He Did Not Come to Accuse

John 5:39-47

This is another amazing passage that is found only in the book of John. John was written specifically for the sinner (John 20:31), so the stories that he relates speak to us of the beauty, grace and forgiveness of Jesus. In this case, this story also speaks to us of how to find Christ in the Old Testament.

Jesus points out to the Jews that they are always searching the scriptures, but that they are failing to find Jesus in those scriptures (5:39, 40). The scriptures that Jews would have been reading were the Old Testament from Genesis to Malachi. These are the same scriptures that Jesus uses on the road to Emmaus to prove who He was to the two disciples (Luke 24:27). He concludes with, “For had ye believed Moses, ye would have believed me: for he wrote of me” (John 5:46). Had Israel been looking for the Messiah of the bible, instead of a fictitious one that would overthrow Rome, they would have been satisfied in Jesus. The same holds true for us today. If you are looking for a wrathful, vengeful, angry God then you will be unsatisfied with the Jesus of the gospels; but if you are looking for the Lamb of God which come to take away the sin of the world, then you will “have life” (John 5:40).

John makes it abundantly clear as to why Jesus came. Watch the steady progression of facts, in sequential order in this glorious Gospel:

John 3:17 – “For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through Him might be saved”. These words, straight from the lips of Jesus, show us His purpose on earth, as well as what His purpose was not. He came to save the world, not to accuse them.

John 4:34 – “My meat is to do the will of Him that sent me, and to finish His work”. Jesus came with a mission, which was to finish God’s plan in redeeming man.

John 5:45 – “Do you think that I will accuse you to the Father: there is one that accuseth you, even Moses, in whom ye trust”. Jesus did not come to accuse man, for there is already an accuser which is the Law of Moses. It declares the whole world guilty (Romans 3:19).

John 9:39 – “For judgment I am come into this world, that they which see not might see; and that they which see might be made blind”. Jesus came for judgment so that those who do not know will know, and those who think they know will see that they know nothing. This judgment is not on us, it is on Him. How do we know? Watch the progression continue.

John 12:31, 32 – “Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out. And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all unto me”. Notice that I left the word “men” out of verse 32, for it is italicized, meaning that the translators added the word to explain the passage. It is the wrong word, for the thing that Jesus is going to draw to Himself is the judgment of verse 31. He was the lightning rod for the judgment of God, so you would not have to be!

John 12:47, 48 – “And if any man hears my words and believes not, I judge him not: for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world. He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day”. Jesus reserves all judgment against sinners for the final hour, when the words of love and truth that He spoke will have been rejected. It is rejection of the finished work that sends men to hell, not their sin.

John 19:30 – “It is finished”. What is finished? The works of the Father that Jesus came to do were finished at Calvary after Jesus had suffered for all of our sins (John 4:34). If it is finished, let us stop proclaiming that “judgment is coming to America”. Instead, let us tell America and the entire world about a man who paid for their sins.

John 21:12 – “Come and dine”; John 21:17 – “Feed my sheep”; John 21:19 – “Follow me”. Let us preach these!

Take Up His Cross Daily

Luke 9:23-27

What did Jesus mean when He said, “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me”? There is a school of thought that says that Jesus was telling us to die out to our old man every day, but Paul said, “Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him…For in that He died, He died unto sin once…” (Romans 6:8, 10). The Apostle makes it clear that when we became believers, we were baptized into the death of Christ, dying with Him to sin; and that Jesus died but once. How could Jesus die to sin only once and then require that we die to sin over and over again?

The answer to the last question is, “He doesn’t require us to die out to sin on a day to day basis”. Paul said that Jesus died once and that we should “Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin” (Romans 6:11). I should “reckon” or consider myself dead to sin, just as Christ is dead to sin. Because of His finished work there is no need for me to die again every day, nor is there a need for me to re-crucify myself every day. This doctrine is very subtly teaching believers that their salvation is only as good as the day is long and that every new day requires a new death to the old man. This insults the finished work, for it claims that the finished work is only finished today, but needs refinished tomorrow.

Jesus’ statement in Luke 9:23 is two-fold: one is spiritual while the other is physical. When He made this statement, the cross had not yet happened, so no one standing there would have assumed that dying on a cross was anything more than a physical death. His statement to the disciples was the equivalent of someone today saying, “Deny yourself and be ready to die in the electric chair”. We would understand that He meant for us to deny our own selfish desires and be ready to die a martyr’s death.

The spiritual aspect is the denial of self, which every believer must perform. We all sacrifice some of the things that we always wanted to accomplish; or that we wanted to become in order to do and to be all that God wills for us. The physical side of the statement is the willingness to lay down our lives on a daily basis for the cause of Christ. Paul said as much when he said, “I die daily” (1 Corinthians 15:31). He wasn’t speaking of spiritual death, for the preceding verse said that he was in jeopardy every hour (verse 30) and the following verse says that he has fought with beasts at Ephesus (verse 32).

We can be sure that this is what Jesus meant because as we read further, we find this important statement in verse 27, “But I tell you of a truth, there be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the kingdom of God” (Luke 9:27). If Jesus were talking about spiritual death when He said, “take up the cross daily”, why would He now speak of physical death in the same paragraph? “Take up the cross daily” was the willingness to lay down one’s life for Christ’s sake, which He then says, “some standing here shall not taste of death”. He is referring to the Mount of Transfiguration which takes place in the next few verses, allowing Peter, James and John to see the kingdom before they die a martyr’s death.

You died to sin the moment that you were saved, so how shall we “live any longer therein?” (Romans 6:2). You need not die again every day; you simply need to trust your Jesus that He is living His life through you. The attempt to die spiritually every day will slowly lead you back into works where you will fear constantly that you are not “keeping your eyes on the cross” or that you haven’t properly crucified yourself. Relax and let the finished work do its work. Trust me; it works better than we can!

Away From the Multitude

Mark 7:31-37

Jesus did great miracles in the midst of large crowds (feeding of 5,000; curing of the palsied man; Gadarene demoniac), but sometimes He did things just as miraculous with almost no one watching. No one witnessed the soul conversion of the woman at the well, and only the 12 saw Him walk on water. It was these moments of privacy that brought a different side out of Jesus; and brought mighty miracles to those privileged enough to share those moments with the Master.

Jesus was met by a small group of people who brought to him one that was deaf. It would have been customary for family members to take care of loved ones who had physical disabilities, so this was most likely the deaf man’s closest kin. The text also tells us that he “had an impediment in his speech” (Mark 7:32). This was no doubt due to the fact that he could not hear himself when he tried to speak, which had left his speech underdeveloped. They requested that Jesus put His hand on the young man.

Jesus could have performed this miracle in front of the crowd, with His disciples looking on, but we see something come out of the heart of our Savior in this story that still resonates for every person today. Jesus “took him aside from the multitude” (verse 33). Jesus took him away from the onlookers; from the gawkers; from the mockers and from the doubters. This young man had never heard any insults against him for his ears had never worked, but he had seen the looks of frustration on people’s faces as they tried in vain to communicate with him. He had watched the looks of disappointment enter people’s eyes as they were unable to understand what he was trying so hard to say. By taking the man away from the multitude, Jesus is bringing His redemption to the man personally, with no crowd to interfere.

Salvation comes to every man in a personal way. Some cry and fall on their knees in the midst of a crowded church, while others make no emotional response at all, but their heart aches inside for the love of God. Jesus has always made our redemption a personal, not a corporate thing. We may have corporate invitations in church to come and meet Jesus, but that is because we are in a corporate setting; but salvation itself is on the inside, where Jesus meets us at the end of our rope and the end of our faith.

Jesus “put his fingers into his ears, and he spit, and touched his tongue” (Mark 7:33). Many commentators speak of how Jesus touched the man’s ears and tongue to loose them, but I believe that Jesus did these things to HIMSELF, not to the man. No one had been able to properly communicate with the young man, so Jesus pulls him to the side to say to him what others had been unable to say. He touches His own ears, spits and touches His own tongue to communicate the miracle that He is about to perform to the man. He then looks to heaven and sighs; no doubt wearied at the desperate case that He constantly found mankind in. When He says, “Be opened”, immediately the man can hear and speak.

Our Lord always took the time to communicate the miracle of the gospel to each individual person. May we not be weary in doing the same thing to those around us; no matter how difficult they may be to reach.

The Will of the Father

Matthew 7:21-23

I once heard two preachers talking about another, older minister who had experienced some very rough times in his ministry. He had fallen into sin and failure but had continued on and was being used of God. The one commented that he wondered what kept the older minister going in spite of all that had happened to him, and the other minister said, “Because if he quits, he will go to hell. He has to keep preaching, it’s his call”. The first minister nodded in agreement, citing Matthew 7:21.

These ministers believed that “He that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven” meant that if God tells you to do something and you don’t do it then you will be rejected at the judgment, because you did not obey God’s will. This thinking is usually held by those who also believe that you can be in God’s perfect will or God’s permissive will. They say His perfect will is what He wants, while His permissive will is what He allows. What He “allows”? Doesn’t He “allow” anything? If there are two wills of God for man, which one must you do to “get to heaven”?

In order to properly understand verse 21 we should read further to find the context. In verse 23, Jesus makes it clear that those to whom He is speaking were never believers in the first place; “I never knew you”. This tells us that someone who knows the Lord but fails to do everything that He tells them to do has no fear that they will be rejected at heaven’s gates, for they have known Jesus.

Jesus states in verse 21 that those who get to enter into the kingdom of heaven are those that “do the will of my Father”. There cannot two wills of the Father; one perfect and the other permissive, for that would make one path of God less than perfect. God’s will and plan for your life is always perfect and anything that you do other than that is always permissive. Even living in sin is “permissive” since God doesn’t strike you down dead, but no believer wants to live under the power of that (Romans 6:14; 1 Corinthians 6:12).

The will of God must be universal for everyman so that salvation is the same everywhere. We know that the “will” that Jesus is speaking about is not the 10 Commandments, for Paul calls these the “ministry of death” and “condemnation” (2 Corinthians 3:7, 9). What might this will be? Jesus was asked as much following His feeding of the 5,000, “What shall we do, that we might work the works of God?” Jesus answered and said unto them, ‘This is the work of God, that ye believe on Him whom He hath sent’” (John 6:28, 29). Jesus defines God’s will as man placing faith in Jesus Christ. Only faith placed in Jesus Christ and His finished work will produce the kind of works that every believer desires.

If that older preacher mentioned at the beginning were to quit preaching, he would not go to hell because he stopped walking in his call. He would be miserable because he would not be using the gift that God gave him to minister to souls, but he would not have to fear being rejected at the judgment day. If you have accepted Christ as your Savior, you have fulfilled the will of the Father and you will not be rejected as if He never knew you for “he cannot deny Himself” (2 Timothy 2:13).

Valley of Dry Bones

Ezekiel 37:1-14

The dry bones that Ezekiel saw in his vision represented Israel in a spiritually deadened state. God had been ministering through Ezekiel about holiness, but Israel seemed powerless to change their ways. God even spoke to Ezekiel concerning the New Covenant in the previous chapter to show a time when He would change the heart of man (Ezekiel 36:26, 27).

How could Ezekiel expect dead bones to rise up when he preached to them about holiness? Of course he shouldn’t have expected much, and we should expect no more today. When holiness messages are delivered to people who are unsaved they are wasted; but they are just as useless on people who are saved, but are attempting to be justified by works. Paul said, “For I was alive without the law once: but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died…For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it slew me” (Romans 7:9, 11). When we urge people to keep the commandments without showing them the mighty power of the New Covenant we are actually strengthening sin inside of them for they are helpless using their own works.

When you serve God under the Old Covenant, though you are a born-again believer, you are still “dead”. You are powerless to please God through your own righteousness, having passed on the righteousness offered by Christ’s finished work.

When Ezekiel spoke to the bones, he was ministering New Covenant to them; where they would be given form and substance based upon no work of their own. After this initial experience the valley was full of bodies that held no life or “no breath in them” (Ezekiel 37:8). This is just like many saints who hear of the New Covenant of God’s goodness and grace but they are far from living the abundant life.

Ezekiel then speaks to the wind (Ezekiel 37:9), telling it to blow into these slain that they may live. As soon as he does this, the wind blows the breath of life into them and they stand on their feet, “an exceeding great army” (verse 10). By speaking to the wind, Ezekiel is calling on the breath of God to do what has been promised that it will do. He is speaking to the wind, but more importantly, he is speaking of God’s covenant. What God promises that He is going to do, He is most definitely going to do, however you and I need to know it, and believe it!

God’s promise in the valley of dry bones is not limited to Israel, for verse 14 says, “And shall put my spirit in you, and ye shall live, and I shall place you in your own land: then shall ye know that I the LORD have spoken it…” (Ezekiel 37:14). The word here for “your own land” is ‘solid ground; a place of firmness that is unshakeable’. God is promising that the blessings of the New Covenant will place you on unshakeable ground!

Later in the chapter, God confirms the covenant with the former dry bones by saying, “I will make a covenant of peace with them” (Ezekiel 37:26). Paul introduced us to the God of peace in Romans (5:1), and we know that Jesus is the Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6). Aren’t you excited to see yet another New Covenant promises nestled secretly into the Old Testament. Wow, how our God loves us!

The Potter's House

Jeremiah 18:1-4

God used an object lesson, or an illustrated sermon of sorts to teach the prophet Jeremiah an important lesson about His nature. He sent him to a local potter’s house to watch the potter work on the wheels. The lesson regards Israel as a nation; and no matter how bad that they had become through sin and disobedience, God could make them a new vessel again.

It is not in the nature of God to simply destroy and start over. If God were destructive, He would have wiped Adam and Eve off of the earth and started fresh. Even the destruction of the earth and the inhabitants thereof in the time of Noah was done to keep the seed pure for the coming Messiah, not for the judgment of sins. God’s default position in dealing with man has always been, and always will be, mercy.

When the potter works with clay to form a lovely finished product, he must observe a few important rules. First, choosing good, pliable clay is a must. The product with which he is working has a large role to play in the final vessel. In us, God has placed His very breath, so when He deals with humanity, He has chosen clay that has the qualities of God already inside. He will not save the world through angels or animals, but only through us. What an honor!

The potter must also have a ready supply of water on hand as he makes the clay moist and usable. This water is the water of the Word, which Jesus uses to wash His church (Ephesians 5:26). Jesus said that we are made clean by His Words (John 15:3). When He speaks to us, He speaks words of beauty and love, washing the dross and filth off of us so that we are usable.

It is also important that the clay remain in the center of the wheel. As the potter spins the wheel, the clay may have a tendency to lean to one side or the other. The further from the center that they clay is, the more difficult that it is to create a vessel without any flaws. The very center of God’s WILL is the center of the Potter’s WHEEL. The essence of Christianity is wrapped up in this knowledge, which Jesus said is life eternal, “that they may know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou has sent” (John 17:4).

If an imperfection is to arise in the clay, causing it to become marred and unusable, the potter can simply remove it and toss it aside. The potter that Jeremiah watches has such an imperfection arise, but instead of tossing the clay out, he “made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make it” (Jeremiah 18:4). When you and I are marred and imperfect in our actions and our lifestyle, the Father does not toss us out but rather He continues to fashion us into who He wants us to be. When God chose you, He predestined you “to be conformed to the image of his Son” (Romans 8:29). He is fashioning you to look like Jesus!

Do you see problem areas in your life? Are there things that appear to be imperfections in your spirit man? Do not fear, your Father is a great Potter, and He has a finished product in mind. Be still, know that He is God, and you will be “meet for the master’s use” (2 Timothy 2:21).

The Rest and the Refreshing

Isaiah 28:11, 12

This marks the first prophecy in the Bible regarding speaking with other tongues. We know that the “stammering lips and another tongue” refer to this beautiful gift because Paul quotes this passage in 1 Corinthians 14:21, “In the law it is written, With men of other tongues and other lips will I speak unto this people; and yet for all that will they not hear me, saith the Lord”. The translators added the words “men of”, taking the original meaning away from the text, but Paul is referring to men speaking with unknown tongues (1 Corinthians 14:1-22).

When a believer speaks with other tongues, they are not speaking to someone else, for no one else would understand what they are saying. They are speaking things that are mysteries to themselves, but they are being directed at God (1 Corinthians 14:2). This speaking can be done as prayer or even as a song (14:14, 15), and it is always done to edify the speaker (14:4). To edify means “to build or repair or to grow in wisdom”, so by speaking with other tongues, the believer is building up themselves.

The Apostle Jude instructed us to do as much, “But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost” (Jude 1:20). How do we “build up” or “edify” ourselves? We do this by praying in the Holy Ghost which is praying in tongues. Paul told young Timothy to “stir up the gift of God, which is in thee by the putting on of my hands” (2 Timothy 1:6). The gift that is inside of us that we can stir up at will is the unknown tongue. It is ours, so let’s use it!

Isaiah tells us that speaking with other tongues will be both a rest and a refreshing, but that many people “would not hear” (Isaiah 28:12). Paul envisioned as much when he said, regarding spiritual gifts, “But if any man be ignorant, let him be ignorant” (1 Corinthians 14:38). Let us that have ears to hear pay close attention to what the Spirit is saying to us as He gives us instructions for our rest.

Each believer can walk in and function in the fullness of the Holy Spirit. You received the Comforter when you invited Jesus into your heart, but there is always more fullness to be had. Paul told the church at Ephesus to “be filled with the Spirit” (Ephesians 5:18), denoting that there is more filling to be done, even after we are saved. Even the disciples and apostles, who had been present out the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost in Acts 2, needed a re-filling of the Spirit from time-to-time, as Acts 4:31 bears out.

Don’t let detractors discourage you from using your prayer language. If you wish to use tongues as edification and you are not sure about it, ask the Father and He will freely give the Holy Spirit (Luke 11:13), but don’t shy away because you think that it is not for you or even that it is off-limits for the church in general. Some site Acts 2 as evidence that tongues is only to be used to preach to people of other languages, but a close examination of that chapter will show that when the strangers in Jerusalem heard tongues they heard of “the wonderful works of God” (Acts 2:11). When it came time to hear the gospel message, which led 3000 to salvation, they heard Peter preach a message to them; with no indication that he preached in tongues (Acts 2:14).

You have instant rest and constant refreshing at your disposal; believe it or not.