Last night Sonny took us through the verses John 8:31-36 where Jesus is talking with some Pharisees who thought they had achieved righteousness through following their religious system. Here are some points to think on this week...
~John 8:31: Jesus tells them that if they abide in His Word, they are truly His disciples. Believing in Jesus is not just an acknowledgement of true facts about Him... it is a life lived in faith where one follows hard after Jesus in both good seasons and bad. The Pharisees had the "appearance" of godliness by they denied the power and freedom that Christ was really offering... they did not really have a relationship with the Father. In Matthew 13, the parable of the sower gives 4 different accounts of those who hear the Word of God and how they respond. The only response to the Word that is "life giving" is the person who heard the Word and yielded a crop. We bear fruit for the Lord by believing in Him and abiding in His Word (Jesus is the Word made flesh- John 1).
Q: Do you have a superficial religion that is all appearances or do you have an intimate relationship with the Savior who was crucified on your behalf so that you might have righteousness in Him? Please check your hearts this week to see if YOU have really trusted in the gospel- not just acknowledged facts about Jesus. He desires intimacy with His children.
~John 8:32: Jesus said that by abiding in His Word they would know the truth and find freedom in that truth. Jesus is the Word (John 1) and the Truth (John 14:6). By coming to Him and asking for His gospel to be our souls's hope- we can have eternal life. Remember that when we come to Him with a broken and contrite heart, He will hear and respond (Psalm 51:17)
Q: Are you walking in the freedom and new life that Christ offers? Have you ever come to Him in humility with a broken and contrite heart knowing that you deserve His wrath and that Christ has taken your penalty on the Cross? We encourage you to do this. If you have already received the gift of eternal life in Christ, we encourage you to spend some time in thankful meditation of the sweet mercies that the Lord has shown you.
~John 8:33-36: The Pharisees again tell Jesus that their religion is what is giving them good standing with God. Jesus reminds them that we are all sinners and that no good works/religion that we try to do will give us right standing with God (Isaiah 64:6). What we need to have right standing with God is the righteousness of the Perfect One (Jesus) who stood in our place to take our sins so that we could be declared righteous. Let us not trust in religion or good works but in the work of Christ done on our behalf.
Q: What are you trusting in to give you right standing with the Father? If it's anything other than Jesus- it will fail. Come to Him and He will give you rest (Matthew 11:28).
Dear students,
We are so thankful to get to worship with you. We pray that you will continue to pursue Jesus through time in His word, prayer and worship. We are praying for you. We pray that you will walk in the freedom that Christ offers through His blood. We love you!
With hope,
Sonny and Casi
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