December 2008

John 8:47
“He who is of God hears God’s words; therefore you do not hear, because you are not of God.”

Have you ever heard someone say, “I read the Bible, but I can never get anything from it; it does not make any sense to me”. Maybe you have said these words or something similar. Ever wonder why some people seem to get so much comfort and instruction from the Bible and you never have? To you, the Bible seems like a closed and dark book!

The Bible is like no other book on earth. It is the Word of God! God’s thoughts are far above our thoughts. If we were able to understand the Bible on our own, it would be nothing more than another book within our library. However, it takes God Himself to enable us to understand His word. In 1 Corinthians 2:14 we read, “But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.” We need the ears of faith to hear what God is saying.

In the context in which the opening verse is found, Jesus is speaking to a group of religious people concerning hearing the truth of God’s Word. This group consisted of religious leaders of the day, members of the synagogue, and others who had gathered to hear what Jesus had to say. Most of the group acknowledged their membership in the synagogue and their heritage of being descendants of Abraham as claims to knowing God as their Father. However, Jesus asked and informed them, “Why do you not understand My Speech? Because you are not able to listen to My word. You are of your father the devil…”, John 8:43-44a. Jesus told them what they had was not adequate to receive God’s word. Jesus informed the most religious man of His day, “…unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God”, John 3:3. It is not religion that makes the difference; it is a relationship with God through His Son, Jesus Christ.

Many people today base their claim of being a Christian on membership to a church, having been baptized, their parents were Christians, being a good person, or something else of this nature. If this is you, Jesus would say what you have is not adequate, “you must be born again”, John 3:7. We are instructed in 2 Corinthians 13:5, “Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you are disqualified.”

By what does one examine himself? What is the standard for the test? It is the Word of God! “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son [Jesus], that whosoever believes [trusts] in Him [Jesus] should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son [Jesus] into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him [Jesus] might be saved. He who believes [trusts] in Him [Jesus] is not condemned; but he who does not believe [trusts] is condemned already, because he has not believed [trusted] in the name of the only begotten Son of God [Jesus]…He who believes [trusts] in the Son [Jesus] has everlasting life; and he who does not believe [trusts] the Son [Jesus] shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him” John 3:16-18, 36.

Mankind is born with a sin nature. This means one naturally does wrong. The only way to change this tendency is to have one’s nature changed. The Bible declares the price for sin is death, eternal death (Romans 6:23a; Revelation 19:14-15). Jesus Christ, God in human flesh, came to earth to pay the penalty for the sin of mankind. Jesus satisfied the righteousness of God by substituting Himself sacrificially to die on the cross, shedding His innocent blood, and suffering the wrath of God for all mankind, including you and me. On the third day after Jesus’ death He resurrected Himself, validating His claim to being the “resurrection and the life” John 11:25. Jesus said He was the only way to have a relationship with God the Father; “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me”, John 14:6. Jesus is not one of many ways, He is the only way!

This Christmas, why not receive the greatest gift ever offered to you? “The gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord”, Romans 6:23b. True believers are all who repent of their sin, believing Jesus shed His sinless blood as payment for their sin, believing Jesus died and in three days resurrected back to life, and trust in the work of Christ alone for their salvation from the penalty of sin. “For whosoever calls on the name of the Lord [Jesus] shall be saved”, Romans 10:13. The moment you trust Jesus as your personal Savior and Lord, you are spiritually ‘born again into the family of God’. You become a partaker of the divine nature (2 Peter 1:4) becoming a new person in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17). God’s Spirit takes up residence within you, giving you ears of faith.

Lord, help us not be deceived, but come to the truth. Help us to be honest with ourselves and with You. Thank You Lord, for pursuing a relationship with us and for Your gift of Jesus Christ!

Learning to serve,
Robert Finley