria named Naaman. Although he was a leper, the king of Syria honored him as a man of great accomplishment.
Because of his military feats, he was revered. During one of his military raids against Israel, he brought back a young Israeli girl who became a servant to his wife. The young girl told Naaman’s wife that if her master Naaman were with the prophet who dwelt in Samaria, he would be healed of his leprosy.
The wife told Naaman about it, and Naaman went to the king to get permission to visit the prophet. The king granted permission and sent a letter along with Naaman to give to the king of Israel.
When the king of Israel received the letter saying the king of Syria sent Naaman to be healed of leprosy, he tore his clothes and declared, “Am I a God, to kill and make alive, that this man sends a man to me to be healed of leprosy?” The king of Israel saw this act as a setup to stir up a war.
Elisha heard of this and told the king of Israel to send Naaman to him. The king would then see that there was a prophet in all of Israel.
So Naaman arrived at Elisha’s place, and Elisha didn’t even come out to meet him. Elisha sent a messenger out and told Naaman to wash in Jordan seven times. This was not how Naaman imagined it would go. He expected Elisha to come out to him and then call on the name of God, wave his hand over the affected places, and heal the leprosy. When Elisha didn’t do this, it offended Naaman, and he became angry. In his anger, Naaman reasoned that the rivers in Damascus were cleaner than the Jordan and said, “Could I not wash in them and be clean?” After stating this, he went away in a rage.
As he was leaving, his servants began to reason with him. “If the prophet had told you something great to do, would you not have done it? How much more then, when he says to you, ‘wash and be clean’?”
At this, Naaman calmed down and decided what the heck? Why not try it? When he came up out of the water the seventh time, his skin was healed and new, like that of a child.
In our many situations in life where we desire God’s intervention and help, are we willing to accept His wisdom when it comes to us in a very simple way?
What if He tells us to do something contrary to what we have imagined it should go?
Often, God’s wisdom cuts through the fog of a situation with the simplest solution, which does not ask that we display our own might but rather trust Him.
What if God offers something absurdly simple as the answer to your situation? Will you say okay? Will you go way mad and offended?
If you allow yourself to build up the situation in your imagination very dramatically and He does not respond with an equally dramatic solution, you may risk being offended. Keep His greatness ever before you, and know that every problem presented to Him has a simple solution. God is not into all the drama. He is content being Himself, supernatural and all-wise.
The Greatest In The Kingdom
Who is the greatest?
I grew up with four brothers, three older and one younger. I understand a little bit about competition. If that were not enough to teach me about it, I also played sports when I was young and have had to compete to get jobs in my lifetime. Adults will argue over who is the greatest in a position in a sport or a political appointment. The idea of who was the greatest has always been a thing in life for many, if not most. Among siblings, the competition can often be about who is the favorite child.
If I were to ask you who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven, what would your answer be?
Where would your thoughts take you when being asked such a question?
Would it be the largest mega-church pastor? Would you think it might be a famous, well-known missionary? How about a famous evangelist? Would you imagine it to be one of the original apostles? What actually makes someone great in the kingdom of heaven?
You might not think this would be an issue among followers of Jesus. You’d like to think that the idea of competing with each other would not be a thing in the church at large, especially among leaders. However, the disciples of Jesus asked Him this very question.
Matthew 18:1 At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”
We should all be able to identify to some extent with the question the disciples asked Jesus. But are we prepared for the way Jesus responded to such a question?
Matthew 18:2 Then Jesus called a little child to Him, set him in the midst of them, 3 and said, “Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. 4 Therefore, whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
I love the way Jesus handled this issue with the disciples. It was such a great teaching moment for them, and it is still the case for us today.
Jesus called a child to come to Him and then set that little boy in the midst of the disciples as an example.
Then Jesus offers two distinct explanations: one involving children in general and how one enters the kingdom, and the other involving this specific child and how it denotes who is the greatest in the kingdom.
So, in essence, Jesus says that in order to enter the kingdom, one must become childlike. That is the more general idea He conveys to the disciples. But then He moves on to answer their question more specifically and says whoever humbles themselves as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom. Why this specific little child?
This child responded when Jesus called him to come to Him. The child came, and when Jesus desired to put the child on display before the disciples, the child complied with no resistance. Do you think it might have been possible for this child to be even a little bit intimidated to be placed in the middle of a bunch of competitive men grappling over who is the greatest and who towers over you in size and power? Yet this child came to Jesus when He called him and then let himself be put on display in what was likely an uncomfortable and awkward way. In other words, this child was willing to say, “Okay,” when Jesus called him and asked him to do something. He did not debate with Jesus; he did not resist Jesus or act as if the thing Jesus desired of him was too difficult a thing. He simply complied with Jesus from what appears to be an attitude of trust. This specific child simply submitted himself and complied.
Greatness in the kingdom is not measured by the numbers we affect, the size of our ministry, or the reach of our influence. It is measured by the surrender and trust we bring to Jesus and how quickly and easily we are able to say okay to whatever He might ask of us. Surrender and submission are the way to greatness in the kingdom of heaven.
Set Free
Are you free?
Jesus said something profound,
John 8:36 Therefore, if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.
He said this after stating the following,
John 8:34 Jesus answered them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin. 35 And a slave does not abide in the house forever, but a son abides forever.
Jesus is saying these things to the Jewish people, which He was sent to deliver according to God’s promise and the truth. They were asking Jesus who He was.
John 8:25 Then they said to Him, “Who are You?” And Jesus said to them, “Just what I have been saying to you from the beginning. 26 I have many things to say and to judge concerning you, but He who sent Me is true, and I speak to the world those things which I heard from Him.”
They did not understand that He was speaking to them of the Father.
John 8:28 Then Jesus said to them, “When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am He, and that I do nothing of Myself; but as My Father taught Me, I speak these things. 29 And He who sent Me is with Me. The Father has not left Me alone, for I always do those things that please Him.” 30 As He spoke these words, many believed in Him.
Jesus did not live by His own strength in the flesh, and He did not do things based on what He wanted. The primary desire of Jesus was to please the Father by being in unity with Him and yielding to His will. This is why Jesus is considered the most humble man that ever lived; He never did anything based on His own desire. He was fully submitted to the will of God.
After saying these things, it says many believed in Him. To those who believed in Him, He spoke the following.
John 8:31 Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. 32 And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”
This saying disturbed them in their minds and led them to ask him,
John 8:33 They answered Him, “We are Abraham’s descendants and have never been in bondage to anyone. How can You say, ‘You will be made free’?”
Interestingly, if we were to go on to read all of what occurred in this exchange in the Scriptures, we would learn that these very ones who claim to believe in Him turned on Him. His claim to set them free from their bondage to sin went unheard and unattended due to their offense that they needed to be set free in the first place. They preferred to argue that they were not in bondage to start with. They allowed a red herring of their natural descent to get in the way of a beautiful promise because of their pride in their “heritage.”
Jesus truly sets us free from sin when we believe and accept who He is and what He has accomplished on our behalf. The power of sin has been broken, and we can live in freedom from sin’s rule over us in Christ.
Those who truly believe that they are in Christ and that Christ lives in them have been set free! Those who take Him at His word just as He took His Father at His word can walk in the freedom Christ died to give to them. It is for freedom that Christ sets us free. Freedom from the tyranny and power of sin!
Mall Cop Jesus?
What authority do you have?
I hope that the title grabbed your attention and stirred your curiosity.
What do I mean by Mall Cop Jesus?
When I was young, I used to join some friends out west in our town at a popular arcade. There were electronic games and pool tables, and we would go there to hang out and enjoy ourselves.
Because of how many young people would show up, they hired a security guy in uniform. I was a rebel at that time and full of myself. I remember one evening driving into the parking lot and making my usual round in front of the place when the security cop stopped me. He put his head inside the window of my car to tell me to stop showing out by dropping my clutch and squealing my tires. I looked at him in my rebellious attitude and said something I really shouldn’t have. I dropped my clutch with his head still inside my window, knocking off his hat, and it dropped into my lap. I then took his hat, threw it out of my window, and screamed you don’t have any authority over me, you pretend cop.
I am not proud of that moment from my former days before Jesus. I simply use this story to make a point.
Many quote what Jesus said, but they act more like Jesus is a Mall Cop than who He truly is.
Matthew 28:18 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.
Luke 10:18 And He said to them, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. 19 Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you. 20 Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven.”
It’s one thing to talk about having authority in His name, and it is yet another to actually exercise that authority by faith in who He is and the authority that is His and is now given to the church on this earth.
Mark 16:5 And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. 16 He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned. 17 And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name, they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; 18 they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.”
These statements were not just good ideas and platitudes of speech to merely excite our emotions. They are real and alive words of authority given to the church. Jesus was not a Mall Cop, and neither was nor is His church! The authority He has given to us, His church, is real authority even greater than any authority on this earth. However, this authority is only reflected through those who truly believe it has been given to them and who have received it by faith in Jesus. It involves the power and agency of the Holy Spirit working through the believer. The world needs to see the church exercising this authority on this earth. This authority accompanies the right gospel when it is preached, and it manifests the reality of Jesus to as many as would receive it. Mall Cop Jesus? I think not!
The Value Of Character
What do you value?
I asked a good friend of many years recently what he would do if someone were to come to him and say that I had cursed them, punched them, and key scratched their car over something petty. His answer was quick and concise. He stated that he would tell them that it was a lie. He would refuse to believe a single word of it. I asked him why that was. He said because I know you, and I know your character!
There’s something powerful about knowing someone’s character. A person’s character leads us to trust or distrust them.
I share this to speak of how important it is for us to know God’s character because it fosters our faith and trust in Him when we know more accurately who He is and what He is like.
Jesus came to show us the Father, and this is very important for us to know. Everything Jesus did or said was a reflection of what the Father was doing and saying. That means if we wish to clarify our understanding of what God is like based on a true demonstration of a particular aspect of His character, we can look at what Jesus was doing and saying.
Just as we function in life, make choices, and perform actions based on the foundation of our character, God acts based on His nature and according to the quality of His character. Because of what Jesus revealed concerning the Father, we need never be terrified by His holiness, greatness, and majesty. We should, however, reverence Him for these amazingly beautiful and wonderful attributes, knowing that they are the foundation for His goodness, mercy, love, and grace He has extended to us on behalf of Jesus. There are certain attributes He possesses that are meant to cause us to hold Him in the highest esteem and respect Him with humility of heart and soundness of mind.
When this transpires in our hearts, minds, and souls, it produces in us the fruit of gratitude and love towards Him that is rooted first in His love for us revealed in Christ Jesus at the cross, and it sets the groundwork for a deep trust of Him in all things. Such revelation and understanding of His immutable character and nature is what enables our surrender and submission to His will even when we struggle to understand it fully.
I’m not speaking about mere knowledge about His character that can be gained from theological books so that we can appear spiritually astute to those who do not engage in such studies. That kind of knowledge leads someone to feel they are superior to others and, therefore, look down on them and fail to esteem them as Scripture instructs us to. I am talking about a relational knowing that is rooted in interacting with Him in real-time, real-life, everyday situations. The kind of knowing that comes from hearing Him speak and experiencing His ways and works in your personal life.
2Corithians 5:16 Therefore, from now on, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him thus no longer.
Knowing Christ according to who He is now in all of His glory is important for every believer. It is why Jesus prayed,
John 17:24 “Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory which You have given Me; for You loved Me before the foundation of the world.
Jesus is the King of kings and Lord of lords. Jesus is exalted to the highest place! He is not ordinary, yet He is approachable and intercedes for us with such great love. His glory is unbroken fellowship and oneness with the Father shrouded in love. The more we know Him according to His greatness, the greater the privilege it is to be loved by Him and be accepted in the beloved. If we choose to diminish His character by reducing Him to merely being human as we are, we do ourselves and others a disservice. He indeed gets us, but He gets us from His high and lofty position on the throne, and that makes His getting us all the more special and beautiful. This is the value of knowing the true character and nature of a person, especially Jesus and the Father. Character has value, and His character is without flaw.
Me Centered?
What upsets you?
My definition of me-centered is when I think someone must serve my best interest according to my thinking as to what that would be. Otherwise, they are of no use to me.
Today, it seems popular to speak of easily kicking someone to the curb based on whether or not they serve one’s own best self-interest.
Being self-centered can be dangerous, as it can lead to deception and turn important things upside down.
Having a dominant “what’s in it for me” attitude is not the best thing. Choosing people as friends based only on what they can do to promote me is not healthy.
Sadly, many have approached Christ from this basis of thinking. They approach Him based on what they think He will do for them, never even considering what He might ask of them.
When it is only about what I want, it distorts the truth and creates discontent. If a person with that type of thinking and attitude does not get what they want the way they want it, and when they want it, they behave like a child throwing a temper tantrum due to not getting whatever it was they desired. That kind of attitude can set a person up for a rebellious state of mind and practice. It stirs up contentions, fighting, and wars. The Scriptures clearly show us that this is true.
James 4:1 Where do wars and fights come from among you? Do they not come from your desires for pleasure that war in your members? 2 You lust and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and war. Yet you do not have because you do not ask. 3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures.
When James says war in your members, he is speaking about the natural tendencies of the flesh. Self-centeredness has never served anyone well. It has always been a path to disappointment and complaint. Demanding to be spoiled with everything desired in this life generally does not bring anyone satisfaction to the level they seek. This is why it says,
James 4:4 Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever, therefore, wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. 5 Or do you think that the Scripture says in vain, “The Spirit who dwells in us yearns jealously”? 6 But He gives more grace. Therefore, He says: “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”
There’s an advantage to being submitted and surrendered to Jesus, Who is greater and wiser and Who loves me deeply. Being submitted and surrendered to the point that His desires for me are more important to me than my own desires is a blessing. He sees my end from the beginning and can help me navigate my way through the most trying times as I seek to stay in step with Him. I may not get to see everything I had hopes to be answered and accomplished the way I wish, but if I know Him well and trust His character and desire Him for who He is more than for what He does for me, I will never be disappointed due to a selfish attitude and thinking He exists for my purposes as opposed to the other way around.
Those who truly love the truth always end up with Jesus and are content to know Him for who He is. Me-centeredness will always be a snare, but Christ-centeredness is a prospering way of life. The more I get to know Him for who He is, the more I esteem Him as Lord, and the more I find, the happier I am in my soul and my mind. I am loved with everlasting love, not because it is all about me and my getting my way. I am loved because of how wonderful and great He is. His loving me is far more about His goodness and greatness than it is about me. I find my value and worth in His love for me, no doubt. However, it does not produce a self-centeredness in me to know this. Instead, it makes me even more aware of just how wonderful Jesus truly is.
Heavenly Butler
What is Jesus to you?
We’ve all seen movies where a wealthy family is served by a loyal butler who will do whatever is asked because it is his job to serve the family.
In the beloved Downton Abbey series, the Butler is Carson. He does things for the family that sometimes go against his better judgment. They made sure to cast him as always being concerned that family got the best in every situation. Still, Carson was a servant to the family.
As a butler, Carson was not allowed to tell family what they must do; it was the other way around.
In our modern times, among some in the church at large, one might think Jesus and the Holy Spirit are butlers to the family. It comes across as though they are not allowed to have a will and desire for the family that the family should give attention to and observe. It is reversed to the point that whatever the family tells them should be done is expected to be done.
The value has been reduced severely in some cases. As opposed to the greatest value being placed upon Christ Jesus, it now has been ascribed to the recipients of grace. There’s no doubt that Jesus Himself ascribed a great value to us by giving Himself for us. There’s no doubt that His love is on display for us at the cross.
There’s something, though, that needs to be considered here. Jesus does not owe His existence, joy, peace, and happiness to us. Jesus did not do what He did out of need for Himself, the Father, or the Holy Spirit. They have no needs; they were never in want, and they, for all eternity, will be self-sufficient and forever all-sustaining. So the things Jesus did were never because He would in any way cease to be without us. They do express a desire to have us as His own from a place of love.
He has applied a value to us not from a place of need but rather from a place of desire. Someone who does this is not taking on the role of being our butler. To put Him in such a light is to devalue Him! The reason His love for us is so special is communicated to us in the Psalms.
Psalm 8:4 What is man that You are mindful of him, and the son of man that You visit him?
Psalm 144:3 LORD, what is man, that You take knowledge of him? Or the son of man, that You are mindful of him?
When we fail to get the right values placed where they belong, things become confused and upside down. It begins to send the wrong signals to those who look on and observe the way He is being treated by those claiming to be His and claiming to love Him. It becomes a show of disrespect as opposed to great respect for who He is and what He has accomplished that has benefitted us so greatly.
It is past time for the church to reclaim awe and wonder regarding who Christ is and who the Holy Spirit is and recapture respect and reverence while still maintaining an acute awareness of His great love. It is when reverence and respect are in place that the idea of His love increases in value to us. His grace becomes more valuable than ever before, and our gratitude levels soar even higher. To see Jesus or the Holy Spirit from the sense of being a butler lends itself to developing in us a sense of entitlement, which in turn lends itself to being less thankful and complaining more when things do not go as we wish. If a butler fails to satisfy the wishes of those he serves, he is met with disapproval. But a Lord is very different. Jesus is still King of kings and Lord of lords; He will never be a heavenly butler. I get to serve Him and others at the pleasure of His will, not mine. I consider it a great honor to be found in such a position with One so great.
Esteem
What do you respect and admire?
According to our English dictionary, the word esteem means to hold in respect and admiration. In Hebrew, it means to value, as in the translation of the word Chashab in Isaiah 53.
Isaiah 53:1 Who has believed our report? And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed? 2 For He shall grow up before Him as a tender plant, and as a root out of dry ground. He has no form or comeliness;
And when we see Him, there is no beauty that we should desire Him. 3 He is despised and rejected by men, a Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him; He was despised, and we did not esteem Him. 4 Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; Yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. 5 But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes, we are healed. 6 All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, everyone, to his own way; And the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all. 7 He was oppressed, and He was afflicted, Yet He opened not His mouth; He was led as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep, before its shearers is silent, so He opened not His mouth.
The prophet makes us aware of how Jesus did not come with the usual characteristics the world would normally place a value upon. As a result, Jesus was not esteemed. He should have been esteemed according to His real value and worth. However, by not possessing the things first looked for in order even to get started esteeming someone, the people struggled with esteeming Jesus according to His true value.
We now have the benefit of looking back on what the prophet Isaiah said, knowing what Jesus did for us in full view. The cross is plainly displayed, as are His resurrection from the dead and ascension.
The fact that He suffered as He did to take our sin upon Himself and then, in turn, give us His righteousness.
Today, it is clear that the cross demonstrates God’s love for us, and the love of Christ is said to be shed abroad in our hearts. Paul, as an apostle, encouraged the church to know the love of Christ, which surpasses all knowledge, and thereby be filled with all the fullness of God.
But the depth of what He did and His value is not as esteemed as it could be if there is ignorance with regard to His majesty and glory. An ordinary man can do extraordinary things and be somewhat esteemed for what he did. But if a distinguished man highly revered and honored does extraordinary things, it is highly esteemed.
If you recall, when Jesus went to His hometown of Nazareth, He could not do many mighty things there, and He was rejected by His people even though they marveled at the gracious words He spoke to them. They even desired to throw Him off a cliff. That’s anything but esteeming Him. Why did this happen? He was merely Jospeh’s son. Had they looked at Him as being the Son of God, His value would have greatly gone up.
Today, many wish to present Jesus as ordinary and talk about His loving people as if He were an ordinary person. They do not realize that diminishing who Jesus truly is in His magnificence and majesty diminishes the value of what He did, which in turn diminishes our value as well.
It is one thing to be called a friend by a needy, ordinary person; it is a whole other thing to be called a friend by a very important and highly esteemed person.
If we shy away from presenting Jesus according to the glory He had with His Father before He came and the glory He now has, as revealed in Revelation when John fell as one dead at His feet, we do a disservice to ourselves and others when we seek to present His love and the offer of grace that He alone can provide.
We do not help anyone by making Jesus seem ordinary because we think that doing otherwise might make them uncomfortable. Heaven sees Him according to the great value that is His, and it makes what He did even more amazing. It is time once again to regain the esteem for Jesus that He deserves.
Loving Criticism
Are you open to correction?
First, please allow me to use the English dictionary to define what criticism is: the expression of disapproval of someone or something based on perceived faults or mistakes.
It is not the same as a critique: evaluate (a theory or practice) in a detailed and analytical way.
Did you know that there’s a compelling argument circulating that Jesus, the figurehead of the church, would never criticize it?
I am not sharing this to promote the idea of being a proponent of criticizing the church. I am sharing this to demonstrate that bold statements that are final in nature on a subject need to be subjected to the whole counsel of Scripture before they are embraced. I do not believe it is healthy or appealing to be a person who never has anything good to say about the church. If all one can do is find fault, it doesn’t make them a prophet. However, there are times when correction is needed in order for believers to stay on course in their walk with Jesus.
Scripture does teach us that rebukes and correction are attributes of a loving Father.
Hebrews 12:7 If you endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom a father does not chasten? 8 But if you are without chastening, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate and not sons. 9 Furthermore, we have had human fathers who corrected us, and we paid them respect. Shall we not much more readily be in subjection to the Father of spirits and live? 10 For they indeed for a few days chastened us as seemed best to them, but He for our profit, that we may be partakers of His holiness. 11 Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.
Correction, through pointing out what might be wrong with something spoken or done, is necessary in life if we desire to learn and grow.
High-level athletes, musicians, artists, and business people have discovered that criticisms of their work can fuel their efforts for improvement. When they are secure in who they are, they welcome criticism because they desire to improve.
If Jesus never criticized the church, there should be no evidence in the entire New Testament that He did so. Yet there is sufficient evidence that He did criticize certain churches for their benefit.
Here’s just one example:
Revelation 3:14 “And to the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write, ‘These things says the Amen, the Faithful and True Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God: 15 “I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. 16 So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth. 17 Because you say, “I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing’—and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked— 18 I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see. 19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore, be zealous and repent. 20 Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come into him and dine with him, and he with Me. 21 To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.
I absolutely love how Jesus makes it clear that He rebukes and chastens those whom He loves with the aim of helping them change their minds and adjust their ways with an end goal in mind. I think it would be the most awesome thing ever to sit with Jesus on His throne just as He sat down with His Father on His throne after conquering death, hell, and the grave. I am indeed seated with Him in the heavenly places right now, but this is a promise of something yet to come. Some rewards await us in the not-so-distant future, and those rewards are glorious. Holiness has not gone out of style with heaven, and consecration and loving devotion to Jesus has not been cast aside. Loving criticism will always be to our benefit so long as we do not harden our hearts to it and falsely accuse the practice of being unloving and hurtful due to walking in unchecked pride.
Repentance
Are you changing your opinion?
The word interpreted as repent in Greek is not complicated. It is simple. It is the Greek word metaneo, which simply means to think differently afterward or reconsider.
Contrary to some modern teachings, repentance is a thing of the past. It’s not a practice that remains relevant for the righteous today.
To make such a claim would mean that someone has arrived at a state of perfection in all areas of thought and life in Christ. While I need not think of myself as being dead in sin and trespasses any longer because I have been made a new creation in Christ Jesus and given eternal life, that does not mean my every thought and imagination is now perfect. I am the righteousness of God in Christ. However, that does not mean there can never be an attitude or thought that I need to change my mind about, so it can affect my choices and actions.
In the Scriptures, when something is referred to as the church, it really is a part of the church, and to be that, it means the ones being addressed have been born again and are new creations in Christ. If anyone knew who the church was, it would be the one who created the church to start with.
I would take my stand on knowing that Jesus, as the One who created the church, is the authority on what the church is and who is a part of it. Therefore, if Jesus says something to a church, I must find a way to accept it and not formulate a doctrine that eliminates what He said. I need the Holy Spirit to help me see and understand just as we all do. Jesus speaks to seven different churches in the letter of Revelation.
P.S. They are all part of the church on earth, but Jesus addresses them based on their local geography of being a gathering, and they each have their own appointed messenger—something to consider.
Revelation 3:1 “And to the angel of the church in Sardis write, “These things says He who has the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars: ‘I know your works, that you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead. 2 Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die, for I have not found your works perfect before God. 3 Remember therefore how you have received and heard; hold fast and repent. Therefore, if you will not watch, I will come upon you as a thief, and you will not know what hour I will come upon you. 4 You have a few names even in Sardis who have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with Me in white, for they are worthy.
Jesus says this is a church in Sardis, so it is an authentic church, but it is an authentic church dealing with some issues.
Once again, we find Jesus evaluating this church based on its works. When looked at from the outside, it is not an idle church. It is a church that is doing things that make it appear as though it is a live church, but Jesus says this church is dead. How can Jesus acknowledge this is a church He created by giving life to those who make it up and then say to them as a church that they are dead even though outwardly they appear alive?
He encourages them to strengthen the things that remain, that are ready to die. When a church gets into its mind that there are important things they must do to the distraction of really important things, the Holy Spirit details it can look alive while it is dying spiritually. The most important thing is an active, intimate relationship with Jesus and the Father. Interestingly, Jesus says to this church that He did not find their works perfect before God. Jesus then encourages them to remember. Their business has led to them forgetting the more important thing to God. They are to remember how they have received and heard, hold fast, and repent. In other words, there is a need to experience a change of mind to such a depth and degree that it changes what is occurring even though, outwardly, it looks alive.
Teaching anyone that repentance is no longer needed is dangerous because it eliminates the notion of the need to change one’s mind to be in unity with God’s thoughts and what Jesus desires. The act of renewing the mind by the washing or the water of the word is, in fact, an act of repentance. Teaching that there is no longer a need for repentance ignores the fact that even as they attempt to teach that repentance is no longer needed because we are already righteous, it is in and of itself a call to some type of repentance.
If, in my claim to know Jesus and be walking with Him, I am not finding areas of thought and attitude that fail to align with Him and thus am inclined to change my mind to adjust to how He thinks, I appear to be alive while I am actually dead and I need to repent. Repentance is a way of life for a believer in Jesus. I wish to engage it because, like those in Sardis who were given a promise of walking with Jesus in white by being found worthy due to not defiling their garments, I, too, want to be found worthy.
Nevertheless
Are you aware?
While it is true that we do not do works to merit God’s love or righteousness, it is not true that works do not matter and that Jesus could care less about them.
In the last letter in the Bible, Revelation, Jesus appears to John the Apostle on the Isle of Patmos and speaks with him about the seven stars and the seven golden lampstands.
Jesus reveals that the seven stars symbolize the seven messengers of the seven churches in Asia, and the seven lampstands represent the seven churches of Asia, each with its unique role and significance. Then Jesus tells John to write to each of the messengers of these churches.
Early on in each message, Jesus says, “I know your works.” The first church messenger Jesus addressed was at Ephesus, and the messenger was told things that made it clear that Jesus was paying attention to what the church was practicing. It starts out with Jesus saying some great things about the works of this church. We know it is about the church because, in the end, Jesus says, “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” So even though the letter is to the messenger at Ephesus, it is really for the church at Ephesus.
For all the good things spoken about the church in Ephesus, Jesus eventually says, “Nevertheless.”
Revelation 2:4 Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love. 5 Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place—unless you repent. 6 But this you have, that you hate the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.
Jesus wants this church to change its mind and return to something it had lost along the way: a first-love state of being. If they fail to return to this way of being, they stand to lose their influence as though they do not even exist any longer. They had put the total emphasis on their existence in their moral works and forgotten their love for Him in the process. They were so focused on their devotion to doing the works they deemed most important that they became distracted from their love for Him. I like that He ends with encouragement after the corrective instruction by saying they have something in common with him regarding what they hate.
Were you aware that a loving Jesus could hate something? He does.
I wonder how many believers have ever taken to heart what Jesus says about what He hates and researched what it was about the Nicolaitan doctrine that merits hatred from Jesus?
This doctrine that Jesus hates is mentioned in a letter to another church because it is making its way into that church. It is occurring in Pergamos. In Thyatira, we discover behaviors akin to the doctrine of the Nicolaitins; however, the issue in Thyatira is directly tied to a false prophetess referred to as Jezebel. She is teaching the servants of God to commit sexual immorality and eat things offered to idols as though it doesn’t have any significance to their spirituality. Basically, the doctrine of the Nicolaitins promoted an idea that was rooted in Gnosticism, which held that what was material did not matter; only that which was spiritual and unseen mattered to them. Based on this type of thinking, the idea that sexual immorality or idolatry was no longer something to be ashamed of or forbidden because freedom had come. This type of teaching paved the way for people to engage in things without remorse of conscience or thought of consequence, as though Jesus now approved of such things. But in Revelation, we find Jesus hates doctrines that promote license or the sense that such behaviors are of no real significance and should be overlooked.
Here’s the kicker: Ephesus hated this doctrine, and Jesus liked that they did so, but it could not overpower their need to return to their first love. The “nevertheless” still stands out as the significant call in this particular letter to the church at Ephesus. Is it possible there could be a “nevertheless” if a letter were to be written to the modern-day church? I do not want to hear “nevertheless” from Jesus. I want to be so in love with Him that He has control of my spirit, heart, soul, and mind. If I do hear a “nevertheless,” I am grateful for the grace that can bring me out of that place and into the place I need to be with Him. Grace does not cover or hide us from a “nevertheless.” It empowers and transforms us to rise above it. It enables us to answer the call to change our minds and surrender our hearts to Jesus afresh.
Ashamed?
Are you ashamed?
Many things in life have the power to make someone feel ashamed.
Ashamed can be defined as embarrassed or guilty because of one's actions, characteristics, or associations or (ashamed to do something) reluctant to do something through fear of embarrassment or humiliation.
Being ashamed can be immobilizing. It can prevent a person from speaking or acting in certain ways.
Scripture records how King David got caught up in passion before the Lord and danced through the streets of Jerusalem in his linen ephod as they brought up the ark of God. A linen ephod was an undergarment worn beneath one’s robe. His wife, Michal, watched him from a window and despised him, criticized him, and tried to shame him for what he did.
2 Samuel 6:20 Then David returned to bless his household. And Michal the daughter of Saul came out to meet David, and said, “How glorious was the king of Israel today, uncovering himself today in the eyes of the maids of his servants, as one of the base fellows shamelessly uncovers himself!” 21 So David said to Michal, “It was before the LORD, who chose me instead of your father and all his house, to appoint me ruler over the people of the LORD, over Israel. Therefore I will play music before the LORD. 22 And I will be even more undignified than this, and will be humble in my own sight. But as for the maidservants of whom you have spoken, by them I will be held in honor.”
David felt no shame in celebrating the way he did regarding the goodness of God to him and all of Israel at that moment. It was a monumental moment of great favor that the ark was being returned as it was.
Paul, as an apostle and follower of Jesus, said,
Romans 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek.
It is never a good thing to allow shame to prohibit you from speaking boldly about Jesus or from giving thanks and expressing joy by celebrating His goodness in your life.
Jesus spoke about being ashamed of someone,
Mark 8:38 For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him the Son of Man also will be ashamed when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels.”
Luke 9:26 For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words, of him the Son of Man will be ashamed when He comes in His own glory, and in His Father’s, and of the holy angels.
It is never good to be ashamed of Jesus for any reason. It is never good to be ashamed of the joy that He gives, the peace that He is, and the life that He offers. We should never be ashamed of anything He said or did while He walked the earth or that He is currently doing through others right now on this earth.
In these last days, the enemy is hard at work seeking to silence and prevent any type of open demonstration of gratitude and thanks from those who belong to Jesus by using the tool of shame. Jesus never needs anyone to make an excuse for what He has done as though it was something wrong or to be embarrassed about. Being ashamed of Him can lead to Him being ashamed of you. I never want that to be the case for me because He is the best thing that has ever happened to me in my life! There’s no need to be ashamed!
No Judgment?
Are you ready?
There is only one book in the Bible that says blessed is he who reads and understands it. That is the Book of Revelation. Many do not spend much time with it because they find it difficult to understand. Nevertheless, the promise is true.
It is in that book, or I should say letter, that we find something of great interest regarding God’s opinion towards any rebellion towards Him and a rejection of Jesus. This is important because there is a growing sentiment for the idea that God will not judge anyone due to a claim that the whole world will be saved.
It can be dangerous when someone decides they have become an expert in just one area of doctrine and thus only spend time in Scriptures that would seem to support their viewpoint. That leads to ignoring the whole counsel of God revealed in the whole of Scripture. When that happens, an imbalance occurs, and the truth gets twisted to suit their pet idea.
What might be a beautiful truth becomes distorted by an excessive interpretation.
The fact is that there is a judgment, and God will judge humanity despite those who argue against the idea. The Scriptures reveal this is going to happen.
Revelation 20:11 Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them. 12 And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. 13 The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works. 14 Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. 15 And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.
The idea of God’s wrath against a prideful rebellion that would refuse to humble itself and thus reject the offer of love, mercy, and grace through Jesus Christ, His beloved Son, is real. Properly understood and taught, it serves to motivate those who belong to Christ by stirring compassion for the lost and a hunger to share the good news of Christ with them.
I worked with a man once who believed that all would be saved no matter what. He had no inclination to speak of Jesus to anyone because, in his mind, all would be saved, so why even bother? To him, it was a foregone conclusion. He had no understanding of applied atonement or the fact that a judgment is set to take place and that the Lake of Fire is real and a place of eternal punishment for those who reject Jesus Christ. In his thinking, God was sovereign and would save all, and therefore, his witness was not necessary.
John 3:36 He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.”
If we are to claim that we love people as we ought, can we leave them in this state of being without providing them with a witness of His love and goodness? Should we allow them to go through life ignorant of what lengths He has gone to in order to rescue them and give them eternal life? Those who understand that judgment is real are the ones who truly understand the gift that His love truly is and are often the ones committed to being witnesses for Christ, especially to those they claim to love in this life.
Applied Atonement
Want to be forgiven?
Atonement - Atonement refers to the forgiving or pardoning of sin in general and original sin in particular through the suffering, death, and resurrection of Jesus.
It has become popular for some to apply human reasoning to select passages of Scripture and develop a doctrine based on that reasoning that says that Jesus did away with sin entirely at the cross, and, therefore, if God were to judge anyone, He would bring insult to Jesus.
They ignore the significance of being born again by grace through faith in Jesus by making such broad-based declarations. Every human being was not automatically born again after Jesus died on the cross. That means that this atonement is not applied to every human being automatically.
In their line of reasoning regarding atonement, there is no room for judgment. They have deduced that Jesus taking the sin of the whole world on Himself at the cross and taking it into the grave means it no longer exists. They argue that Jesus atoned for the sin of the whole world, and therefore, it cannot be held against the human race. They say God is no longer mad at anyone as a result because He sees them differently now that Christ has died at the cross and raised from the dead.
They are correct that Jesus atoned for the sin of the whole world and paid the debt for ransom to make atonement for sin, but they neglect the matter of how this atonement is to be applied.
John 1:29 The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!
This verse is very clear, but if we treat it the way much of modern media does its job by taking it as a sound bite that stands alone with no greater context to be considered, we may draw a wrong conclusion that does not allow for other Scripture that says something slightly different.
John 3:14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15 that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. 16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. 18 “He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 19 And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. 20 For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. 21 But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God.”
John 3:36 He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.”
It can be beneficial to allow this truth concerning God’s wrath to sink in. Jesus is saying something clear and bold here. God’s fierce, hot anger remains on the ones who refuse to believe the good news of Jesus and put their faith and hope in Him. God is not smiling and joyfully happy about the rejection of His Son. Anyone can be brought out from under this wrath by applying the atonement made by Jesus on the cross and ratified by His resurrection and ascension to heaven.
John 9:39 And Jesus said, “For judgment I have come into this world, that those who do not see may see, and that those who see may be made blind.”
This matter of applied atonement factors into the issue of judgment. It is like building a foundation on the sand to declare that God would have to apologize to Jesus if He were to judge anyone for sin on this earth. To reject the free offer of grace revealed in Jesus Christ means atonement is not applied. The sacrifice for the sin of the whole world was indeed made, but the whole world has not and will not believe in Jesus to receive His completed work, and therefore, they bear the mark of another on their lives—the mark of one who is to be judged.
The only way to apply the atonement Jesus made possible is to believe in Him and be born again as a result of truly believing in Him. Atonement is a beautiful and wonderful work, and an amazing privilege that is free for the partaking. It is ours by grace through faith. But if it is rejected, one remains under God’s wrath; there is only an expectation of judgment. Atonement must be applied in order to be of any benefit.
What Pleases God?
Do you know?
Some would say obedience. Others would say believing. Yet others would imply that doing one’s best while falling back on His grace is the way to do it. The responses to such a question would be many and very diverse, I am sure.
But when I survey the bigger picture, I can’t help but see something that stands out to me, unlike any other idea afloat on this subject.
I think it is best conveyed by what Jesus spoke in John 15 and in John 17
John 15:5 “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.
John 17:20 “I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; 21 that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. 22 And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: 23 I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me. 24 “Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory which You have given Me; for You loved Me before the foundation of the world. 25 O righteous Father! The world has not known You, but I have known You; and these have known that You sent Me. 26 And I have declared to them Your name, and will declare it, that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them.”
What I see when I read such passages is a yearning for a close, intimate relationship on the part of the Father and Jesus with those who would humbly receive it and rejoice in it.
Jesus was willing to lay down His life for it, and the Father was willing to give His only beloved Son for it. It is why such an elaborate and costly sacrifice was made.
An eternal oneness and unity suffered a moment of separation to obtain this relationship and oneness with those who will believe it and receive it. It was not done to create robots who do what is asked of them for fear of being judged and severely punished. It was done for the beauty of relationship and oneness with God.
God is most pleased when we are most satisfied with knowing Him and enjoying the privilege of being in right relationship with Him by grace through faith in Jesus. God is pleased when we take full advantage of what has been provided to us through Christ.
God is most pleased when we walk in the fellowship made possible by faith and let go of striving from a place of having confidence in our flesh to do certain things to merit His affection and pleasure.
Jesus had fellowship with the Father, and the result was that He did what He saw His Father doing and spoke what He heard His Father speaking. Jesus’s actions flowed out of His fellowship with the Father. Unity of relationship produced the fruit in Jesus’ life and ministry. Jesus did not go around worried about whether or not He was doing what He needed to in order to be close with His Father.
God was pleased with Jesus’s close relationship. That is why He said audibly at the Jordan when Jesus was baptized, “This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased.” Jesus had done nothing yet except fellowship with His Father.
I believe God is most pleased whenever we take advantage of what Jesus did for us to bring us into fellowship with the Father simply because we see the privilege of it and desire to get to know the Father.
Expectations
Bearing fruit?
We are living in very strange times where it seems that many reasonable things are upside down in people’s thinking, even in the churches.
The word expectation is evidence of such a phenomenon. It seems that there is an outright rejection of the idea that expectations should even exist.
For instance, I had apple trees in my yard, and each year, I expected to see apples appear on those trees. I planted them for apples, and they were nurtured to bring forth apples. One tree not only did not produce apples, it stayed the same height for 3 years. It was not a productive tree at all. That tree did not meet my expectations.
Expectation, as I am using it, is a belief that someone will or should achieve something. Jesus had this at work in relation to those who follow Him. Reconsidering expectations can lead to growth, a hopeful prospect. Jesus carried a certain expectation in His heart.
John 15:1 “I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. 2 Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit.
Jesus expects that those who abide in Him will bear fruit. Like I wanted apples from my trees, Jesus wants fruit from our connection with Him.
This does not refer to our initial planting or connection with Him but rather our ongoing connection with Him; thus, the word abide is used. The word abide means be present, endure, dwell, continue, remain. It conveys a sense of an ongoing, growing closeness, an ever-increasing reality of a relationship with Jesus. The initial introduction and acceptance part of the relationship is taken care of, as indicated in the next verse.
John 15:3 You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you.
In other words, He has already taken care of what is needed for you to be part of the vine. This is not an invitation to join the vine; it is an instruction on what it means to abide in the vine. This is a clear instruction of what it means to embrace the life Jesus is offering. The life He offers comes through the connectivity of a relationship with Him. It is not just about getting saved and then sitting around and waiting until you go to heaven. There is something to be experienced here and now through being connected to and with Him.
John 15:4 Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. 5 “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.
Just going through the motions of what one thinks a believer is supposed to look like on the surface does not produce the supernatural energy required to bear the fruit Jesus expects in the life of someone who abides in Him. Jesus knows what His life produces in the vines connected to Him.
This is not an invitation to go on a hunt for a list of what fruit looks like and then set out to try to replicate it in one’s own strength and willpower. This is a call to be in a relationship in such a way that fruit naturally occurs. Jesus is all about relationships from start until finish. A relationship that endures is at the core of His expectation. That type of relationship produces fruit. Expectations are not bad; they are not condemning, and they are not wrong. Expectations come with the territory of being in a relationship. Jesus knows just how fruitful it can be for someone to be in union and intimacy with Him. Jesus knows what that looks like and what kind of fruit it will produce.
Indwelling Reality
Are you indwelt?
Indwelling is another way of saying I am coming to stay with you in the most close and intimate way imaginable. It is an intimate relationship language.
The dictionary defines this word in this manner:
Adjective: Permanently present in or spiritually possessing someone's soul or mind: the indwelling God.
Noun: The permanent presence of God or a spiritual force in the heart or soul: the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.
Jesus spoke in this way in the Gospel of John.
John 14:22 Judas (not Iscariot) said to Him, “Lord, how is it that You will manifest Yourself to us, and not to the world?” 23 Jesus answered and said to him, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him. 24 He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine but the Father’s who sent Me.
Jesus speaks of an intimate relationship in which an exchange occurs. It is not a one-way pseudo relationship in which one party is used merely for the benefit of the other. This is a two-person involvement for the benefit of both parties involved.
Jesus did not come to make people owe Him. He came to bring people into a relationship with Himself and with the Father. A healthy relationship ascribes value to what is spoken.
The best way to know if a relationship is dying is to pay attention to whether or not the two people claiming to have one really listen to each other and value what is spoken. That is why Jesus can say with all authority that if anyone loves Him, they will keep His word. He is not saying, “Try your best, and that will prove your love, and I will love you in return.” He is speaking of a manifestation of something that exists already. He is speaking about the kind of fruit that accompanies a loving relationship.
My wife and I will have been married for 38 years this coming November 8th, 2024. Because of our love for each other, we have both changed dramatically in many ways, as we have valued each other’s thoughts and ways. Loving each other has caused both of us to change in some way as we have increasingly grown to know each other more.
I am not saying that Jesus has anything He needs to change or that He will change; we know that He is the Lord, and He does not change. He is perfect. His consistency is justified due to His perfection and supremacy. But He is still interested in this exchange of getting to know.
Jesus is speaking about what closeness and involvement really look like. If I could care less about what someone says, I would not have a close and intimate relationship with them. When you love someone, you desire to know what they think, what they value, what they enjoy, etc. To learn this, you know you must have a conversation with them and listen to them communicate to you the things that really matter to them. If this never occurs, you do not love them; you may be using them for your benefit in some way or other, which is a one-sided affair, but Jesus makes it clear here that when someone loves Him, they value His words, and they keep them. Why should anyone who claims to know Jesus for whom He really is not value Him at the highest level and desire to know what He thinks and what He is like?
Merit systems are not relational; they are business-oriented. They do not require love, warmth, or value; they are cold and transactional only. Jesus was not giving Himself for a merit system. The desire of Jesus is a relationship. Jesus did not come to make me the all-important issue. He came to make a relationship with God at the highest level imaginable a thing to be grasped. He ascribed value to me, and He knows that if I love Him, I will likewise ascribe value to Him, and I will rejoice in the reality of His indwelling me! I will welcome such closeness and interaction in my life.
“IN”
Are you in?
“In”
“IN.” A tiny two-letter word that is loaded with meaning in the Greek the way Jesus used it.
It means a fixed position, a place, a time, or a state of being accompanied by rest.
John 14:10 Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me? The words that I speak to you I do not speak on My own authority, but the Father who dwells in Me does the works. 11 Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father in Me, or else believe Me for the sake of the works themselves.
This unity is not just between Jesus and the Father, but it extends to all who believe in Him.
Because Jesus was “IN” the Father and the Father was “IN” Him, Jesus effortlessly did the works He was doing.
Jesus was simply in a state of being as a result of “IN.” Jesus was not anxiously starting His day worried about whether he would get things right or do enough things to justify His claim of being the Son of God. He simply communed with His Father and rested in knowing the Father was “IN” Him, and He was “IN” His Father. In other words, He and His Father were one. They were in unity together. They shared the same desires. They shared the same dislikes. They shared the same dreams and goals as they pertained to the reason Jesus was here on this earth to start with. They were in tune with each other not from a have-to-be perspective but from a privilege-to-be perspective. They authentically loved and liked each other and respected each other.
Jesus modeled a healthy relationship with the Father, showing us the way to a fulfilling and enriching spiritual life. Jesus understood the power and the beauty of “IN.”
This was why Jesus prayed the way He did in John 17.
John 17:20 “I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; 21 that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. 22 And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: 23 I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me.
As believers in Christ, we get to enjoy the “IN” factor of our relationship with God. This “IN” factor comes with the glory that is shared with us so that the world might see Jesus and know that the Father sent him with purpose.
Everything is meant to flow out from the place of a loving relationship with the Father through Jesus Christ. Nothing is meant to flow from a place of duty, payback, merit, or gamesmanship to get ahead. The relationship is at the core of everything pertaining to His kingdom. We are meant to flow from a place that has a fixed position of “IN” so solid and secure that we are able to just be from a place of rest in Him. From this place of faith and belief “IN” Jesus, the works that He did, we do, and even greater works are promised, JN 14:12.