What Must I Do? Part 4: The Work of Believing
"Jesus answered and said to them, "This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent." -John 6:37
The book of John is my favorite Gospel. It's deeply theological, and one of the main themes is believing. The word believe is used close to 88 times. The Greek word for believe is pisteuo, and means to put ones faith in; to trust. This is our fourth and final part in this series of looking at the question, "What must I do?" Our passage today comes from John 6:22-58, and again I ask you to read this passage completely before reading on in this post. I want to express to you from my heart how excited I am about this post. I was up one morning till three o'clock pouring over this scripture and rejoicing in what God revealed to me in it. It was such an intimate time with Him, and it was one of those night's where I'm writing with one hand and the other up in the air praising Him. Oh my. My heart leaps and is so overwhelmed for the truth that comes from this and how beautiful my Jesus is. I pray you can feel my same emotion as you read this, and grasp the intimacy of not only my love for you, but Christ's love for you, and the relationship He so desires to have with you. Please don't miss the depth of this.
There is just one thing they lacked. The people had followed Jesus around, and had saw him perform miracles of all kinds. Who is this man? They wondered to themselves. Earnestly they seeked Him, and desired to be taught. But it was in the wrong spirit. They did not seek Him or long to learn from Him to be saved but rather they wanted Jesus to accommodate them. Jesus even said it in verse 26, "you seek me because I feed you." They didn't want Jesus, they wanted the things Jesus could give. But as we have already established in the last few posts, receiving Christ is just that. Him. Nothing more, He tells them time after time give your possessions away. They again were counting on some kind of good work to cut it, but they lacked one thing. The thing that make our "works" legitimate. Faith; belief. Truthfully, when it comes to works, the idea of doing something to merit salvation is one of the last that the sincere ever surrenders.
Again, we see the people turn back to a person they idolize, or who they think will save them. They turn their thoughts to Moses and how he gave 'manna from heaven.' Jesus corrected them and told them it was God the Father who gave the manna. He was saying essentially it was by faith...and truthfully a lot of grace that God gave them manna. It's funny, today we will read stories like this in the Bible and get a little puffed up...I do at least, and think 'I would never be that foolish as they Israelites were, especially when they saved up all that manna.' They saved up because they lacked faith. Manna was the gift from heaven, now Jesus is also the gift of heaven. Will you receive Him? Who is He? Faith and belief is fully plunging forward though we don't know. No explaination or sign needed.
The cause of unbelief is expecting God to show up in our own preconceived ideas, and way of understanding and thinking, and how we think we will identify Him then believe. Such was the case for the Jews, and they missed Jesus! Not just in this situations but in lots of others too. More so in this passage we read that they rejected Him! They were expecting a second Exodus. They thought that sign of the true Messiah would be to make it rain manna again. Oh, but it's so much more personal! Not just manna, where we go what is it? But giving Himself. Our Exodus is coming soon. Do you believe? When we believe we inherit eternal life, it isn't something you get when you die. We who are saved are already living the eternal life. We're a piece of heaven on earth! Don't ever forget that beloved child.
THE BREAD OF COMMUNION: GIVING THANKS
Our very saving is associated with our gratitude. Jesus counts giving thanks as integral in a faith that saves. All throughout the Gospels we see Jesus taking the bread, whether feeding 5,000 people or eating with his disciples, but before breaking the bread He gives thanks. Continuously He is seen as giving thanks for his body that was being broken for us. It is His joy and grace to give it to us. One of the most powerful I have recently learned about Jesus, it's so simple, yet so powerful. Jesus from the beginning of time was not embodied in human form. He took on human form when He came to earth, and it was His joy! Wow! I love that thought. What love the Father has lavished on us. We have the disease of sin, and just as any other sickness Jesus encountered He often told the people that their faith had made them well. True wellness, complete wholeness; salvation. The Greek word sozo. Consider this verse: "Those who sacrifice thank offerings honor me, and to the blameless I will show my salvation." -Psalm 50:23
When we partake in communion at church, we give thanks. We take his body which was broken for us and remember and give thanks. So it is in Salvation, in what Jesus is laying out in John 6 as being the bread of life. He is asking us to sit down with Him and partake of Him the daily bread of Him and His Word. 'Sit and dine with me,' He says. It's such a beautiful picture. We remember His sacrifice, and we in return sacrifice thank offerings and He shows His salvation, we say, I believe your body was broken for me, and by your stripes you healed the sickness of sin in my body, and gave me a new life. Thank you! Over and over we are commanded in scripture, "Give thanks!" We see people giving thanks. Daniel in the Lions den prayed 3 times a days with a thankful heart! He was saved, the mouths of the lions shut! Wow! Powerful. When we offer thanks we magnify Him, thus making our hearts believe that our God can do anything. Nothing is impossible.
How many times a day are you offering thanks to God? What will you do with Jesus? Do you believe? Has your faith made you well? I pray for you. God bless you as you seek Him. May you just not seek or want to learn for the sake of Him accomodating your life and good things. But that you would seek Him to save you, that you might offer Him thanks even in the den of many lions and circumstances. Go in peace little children of God. Rest your soul in Him. Believe Him.
Oh Father, what a Word you gave me! My heart just pounds. Make the truths of this go deep in our hearts. Thank you, over and over, I can't thank you enough. I praise you for all the mighty works of your hands. How you give beautiful gifts to your bride. How you leave love notes everywhere. Thank you for the faith you give each of us, for the work of the cross that saves us. That you let Jesus take on a human body. That is too much love to even comprehend. Help us follow your example in thanking the you over and over in the brokenness You sometimes give us. That we would be like Jesus, and offer thanks for the sacrifice. Though our bodies decline in health, and things don't go our way, may we count it a blessing somehow. We don't understand.
I love spending time with you. I love basking in your truths and finding out more about you. To go deeper in my belief in you, in my faith. I would ask that you keep revealing yourself to me. You keep my heart wanting more, yet you also satisfy. I give myself away over and over to you. My life isn't mine to hold onto. In the times that I miss you, call me back. I don't mean to have preconcieved ideas and wander. I thank you that you are my shepherd who hooks my neck when I stray too far. So many times we all want a sign. Is it really you, Lord? Help us trust your heart more. We don't need a sign, we need grateful hearts that you even look our way. If anything, may we show you more signs that we belong to you.
I love you so much, Father. May this word go out and not return void, that is your promise. Thankfully I pray to you. In Jesus name. Amen.
The book of John is my favorite Gospel. It's deeply theological, and one of the main themes is believing. The word believe is used close to 88 times. The Greek word for believe is pisteuo, and means to put ones faith in; to trust. This is our fourth and final part in this series of looking at the question, "What must I do?" Our passage today comes from John 6:22-58, and again I ask you to read this passage completely before reading on in this post. I want to express to you from my heart how excited I am about this post. I was up one morning till three o'clock pouring over this scripture and rejoicing in what God revealed to me in it. It was such an intimate time with Him, and it was one of those night's where I'm writing with one hand and the other up in the air praising Him. Oh my. My heart leaps and is so overwhelmed for the truth that comes from this and how beautiful my Jesus is. I pray you can feel my same emotion as you read this, and grasp the intimacy of not only my love for you, but Christ's love for you, and the relationship He so desires to have with you. Please don't miss the depth of this.
There is just one thing they lacked. The people had followed Jesus around, and had saw him perform miracles of all kinds. Who is this man? They wondered to themselves. Earnestly they seeked Him, and desired to be taught. But it was in the wrong spirit. They did not seek Him or long to learn from Him to be saved but rather they wanted Jesus to accommodate them. Jesus even said it in verse 26, "you seek me because I feed you." They didn't want Jesus, they wanted the things Jesus could give. But as we have already established in the last few posts, receiving Christ is just that. Him. Nothing more, He tells them time after time give your possessions away. They again were counting on some kind of good work to cut it, but they lacked one thing. The thing that make our "works" legitimate. Faith; belief. Truthfully, when it comes to works, the idea of doing something to merit salvation is one of the last that the sincere ever surrenders.
Again, we see the people turn back to a person they idolize, or who they think will save them. They turn their thoughts to Moses and how he gave 'manna from heaven.' Jesus corrected them and told them it was God the Father who gave the manna. He was saying essentially it was by faith...and truthfully a lot of grace that God gave them manna. It's funny, today we will read stories like this in the Bible and get a little puffed up...I do at least, and think 'I would never be that foolish as they Israelites were, especially when they saved up all that manna.' They saved up because they lacked faith. Manna was the gift from heaven, now Jesus is also the gift of heaven. Will you receive Him? Who is He? Faith and belief is fully plunging forward though we don't know. No explaination or sign needed.
The cause of unbelief is expecting God to show up in our own preconceived ideas, and way of understanding and thinking, and how we think we will identify Him then believe. Such was the case for the Jews, and they missed Jesus! Not just in this situations but in lots of others too. More so in this passage we read that they rejected Him! They were expecting a second Exodus. They thought that sign of the true Messiah would be to make it rain manna again. Oh, but it's so much more personal! Not just manna, where we go what is it? But giving Himself. Our Exodus is coming soon. Do you believe? When we believe we inherit eternal life, it isn't something you get when you die. We who are saved are already living the eternal life. We're a piece of heaven on earth! Don't ever forget that beloved child.
THE BREAD OF COMMUNION: GIVING THANKS
Our very saving is associated with our gratitude. Jesus counts giving thanks as integral in a faith that saves. All throughout the Gospels we see Jesus taking the bread, whether feeding 5,000 people or eating with his disciples, but before breaking the bread He gives thanks. Continuously He is seen as giving thanks for his body that was being broken for us. It is His joy and grace to give it to us. One of the most powerful I have recently learned about Jesus, it's so simple, yet so powerful. Jesus from the beginning of time was not embodied in human form. He took on human form when He came to earth, and it was His joy! Wow! I love that thought. What love the Father has lavished on us. We have the disease of sin, and just as any other sickness Jesus encountered He often told the people that their faith had made them well. True wellness, complete wholeness; salvation. The Greek word sozo. Consider this verse: "Those who sacrifice thank offerings honor me, and to the blameless I will show my salvation." -Psalm 50:23
When we partake in communion at church, we give thanks. We take his body which was broken for us and remember and give thanks. So it is in Salvation, in what Jesus is laying out in John 6 as being the bread of life. He is asking us to sit down with Him and partake of Him the daily bread of Him and His Word. 'Sit and dine with me,' He says. It's such a beautiful picture. We remember His sacrifice, and we in return sacrifice thank offerings and He shows His salvation, we say, I believe your body was broken for me, and by your stripes you healed the sickness of sin in my body, and gave me a new life. Thank you! Over and over we are commanded in scripture, "Give thanks!" We see people giving thanks. Daniel in the Lions den prayed 3 times a days with a thankful heart! He was saved, the mouths of the lions shut! Wow! Powerful. When we offer thanks we magnify Him, thus making our hearts believe that our God can do anything. Nothing is impossible.
How many times a day are you offering thanks to God? What will you do with Jesus? Do you believe? Has your faith made you well? I pray for you. God bless you as you seek Him. May you just not seek or want to learn for the sake of Him accomodating your life and good things. But that you would seek Him to save you, that you might offer Him thanks even in the den of many lions and circumstances. Go in peace little children of God. Rest your soul in Him. Believe Him.
Oh Father, what a Word you gave me! My heart just pounds. Make the truths of this go deep in our hearts. Thank you, over and over, I can't thank you enough. I praise you for all the mighty works of your hands. How you give beautiful gifts to your bride. How you leave love notes everywhere. Thank you for the faith you give each of us, for the work of the cross that saves us. That you let Jesus take on a human body. That is too much love to even comprehend. Help us follow your example in thanking the you over and over in the brokenness You sometimes give us. That we would be like Jesus, and offer thanks for the sacrifice. Though our bodies decline in health, and things don't go our way, may we count it a blessing somehow. We don't understand.
I love spending time with you. I love basking in your truths and finding out more about you. To go deeper in my belief in you, in my faith. I would ask that you keep revealing yourself to me. You keep my heart wanting more, yet you also satisfy. I give myself away over and over to you. My life isn't mine to hold onto. In the times that I miss you, call me back. I don't mean to have preconcieved ideas and wander. I thank you that you are my shepherd who hooks my neck when I stray too far. So many times we all want a sign. Is it really you, Lord? Help us trust your heart more. We don't need a sign, we need grateful hearts that you even look our way. If anything, may we show you more signs that we belong to you.
I love you so much, Father. May this word go out and not return void, that is your promise. Thankfully I pray to you. In Jesus name. Amen.
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