[b]Hello Folks,

May the blessings of God be with you.

I am here today to begin the maiden edition of NAIRALAND CHURCH. I have come to discover that to so many people, Nairaland has become more than just a past time as a lot of their time is spent in the pages of this forum so i aim to add some value to their lives while they are at it.

I am a preacher / teacher of the gospel of Jesus Christ but specifically with an evangelical calling and i wish to encourage everyone who desires a closer walk with God via experience or via inner conviction to come in and join me as we go into the presence of God and feast from His Word.

If you seek Gods intervention in your life...please come!

If you need a fresh touch from God...please come!

If you have been shedding secret tears and desire an open joy ...please come!

God is able to do exceedingly and abundantly above all we may ask or think in Jesus Name!

The first message will be put up below so please grab your e-bibles or paperback bibles and follow as we draw closer to God via His Word.

PLEASE NOTE: If you want to be a participant on this thread and have a request (prayer or otherwise) You must be willing to open up a conversation outside this place so we can talk in earnest and build faith even as needs are met and you have to also be willing to share your testimonies here as God shows up in your situation.

ALSO NOTE: This is not a thread for mockers or for those whose desire is to derail and insult. This is strictly a Christian thread.

God bless you as you adhere.

Glory to God! Lets now proceed![/b]

[size=15pt] If You Abide in My Word, You Are Truly My Disciples[/size]


Scripture: John 8:31



So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in 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." They answered him, "We are offspring of Abraham and have never been enslaved to anyone. How is it that you say, 'You will become free'?" Jesus answered them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin. The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son remains forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.

If you are a true believer in Jesus today, or if you are an unbeliever, or if you are phony believer, thinking you believe when you don't, these words of Jesus are meant for you. In fact, there is so much here for you in verse 31 that I never got to verse 32. "You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."

I encourage you to bring unbelieving family and friends. Everyone wants freedom. What is it? How do you get it?

5 Questions Raised by Verse 31

Lets focus on verse 31, "So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, 'If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples.'" And I have five questions that this verse raises — all are crucial for your life:

1. What does it mean to "truly be Jesus's disciples"? ("You are truly my disciples." )
2. What is Jesus referring to by the phrase "my word"? ("If you abide in my word…" )
3. What does it mean to be "in" that word? ("If you abide in my word…" )
4. What does it mean to "abide" there? ("If you abide in my word…" )
5. What's the relationship between abiding in his word and truly being his disciple? ("If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples." )

1. What does it mean to "truly be Jesus's disciples"?

Verse 31: "Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, 'If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples.'" What this phrase "truly my disciples" implies is that there are disciples who are not truly disciples. The word "truly" means "really" — "really my disciples." In other words, there are real and unreal disciples. There are authentic and inauthentic disciples. There is discipleship that is merely outward, and discipleship that goes down to the root.

The world is not just divided into two groups: disciples of Jesus and non-disciples. It is divided into three groups: non-disciples, unreal disciples, and real disciples — people who make no pretense of following Jesus, people that say they follow him and have a surface connection with him, and people who truly follow him.

Not All Belief Is Real

Why did Jesus bring up this distinction? It's disturbing. It makes us squirm and ask ourselves the question which one we are. He brought it up because verse 30 says, "As he was saying these things, many believed in him." There had been a large response to what he was teaching. And whenever there is a large response to anything you may guess that some are being carried along by the crowd. If your friends are going, it's easy for you to go, even if you wouldn't go on your own. You are along for the ride.

So Jesus doesn't assume that all this belief is real. What he does is give a test that we can use to see if we are real. And in giving us this test Jesus helps us be real. It is not just a test of reality. It is a pathway to reality.

To Create Faith — As Well as Sustain It

So what becomes clear here again, (for example, John 2:23–25; 6:26) is what John meant when he wrote in John 20:31, "These are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name." He meant that this Gospel was written not just to awaken faith in non-disciples, but also to wakeup people who think they are disciples but aren't, and to help those who are real disciples confirm their reality and be stronger in their faith. John's Gospel is written to sustain faith as well as create it.

You are in one of those three categories. And therefore all of you are included here. Let Jesus diagnose for you which you are, and then move toward reality.

Being a True Disciple

What then is a true disciple? Or what does Jesus mean by saying in verse 31, "you are truly my disciples"? Let's be really clear here: For Jesus "true disciple" is the same as "true Christian" or "true believer." Jesus is not saying that "true disciple" is a second stage in the Christian life. First believer, and then later you attain the level of disciple.

There have been ministries who talk that way. First, you're an unbeliever, then you are a believer, then you grow into a disciple, and then you are a disciplemaker. That is not the way Jesus thought. And one piece of evidence for saying this is to notice the words he uses here in verse 31: "Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, 'If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples." He did not say to these professing believers, "If you abide in my word, you will become truly my disciples." In other words, he did not teach that being a true disciple was a later stage after simple belief. No. He said, "If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples." Now that you have believed, here is how you can know what you now are. You can know if your belief is real: You are now my true disciples if you go on abiding in my word.

So there is no thought here about "true discipleship" being a second stage of Christian maturity. True disciple means true believer or true Christian or true follower. It means, for example, truly forgiven for your sins. Look at verse 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." So he says, if you do believe in me, you won't die in your sins.

Rescued from Wrath

Why not? What happens to them? They are forgiven, taken away. Back in John 1:29 Jesus is called "the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!" How does he do that? He tells us in John 10:15, "I lay down my life for the sheep." So Jesus takes our place, and receives God's punishment of death which we deserved, which means that the wrath of God is totally removed from us. And instead of getting wrath from God, we get life and adoption from God because of the death of Jesus.

Listen to this amazing word about God's wrath in John 3:36: "Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him." But if you have believed — truly believed, God's wrath does not remain on you. Never again will you taste it. Ever!

Saved from Sin

So a true disciple in John 8:31 ("truly my disciples" ) is a true Christian, a true believer. His sins are truly forgiven; the wrath of God never again rests on him. He has true eternal life. He is one of Jesus' sheep, and no one can pluck him out of his hand (John 10:29). He is no longer a slave but a son of God (verse 35; 1 John 3:1). He is the heir of ten thousand blessings that come to the children of the creator of the universe.

That's what it means to be a true disciple. To be saved from sin. Rescued from the wrath of God. And already in the enjoyment of eternal life.

2. What is Jesus referring to by the phrase "my word"?

Our second question from John 8:31 is: What is Jesus referring to by the phrase, "my word"? "If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples."

The word is singular, "my word," not "my words." This means that Jesus is thinking of the sum of all that he has taught. We could leave it at that: Jesus means "abide in the sum of all that Jesus taught." But my guess is that Jesus wants us to ponder what the sum of that word is. And surely the answer to that is: He is the sum of his word. All his words in one way or another draw our attention to him.

Words like: "I am the bread of life" (John 6:35). "I am the light of the world" (John 8:12). "I am not of this world" (John 8:23). "I am the good shepherd" (John 10:11). "I am in the Father" (John 10:38). "I am the resurrection and the life" (John 11:25). When you take all his words together, they have one great focus — Jesus himself. "These are written — all these words are written — so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God" (John 20:31). They all point to him.

All Jesus' Words Point to Him

Which is why when you get to chapter 15, Jesus can say, not only "abide in my word," but "abide in me." "If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch" (John 15:6).

So the answer to our second question would be: The phrase "my word" here in John 8:31 ("if you abide in my word" ) refers to the sum of Jesus' teaching which is summed up in himself and all that he is for us as the crucified and risen Son of God.

Knowing Jesus Through His Word

One practical implication of this is that, if you want to know Jesus, you know him through his word. One of the most important convictions you can ever form is the conviction that Jesus, as a real, living, precious person, is known today chiefly through his word. And the only reason I say "chiefly," and not "only," is that in the fellowship of obedience and suffering from day to day, our personal knowledge of Jesus of goes deeper and deeper, but always through his word. But if you want to see the face of Jesus (2 Corinthians 4:6) most clearly, most surely, you must look at him through his word.

For me, 1 Samuel 3:21 has been tremendously helpful. It says, "The Lord revealed himself to Samuel at Shiloh by the word of the Lord." Himself by the word. And the same is true for Jesus — he reveals himself to us today "by the word of the Lord."

3. What does it mean to be "in" that word?

Now the third question from verse 31 is: What does it mean to be "in" that word? "If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples." Here's a picture of what I think it means. The word of Jesus, with himself as the center and focus of it, has a kind of force field, like a magnetic field around it. And when you are "in his word," you are in that force field. You are under the sway of that force coming from his word. So, for example:

Part of this force field is the truth of the word. So when you are "in" the word, you are in the persuasion of the truth of the word. You are persuaded that the word is true. And you live in force field of that persuasion. You live in the truth.
Another part of this force field is the beauty of the word (I'm referring here to moral and spiritual beauty, not stylistic beauty), and when you are "in" the word you in the attraction of that beauty. You are held by that beauty.
Another part of the force field is the supreme value of the word, and when you are "in" the word you are captured by the preciousness of the word, and the Savior. You are drawn to treasure the word.
Another part of the force field of the word is the power and grace of the word, so that when you are "in" the word, you made peaceful and hopeful by the word. You trust in the word. Because it can do what it promises; and what is promises is gracious.
Another part of this force field is the word as the life-giving, soul-sustaining bread of heaven, so that when you are "in" the word, you are in the nourishment of the word. You are being fed and strengthened by the word.
And the force field includes the word as living water so that when you are "in" the word, you are being refreshed by the word.
And the force field includes the word as light so that when you are "in" the word, you being illumined and guided by the word. You see everything in the light of the word.

So when Jesus says, "If you abide in my word…," being "in" his word means being in

a) the persuasion of its truth,
b) and the attraction of its beauty,
c) and the treasuring of its value,
d) and the peacefulness of its grace and power,
e) and the nourishment of its bread,
f) and the refreshment of its water,
g) and the brightness of its light.

To be "in" the word of Jesus is a whole new life. This is what it is to be a true disciple. To live "in" the word of the riches of the word of Jesus.

But Jesus does not simply say that true disciples are in his word. He says they "abide" in it. So our fourth question is:

4. What does it mean to abide in his word?

"If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples." The word "abide" is simply the word "remain." It doesn't carry in it any special spiritual connotations in itself. It means remain in his word. Don't leave it.

This doesn't mean that you can't lay your Bible down and go to your work. No. Abiding in the word of Jesus means remaining in that force field of the word. It means not leaving it.

Abide means not ceasing to be persuaded by its truth, and never elevating any other truth above it.
Abide means not ceasing to be attracted by its beauty and value, and never seeing anything as more beautiful or more valuable or more attractive than the word and the Lord it reveals.
Abide means not ceasing to rest in its grace and power — never turning away as though greater peace could be found anywhere else.
Abide means never ceasing to eat and drink from the word as the bread of heaven and living water, as if life could be sustained anywhere else.
And abide means never ceasing to walk in the light of the word, as though any other light could show the secrets of life.

This is what it means to be a true disciple. "If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples." And the fact that Jesus puts the emphasis on abiding — remaining — gives the answer to our last question:

5. How are abiding in his word and truly being his disciple related to each other?

"If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples." Jesus is saying that the mark of the true disciple is lasting, enduring, persevering, keeping on in the force field of the word. Temporary tastes of the truth and beauty and value and power and grace and bread and water and brightness of the word do not make you a Christian. The mark of Christians is that we taste and we stay.

To whom shall we go? You, O Lord, have the words of life (John 6:68).
The Power of Jesus' Word

So if you are a believer in Jesus, may the Lord use this word to confirm and strengthen and gladden your heart in the word of Jesus.

If you are an unbeliever, may the Lord use this word to give life to your spiritually dead soul and give you faith and joy through Jesus who died so that you might have eternal life through faith.

And if you are a phony believer, I pray that the Lord will use this word, to show you what a true Christian is, and wake you up and give you a true spiritual taste for the truth and beauty and value and grace and power and brightness of Jesus in his word. Amen.


Next Topic would be on Friday as i aim to have church here twice a week!

.

please consider that the length of your messages influences your reach... more blessings sir

sonofthunder:
please consider that the length of your messages influences your reach... more blessings sir

Noted! Thank you and God bless you.

Is it possible for God to pour precious wine into dirty jars or bottles?

Do you realize that there is a barrier between Jesus's actual teachings and you the end consumer?

naijadeyhia:


Noted! Thank you and God bless you.

amen

Kay17:
Is it possible for God to pour precious wine into dirty jars or bottles?

Do you realize that there is a barrier between Jesus's actual teachings and you the end consumer?

care to explain the barrier sir?

sonofthunder:
care to explain the barrier sir?

She's a Ma, not sir.

analice107:
She's a Ma, not sir.

oh oh, me bad... I actually wanted to write sir/ma. apologies kay17

Kay17:
Is it possible for God to pour precious wine into dirty jars or bottles?

Do you realize that there is a barrier between Jesus's actual teachings and you the end consumer?

If i understand you clearly you are trying to say that we cannot grasp the full knowledge of the message of Jesus due to the presence of sin? If that is your question then i will need to ask you who the message of the gospel is for? Is it not for the lost and the dying? Is it not for the sinner?

God gives the ability to grasp the understanding once there is a desire for it otherwise we would have nobody who would come to HIM willingly and accept HIM as their Lord and savior.

Now once one comes to the knowledge of Christ he receives the spirit of Christ who is the carrier of Gods word as man in his nature cannot contain the glory in that word (Your new wine, old wine analogy) The spirit of God resident in the new believer carries the word.

For an unbeliever to understand the message, the key ingredient is DESIRE!

Welcome once again to todays teaching....I pray that God would grant your hearts understanding as we eat at His table in Jesus name, Amen.


[size=15pt] What Makes the Good News Good? Seeing the Glory of Christ[/size]


[b]Scripture: 2 Corinthians 4:4–6

In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. 5 For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. 6 For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

My heart is full of desires for this message. There are multiple levels of longing for what I would love to see God do with these words.

At one level I want to give you a glimpse into what I have been thinking about for the past few weeks or so—as i dwelt on simple Meditations on God’s Love as the Gift of Himself.
At another level my desire is that we cultivate here in this world a unified, common understanding and conviction concerning what it means to be lost, what it means to be faithful to the lost people you love, and what it means to be saved, and how God does it.
At another level I long for all of us in this world to be bold and patient teachers of the truth about Christ to unbelievers who need more than a lifestyle witness if they are going to understand the gospel and believe and be saved.
And fourth at another level I pray that by the reading of this message, some of you who are not spiritually alive, who do not have the Spirit of Christ, would be granted repentance and a knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.

1. The Highest, Best, and Final Good of the Good News Is the Glory of Christ

The word “gospel” means good news. My question is, in writing this message and preaching the Word, what is the highest and best and final good in the good news? Is it justification by faith? Is it forgiveness of sins? Is it the removal of the wrath of God? Is it redemption from guilt and liberation from slavery to sin? Is it salvation from hell? Is it entrance into heaven? Is it eternal life? Is it deliverance from all pain and sickness and conflict? All of these are precious promises bought by the blood of Christ for everyone who believes in him. But they are not the highest and best and final good of the gospel. In fact, I would say that unless they lead to something else, these are not good news at all.

It is possible to believe in all these things, and to want them and expect them, and still never have tasted what makes all the good things in the good news good. So what is that? What is the highest and best and final good that makes every part of the gospel good news?

The answer is given in 2 Corinthians 4:4 and 6. And the parallels between these two verses show the depth and the wonder of what each of them means:

In their case [the case of those who are perishing] the god of this world [that’s Satan] has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. . . . 6 For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

In verse 4 underline the words “the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.” And in verse 6 underline the parallel words: “the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.”

Here is one of the most important statements about the gospel in the Bible. We know from 1 Corinthians 15:3-4 that the foundational events of the gospel are “Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures.” Yes. That is gloriously true. Without this there is no gospel at all. But what must we see in those events if they are to be gospel for us? 2 Corinthians 4:4 and 6 tell us: We must see “the glory of Christ who is the image of God.” That is, we must see “the glory of God in the face of Christ.”

Why? Because that is what the gospel is. The gospel is not just historical events—Christ died and was buried and rose. Gospel is good news. And we do not see the decisive good in the good news if we do not see in the events the glory of Christ who is the image of God. Notice carefully the use of the word gospel in verse 4: It is the “gospel of the glory of Christ who is the image of God.” This is the gospel. The glory of Christ seen and savored in the work of redemption is the good news.

This is the highest and best and final good that makes all the other good things promised in the gospel good. Justification is good news because it makes us stand accepted by the one whose glory we want to see and savor above all things. Forgiveness is good news because it cancels all the sins that keep me from seeing and enjoying the glory of Christ who is the image of God. Removal of wrath and salvation from hell are good news because now in my escape from eternal misery I find eternal pleasure beholding the glory of God in the face of Christ. Eternal life is good news because this is eternal life, Jesus said, that they know me and him who sent me. And freedom from pain and sickness and conflict are good news because, in my freedom from pain, I am no longer distracted from the fullest enjoyment of the glory of Christ who is the image of God.

In other words, 2 Corinthians 4:4 and 6 tell us what the highest, best, ultimate good of the good news is: the glory of God in the face of Christ, that is, the glory of Christ who is the image of God. This is a real glory, a real spiritual light that shines through the gospel from Christ in his saving work, and is seen not with the physical eyes, but with the eyes of the heart (Ephesians 1:17) or of the spiritual mind (2 Corinthians 4:4).

Oh, how I pray that this will become a unified common understanding of the gospel in our world. That we will be at home with this reality, and therefore at home with this language. May God grant us to understand and to behold and to embrace the highest, best and final good of the gospel—the glory of God in the face of Christ.

2. We Have All Been Blind to this Glory

Now here is a second point. All of us were blind, or are blind, to the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ who is the image of God. Verse 4:

In their case [those who are perishing] the god of this world [Satan] has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.

I said that I wanted us to understand, as a church, what it means to be lost. There is more than one way to say it. But there is one. Let’s nail this one down. To be lost—to be perishing as verse 3 says—means to be unable to see the glory of Christ in the gospel, the glory of God in the face of Christ, displayed in the gospel. Lostness is blindness to glory. Lostness is blindness to spiritual light—the light that really shines out from the gospel of Christ crucified and risen.

We all know people like this. Or you may be one. We pour out our heart to them and tell them about their sin and how Christ is the only person in the world who has died for sin and risen from the dead. We tell them about how beautiful and great is his love and wisdom and power and justice and meekness and humility and sovereignty. And they listen, and they hear the facts. They may even believe the facts of history. But they see no glory, no beauty, no treasure.

Don’t scoff when you see this. Rather weep, tremble, pray. It might be you. It might be you tomorrow, apart from the preserving grace of God. Indeed, once it was you. And then something happened.

3. God Alone Can Take Away the Blindness and Cause Us to See Christ for Who He Is

That is my third point. God alone can grant spiritual sight and liberation from the blinding power of the devil. We see this in verse 6: “For God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.” This is how we all got saved. O that the churches of the world would have a united, common vision not only for what the gospel is—the glory of God in the face of Christ—and not only for what lostness is—being blind to that glory—but also to what salvation is—having our eyes opened so that the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ shines into our hearts, and we see it and savor it and treasure it.

This is the work of God. You did not save yourself. Sovereign grace saved you. God—look at verse 6—in the same way that he said “Let there be light” when he created the world, he did the same thing in your heart. It was that sovereign and that one sided and that creative and that gracious. God said—owing to nothing in us—let there be light. And the scales fell away. The veil was lifted. And light of the glory streamed into our minds. We saw Jesus for who he really was in his true and beautiful grace and love and power and wisdom and justice and meekness and patience. And we believed. We could not turn away any more.

4. God Uses Messengers of the Word to Open the Eyes of the Blind

Now lets see the fourth point. [1. The highest, best and final good of the good news is the glory of Christ. 2. We have all been blind to this glory. 3. God alone can take away the blindness and cause us to see Christ for who he is.] God uses messengers of the Word to open the eyes of the blind and liberate them from the devil. God will use you.

Here is the striking link between the blinding effects of Satan and the work of gospel messengers. It’s found in Acts 26: 17b-18 where Jesus is giving Paul his commission on the Damascus Road.

I am sending you 18 to open their eyes [the Gentiles], so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.”

This is exactly the remedy called for in 2 Corinthians 4:4. Notice the aim: turn them from darkness to light—and 2 Corinthians 4:4 speaks of being blind to the “light of the gospel of the glory of Christ”—and turn them from the power of Satan to God—and 2 Corinthians 4:4 speaks of the god of this age blinding the minds of unbelievers so they can’t see the glory of Christ.

So the exact reversal of Satanic blindness and spiritual darkness comes from Christ’s messengers. So just when we feel most helpless—and who has not felt helpless before the spiritual deadness of those we love?—just when you felt most helpless you must hear this word: go, for I am sending you to be the agent of what only I can do. God alone says to the dead and dark human heart: Let there be light! And there is light. God alone can raise the dead. God alone gives spiritual light. God alone makes Christ appear true and beautiful and desirable. So go. Be his agent. He promises to use you.

Do you remember how Paul talked about this? He said it is like sowing seed and harvesting life. “I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth” (1 Corinthians 3:6). Seed must be planted, cultivated, watered, protected. But the miracle of life is God’s alone to give. In the moment of your greatest sense of helplessness, remember: God sends messengers “to open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God.” He sends us to do what only he can do. “We have this treasure [of the gospel] in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us” (2 Corinthians 4:7). This is a very high and a very humbling calling.

5. In the Mouth of These Messengers God Makes Patient Teaching About Christ the Means of Seeing the Glory of Christ in the Gospel

One last point [1. The highest, best and final good of the good news is the glory of Christ. 2. We have all been blind to this glory. 3. God alone can take away the blindness and cause us to see Christ for who he is. 4. God uses messengers of the Word to open the eyes of the blind.] In the mouth of these messengers God makes patient teaching about Christ the means of granting repentance, seeing the glory of truth, and liberating from the bondage of Satan.

Here is another very closely linked text: to what we have seen in 2 Corinthians 4:4-6 and Acts 26:18. It’s Paul’s word to timid Timothy in 2 Timothy 2:24-26:

And the Lord’s servant [the messenger we have been talking about] must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, 25 correcting his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant them repentance [notice that it’s a gift] leading to a knowledge of the truth [repentance enables spiritual knowledge], 26 and they may escape from the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will.”

So here again is Paul’s remedy for the Satanic blindness and darkness in 2 Corinthians 4:4. Teach them the truth about Christ. Do it patiently and take your lumps without being quarrelsome. And God—in and through you, but GOD nevertheless—may grant them repentance. That God is free to give or not to give the change of heart and mind that we call repentance. If he does—and he often does, it is a glorious ministry—then spiritual knowledge happens. Unrepentant people can have knowledge about God and Christ. But not spiritual knowledge. Not what Paul calls “the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ” (2 Corinthians 4:6). And then, by the mighty power of God through repentance and spiritual knowledge of the glory of Christ, the power of the devil is broken. “They escape from the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will.”

If you are a Christian, I pray that you will embrace these things and be courageous as a messenger of the risen Christ. He will use you—your patient teaching about Christ to unbelievers—to give sight to the blind and liberty from the snare of the devil. Don’t be ashamed, and don’t be silent, and don’t be impatient. Keep on telling and teaching about the glorious Christ.

And if you are in this terrible condition of being lost, may the Lord use this message to open your eyes to turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God. Amen.[/b]


See you again on Monday!

Welcome to todays Bible teaching:


[size=15pt] The Destiny: Eternal Life[/size]



[b] Scripture: John 3:16

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.

One more time I want to focus your mind and your heart on the words of Jesus in John 3:16, "For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes on him should not perish, but have eternal life." These words warn us of the danger we are in without Jesus—perishing. They hold out the wonderful hope of God's design to rescue us from perishing—his love that sends his Son. Last week we focused on the duty that links us with this love—believing in his Son. And this week we concentrate our attention on the destiny before us if we believe—eternal life.

The danger: perishing.
The design: love.
The duty: believing.
The destiny: life.

The Destiny: Eternal Life

O how fitting it is that today and always we focus on eternal life. In John 10:10 Jesus said, "I came that they might have life, and that they might have it abundantly"—have it in fullness and have it forever. So eternal life is Christ's aim.

And my aim with him in this service is your eternal life. I want you to have it and to know what it is and to enjoy it and to share it.

So what I am going to do is walk us through the stages of eternal life. You will need to ask where are you in these stages? What is your experience of eternal life?
Stage 1: In Christ

Eternal life is in Christ.

John 1:4, "In him was life, and that life was the light of men." Or in John 14:6 Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life." Eternal life is first and foremost the life of the Son of God. It is God's life.

Therefore it is supernatural. It is not something we have by nature. If we get it, we get it as a gift (cf. 17:2; 10:28) and as a supernatural act above what we can manufacture. Eternal life is Christ's life. "In him was life, and that life was the light of men."
Stage 2: Through the Word of Christ

Eternal life comes to us through the Word of Christ.

In John 6:68 Peter says to Jesus, "To whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life" (cf. 5:24). The life of Christ is mediated to the world through his words. He himself is called the Word of God: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word was God . . . and the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us" (John 1:1, 14).

And when he was with us on the earth, he spoke the words of life. And he taught his disciples to go and teach the way he taught. And he said that others would come to believe on him through their word (17:20). So eternal life is extended from Christ to others through his Word.
Stage 3: God Draws People to Christ

In the hearing of the words of eternal life, God draws people to Christ.

In John 6:44 Jesus says, "No one can come to me unless the father who sent me draws him." Christ is where eternal life is received. We must come to him if we will have it (5:40). The words of life offer it and describe it and tell how to have it and beckon us to it.

But John 3:20 describes how by nature we hate the light of life. We don't want to come because we are laid bare and exposed by the light of life. Our only hope is the merciful "drawing" of God. He overcomes our hatred for the light and opens our eyes to start seeing Christ for who he really is.

People need to start seeing Christ at a very different level of seriousness. People know about him, but they don't really see him for who he is, or they would be overwhelmed with his greatness and beauty and power and goodness and wisdom and love.

If eternal life is going to come into our lives, we have to start seeing Jesus, and that is what God's drawing us does. It opens our eyes to start seeing the Jesus we already see in the Word.

Is this the stage of eternal life where you are?
Stage 4: Believing in Christ

We receive eternal life through believing in Christ.

When we hear the words of life, and yield to the drawing power of God, and believe in Jesus, we receive him into our lives and with him we receive eternal life, because he is eternal life (John 14:6).

In John 15:5 Jesus says, "I am the vine you are the branches." In other words by believing in Christ, we are united to him the way a branch is united to a vine—so that the life of the vine flows into the branch. His eternal life flows into us and we now have eternal life.

This is a great work of God that he is performing all over the world every day.

Stage 5: We Have Eternal Life Now

In believing we have eternal life NOW, not just in the future.

In John 5:24 Jesus says, "Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life [not "will have" but "has"—now!], and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life." In other words eternal life is not something you wait for after death. It is something you have NOW if you are believing in Jesus.

Believing is the link that unites us with the life of God in Christ now. If we have Christ, we have his life now. And his life is eternal.
Stage 6: A Personal Relationship with God

This eternal life is a personal relationship with God the Father and God the Son.

In John 17:3 Jesus defined eternal life like this. He was praying to his Father in heaven, and said: "This is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent." Eternal life is a personal, intimate knowing of God. It is not like an inoculation against the disease of death, that works unconsciously like a spiritual antibiotic. It is a conscious experience of knowing and relating to God.

To see why this is so, connect this with John 1:4 that we already saw under stage one: "In him was life, and the life was the light of men." The life is the light. What does that mean? It means, I believe, that when the eternal life of Christ comes into your life through faith, it sheds light on God and on Christ so you can know them personally. You now can see them far more clearly than you ever could before. You saw them as through a fog before faith. Then God enabled you to see enough to draw you into faith. Now in faith the life comes and with it the lights start to go on everywhere, and the personal reality of God is so powerful that you can know him and relate to him and fellowship with him.

"This is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent." Eternal life brings the light of personal knowledge into the heart, and we know him and live with him and commune with him, NOW.
Stage 7: Not Interrupted at Death

Eternal life is not interrupted at death.

In John 11:25–26 Jesus says, "I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me shall live even if he dies, 26 and everyone who lives and believes in Me shall never die." I think what he means is this: Everyone who has eternal life by faith will never have that life stripped away from him; even if he dies, he will live. Physical death will not turn eternal life into temporary life.

Eternal life is not interrupted by death.
Stage 8: Made Complete at the Resurrection

Eternal life will be made complete when our bodies are raised from the dead and reunited with our spirits.

In John 6:40 Jesus said, "This is the will of my Father, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him, may have eternal life; and I Myself will raise him up on the last day." He is not only the life, as he said (11:25–26), he is the resurrection.

Eternal life encompasses body and soul.
Stage 9: Lasting Forever and Ever

Eternal life will last forever and ever.

How long is forever? Does it make you tremble? That so much rides on your spiritual awakening in this life? How long is it? Someone once described it like this: if a little bird should fly from the coast of the sea to a great plain and deposit a grain of sand once every thousand years, when the mound of sand is the height of Mount Everest eternity will have just begun.

Why Does Eternity Exist?

It exists because it will take that long for us to know the inexhaustible glories of God. Two-hundred-fifty years ago Jonathan Edwards preached a sermon on what it would be like to experience eternal life to—see and know God for eternity. He ponders whether that would grow dull and boring.

The fountain that supplies [the] joy and delight, which the soul has in seeing God . . . is infinite . . . The understanding may extend itself as far as it will; it doth but take its flight into an endless expanse, and dive into a bottomless ocean. It may discover more and more of the beauty and loveliness of God, but it never will exhaust the fountain . . .

Then he comments on the infinite love of God based on Ephesians 3:18–19, "That you may be able to comprehend with all the saints, what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; and to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge; that you might be filled with all the fullness of God."

We can never by soaring and ascending come to the height of [the love of God]; we can never by descending come to the depth of it; or by measuring, know the length and breadth of it . . . Let the thoughts and desires extend themselves as they will, here is space enough for them, in which they may expand for ever. How blessed therefore are they that do see God, who are come to this exhaustless fountain! . . . After they have had the pleasure of beholding the face of God millions of ages, it will not grow a dull story; the relish of this delight will be as exquisite as ever . . . (Works of Jonathan Edwards, Edinburgh, 1974, vol. 2, p. 909)

Where Are You in the Stages of Eternal Life?

Where are you in the stages of eternal life? All of you are at least at stage two: the hearing of the words of life. That is what I have been speaking. And I believe God has taken many to stage three: he is drawing you by helping you see Christ for who he is. O that you would cross the threshold of life and believe this morning, and come into that present possession of eternal life and that wonderful relationship of knowing the only true God and the one whom he sent, Jesus Christ.

What if you believe this morning? What if you finally say, "Lord, Jesus, I see you in your Word, and I no longer will resist you. I trust you with my soul and my body. I believe the promise of John 3:16 that whoever believes on Christ will not perish but have eternal life. I receive your gift of eternal life." We'd really like to know what God is doing in your life so we can pray for you. And we'd like to point you in some helpful directions to go on with Christ.[/b]

*grabs a bible and seat quietly*
Time to learn at Jesus feet.

..

I'm so inspired by this. God bless you.

naijadeyhia:
[size=15pt] If You Abide in My Word, You Are Truly My Disciples[/size]


Scripture: John 8:31



So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in 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." They answered him, "We are offspring of Abraham and have never been enslaved to anyone. How is it that you say, 'You will become free'?" Jesus answered them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin. The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son remains forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.

If you are a true believer in Jesus today, or if you are an unbeliever, or if you are phony believer, thinking you believe when you don't, these words of Jesus are meant for you. In fact, there is so much here for you in verse 31 that I never got to verse 32. "You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."

I encourage you to bring unbelieving family and friends. Everyone wants freedom. What is it? How do you get it?

5 Questions Raised by Verse 31

Lets focus on verse 31, "So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, 'If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples.'" And I have five questions that this verse raises — all are crucial for your life:

1. What does it mean to "truly be Jesus's disciples"? ("You are truly my disciples." )
2. What is Jesus referring to by the phrase "my word"? ("If you abide in my word…" )
3. What does it mean to be "in" that word? ("If you abide in my word…" )
4. What does it mean to "abide" there? ("If you abide in my word…" )
5. What's the relationship between abiding in his word and truly being his disciple? ("If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples." )

1. What does it mean to "truly be Jesus's disciples"?

Verse 31: "Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, 'If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples.'" What this phrase "truly my disciples" implies is that there are disciples who are not truly disciples. The word "truly" means "really" — "really my disciples." In other words, there are real and unreal disciples. There are authentic and inauthentic disciples. There is discipleship that is merely outward, and discipleship that goes down to the root.

The world is not just divided into two groups: disciples of Jesus and non-disciples. It is divided into three groups: non-disciples, unreal disciples, and real disciples — people who make no pretense of following Jesus, people that say they follow him and have a surface connection with him, and people who truly follow him.

Not All Belief Is Real

Why did Jesus bring up this distinction? It's disturbing. It makes us squirm and ask ourselves the question which one we are. He brought it up because verse 30 says, "As he was saying these things, many believed in him." There had been a large response to what he was teaching. And whenever there is a large response to anything you may guess that some are being carried along by the crowd. If your friends are going, it's easy for you to go, even if you wouldn't go on your own. You are along for the ride.

So Jesus doesn't assume that all this belief is real. What he does is give a test that we can use to see if we are real. And in giving us this test Jesus helps us be real. It is not just a test of reality. It is a pathway to reality.

To Create Faith — As Well as Sustain It

So what becomes clear here again, (for example, John 2:23–25; 6:26) is what John meant when he wrote in John 20:31, "These are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name." He meant that this Gospel was written not just to awaken faith in non-disciples, but also to wakeup people who think they are disciples but aren't, and to help those who are real disciples confirm their reality and be stronger in their faith. John's Gospel is written to sustain faith as well as create it.

You are in one of those three categories. And therefore all of you are included here. Let Jesus diagnose for you which you are, and then move toward reality.

Being a True Disciple

What then is a true disciple? Or what does Jesus mean by saying in verse 31, "you are truly my disciples"? Let's be really clear here: For Jesus "true disciple" is the same as "true Christian" or "true believer." Jesus is not saying that "true disciple" is a second stage in the Christian life. First believer, and then later you attain the level of disciple.

There have been ministries who talk that way. First, you're an unbeliever, then you are a believer, then you grow into a disciple, and then you are a disciplemaker. That is not the way Jesus thought. And one piece of evidence for saying this is to notice the words he uses here in verse 31: "Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, 'If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples." He did not say to these professing believers, "If you abide in my word, you will become truly my disciples." In other words, he did not teach that being a true disciple was a later stage after simple belief. No. He said, "If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples." Now that you have believed, here is how you can know what you now are. You can know if your belief is real: You are now my true disciples if you go on abiding in my word.

So there is no thought here about "true discipleship" being a second stage of Christian maturity. True disciple means true believer or true Christian or true follower. It means, for example, truly forgiven for your sins. Look at verse 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." So he says, if you do believe in me, you won't die in your sins.

Rescued from Wrath

Why not? What happens to them? They are forgiven, taken away. Back in John 1:29 Jesus is called "the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!" How does he do that? He tells us in John 10:15, "I lay down my life for the sheep." So Jesus takes our place, and receives God's punishment of death which we deserved, which means that the wrath of God is totally removed from us. And instead of getting wrath from God, we get life and adoption from God because of the death of Jesus.

Listen to this amazing word about God's wrath in John 3:36: "Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him." But if you have believed — truly believed, God's wrath does not remain on you. Never again will you taste it. Ever!

Saved from Sin

So a true disciple in John 8:31 ("truly my disciples" ) is a true Christian, a true believer. His sins are truly forgiven; the wrath of God never again rests on him. He has true eternal life. He is one of Jesus' sheep, and no one can pluck him out of his hand (John 10:29). He is no longer a slave but a son of God (verse 35; 1 John 3:1). He is the heir of ten thousand blessings that come to the children of the creator of the universe.

That's what it means to be a true disciple. To be saved from sin. Rescued from the wrath of God. And already in the enjoyment of eternal life.

2. What is Jesus referring to by the phrase "my word"?

Our second question from John 8:31 is: What is Jesus referring to by the phrase, "my word"? "If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples."

The word is singular, "my word," not "my words." This means that Jesus is thinking of the sum of all that he has taught. We could leave it at that: Jesus means "abide in the sum of all that Jesus taught." But my guess is that Jesus wants us to ponder what the sum of that word is. And surely the answer to that is: He is the sum of his word. All his words in one way or another draw our attention to him.

Words like: "I am the bread of life" (John 6:35). "I am the light of the world" (John 8:12). "I am not of this world" (John 8:23). "I am the good shepherd" (John 10:11). "I am in the Father" (John 10:38). "I am the resurrection and the life" (John 11:25). When you take all his words together, they have one great focus — Jesus himself. "These are written — all these words are written — so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God" (John 20:31). They all point to him.

All Jesus' Words Point to Him

Which is why when you get to chapter 15, Jesus can say, not only "abide in my word," but "abide in me." "If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch" (John 15:6).

So the answer to our second question would be: The phrase "my word" here in John 8:31 ("if you abide in my word" ) refers to the sum of Jesus' teaching which is summed up in himself and all that he is for us as the crucified and risen Son of God.

Knowing Jesus Through His Word

One practical implication of this is that, if you want to know Jesus, you know him through his word. One of the most important convictions you can ever form is the conviction that Jesus, as a real, living, precious person, is known today chiefly through his word. And the only reason I say "chiefly," and not "only," is that in the fellowship of obedience and suffering from day to day, our personal knowledge of Jesus of goes deeper and deeper, but always through his word. But if you want to see the face of Jesus (2 Corinthians 4:6) most clearly, most surely, you must look at him through his word.

For me, 1 Samuel 3:21 has been tremendously helpful. It says, "The Lord revealed himself to Samuel at Shiloh by the word of the Lord." Himself by the word. And the same is true for Jesus — he reveals himself to us today "by the word of the Lord."

3. What does it mean to be "in" that word?

Now the third question from verse 31 is: What does it mean to be "in" that word? "If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples." Here's a picture of what I think it means. The word of Jesus, with himself as the center and focus of it, has a kind of force field, like a magnetic field around it. And when you are "in his word," you are in that force field. You are under the sway of that force coming from his word. So, for example:

Part of this force field is the truth of the word. So when you are "in" the word, you are in the persuasion of the truth of the word. You are persuaded that the word is true. And you live in force field of that persuasion. You live in the truth.
Another part of this force field is the beauty of the word (I'm referring here to moral and spiritual beauty, not stylistic beauty), and when you are "in" the word you in the attraction of that beauty. You are held by that beauty.
Another part of the force field is the supreme value of the word, and when you are "in" the word you are captured by the preciousness of the word, and the Savior. You are drawn to treasure the word.
Another part of the force field of the word is the power and grace of the word, so that when you are "in" the word, you made peaceful and hopeful by the word. You trust in the word. Because it can do what it promises; and what is promises is gracious.
Another part of this force field is the word as the life-giving, soul-sustaining bread of heaven, so that when you are "in" the word, you are in the nourishment of the word. You are being fed and strengthened by the word.
And the force field includes the word as living water so that when you are "in" the word, you are being refreshed by the word.
And the force field includes the word as light so that when you are "in" the word, you being illumined and guided by the word. You see everything in the light of the word.

So when Jesus says, "If you abide in my word…," being "in" his word means being in

a) the persuasion of its truth,
b) and the attraction of its beauty,
c) and the treasuring of its value,
d) and the peacefulness of its grace and power,
e) and the nourishment of its bread,
f) and the refreshment of its water,
g) and the brightness of its light.

To be "in" the word of Jesus is a whole new life. This is what it is to be a true disciple. To live "in" the word of the riches of the word of Jesus.

But Jesus does not simply say that true disciples are in his word. He says they "abide" in it. So our fourth question is:

4. What does it mean to abide in his word?

"If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples." The word "abide" is simply the word "remain." It doesn't carry in it any special spiritual connotations in itself. It means remain in his word. Don't leave it.

This doesn't mean that you can't lay your Bible down and go to your work. No. Abiding in the word of Jesus means remaining in that force field of the word. It means not leaving it.

Abide means not ceasing to be persuaded by its truth, and never elevating any other truth above it.
Abide means not ceasing to be attracted by its beauty and value, and never seeing anything as more beautiful or more valuable or more attractive than the word and the Lord it reveals.
Abide means not ceasing to rest in its grace and power — never turning away as though greater peace could be found anywhere else.
Abide means never ceasing to eat and drink from the word as the bread of heaven and living water, as if life could be sustained anywhere else.
And abide means never ceasing to walk in the light of the word, as though any other light could show the secrets of life.

This is what it means to be a true disciple. "If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples." And the fact that Jesus puts the emphasis on abiding — remaining — gives the answer to our last question:

5. How are abiding in his word and truly being his disciple related to each other?

"If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples." Jesus is saying that the mark of the true disciple is lasting, enduring, persevering, keeping on in the force field of the word. Temporary tastes of the truth and beauty and value and power and grace and bread and water and brightness of the word do not make you a Christian. The mark of Christians is that we taste and we stay.

To whom shall we go? You, O Lord, have the words of life (John 6:68).
The Power of Jesus' Word

So if you are a believer in Jesus, may the Lord use this word to confirm and strengthen and gladden your heart in the word of Jesus.

If you are an unbeliever, may the Lord use this word to give life to your spiritually dead soul and give you faith and joy through Jesus who died so that you might have eternal life through faith.

And if you are a phony believer, I pray that the Lord will use this word, to show you what a true Christian is, and wake you up and give you a true spiritual taste for the truth and beauty and value and grace and power and brightness of Jesus in his word. Amen.


Next Topic would be on Friday as i aim to have church here twice a week!

[b]Today is another day to feast at the table of Almighty God. Todays teaching is a rather interesting one so lets proceed


[size=18pt] The Duty: Faith[/size]


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.

Introduction

I've tried to structure these messages in a way that will give you a way of remembering what's in this verse and a way of sharing it with others.

Suppose someone at work says, "You're one of those born again Christians, aren't you?" You can say, "I don't know if I fit your category of them or not, why don't we trade viewpoints at lunch today?" And at lunch you can say, "One way to summarize my faith is with the words of Jesus from the gospel of John: 'For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes on him should not perish but have eternal life.'

"So Jesus tells us the danger we are in—the danger of perishing. He tells us the design of God to send his Son to rescue us from perishing. He tells us the duty we have to believe in his Son. And he tells us the destiny we have if we believe, namely, eternal life instead of perishing."

I hope all the believers who have been following these teachings would be able to share that by the time this series is over.

[size=15pt]The Duty: Faith
[/size]
Today we focus on the third " D "—the duty that we have to believe. "For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in him might not perish." Let me focus our attention on this act of believing from several different angles.

[size=15pt]1. The Vital Link Between Your Soul and God's Love[/size]

Believing is the vital link between your soul and God's rescuing love.

If we don't believe, we forfeit the love of God and remain under the wrath of God. John 3:36 says, "He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him."

Believing is our link with the love of God. Notice how Jesus speaks of God's love-rescue: God so loved the world so that believers will not perish. One of the ways to express this is that the love of God is sufficient to save the world, but efficient to save those who believe. Efficient means his love actually saves believers. It is effective in saving them from perishing. The love of God does not have this effect in the lives of those who do not believe. They perish.

So believing is absolutely essential. The world divides into two groups as the gospel moves through it. Those who believe and those who don't. Those who believe are vitally linked to the love of God and are rescued from perishing. Those who don't believe remain under the wrath of God.

Believing is the vital link with the rescuing love of God. It isn't your race; it isn't your IQ; it isn't your church attendance or religious background or how many mortal sins you've avoided. It is whether you believe on the Son of God. So what is that? Believing links you savingly to the love of God.

[size=15pt]2. An Ongoing Condition of Heart and Mind[/size]

Believing is an ongoing condition of the heart and mind, not a one-time act.

The tense of the verbs all through John's gospel makes this plain. " . . . that whoever believes [not believed] on him might not perish." The present tense in Greek is an ongoing, continuous action. John 20:31 tells us why this whole gospel was written and makes the continuous nature of believing plain. It says, "These have been written that you may believe [ come to believe, or some manuscripts have present tense] that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing [present tense: ongoing believing] you may have life in His name."

Believing is a vital link with the rescuing love of God when that believing is the ongoing condition of the heart. It is very dangerous and unwise to orient on a past decision when pondering if you are a Christian. The issue is: are you believing in Jesus Christ the Son of God? Is this the ongoing condition of your heart?

[size=15pt]3. Jesus Christ as the Object and Focus[/size]

The object or focus of faith is Jesus Christ the Son of God as given by the Father.

"For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whoever believes in him . . . "—the Son of God sent by the Father.

So sometimes Jesus says that believing on the Father who sent him gives life: John 5:24, "He who hears my word and believes him who sent me, has eternal life." And sometimes Jesus says that believing on the Son gives life: John 3:36, "He who believes in the Son has eternal life." And John 12:44 gives the reason why both are true: "Jesus cried out and said, 'He who believes in me, does not believe in me but in him who sent me.'"

For Jesus all genuine believing in him was also a believing in God—that God is his Father and that he was sent by the Father as a revelation of the Father and that to know Jesus is to know God. So the ongoing believing that links us to the love of God is believing in Jesus Christ as the Son of God sent by God.

[size=15pt]4. Agreeing with the Objective Truth About Christ[/size]

Believing includes agreeing in the mind with objective truth about Christ.

Believing is not a merely subjective or emotional thing. It has specific truth content—that is true whether you believe it or not. Christianity stands in diametric opposition to the relativism of our day that says, "It's true for me, but I won't make any claims that it should be true for you." Christ is who he is whether we believe him or not. As C.S. Lewis said, I think, "An insane man in a padded cell screaming that there is no sun, has no effect whatever on whether the sun rises and sets on time."

Truth is truth whether we believe it or not. And genuine believing in Jesus agrees with the objective truth about Jesus. For example, in John 17:8 Jesus prays, "The words which you gave Me I have given to them; and they received them, and truly understood that I came forth from you, and they believed that you did send Me."

They understood objective facts about Jesus—he came forth from God the Father. And they believed in those facts. Believing includes agreeing in the mind with objective truth about Christ. Therefore we need know and teach concrete truths about Christ.

[size=15pt]5. Satisfaction with All That God Is for You in Christ[/size]

Believing includes a satisfaction in your heart with all that God is for you in Christ.

In other words if your believing is only an agreement in the head with facts about Jesus, your faith is no different that the faith of devils—who believe and tremble (James 2:19). Knowing and agreeing with truths is necessary, but it is not enough. It doesn't make you a Christian. Believing means being satisfied with what God is for you in Jesus.

Consider John 6:35, "Jesus said to them, 'I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me shall not hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst.'" Believing in Jesus is a coming to him in a way that satisfies you soul-hunger and your soul-thirst. Believing is a very powerful thing. It renovates the heart with new affections. What once satisfied, is now distasteful. Believing is based on new taste buds in the soul. Once the soul was satisfied—or so it thought—with what the world could offer. Now Christ is so satisfying to the soul that the world is losing its power.

Or consider John 14:1, "Let not your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me." In other words, believing in what God is for us in Jesus brings relief to our troubled soul. Believing is not merely an intellectual thing, solving philosophical problems. It is that. And some of you should devote yourselves to spelling that out. But believing is also an emotional experience of being relieved of a troubled heart and a hungry soul.

It is coming to Christ and finding him true and satisfying to the deepest longings of the soul.
Summary:

1. Believing is our link with God's rescuing love. There's no rescue without it.
2. Believing is an ongoing condition of the heart not merely a one-time act.
3. The object or focus of believing is Jesus Christ as he is given by the Father.
4. Believing includes mental agreement with objective truths about Christ.
5. Believing includes heartfelt satisfaction with all that God is for us in Jesus.

[size=15pt]6. A Work of God, Not Mere Human Initiative[/size]

Finally, believing is a work of God, not mere human initiative.

This does not nullify what we have said already—that believing is a human act of the mind agreeing with truth and a human act of the heart being satisfied with Christ. That is true. But the Bible teaches that the human mind is blind to spiritual truth; and the human heart is hard to spiritual pleasures. So how shall anyone be saved?

The answer of Jesus is given in John 6:44, "No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him." In John 6:37 he says, "All the Father gives to me will come to me, and the one who comes to me I will certainly not cast out." In John 6:65 he says, "No one can come to me unless it has been granted him from the Father.

In other words Jesus' answer to the spiritual blindness of the human mind and the spiritual hardness of the human heart is that the Father draws them. He takes away the blindness of the mind and replaces the heart of stone. He grants us to see the truth of Christ's self-evidencing glory and he gives us a taste for the all-satisfying beauty of the Lord.

And he does this very simply through the words of truth—like John 3:16 and like this sermon (John 17:20). God is at work right now lifting the veil of the mind and softening hearts. My plea to you is: don't harden your heart. Don't stiffen your neck. Yield to the word of the Lord today. Believe on Jesus and you shall not perish but have eternal life.
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HardMirror:
*grabs a bible and seat quietly*

Time to learn at Jesus feet.

May God open your eyes of understanding as you do in Jesus name..

TheSixthSense:
I'm so inspired by this. God bless you.

God bless you too brother

naijadeyhia:

May God open your eyes of understanding as you do in Jesus name..

Amen
Ride on

Flesh and blood has not revealed this to you naijadeyhia.

SHALOM!

Whom do you consider "Christian?"

Full Gospel Christians, Mormons, Jehovah's Witlesses (sic), Seventh Daze Adventists (sic), Methodists, Baptists, Presbyterians, Anglicans, Russian Orthodox, Greek Orthodox, Ethiopian Orthodox- ARE YOU PEOPLE EVEN AWARE THAT THESE VARIATIONS EXIST?

Then there is the issue that THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH created our Bible CANON, by literally murdering anyone who believed in a different version.

This I usually glossed-over.

Some books should not be there.

We cannot believe Doctrines, just because "IT'S IN THE BIBLE!" PAUL'S Teachings are DELIBERATE LIES, designed to prevent progress.

If a Christian does not see that, it is because they do not believe in YAHSHUA- whom PAUL called JESUS- to confuse him with ZEUS, in his plan to destroy Christianity.

Do you have permission to use the NAIRALAND BRAND?

Permit me to be on your team, I am no saint , but no matter one's saintful or sinful status, we are required to spread the gospel.