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Good morning my ‘Walking with Jesus’ friends,
Recent news headlines, in many parts of the world, focus on government corruption; deceit and deception among highly influential people, even government leaders; and horrific, evil behavior which has resulted in the deaths of many people in many places. In contrast, we occasionally hear of remarkably generous and courageous behavior, which is helpful to so many people, in desperate situations, even life saving efforts. And we hear of the power of honesty and transparency and reliable servant leadership.
The other day we looked together at some powerful words of Jesus in John 8, regarding the hope found in following Jesus when living in a dark, evil world, and the power of Jesus’ truth in setting us free from the shackles caused by the evil of our world. Today I invite us to look at more words of Jesus recorded in John 8, which explain WHY this battle of good and evil exists everywhere in our world, and why all of us, every person, is caught up in it. And what hope Jesus offers us.
Jesus said “Everyone who sins is a slave to sin…So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed… I am telling you what I have seen in My Father’s presence, and you do what you have heard from your father.” (John 8:34,36,38) Don’t miss the fact that as John recorded these words that Jesus spoke, he capitalized the word ‘Father’ when Jesus spoke of His heavenly Father, God, and by contrast John did not do so when speaking of the ‘father’ of those to whom Jesus was speaking. Jesus was leading up to some of the most explosive, powerful, terrifying words He ever spoke. He was drawing a stark contrast between God and Satan, and the power of influence in our world from both of them! Jesus was describing the world you and I live in, my friends, the world of 2020!! Let’s look closely at Jesus’ words, for they explain a great deal about what’s going on in our world.
John is recording a specific and increasingly heated conversation between Jesus and some Jewish religious leaders, the Pharisees, in John chapter 8. “Jesus said, ‘If God were your father, you would love Me, for I came from God and now am here. I have not come on My own, but God sent Me. Why is My language not clear to you? Because you are unable to hear what I say.
You belong to your father the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desire. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies. Yet because I tell the truth, you do not believe Me! …
He who belongs to God hears what God says. The reason you do not hear is that you do not belong to God.” (John 8:42-47)
My goodness, that’s very powerful stuff isn’t it?
One of the greatest contrasts between those nations that are sometimes called developed, advanced, sophisticated, first world countries, and those which are sometimes called underdeveloped, disadvantaged, third world countries is the attitudes toward the spiritual battle of God and Satan. In the third world this battle is very real and is seen by the people as permeating every aspect of society… politics, health care, business, entertainment, family life, even religion. Most often in the first world, this spiritual battle is described in mental health terms, or medications are prescribed, or complicated language is used to try and explain away what Jesus is quite simply describing as a profound battle between Holy and Evil, Right and Wrong, God and Satan.
John evidently came to a good understanding of this battle, as he spent time with Jesus, and both listened closely and watched intently as Jesus confronted the darkness. Years later, John wrote a letter to the Christians across the Roman empire, giving them great insight into what he learned as he walked with Jesus for those years. That letter is toward the end of our Bible, and is known as 1 John.
Listen to what John writes in 1 John 1 about his conclusion regarding Jesus: “This is the message we have heard from Him (Jesus) and we declare to you: God is light, in Him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have a relationship with God yet we walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus purifies us from all sin.
If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins He is faithful and just and will forgive our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make Him out to be a liar and His word has no place in our lives.” (1 John 1:5-10)
Now friends, you might need to go back and re-read those words three or four times, maybe even underline some phrases or circle some of the words. It’s very powerful isn’t it? It’s a commentary on every person, every political party, every University, every business, every hospital or clinic, every courtroom and every home in our world, isn’t it? No person is exempt, we are ALL described in these words John wrote. The question is WHERE are you in the paragraph? Honestly now friends, I’m challenging you to go back and slowly re-read it all with a careful eye to find which words most accurately describe who you are, today.
Again I remind you that the use of the words ‘light’ and ‘darkness’ are words which should be easy for us to understand. We know the contrast between daylight and a moonless night or inside your dark home at night with no lights on and then turning on a bright light. We understand the contrast between evil and good, holy and wicked, honesty and lying, helpful and harmful. It should not be difficult for you to think in terms of ‘light’ & ‘darkness’ when looking into deep into your own soul… how you think, the emotions you have, your attitudes, your choices, your behavior?
Now consider this in 1 John 3: “He who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason Jesus, the Son of God, appeared was to destroy the devil’s work. No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God’s seed remains in him, he cannot go on sinning because he has been born of God. This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not a child of God…” (1 John 3:8-10)
Now let’s be careful here friends, John is NOT saying that when you trust Jesus Christ to be your Savior you will stop anything sinful and never again sin in your lifetime. There is no ‘sinless perfection’ in this life, for the sin nature we were born with still battles trying to tempt us to sin. But John is saying that the power of our bondage to sin is broken by Jesus, when we place our full trust in Him, and His Holy Spirit takes up residence in us, refining our thinking, cleansing our hearts, purifying our attitudes, and convicting us of anything sinful, anything dishonoring to God in our lives.
Please understand when John writes “No one born of God will continue to sin…” he is not saying we will stop sinning when we trust Jesus to be our Savior. No, John is saying Christ followers will more quickly recognize sinful attitudes or behavior in themselves,and will confess it to God, receive forgiveness and then take action to change their thinking and behavior, so that does not become a persistent problem for them. John is saying, one of the evidences of a person who is NOT a genuine, born again follower of Jesus, is that they are able to continue sinful behavior or attitudes with no apparent remorse, no desire to confess the matter and get it resolved with God. That is an evidence the Holy Spirit is NOT active in their lives convicting them of sin.
May I point out just one other verse for today, found in 1 John 5:19 “We know that we are children of God, and that the whole world is under the control of the evil one.” John is of course speaking of people who have authentically trusted in Jesus Christ for their salvation from sin bondage and sin condemnation when he says “‘We are children of God.” But please take note of John’s summary phrase “the whole world is under the control of the evil one.” It’s true! Because every person is born with a sin nature…, every place in the world where people live, work, play, educate, socialize and do human life, is a place of darkness. Now watch this: the only place there is the light of God’s truth and hope is where God’s people live, work, play, educate, socialize and do human life, empowered by the Holy Spirit of God as followers of Jesus!
Now we will come back to these verses again, for there is much more to glean from them, but for today, here’s an important question for all of us to contemplate: Are you and I a living source of the LIGHT of Jesus’ truth, Jesus’ hope and Jesus’ help… in the neighborhood where you and I live, the places where we work or educate, the places that we frequent as a consumer, the places where we play and relax, and the places where we worship? And in this time of ‘social distancing and lock down’ are we a source of the LIGHT of Jesus through our communications.. telephone, What’sApp, facebook, twitter, zoom, skype and every other technology platform that is connecting us with your world?
Here’s a final, closing question for all of us: Is God penetrating the darkness of our world with our lives? Is God even pushing back the darkness, in some parts of the world, because many of us His people live in the same community? How do we see it happening where each of us is living?
Oh Lord Jesus, what do You see is happening where each of us lives, work, educate, play and do life around our world? What would YOU like to do Jesus, to increase the darkness penetrating, darkness dispelling influence of Your people of light everywhere we will spend this day? Jesus, do You find us ready and excited about participating with You in being light in the darkness of our world?
Bible images provided with attribution to www.LumoProject.com.
Have a comment or question about today’s chapter? I’m ready to hear from you, contact me here.
Pastor Doug Anderson 262.441.8785
“Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)
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