Steady Path

Keep steady my steps according to your promise,
and let no iniquity get dominion over me.
(Ps 119:133)

I need steady steps. Keep on keeping on. Heading in the right direction. Slow and steady. While Paul and Hebrews talks about the Christian life as a race Psalm 119:133 makes me think of a trek. Get up every morning and ask the Lord to fulfill his promise to keep me going according to his plan. His plan to bring to completion the work he began in me (Phil 1:6).

A big part of that plan is to make sure that no inequity get dominion over me. Hebrews 12:1 tells me to get rid of sin that entangles me. But here in Psalm 119:133 is a prayer that it doesn't entangle me in the first place, or maybe after escaping it, never again to let it entangle me.

Make no mistake, if it entangles, it will dominate. Thank you, Holy Spirit, for giving me your power to untangle my sin and keep it from coming back to dominate me.

Who Is in Control

Then Jesus, knowing all that would happen to him, came forward and said to them, “Whom do you seek?” 5 They answered him, “Jesus of Nazareth.” Jesus said to them, “I am he.” … 6 When Jesus said to them, “I am he,” they drew back and fell to the ground. (John 18:4-6)

Jesus knew everything that was going to happen to him. Not just the next few minutes but the next three days. However, the next minutes are intriguing. When Jesus says, “I am” (Greek ego eimi), the same as in Exodus by which God identifies himself, the soldiers fall down. God is in control; Jesus is in control. It's a wonder that after saying it again, they didn't fall down again and again and again. And they would have except for what Jesus told Peter after he cut off Malchus's ear, “shall I not drink the cup that the Father has given me?” (John 18:11).

Look also at the fact that even after Peter’s brazen act, the disciples were able to flee. That also shows who is in control to fulfill the word of God as John 18:9 says.

Application: trust that Jesus is I Am and know he is in control of all our circumstances. Rest in that, be comforted, be courageous, be obedient, be whatever is needed in the moment.

Branches in the Vine

  “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. 2 Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. (John 15:1-2).

There has been a lot of thoughts and commentaries written on these two verses. But the big question for me has always been the fact that the verses say that every branch in me, he either takes away or prunes. Notice the ones that are taken away are in him. Jesus is the vine, and those branches are in him. It seems to me that if a branch is in Christ he is saved and therefore can never be lost. Jesus says a whole lot about that elsewhere. I understand completely the idea that if I am bearing fruit, he will prune me so that I will bear more fruit. That's the whole idea of discipline, correction, and growth in Christ.

But if I am in Christ and I do not bear fruit that is an oxymoron. How can I be in Christ and not bear fruit? So, I did some research on this once and found this:

E. W. Bullinger proposes as he examines the Greek word for “take away.” The Greek word, airo, which is also used to mean “lift up” explains that the branch is lifted up from the ground so that it can bear fruit. He went on to comment about how a vine dresser will pick up vines that have dropped down into the dirt. That way they can bear fruit. (E. W. Bullinger, “John 15:6,” in Figures of Speech Used in the Bible)

However, that doesn't help when it comes to the following verses where Jesus says the branches that don’t abide in Jesus are thrown in the fire (verse 6).

Application: I don't really have to worry about what would happen if I don't bear fruit. The fruit is the fruit of the Spirit, not leading people to Christ, as some people mistakenly think is the fruit in these verses. I don't have to worry about what would happen if I do not abide in Jesus. The Bible tells me that I am in Christ, if I obey Jesus, if I obey his commands, if I love him, all the things that have preceded and are also included in these passages. Now if I'm not obeying, if I don't have any love for Jesus or the Father, I'm in big trouble. I will be thrown away.

Loving Jesus

Keeping Jesus’ commands or his words is the proof of our love of Jesus. Jesus repeats this three times in today's reading in John 14:15-31. The first is, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments” (John 14:15). If I love Jesus I will keep his commandments, no wiggle room.  John 14:21 turns it around “Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me.” Whoever, and that's me, has his commandments and keeps them loves Jesus. Then comes “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him” (John 14:23). Anyone, that's me again, who loves Jesus will keep Jesus’ word. “The word that you hear is not mine but the Father’s” (John 14:24).  So there is no loophole for not obeying all of God's word or commandments.     

“Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him” (John 14:21). When I love Jesus, the Father will love me. It is interesting that this is not. “God loves everyone,” but only those who love Jesus and keeps his commands. (That is something for another day.) Back to John 14:16, “He [the Father] will give you another Helper, to be with you forever.”  When I love and obey, I get another helper, the Spirit of Truth to be with me forever. So according to this and John 14:20, “In that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you,” I have the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit when I love and obey. I also must remember it isn't me who is able to love Jesus, but he first loved me (1 John 4:19) and that was while I was a sinner (Romans 5:8).

Thank you, Jesus, for loving me. Help me show my love by obeying you. Thank you for sending the Holy Spirit to enable me to love and obey you. Help me, Holy Spirit, to listen to Jesus and rely on You for the power to obey and love Jesus.

Martha and Mary

Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, fif you had been here, my brother would not have died. 22 But even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you.” 23 Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” 24 Martha said to him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.” 25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, 26 and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?” 27 She said to him, “Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world.” John 11:21-27)

 Now when Mary came to where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet, saying to him, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” (John 11:32)

Why is Jesus and Martha's conversation covered by six verses and Mary's statement to Jesus is only one verse? As I ponder this and think back to the previous time Martha and Mary were with Jesus, Mary sat at Jesus feet learning from him while Martha was busy serving and not happy about Mary’s devotion to Jesus. Now, Martha is the first to rush to Jesus and says the same thing to Jesus as Mary, but Jesus takes the time to make sure Martha knows what Mary probably already knows.

The message is for us also, because we often forget who Jesus is as we rush through Scripture. It is also for those who don't yet believe and have eternal life. Martha gets it, sort of, but when it comes to putting her faith into action, she tells Jesus that Lazarus stinks (John 11:39). Does she really get it?

Then there is Mary. She says the same thing to Jesus, but she falls at his feet. She is not blaming Jesus as it appears Martha did. She is grieving and Jesus grieves with her. No teaching. No rebuke. Just tears (John 11:35).

May I have a faith that is like Mary's when troubled to come to Jesus and fall at his feet.

Assurance of Salvation Because Jesus is God

    

27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. 30 I and the Father are one. (John 10:27-30)

    The Jews answered him, “It is not for a good work that we are going to stone you but for blasphemy, because you, being a man, make yourself God.” (John 10:33)

Some people believe they can lose their salvation so strongly that when they read these passages they rationalize it away by saying they can jump out of the hands of Jesus or the Father. But if that were so, it would mean they are greater than the Father. Believing that the elect can fall away diminishes the Father to being no more powerful than a man. But that shouldn't be surprising because the same people claim that a human is able to veto God's election.

Another part of this passage is Jesus’ statement, “I and the Father are one,” only means they are one in purpose, not that Jesus is claiming to be God. If that were true, then Jesus should have corrected the Jews who understood that Jesus was claiming to be God. Instead, Jesus doubled down in verse John 10:38 saying the Father is in him and he is in the Father. Whoever said Jesus never claimed to be God has been blinded so they can't see the truth in Scripture.

Application: I can be sure of who Jesus is and because he is God my eternal security is sure. If I were not sure, then what else in the Bible would I doubt? I would have no assurance that anything in the Bible was correct. That would be pretty scary and should question all of reality. I would have to depend on myself to make sure I’m saved and that is really bad person to trust for salvation.

I AM - Yahweh

So he said to them again, “I am going away, and you will seek me, and you will die in your sin. Where I am going, you cannot come.” (John 8:21)

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

So Jesus said to them, “When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am he, and that I do nothing on my own authority, but speak just as the Father taught me. (John 8:28)

In these verses, Jesus says "I am" in each one. However there is a big difference between verse 21 as he only uses the Greek word ego to identify himself personally. But in the other two verses he uses ego eimi. This is a repetition of “I” in Greek. The word “he” isn’t in the Greek. In verse 24 he says we need to believe that he is I AM. This is the very name of God in the Old Testament from Exodus 3:14 and 15. Jesus is essentially saying his name is Yahweh. We have this translated or written out in our Bibles as Lord. In verse 28 we are to know Jesus as I AM. We can't just believe without knowing and we can't only know without believing. Jesus is God. Believing without knowledge is just emotional and can’t save because it isn’t based on fact. Knowing without believing is sterile facts and knowing facts doesn’t save. That is why we must seek the Lord with our whole heart, mind, and soul if we really want to be saved.  “And he said to him, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’” (Matt 22:37).  

Regenerated? Living Water. Holy Spirit

7 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. 38 Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’” 39 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 (John 7:37-39).

I’ve heard several biblical teachers says that the Old Testament Saints were regenerated because the Holy Spirit enabled them to work on the tabernacle, rushed on them such as Saul and David. They say that prior to Jesus’ glorification (the resurrection), the disciples were regenerate because they couldn't believe unless the Holy Spirit enabled them.

But and this is a big but, it just doesn't square with these verses. They were to receive a promise of surety for the future. Not just the disciples but all who believed in him. Reiterating that it is the future, John says the Spirit had not yet been given. If anyone knew when the Spirit was given it should be John, one who received the Spirit.

So, what's the difference between Old Testament and New Testament believers and receiving the Holy Spirit? Scripture is clear that Old Testament people were saved by faith. But it is also evident that the Spirit worked in and came upon Old Testament believers but didn't remain. It wasn't a guarantee that the Holy Spirit would always be with them. David asked that the Holy Spirit not be removed from him, by the Holy Spirit, he knew he could lose the Holy Spirit just as Saul had (Ps 51:11). Also, there are enough references in the Old Testament to a new covenant when our hearts would be changed in a new way.

The provision of the Holy Spirit in the New Testament is different. While we can grieve the Holy Spirit, He will never be removed from us (John 14:16). So, we are thankful that we now have the Holy Spirit in our hearts as Jesus promised but He wasn't given until Jesus was glorified.

I'm thankful for the security of my salvation. Not so I can sin and not worry but that He is always with me to have this living water to overcome sin and live and become more and more sanctified. Thank you, Jesus.