LookingtoJesus

February 26

Bible Reading: John 9:1-5

John 9:1-3, “As he passed by, he saw a man blind from birth.  And his disciples asked him, ‘Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?’ Jesus answered, ‘It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him.’”

The blame game.  We’ve all played it, as it’s been around for a long, long time—ever since Adam and Eve sinned in the garden and Eve blamed the devil and Adam blamed Eve.  We’ve a human fascination is affixing blame when it comes to the myriads of troubles that confront us in this sin-cursed world.  Sometimes it’s necessary to find out who is at fault for something, like when a crime is committed or an accident takes place.  But frequently we play the blame game simply for entertainment.  In picking on the faults or failures of others, it’s easier to ignore our own.

The rabbis of Jesus’ day taught that blindness was punishment for human sin, for it prevented study of the Law.  That teaching gave rise to the disciples’ question: “Who sinned, this man or her parents?”  Jesus abruptly put an end to such thinking. 

We should note that Adam’s fall (Romans 5:12) is the ultimate source of all our troubles.  There is sin and disease and countless maladies because this world lies under a curse.  That does not mean, however, that every human malady is the direct result of a person’s particular sin.  Sin has its consequences, but it wasn’t a personal sin that led to the man’s blindness.

The disciples saw a blind man and wanted to affix blame.  Jesus saw a man in need of help and an opportunity for God to be glorified.  Through which lens do we view our troubles and the troubles of those around us?  It’s relatively simple to engage in a discussion about why this bad thing happened to so and so.  It’s another thing, a more virtuous thing, to prayerfully trust God to work to bring good out of bad, something He is fully willing and able to do! 

What’s your handicap?  What’s your trouble, disability, obstacle, debilitating habit or disease or complaint?  Your weakness is no hindrance to God’s intervention (2 Corinthians 12:9)!  God may not have healed Fanny Crosby of her blindness, but her disability did not prevent God from working through her in amazing fashion, as she wrote over 8,000 hymns and gospel songs.  The hymn below being one of them. 

It’s better to lend a helping hand than to point an accusing finger.

RESCUE THE PERISHING
Rescue the perishing,
Care for the dying,
Snatch them in pity from sin and the grave;
Weep o’er the erring one, lift up the fallen,
Tell them of Jesus the mighty to save.

Refrain:
Rescue the perishing,
Care for the dying;
Jesus is merciful,
Jesus will save.

Though they are slighting Him,
Still He is waiting,
Waiting the penitent child to receive;
Plead with them earnestly, plead with them gently;
He will forgive if they only believe. [Refrain]

Down in the human heart,
Crushed by the tempter,
Feelings lie buried that grace can restore;
Touched by a loving heart, wakened by kindness,
Chords that were broken will vibrate once more. [Refrain]

Rescue the perishing,
Duty demands it;
Strength for thy labor the Lord will provide;
Back to the narrow way patiently win them;
Tell the poor wanderer a Savior has died. [Refrain]

February 23

Bible Reading: John 8:48-59

John 8:58-59, “Jesus said to them, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.’ So they picked up stones to throw at him, but Jesus hid himself and went out of the temple.”

We all have desperate need of Jesus. The only question is to what extent we realize that? Fortunately, Jesus is all-sufficient and full capable of fulfilling all our soul needs and desires. Recall that this gospel account proves, by the seven recorded miracles, that Jesus is the divine Son of God.  John’s gospel account also includes seven “I Am” statements, which likewise affirm this truth:

1. I am the bread of life (John 6:35, 48, 51).
2. I am the light of the world (John 8:12; 9:5).
3. I am the door of the sheep (John 10:7, 9).
4. I am the good shepherd (John 10:11, 14).
5. I am the resurrection and the life (John 11:25).
6. I am the way, the truth, and the life (John 14:6).
7. I am the true vine (John 15:1).

This chapter contains two of these “I Am” statements (John 8:12, 58).  The phrase, “I Am,” was a statement related to God’s self-identification to Moses in Exodus 3:14: “I am who I am.”  In using the phrase, Jesus declares Himself to be God.  That the Jews understood Him to be saying that is clear in their response.  They picked up stones to throw at Him because they did not accept His claim. 

The phrase “I am” also speaks to Jesus’ self-existence and self-sufficiency.  “Before Abraham was, I am” (John 8:58) reminds us that Jesus is the eternal Son.  He has always been and will always be.  He created all things and holds all things together (John 1:3; Colossians 1:17).  He is self-sufficient.  He has need of nothing!  But we are neither self-existence nor self-sufficient.  We are dependent upon Him for all things, including our very next breath. 

Consider again the sufficiency of Christ. Are you distressed and afraid in the pervasive darkness which rules this world?  The Light of the World can shine into your darkness and lead you to safety.  Have you struggled to find purpose and meaning in life?  Jesus, the Bread of Life, will satisfy the deepest longings of your heart.  Have you grown weary of walking down dead end paths which lead only to trouble and heartache?  Jesus, the Way and the Truth and the Life, will bring You into a right relationship with God.  Are you fearful of what’s going to happen to you after you die? Jesus, the resurrection and the life, has conquered sin and death and He can do the same for you. Do you need someone to lead you and watch over you, as you journey in this trouble-filled world?  Jesus, the Good Shepherd, will watch over your soul!  Do you want your life to truly matter, bearing fruit of eternal significance? He will accomplish this in and through you! When you abide in Him.

“We are poor, leaking vessels, and the only way for us to keep full is to put our pitcher under the perpetual flow of boundless grace. Then, despite its leakage, the cup will always be full to the brim.”—Charles Spurgeon

WONDERFUL GRACE OF JESUS
Wonderful grace of Jesus,
greater than all my sin;
how shall my tongue describe it,
where shall its praise begin?
Taking away my burden,
setting my spirit free,
for the wonderful grace of Jesus reaches me.

Refrain:
Wonderful the matchless grace of Jesus,
deeper than the mighty rolling sea,
higher than the mountain, sparkling like a fountain,
all sufficient grace for even me;
broader than the scope of my transgressions, sing it!
greater far than all my sin and shame.
O magnify the precious name of Jesus, praise his name!

Wonderful grace of Jesus,
reaching to all the lost,
by it I have been pardoned,
saved to the uttermost.
Chains have been torn asunder,
giving me liberty,
for the wonderful grace of Jesus reaches me. [Refrain]

Wonderful grace of Jesus,
reaching the most reviled,
by its transforming power
making me God’s dear child,
purchasing peace and heaven
for all eternity,
for the wonderful grace of Jesus reaches me. [Refrain]

February 22

Bible Reading: John 8:39-47

John 8:44, “You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies.”

Where do lies come from?  That they exist in our world is empirically obvious.  We’ve told them.  We’ve heard them.  Small ones.  Big ones.  Life altering ones.  World changing ones.  They are so much a part of our existence that we take for granted the truth that people aren’t always telling the truth.

It hasn’t always been that way.  A stupendous lie, by the father of lies, to Eve, worked to sin-curse our world.  The father of lies has been spreading falsehoods ever since.  Jesus traced the lies of the religious leaders to the source, their father the devil (John 8:44).  Their Pharisaic cult was a religious sham, a construct of lies. Jesus, their Messiah, stood right in their midst, but they refused to acknowledge that truth as they actively worked to deceive others that way.  In their lies, they were speaking the devil’s language.

We tend to not connect those dots in the lies we tell, but James makes that connection: “The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life, and set on fire by hell” (James 3:6).  It’s good to remind ourselves, as believers, that when we lie, we are speaking a foreign, evil language that has as its source the devil himself.  Not only is the devil the father of lies, but he was also “a murderer from the beginning.”  The father of lies gives birth to lies that they may, in turn, inflict harm on both the tellers and the hearers.

There will be no more lying in heaven (Revelation 22:15).  In the meantime, as we journey there, we are to speak the truth: “Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor” (Ephesians 4:25).  Lies are the language of the devil, but we’ve been born again (and Spirit-filled) to speak with a better tongue, according to the example of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ!

Lying is the devil’s native tongue, but Jesus speaks a better language (truth) that has the power to save and transform our lives!    

O JESUS, I HAVE PROMISED
O Jesus, I have promised
To serve Thee to the end;
Be Thou forever near me,
My Master and my Friend;
I shall not fear the battle
If Thou art by my side,
Nor wander from the pathway
If Thou wilt be my Guide.

Oh, let me feel Thee near me;
The world is ever near;
I see the sights that dazzle,
The tempting sounds I hear;
My foes are ever near me,
Around me and within;
But, Jesus, draw Thou nearer,
And shield my soul from sin.

Oh, let me hear Thee speaking,
In accents clear and still,
Above the storms of passion,
The murmurs of self-will;
Oh, speak to reassure me,
To hasten, or control;
Oh, speak, and make me listen,
Thou Guardian of my soul.

O Jesus, Thou hast promised
To all who follow Thee
That where Thou art in glory
There shall Thy servant be;
And Jesus, I have promised
To serve Thee to the end;
Oh, give me grace to follow,
My Master and my Friend.

February 21

Bible Reading: John 8:31-38

John 8:31-32, “So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, ‘If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

How free are you? People commonly assume that being free means having the ability to do whatever one wants to do.  One might even say, “it’s a free country,” in defending their right to do a thing that someone else disagrees with.  But the freedom spoken of in our verse transcends such thinking. 

Jesus was speaking of freedom from sin, as John 8:34 explains: “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin.”  It is this slavery to sin that we need to be set free from.  Sin is that harsh task master that enslaves us in the foolish and destructive practices which cause harm both to ourselves and others.  But even worse, sin works to bind us to an earthbound way of thinking and living that dismisses both the relevance of God and the better plan He has for us.  God created us to know, enjoy, and worship Him.  Sin works to debilitate us regarding our God-given purpose.  True freedom is not the freedom to do whatever we want to do, but to do what we ought to do—that which is in our best interests spiritually and eternally.

It is the truth about Jesus and His work that can work to set us free.  By His death for sin and resurrection from the dead, He has done everything necessary to unbind us from sin’s penalty and power.  The truth of the gospel is the power of God unto salvation (Romans 1:16).  It alone has the power to save. 

Thank God for the truth set forth here! You bore that enormous burden of guilt, but Jesus has worked to set you free from sin’s penalty (Colossians 2:13-15).  The devil had been having his way with you, but you need not do his bidding anymore, for you have been set free from sin’s power (Ephesians 2:2).  Unbeknownst to you, the broad path you were on was leading to your doom, but Jesus freed you from that path and put you on a narrow one that leads to a place where sin will be no more (Matthew 7:13-14; 1 John 2:15-17). 

How free are you?  You were like a bird trapped in a cage, but the truth has worked to set you free to fly to the heights of God’s divine purpose! How beautiful then is the truth that has worked to set you free! And how devoted we should be to knowing it better and living it well!

True freedom is not the freedom to do whatever we want to do, but to do what we ought to do!

OPEN MY EYES THAT I MAY SEE
Open my eyes that I may see
glimpses of truth thou hast for me.
Place in my hands the wonderful key
that shall unclasp and set me free.
Silently now I wait for thee,
ready, my God, thy will to see.
Open my eyes, illumine me,
Spirit divine!

Open my ears that I may hear
voices of truth thou sendest clear,
and while the wave notes fall on my ear,
ev’rything false will disappear.
Silently now I wait for thee,
ready, my God, thy will to see.
Open my ears, illumine me,
Spirit divine!

Open my mouth and let me bear
gladly the warm truth ev’rywhere.
Open my heart and let me prepare
love with thy children thus to share.
Silently now I wait for thee,
ready, my God, thy will to see.
Open my mouth, illumine me,
Spirit divine!

February 20

Bible Reading: John 8:12-30

John 8:24, “I told you that you would die in your sins, for unless you believe that I am he you will die in your sins.”

According to Benjamin Franklin’s famous quote, the only two certitudes in this life are death and taxes.  He was right.  I just finished preparing my taxes, as I do every year.  And, as you’ve noticed, old taxes never go away, they only birth new ones.  He was right about death, too.  Sadly, I’ve witnessed more than my share of that reality in my job as a hospice chaplain.  The question with death is not if it will happen, but the state of our soul when it does.

Set before us is a clear and succinct statement of warning and remedy.  The warning is to all since “all have sinned” (Romans 3:23).  Sin demands and deserves punishment (Romans 6:23).  God is holy and just.  A day of judgment looms in which “the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience” (Ephesians 4:6).  They will “suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might” (2 Thessalonians 1:9).

To die in one sins is to die and then stand before God with no remedy in hand.  No defense or excuse will work to deflect His wrath.  No amount of supposed self-righteousness will stay His fury.  To die in one’s sins is to depart this life, troubled as it may be, to an existence of eternal woe.  One can only imagine the pain and suffering of such a place, where there is eternal weeping and gnashing of teeth (Matthew 13:42).  There is a great chasm fixed between heaven and hell—there will be no future escape from pain or sorrow for the one who dies in his sins.

The “unless” at the beginning of our text offers the one remedy through with certain doom can be avoided.  The remedy lies in a person and is bound up in our response to Him.  John wrote his gospel to proclaim the truth that “Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God” (John 20:30).  Seven recorded miracles testify to His deity. 

It is in this One—the divine Son of God who died for sins—that a sure solution for sin is found (John 1:29).  That He has done all that is needful to save us is without question.  The resurrection was proof-positive that God had accepted His once-for-all payment for sins (Romans 1:4, 4:25; 1 Peter 3:18).  Sin’s remedy is acquired only by grace through faith in Him (Ephesians 2:8-9; Acts 16:31)!  “None else can could heal from our soul’s diseases!”

Life is short.  Death is sure.  Sin the cause.  Christ the cure!

NO, NOT ONE!
There’s not a friend like the lowly Jesus–
No, not one! no, not one!
None else could heal all our soul’s diseases–
No, not one! no, not one!

Refrain:
Jesus knows all about our struggles,
He will guide till the day is done;
There’s not a friend like the lowly Jesus–
No, not one! no, not one!

No friend like Him is so high and holy–
No, not one! no, not one!
And yet no friend is so meek and lowly–
No, not one! no, not one! [Refrain]

There’s not an hour that He is not near us –
No, not one! no, not one!
No night so dark but His love can cheer us–
No, not one! no, not one! [Refrain]

Was e’er a gift like the Savior given?
No, not one! no, not one!
Will He refuse us a home in heaven?
No, not one! no, not one! [Refrain]

February 19

Bible Reading: John 8:1-11

John 8:4-7, “They said to him, ‘Teacher, this woman has been caught in the act of adultery. Now in the Law, Moses commanded us to stone such women. So what do you say?’ This they said to test him, that they might have some charge to bring against him. Jesus bent down and wrote with his finger on the ground. And as they continued to ask him, he stood up and said to them, ‘Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her’.”

We’ve all done or said things that we shouldn’t have, “for all have sinned” (Romans 3:23).  And, apart from the love of God, there’d be no hope for any of us.  This account exposes, in dramatic fashion, the hazards associated with attempting to bolster one’s own self-righteousness by exposing the sin of others.  There is only One who is qualified to judge, and fortunately for us, He is One who is full of mercy.

In bringing forth the woman caught in adultery, the scribes and Pharisees set a trap for Jesus.  In cases of adultery, Jewish law called for stoning (Deuteronomy 22:22).  If Jesus refused to follow through with that, they would accuse Him of breaking the Mosaic Law.  On the other hand, the Roman government held authority over such punishments.  If Jesus allowed her to be stoned, then he would break the Roman law, thus giving the religious leaders occasion to accuse Him. 

The scribes and Pharisees cared nothing about the woman.  She was a mere pawn in their devilish plot.  If it was true justice they were seeking, they would have brought the man as well.  They were sinners too, and that was their undoing.  They were unqualified to exercise judgment, and Jesus exposed that.  He intervened on the woman’s behalf and told her, “Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more” (John 8:11).

There is a right way and a wrong way to admonish others.  Jesus’ warning, “Judge not, that you be not judged” (Matthew 7:1), found fulfillment in this account.  If we are lovingly concerned for someone caught up in sin, there is a better way to deal with that: “Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted” (Galatians 6:1). 

“The Law is like a boomerang: You aim it at others and it comes back and conks you on the head.”—Steven Cole

THERE IS A WIDENESS IN GOD’S MERCY
There’s a wideness in God’s mercy,
like the wideness of the sea.
There’s a kindness in God’s justice,
which is more than liberty.

There is welcome for the sinner,
and more graces for the good.
There is mercy with the Savior,
there is healing in his blood.

But we make God’s love too narrow
by false limits of our own,
and we magnify its strictness
with a zeal God will not own.

For the love of God is broader
than the measures of the mind,
and the heart of the Eternal
is most wonderfully kind.

If our love were but more simple,
we should rest upon God’s word,
and our lives would be illumined
by the presence of our Lord.

February 16

Bible Reading: John 7:40-52

John 7:46, “The officers answered, ‘No one ever spoke like this man!’”

Research suggests that the average person hears between 20,000 and 30,000 words during the course of a 24-hour period! It’d be interesting to view a pie chart delineating the various themes and topics of conversation! Undoubtedly, there would be some untruths and some unloving words in the mix, for that is the way of the world.

The temple guards came back empty handed from their mission to arrest Jesus, so the Pharisees asked them why (John 7:32, 45).  Their explanation?  “No one ever spoke like this man” (John 7:46)!  They’d never heard a man speak like that before.  They didn’t realize it, but the reason was simple.  Jesus was no mere man!  No one ever spoke like him, and no one ever did the things he was capable of doing!

Remember what was said of Jesus back in the beginning of our study: “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14).  He was full of grace and truth, and he spoke accordingly.  He, the Truth, spoke only truth.  He, who was full of grace, always spoke with grace, according to the need of the particular moment and audience.

We are, in our day, confronted with so much information. A cacophony of voices vies for our attention. We can easily get distracted, like Martha in the Mary and Martha situation. While Martha was occupied with much serving, Mary was sitting at Jesus’ feet, listening. Jesus said of her, “Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her” (Luke 10:42). What did she hear? Words of grace and truth directly from the Son of God himself. Mary gave her undevoted attention to the words of Jesus. He speaks today by the Spirit through the Word. His words are always truthful. And they come from a heart full of love! Hearken to His Words!

You’ll hear no better word today than what you hear Jesus saying, by the Spirit, through His Word!

SPEAK, O LORD
Speak, O Lord, as we come to You
To receive the food of Your holy Word
Take Your truth, plant it deep in us
Shape and fashion us in Your likeness
That the light of Christ might be seen today
In our acts of love and our deeds of faith
Speak, O Lord, and fulfill in us
All Your purposes for Your glory

Teach us, Lord, full obedience
Holy reverence, true humility
Test our thoughts and our attitudes
In the radiance of Your purity
Cause our faith to rise, cause our eyes to see
Your majestic love and authority
Words of pow’r that can never fail
Let their truth prevail over unbelief

Speak, O Lord, and renew our minds
Help us grasp the heights of Your plans for us
Truths unchanged from the dawn of time
That will echo down through eternity
And by grace, we’ll stand on Your promises
And by faith, we’ll walk as You walk with us
Speak, O Lord, ’til Your church is built
And the earth is filled with Your glory

Songwriters: Keith Getty, Stuart Townend.

February 15

Bible Reading: John 7:25-39

John 7:37-39, “On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, ‘If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’ Now this he said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive, for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.”

I love rivers, always have.  Some of my fondest memories are of hiking a riverbank or fishing some favorite hole.  But no river on earth is as grand and glorious and life-giving as the river spoken of here in our text…

The setting of our text was the Feast of Tabernacles. Every aspect of the feast pointed to the promised Messiah—the sacrifices made, water taken from the pool of Siloam, the entrance through the water-gate, the Psalms sung, etc.—but, for the most part, the multitude of thirsty souls present did not recognize that the fulfillment of promise stood in their midst. Many in today’s world struggle to find clean drinkable water (and even here in Morrow County), but many many more live day-after day thirsty of soul for God. Sin deceptively promises satisfaction, only to leave us more thirsty still. Man’s thirst for life (restored relationship with God) can only be assuaged in Jesus Christ.

On the last day of that great feast as the priest poured out the water—an act which anticipated the pouring out of a living water through the coming Messiah— “Jesus (the Messiah) stood up and cried out, ‘If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink’ (John 7:37).  His reference to “living water” was to the ministry of the Spirit who was to come (John 7:39).  The Spirit did come at Pentecost.  He has ever since provided an inexhaustible torrent of “life” that works to enliven from within those who are born again.

During a particularly difficult time in his missionary work in China, Hudson Taylor, was blessed by the truth of this passage.  He wrote to a friend, “And now I have the very passage for you, and God has so blessed it to my own soul? John 7: 37-39: ‘If any man thirst, let him come unto ME and drink.’ Who does not thirst? Who has not mind thirst, heart-thirsts, soul-thirsts, or body-thirsts? Well, no matter which, or whether I have them all— “Come unto me and’ remain thirsty? Ah no! ‘Come unto me and drink.’  What, can Jesus meet my need? Yes, and more than meet it. No matter how intricate my path, how difficult my service; no matter how sad my bereavement, how far away my loved ones; no matter how helpless I am, how deep are my soul-yearnings—Jesus can meet all, all, and more than meet. He not only promises me rest—ah, how welcome that would be, were it all, and what an all that one word embraces! He not only promises me drink to alleviate my thirst. No, better than that! ‘He who trusts Me in this matter (who believeth on Me, takes Me at My word) out of him shall flow…. Can it be? Can the dry and thirsty one not only be refreshed—the parched soul moistened, the arid places cooled—but the land be so saturated that springs well up and streams flow down from it? Even so! And not mere mountain-torrents, full while the rain lasts, then dry again…but ‘from within him shall flow rivers’—rivers like the mighty Yangtze, ever deep, ever full. In times of drought brooks may fail, often do, canals may be pumped dry, often are, but the Yangtze never. Always a mighty stream, always flowing deep and irresistible!” (J. Hudson Tayler, “J. Hudson Taylor’s Spiritual Secret”). 

Hudson Taylor

Jesus alone can fully satisfy the longings of our God-thirsty souls.

I’VE GOT A RIVER OF LIFE
I’ve Got A River Of Life Flowing Out Of Me
Makes The Lame To Walk And The Blind To See,
Opens Prison Doors, Sets The Captives Free
I’ve Got A River Of Life Flowing Out Of Me.

Spring Up, O Well
Within My Soul,
Spring Up, O Well
And Make Me Whole,
Spring Up, O Well
And Give To Me
That Life Abundantly!

There’s A Fountain Flowing From The Savior’s Side,
All My Sins Forgiven In That Precious Tide,
Jesus Paid The Price When For Me He Died,
There’s A Fountain Flowing From The Savior’s Side.

There’s A Risen Savior At The Father’s Throne,
Ever Interceding For His Very Own,
Pouring Down The Blessings That Are His Alone.
There’s A Risen Savior At The Father’s Throne.

February 14

Bible Reading: John 7:14-24

John 7:17, “If anyone’s will is to do God’s will, he will know whether the teaching is from God or whether I am speaking on my own authority.”

It was some forty-three years ago. I was a submarine sailor, doing the things that submarine sailors do. I knew nothing of the Bible or about Jesus. But family members were praying for me, and I was becoming increasingly aware of my sin problem. I sensed that there was a God but assumed that I was beyond forgiving. I attended some churches, looking for answers, but not much of what was taught made any sense to me. Some shipmates started attending a church in Kailua, and they had met some nice girls there, so one Sunday I decided to join them. The pastor was preaching about the resurrection of Jesus and afterwords I conjured up the courage to ask him how he could know for sure that Jesus was real. He said something about how Jesus had changed his life, so I filed that at away in my mind. After the service, a fellow I didn’t know approached me and asked me if I’d ever trusted in Jesus for salvation. I mumbled some response that I can’t now recall, he then went on to clearly share the gospel with me. That caused me to do some thinking. Some days later, I knelt on an Oahu beach and prayed, expressing my faith in Jesus, and asking for Him to save me. Two things changed for me on that day. I sensed the joyous relief of my huge burden of guilt being lifted away. Secondly, I discovered from that day forward that I could make sense of the Scriptures. I devoured a pocket New Testament, reading book after book, and marveled over that which I was reading. But it wasn’t until this rebel sinner laid down his arms that Jesus unveiled the truth about Himself to me. That’s the way it works.

In the physical realm, intellectual curiosity and study is the key to gaining more knowledge.  But if it’s insight into the truth about Jesus you want, that can only come through obedience.  Intellectual darkness can be overcome through the pursuit of knowledge, but spiritual darkness can only be eradicated through aligning oneself to the will of God.  And the first act of obedience for anyone, is to believe in Jesus (1 John 3:7, “And this is his commandment, that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ.”).

J. Vernon McGee put it this way: “We have an adage that says, ‘The proof of the pudding is in the eating of it.’ Jesus invites you; come and make a laboratory test. ‘If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine.’ There must be an attitude of love for the Word of God. Someone has said that human knowledge must be known to be loved, but divine knowledge must be loved to be understood. Here we have the steps: knowledge, love, obedience. That is what He asks you to do… That is the wonder of the Word of God. Friend, if you are willing, God will make it real to you. The Holy Spirit will confirm it to you.”

J. Vernon McGee

“Obedience is the organ of spiritual knowledge.” — F.W. Robertson

HAPPY DAY
O happy day that fixed my choice
On Thee, my Savior and my God!
Well may this glowing heart rejoice,
And tell its raptures all abroad.

Refrain:
Happy day, happy day,
When Jesus washed my sins away!
He taught me how to watch and pray,
And live rejoicing every day;
Happy day, happy day,
When Jesus washed my sins away!

O happy bond, that seals my vows
To Him who merits all my love!
Let cheerful anthems fill His house,
While to that sacred shrine I move. [Refrain]

‘Tis done, the great transaction’s done;
I am my Lord’s and He is mine;
He drew me and I followed on,
Rejoiced to own the call divine. [Refrain]

Now rest, my long-divided heart,
Fixed on this blissful center, rest;
Here have I found a nobler part,
Here heavenly pleasures fill my breast. [Refrain]

High heaven that hears the solemn vow,
That vow renewed shall daily hear;
Till in life’s latest hour I bow,
And bless, in death, a bond so dear. [Refrain]