Tag: eternal life
Believe or reject!
Scripture reading for May 4th: John 3:23-4:3
“The Father loves the Son and has placed everything in His hands. Whoever Believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on him.” (John 3:35-36)
God’s love for His Son was such that He placed everything in His hands. God sent His Son into the world that the world might be saved through Him. (John 3:17) In the Son’s hands was healing power for those that were hurting and wounded because of sin, sickness, and disease. In the Son’s hands was power to forgive sins and break demonic power. But in the Son’s hands was also the judgment of all who rejected Him as Savior and Lord. (John 5:22) The simple truth was that those who would place their faith in the Son of God, Jesus Christ, would have eternal life. Those who would reject the Son would never see life but would experience the wrath of God for all eternity in a place described as the ‘Lake of Fire’. (Revelation 20:10,14-15)
John’s Gospel emphasized the need to believe. Believing is more than just acknowledging that something is true. Biblical faith is a deep, abiding trust in Jesus that leads to action that demonstrates the trust. (James 2:17-19) If someone believes that Jesus is the Son of God and Lord, then their actions and decisions about living life will be directed by the belief in that truth. Just saying that you believed without corresponding actions would not be biblical faith.
The reward of believing in Jesus Christ is eternal life. The Greek word for ‘life’ here is ‘zoe’, life that comes from God and goes on forever! Man lost this ‘life’ when he sinned in the Garden of Eden and the result was spiritual death followed closely by physical death. Sin and death are linked eternally, but biblical faith in Jesus Christ brings restoration of eternal life through new birth by the Spirit. (John 3:1-8)
Rejecting the Son of God results in us having the consequences for sin, the wrath of God, resting on us eternally. This means that we are separated from a relationship with God and dead spiritually. Upon physical death, our soul will await the judgment of the Great White Throne and a final sentencing to the Lake of Fire. (Revelation 20:11-15) The choice is up to each individual! Today is the right time to choose!
God pays well!
Scripture reading for April 17th: Luke 18:18-43
It takes faith to give away your resources to help the poor and needy. Jesus was asked by a certain ruler what he must do to inherit eternal life. Jesus told him that keeping the commandments was a good place to start. (Luke 18:19-20) This man felt that he had been keeping them since he was a boy. “When Jesus heard this, he said to him, “You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow Me.” When he heard this, he became very sad because he was a man of great wealth. Jesus looked at him and said, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God.” (Luke 18:22-24)
This rich ruler knew that Jesus was a great teacher and he must have respected Him enough to ask about his eternal soul. Possibly he had been listening to some of Jesus’ prior teaching about the rich man and Lazarus and was pondering his chances of ending up in heaven or hell. (Luke 16:19-31) At any rate, Jesus answered his question by pointing him to the ten commandments. This man felt that he had kept them all since boyhood! Jesus, knowing the true state of his soul, pointed out one more thing that he lacked. This one thing, selling all his many goods and giving them to the poor proved to be too much.
This man had placed money ahead of following Jesus. He had an idol in his life that he was unaware of until Jesus showed him what he lacked. He foolishly held onto that which he could not keep and lost the precious gift of eternal life! Truth is not easy to receive when we have to let go of something dear to us. We will be tested for our willing obedience and faith when we seek eternal life and a relationship with the Lord.
The disciples who followed Jesus were promised great returns for leaving their businesses and wealth behind. “I tell you the truth,” Jesus said to them, “no one has left home or wife or brothers or parents or children for the sake of the kingdom of God will fail to receive many times as much in this age and in the age to come eternal life.” (Luke 18:29-30) God pays well!
Speak to those Bones!
Scripture reading for August 27th: Ezekiel 37-39
God used His word to create the world out of nothing. He tells us that our words have the power of life or death! In today’s reading, God showed Ezekiel a valley full of very dry human bones. God asked Ezekiel if he thought the scattered and dry human bones could live again. Ezekiel cautiously answered: “O Sovereign Lord, you alone know.” (Ezekiel 37:3) With God, all things are possible and Ezekiel made room for every possibility.
The Lord then spoke to Ezekiel: “Prophesy to these bones and say to them, ‘Dry bones, hear the word of the Lord! This is what the Sovereign Lord says to these bones: I will make breath enter you, and you will come to life. I will attach tendons to you and make flesh come upon you and cover you with skin. I will put breath in you, and you will come to life. Then you will know that I am the Lord.'” (Ezekiel 37:4-6) When Ezekiel spoke, there was a noise and rattling sound as the bones came together. Then the tendons and flesh appeared and finally the skin covered them. He spoke next to the four winds to come and enter the slain. These newly formed bodies came to life and stood up on their feet, a mighty army.
God’s message of hope and restoration was given to the people who were scattered in foreign lands because of their sins and the judgment of God. God was showing His ability and plan to restore them. It would be according to God’s powerful Word and the power of the Holy Spirit that it would be accomplished.
We can also see the fulfillment of God’s promise as it took place in history past. God restored his people to the land and the temple was rebuilt. Jesus Christ, the Messiah, came to that temple and offered Himself as a sacrifice for sin to totally restore all of humanity. He sent the Holy Spirit as a wind from heaven to bring new spiritual life to His dead people. One day we will have a resurrection body when Christ returns! Life and death are in the power of our tongue! When we confess the Lordship of Jesus Christ with our mouth and believe in our heart that God raised Him from the dead, we are saved! (Romans 10:9-10) What an awesome God we serve!
God looks at the heart!
Scripture reading for March 21st: 1st Samuel 16-19
Our culture prizes youth, beauty, intelligence, power, and money! We tend to judge people by what we see or know about their life. Where do they live? What kind of car do they drive? Are they handsome or beautiful? What position do they hold? Who are their friends? I don’t believe it has been much different since the fall of man. We are very driven by our senses and peer pressure. But God sees things differently!
But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance, or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” (1st Samuel 16:7)
God is looking at the things we truly value. He is looking for a heart that will trust God and live by faith in His Word! (2nd Chronicles 16:9) He is looking for a “humble and contrite” heart. (Isaiah 66:2) He needs a heart that can be taught, corrected, and shaped for His habitation. If a man is going to walk with God, he must be humble and willing to learn. Only those who are pure in heart can see God. (Matthew 5:8)
How does an ordinary man measure up? God Himself provided the way through a descendant of David, the man after God’s heart! Jesus Christ had the perfect heart! He was fully sold out to God. He did only what he saw His Father do and said only what He heard His father say! (John 5:19-20) Jesus was humble of heart–and wants to teach us the same! (Matthew 11:28-32) Jesus was pure of heart–completely without sin! He offered His own life on our behalf! We can have a pure heart too! We can learn from Him by receiving the Holy Spirit of Truth.
Praise the Lord, God still looks at the heart! Does He see the Lord Jesus Christ in your heart today? If He is not your Lord, why not humble yourself and invite Him to live in your heart today! You will be eternally grateful!
“The Father loves the Son and has placed everything in His hands. Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on him.” (John 3:35-36)
Full assurance of faith!
Scripture reading for December 5th: 1st John 5:1-21
One of the favorite tricks of our enemy, the devil, is condemnation. After we make a commitment to Christ, he loves to keep us in doubt about our faith or the level of our faith! He doesn’t bring assurance, but constant doubt and fear of rejection by God. John, as a wise pastor, brings assurance to his flock by sharing truth in a spirit of love!
“Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves the Father loves His Child as well. this is how we know that we love the children of God: by loving God and carrying out His commands. This is love for God: to obey His commands. And His commands are not burdensome, for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that overcomes the world, even our faith.” (1st John 5:1-4) John emphasized that faith in Jesus Christ as the Son of God was the key to living a life of love and victory. Anyone who said they loved God and hated his brother was a liar. (1st John 4:19) Faith was simple and worked through love. Faith must be centered in God who alone is love!
Jesus Christ has given us three witnesses to verify that He is the Christ. John was again emphasizing that Jesus came as a man who was the Son of God. At Jesus’ baptism, the Spirit came down as a dove and the Father Spoke: “This is My Son, whom I love; with Him I am well pleased.” (Matthew 3:17) This is the witness of the water. At Jesus crucifixion, the centurion declared, “Surely this Man is the Son of God!” (Mark 15:39) This is the witness of the blood. The Holy Spirit testifies that Jesus is the Christ by His resurrection. (Romans 1:4) In Jewish culture, all truth was established by two or three witnesses! (Deuteronomy 19:15)
“And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.” (1st John 5:11-13) We can have full confidence before God when we believe in His Son!
Tell us plainly: Are You the Christ?
Scripture reading for May 19th: John 10:22-42
Jesus had an ongoing debate with the Jews in religious leadership. There were some who believed in Him and there were others who wanted to kill Him. One of the main reasons that they wanted to kill Him was that they believed that He claimed to be God. Any man claiming to be God was blaspheming God in their eyes. The only one who wouldn’t, would actually be God!
“Then came the Feast of Dedication at Jerusalem. It was winter, and Jesus was in the temple area walking in Solomon’s Colonnade. The Jews gathered around Him, saying, “How long will You keep us in suspense? If You are the Christ, tell us plainly.” Jesus answered, “I did tell you, but you do not believe. The miracles I do in My Father’s name speak for Me, but you do not believe because you are not My sheep. My sheep listen to My voice; I know them and they follow Me. I give them eternal life and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of My hand. . . I and the Father are One.” (John 10:24-28,30)
Jesus had told them plainly on several occasions that He was one with the Father and that the miracles He did were from the Father. Here Jesus tells them to believe Him because of the miracles. Miracles were prophetically a mark of the Messiah, especially opening of blind eyes! (Isaiah 35:3-6) Jesus had just healed a man blind from birth. This had caused a great stir because He did this miracle on the Sabbath, violating the rules of the religious leaders. Their pride in their religious rules had kept them blind to Jesus as the Messiah!
Jesus returned to the sheep and shepherd illustration. He told these Jews that they did not listen to Him because they were not His sheep. His sheep would hear His voice and Jesus would give them eternal life. As a good Shepherd, no one would snatch them out of His hand. He was able to keep them from all harm! The reason for this was that Jesus and the Father were one! This sent these leaders into a rage and they picked up stones to stone Him. (John 10:31-32) Have you decided who Jesus is yet? Jesus has plainly spoken and the miracles He did are true. Will you worship Him or stone Him?
This is a hard teaching!
Scripture reading for May 11th: John 6:47-71
“I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. For My flesh is real food and My blood is real drink. Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood remains in Me, and I in him. Just as the living Father sent Me and I live because of the Father, so the one who feeds on Me will live because of Me. This is the bread that came down from heaven. Your forefathers ate manna and died, but he who feeds on this bread will live forever.” (John 6:53-58)
Jesus followed the feeding of the 5000 with some hard teaching. He spoke to them of eating His flesh and drinking His blood. This was not an option, but mandatory to have eternal life. Jesus knew that many of these that were following Him were not placing their trust in Him as the Son of God and did not really believe that He came from the Father. They ate the physical bread that had been miraculously multiplied and were satisfied, but were not yet ready to feed on Jesus as the true Bread from heaven. As their forefathers had eaten the manna and died, they needed to feed on Jesus’ flesh and blood to live.
“On hearing this, many of His disciples said, “This is a hard teaching, who can practice it.” (John 6:60) Jesus asked these grumblers if His teaching offended them. They would see something even more offensive to the carnal mind: His ascension to heaven! “The Spirit gives life, the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you are Spirit and they are Life. Yet some of you do not believe.” Jesus knew that some would not believe and one would betray Him! He was actually a devil! (John 6:70)
In this spiritual teaching, Jesus was referring to the Last Supper, the meal where He would give them the bread and cup as remembrance of His death and a reminder of His coming again. The true followers would be willing to eat the bread (representing His body) and drink the cup (representing His blood.) This teaching is Spirit and Life! Have you placed your trust in Him?
The Bread of Life!
Scripture reading for May 10th: John 6:22-46
Jesus’ miracle of the multiplication of the bread and fish caused the crowd to search for Him the next morning. After spending time alone in prayer late into the night, Jesus had walked on the lake and joined the disciples in their boat. The crowd was mystified about how Jesus got across the lake. Upon finding Jesus in Capernaum, they asked Him when He got there . Jesus told them they were not looking for Him because of the miraculous signs, but because they ate the bread and were satisfied. He told them not to work for food that spoils, but to seek the food that endured to eternal life which the Son of Man would give them.
Jesus’ instructions stirred a question in those who heard. “What must we do to do the works God requires?” Jesus answered, “The work God requires is this: to believe on the One He has sent.” (John 6:28-29) Jesus was emphasizing that man cannot do any ‘works’ to purchase salvation. God the Father was only looking for humble faith, a trust in the One He sent, His Son Jesus Christ. This was true then and remains the same today! It is only by grace through faith that we please God. (Ephesians 2:8-10) We do good works that God prepares for us after receiving that grace through faith.
Some from the crowd asked Jesus for another miracle to prove He was the One to believe in. They cited Moses and the manna from heaven that God provided for the children of Israel in the desert. Jesus told them that Moses had not given them bread, but His Father who would give them true bread from heaven. “For the bread of God is He who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” “Sir,” they said, “from now on give us this bread.” Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me will never go hungry, and he who believes in Me will never be thirsty.” (John 6:33-35)
Jesus Christ is the true Bread of Life! In Him we have eternal sustenance. We can commune with Him each day and truly satisfy our inner hunger and thirst for righteousness, peace and joy. We must come humbly to Him and simply believe that He is the Son of God. Have you found the Bread of Life?
The woman at the well
Scripture reading for May 5th: John 4:4-42
Jesus chose a path back to Galilee through Samaria, stopping at the town of Sychar near Jacob’s well. The Samaritans were mixed Jews whose ancestors had intermarried with the Assyrian people used to repopulate the area around 722 BC. For a Jewish man to be seen talking to a Samaritan would have been scandalous. To be seen talking to a Samaritan woman would have been unthinkable. While the disciples were away getting something for lunch, Jesus Christ had an encounter at this famous well with a Samaritan woman that brought new life to her and her neighbors!
At about noon, Jesus was resting by this well when a woman came to draw water. Jesus said to her, “Will you give Me a drink?” The Samaritan woman said to Him, “You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can You ask me for a drink? (For Jews don’t associate with Samaritans.)” Jesus answered her, “If you knew that Gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked Him and He would have given you living water.” (John 4:7-10) Jesus initiated a conversation with this woman and she was taken aback.
Jesus sparked her interest with a statement about living water and the gift of God. She tried to understand how He would be able to get this water without anything to draw it out with. She asked Jesus if He were greater than Jacob, who dug the well and drank from it. Jesus then told her, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” (John 4:13-14)
Jesus was interested in this woman’s soul and drew her to request this living water. He then gently told her about her past and she changed the subject. In the course of the conversation about where to worship, the woman stated that she knew the Messiah would explain everything when He came. Jesus revealed a special truth to her, “I who speak to you am He.” (John 4:26) This woman left her water jar and ran to tell her friends and neighbors! Jesus loved this Samaritan woman and desired to have her in the Father’s kingdom! Living water draws a crowd!
This is My Body!
Scripture reading for March 9th: Mark 14:22-52, Psalms 52:1-9, Proverbs 11:1-3
“While they were eating, Jesus took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to His disciples, saying, “Take it; this is My body.” (Mark 14:22)
Jesus and His disciples were eating the Passover meal together. Judas had already betrayed Him and He had told them all that one of them had done this. They were saddened and one by one asked if it was them. Jesus, in Matthew, actually identified Judas as the one. (Matthew 26:25) Jesus knew exactly what had happened and would happen. He had a plan that the Father had revealed to Him and went about laying out that plan so that His followers would remember Him.
In the breaking of the bread, Jesus was giving the disciples a visual picture of His own body being broken for them. He first took the bread from the table, then He gave thanks to God for the bread, then He gave it to the disciples with this simple instruction: “Take it; this is My body.” This pattern of taking, thanking, breaking and giving, had been used in the feeding of the 5000 and the 4000 as well. (Mark 6:41, Mark 8:6) We have nothing that we have that is not given to us by God. We must take it willingly for ourselves. The bread was broken apart and distributed as Christ was Himself broken to be distributed to all who would believe. This bread of His Body must be taken with thanksgiving because of the sacrifice that it represented. It is a gift from God to all His children to nourish them for eternal life!
The final act was eating or feeding on the bread. Bread is the staff of life, and is used in almost every culture as a basic food. Jesus had declared, “I am the Bread of Life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in Me will never be thirsty.” (John 6:35) “I am the Living Bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. This bread is My flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.” (John 6:51) When we eat this bread, we join the disciples of Jesus in the true Passover meal! We are nourished with the Living Bread unto eternal life! As we eat, we desire to be like Him!