The Final Judgment

The Final Judgment

“Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life.” – John 5:24

These words were spoken by Jesus Himself, and it doesn’t get much clearer than that! He is indeed the way to everlasting life. He also says something else in this verse that caught my attention. One point that Christians can sometimes disagree over is whether or not those of us who are saved will be judged for our sins once we die and enter heaven. I’m not entirely sure myself, but if I am understanding these words of Jesus correctly, it seems like we won’t be judged for our sins. He specifically says that we “shall not come into judgment” if we believe in Him. Either way, that certainly doesn’t give us an excuse to sin. As Christians, we should want to live in a manner that is pleasing to God and that helps His Kingdom to grow. If you’re blending in with the world in the way that you live your life, then sadly you’re not accomplishing either of those things.

Even Jesus Seeks God’s Will

"I can of Myself do nothing. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is righteous, because I do not seek My own will but the will of the Father who sent Me." – John 5:30

The attitude and perspective of Jesus can really be a fascinating thing to sit and ponder. He is the all-knowing, perfectly wise Son of God. Yet even Jesus doesn’t act on His own impulses but seeks the will of His Father in everything He does. If Jesus acts in such a way, shouldn’t we be compelled to do the same? Seeking God’s will is a crucially important part of living the Christian life. When we act on our own and try to make our own decisions without seeking God’s will, we tend to make mistakes. Even on the rare occasion when something good still comes out of those kinds of actions, if it wasn’t God’s will, then we’re only bringing glory to ourselves and not to Him. Follow Jesus’ example and seek God’s will in everything you do. That truly is the best way to live in this world.

The Witness of Jesus

"If I bear witness of Myself, My witness is not true. There is another who bears witness of Me, and I know that the witness which He witnesses of Me is true. You have sent to John, and he has borne witness to the truth.... But I have a greater witness than John's; for the works which the Father has given Me to finish--the very works that I do--bear witness of Me, that the Father has sent Me." – John 5:31-33, 36

Another word that could take the place of “true” in the first sentence of this passage is “valid.” Jesus wasn’t implying that His witness is untrue when he spoke those words; rather, He was saying that it would not be a valid testimony because no one can be a witness for himself. But we don’t have to merely take Jesus’ word for it when He says He is the Son of God. We have the testimony of others such as John, numerous Old Testament prophecies, and the many wonders and miracles that Jesus performed, including the greatest miracle of all--the Resurrection. There is no doubt that Jesus is who he claims to be!

Come to Jesus

"And the Father Himself, who sent Me, has testified of Me. You have neither heard His voice at any time, nor seen His form. But you do not have His word abiding in you, because whom He sent, Him you do not believe. You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me. But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life." – John 5:37-40

The people to whom Jesus was speaking must have had hearts as hard as many people in today’s world! Going to church and reading the Bible are certainly good things, but you can’t get into heaven just by those actions. There’s only one way into heaven, and that is through the saving grace of Jesus. That may not be a popular thing to say in our modern world, but as the old saying goes, what’s popular is not always what’s right. Don’t worry about what other people may think or say. Isn’t your relationship with Jesus, not to mention where you’re going to spend eternity, more important than other people’s opinions? Open your heart and mind and come to Jesus, giving yourself freely to Him, and you will see the wonder that is in Him.

Don’t Steal the Glory

"I do not receive honor from men. But I know you, that you do not have the love of God in you." – John 5:41-42

Jesus didn’t want people to follow Him around during His time here on earth if they were just going to act like He was some type of superstar or celebrity. Because of His great humility, He didn’t want that kind of recognition, and we see evidence of that attitude throughout the four Gospels. Unfortunately, we have some so-called Christians today (some of which are true yet misguided Christians, while others are not Christians at all) who seek out the fame and glory for themselves rather than giving it over to God. If these people truly had hearts that were filled with a strong and intense love for God, they would seek to give God all the glory and not try to get any of it for themselves. Be very careful not to let worldly lusts, including the lust for fame and fortune, blind you to what is most important of all--a close and personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

Receiving Anyone but Jesus, Part 1 of 2

"I have come in My Father's name, and you do not receive Me; if another comes in his own name, him you will receive. How can you believe, who receive honor from one another, and do not seek the honor that comes from the only God?" – John 5:43-44

How true is this? Recently I heard someone make the comment that no one doubts George Washington was the first president of the United States. That may sound like a silly thought, but think about it: None of us were even close to being alive back then! Yet there is more evidence to support the time when Jesus was on the earth, a fact that many people choose to doubt or outright deny. In fact, to the best of my knowledge, there is much more evidence to support the existence of Jesus than there is to support the existence of anyone else in history! Sadly, people still stubbornly refuse to believe the truth. But anyone who truly takes the time to study the Scriptures as well as a wide variety of other historical facts will be left with the undeniable conclusion that Jesus must in fact be the one and only Son of God!

Receiving Anyone but Jesus, Part 2 of 2

"I have come in My Father's name, and you do not receive Me; if another comes in his own name, him you will receive. How can you believe, who receive honor from one another, and do not seek the honor that comes from the only God?" – John 5:43-44

A major problem is that most people simply don’t want to be told how to live their lives or to be told which “religion” is true. Nearly 2,000 years ago, Jesus Himself even knew that it would be that way. Many people saw His miracles with their own eyes and still refused to believe, and even though we can’t physically see Jesus with us today, the result is the same. If someone had come in his or her own name and said things that people wanted to hear (as many politicians do today), then most people will accept that person. But sadly, so many people just want to live their own lives and don’t want to hear the truth that comes from God. We as a nation desperately need to stop being so self-centered and open our hearts and minds to the truth--and the Bible, the very Word of God, is the ultimate source of that truth!

Moses’ Prophecy

"Do not think that I shall accuse you to the Father; there is one who accuses you--Moses, in whom you trust. For if you believed Moses, you would believe Me; for he wrote about Me. But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe My words?" – John 5:45-47

"I will raise up for them a Prophet like you from among their brethren, and will put My words in His mouth, and He shall speak to them all that I command Him." – Deuteronomy 18:18

Even Moses wrote about Jesus, and he did it some 1500 years before Jesus came to this earth. While this prophecy doesn’t give much in the way of specific details, the capitalization of “Prophet” is one way we know that this prophecy refers to Jesus. I’m not sure Moses had any way of knowing that a Savior, an actual part of the Holy Trinity, would someday come to save us all. This little verse from Deuteronomy is yet another piece of evidence that shows us that God Himself had to have been the true author of the Bible. No other explanation could even begin to be plausible.

How Willing Are You?

After these things He went out and saw a tax collector named Levi, sitting at the tax office. And He said to him, "Follow Me." So he left all, rose up, and followed Him. – Luke 5:27-28

When Jesus told Levi to follow Him, Levi didn’t hesitate. He didn’t try to make excuses or say he would at a later time. He just went. Are you that willing to go where Jesus calls you to go or to do what He calls you to do? Some people will go halfway around the world to serve Jesus while others will spend their whole lives serving Him in their own community. We all have our own unique gifts and ways that we can serve God. I’m not great at speaking in front of people but I’m much better at writing down my thoughts and ideas. That’s why I do these daily devotionals instead of spreading God’s message in some other way. But the bottom line is, we all have a calling, and God asks us to be willing to go wherever He leads us. An old hymn says, “Wherever He leads, I’ll go.” Is that true for you?

Question to Ponder:Are you completely willing to give yourself over to God and go wherever He leads?

Eating With Sinners, Part 1 of 2

Then Levi gave Him a great feast in his own house. And there were a great number of tax collectors and others who sat down with them. And their scribes and the Pharisees complained against His disciples, saying, "Why do You eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?" – Luke 5:29-30

Levi did a wonderful, gracious thing for Jesus by throwing a great feast for Him and in His honor. Many other tax collectors joined them at the feast, probably just because they worked together and knew each other. This greatly troubled the Pharisees, who were looking for any excuse to judge and trap Jesus. In the Jewish culture of that time, eating a meal with a sinner may have signified that you accepted that person’s sin. However, since we’re all sinners, that point of view really doesn’t make much sense. The central problem was that the “religious” people didn’t realize that they were also sinners; they thought they were better than everyone else. Next week, we will see how Jesus responds to their question.

Question to Ponder:Are you a sinner--meaning, have you ever done anything you shouldn’t have done in your entire life?

Eating With Sinners, Part 2 of 2

Jesus answered and said to them, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance." – Luke 5:31-32

This is Jesus’ response to the Pharisees who question why He is eating a meal with a bunch of tax collectors and sinners, and His analogy is perfect. Would you go to the doctor if you felt like you were well? Of course not! You go to the doctor when you’re sick and in need of healing. Similarly, those who are sinners go to Jesus for spiritual healing. Of course, we are all sinners--but some people, such as these so-called religious leaders, didn’t realize that they were sinners too. They thought they were good enough for God on their own, so they didn’t feel like they needed to see Jesus for spiritual healing. Countless people in today’s world have the same problem. Many people hope they’re good enough to get into heaven, but that isn’t the way it works. Jesus calls us all to repentance, but only those who realize their sin are able to respond to His call.

Question to Ponder:Do you realize your need for a Savior? Have you asked Jesus to forgive you for your sins?

Jesus Sees the Heart

Then they said to Him, "Why do the disciples of John fast often and make prayers, and likewise those of the Pharisees, but Yours eat and drink?" And He said to them, "Can you make the friends of the bridegroom fast while the bridegroom is with them? But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them; then they will fast in those days." – Luke 5:33-35

Basically, Jesus responds to this question from the Pharisees by saying that this is not the right time for fasting. I’m not completely sure of this, but I assume that is because He knew He would only be here for such a short time, and He wanted to make that time count.He knew fasting could (and would) be done after His resurrection and ascension. Really, though, all of that is rather irrelevant. Once again, these so-called religious leaders are not setting a very good example for their followers by once again trying to criticize and trap Jesus. The Pharisees fasted mainly so that others could see how “good” they were. Jesus, of course, is more concerned with the heart. Outward actions are good, but what’s on the inside is what truly counts.

Question to Ponder:Do you ever do anything “religious” just to try to impress other people? What does God think of that?

Old vs. New

Then He spoke a parable to them: "No one puts a piece from a new garment on an old one; otherwise the new makes a tear, and also the piece that was taken out of the new does not match the old. And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; or else the new wine will burst the wineskins and be spilled, and the wineskins will be ruined. But new wine must be put into new wineskins, and both are preserved. And no one, having drunk old wine, immediately desires new; for he says, The old is better." – Luke 5:36-39

This passage can be difficult to understand (at least it has been for me). Basically, Jesus is referring to the differences between the old law and the new law, which came about with His death and resurrection. At that point, the old law was no longer in effect because Jesus became the way, the truth, and the life. The primary reason of the old law is to show us that we cannot live a sin-free life and that we do, in fact, need Jesus as our Savior.

Question to Ponder:Are you able to keep every aspect of the law, perfectly, or do you need a Savior?

Unlawful Work

At that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath. And His disciples were hungry, and began to pluck heads of grain and to eat. And when the Pharisees saw it, they said to Him, "Look, Your disciples are doing what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath!" – Matthew 12:1-2

As you may or may not know, the Pharisees had created this incredibly lengthy list of laws that people were supposed to follow on the Sabbath. That originally came from the law which was given to Moses, but the Pharisees added many, many other laws to that list, some of which were just plain silly. In this instance, Jesus’ disciples were simply trying to get some food to eat, but the Pharisees accused them of harvesting, which to them was work. Work was forbidden on the Sabbath--except, that is, for the Pharisees themselves, who continued doing their ministry work. They created so many complex laws that no one could follow just to make themselves look better, but Jesus had an entirely different attitude. He just wanted to do what was right. His disciples were hungry, so they found some food and ate. Yes, Jesus’ way is often much simpler, too.

Question to Ponder: Can you make it into heaven by following a bunch of laws, or do you need Jesus?

Unlawful Healing

Now when He had departed from there, He went into their synagogue. And behold, there was a man who had a withered hand. And they asked Him, saying, "Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?"--that they might accuse Him. Then He said to them, "What man is there among you who has one sheep, and if it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will not lay hold of it and lift it out? Of how much more value then is a man than a sheep? Therefore it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath." Then He said to the man, "Stretch out your hand." And he stretched it out, and it was restored as whole as the other. – Matthew 12:9-13