Classic Christianity – Book of John Part 38 (06-26-19)
Bob George continues sharing from the gospel of John, starting at John 7:30. The main point Bob emphasized was that Jesus acted in love. He did not come to condemn but to save. He walked in love and is full of mercy and grace. His attitude is one of how to restore man. When you see someone in a sin, do you look down on them and tell them they deserve to be where they are or do you have pity and a longing in your heart for the person to be set free, to walk in new free freedom, to change their attitude toward sin.
After the humble, those wanting to do the will of God, seeing Jesus love, miracles and manner of life, had come to believe and put their faith in Jesus, the rulers of the age and the religious leaders became angry. How nonsensical and against all reason is that! Yet that is not unlike the religious leaders and rulers of this world today. The rulers of this world see such actions of Jesus as a threat to their earthly kingdom, and wanted to kill Jesus, all for the sake of keeping their power and position, which is here today and gone tomorrow. The religious leaders were too proud. They would ask, “How could this man know more than us, going against thousands of years of history, and our customs and traditions passed down from Moses?”
That is not unlike a person sharing truth with a Catholic, who responds in anger, accusing you of pride, claiming you are going against 2000 years of church history, that you know more than the Magisterium and the popes, who many are told are the authorities on truth, through an unbroken chain of oral tradition, passed down from Peter, whom they claim is the head of the church!
That is not unlike politicians today who silence the Christian who expose the truth that abortion is murder or who refuse to bake a cake to a gay couple, for how could they honor God by participating or remaining silent. The Christian speaks truth so as to save souls and lead them to Christ, out of deep love for them. Yet that love is not understood. Abortion and same sex marriage are clearly contrary to God’s order in creation and such behavior brings down society.
What about those politicians who want open borders to open up our country to all kinds of people, who do not consider any truth spoken revealing the dangers or harm of those they let in or even that they come in illegally at great cost to those who are citizens. What of the Muslim religion, those who call the Christian and Jew as an infidel, and who have two houses, the house of peace, meaning submission, and not the peace that God gives, and the house of Jihad, which will happen once they have the upper hand, to kill those who do not bow to Allah or pay a tax? Why do politicians label Christians with what they call hate speech, when the truth of Islam is made known, when the Christians do so to protect the ignorant and weak? Such politicians want to keep their position and power in re-election. Truth is the farthest thing from their mind. They are clever lawyers, changing the meaning of words, so as to deceive men. They pretend to care for the poor but have ulterior motives.
Be humble, like many in the crowd, whom Jesus spoke to and who put their trust in him. As Jesus conversed with Nicodemus, “Are you born again? Be like Nicodemus, even though highly religious, even a Pharisee, but was willing to hear words of truth from Jesus. Do you want to do the will of God? Do you have any sorrow over sin? Then a good start is to listen to truth from scriptures, from the man from heaven, Jesus. The word of God is like a seed that is sewn, and to those who have the right attitude, who turn from pride, and are willing to listen, then the Holy Spirit will be drawing you unto Himself until the point in time your eyes are opened and you believe and receive the gift of eternal life, God’s Holy Spirit placed in you. Then you can see clearly.
Let the seed of God’s word be sewn in your heart. Go and read the entire book of John for yourself. Test and see what is truth from God, asking Him to reveal truth to you. The first time you hear truth you may be like Nicodemus not understanding what born again means. But put yourself in a position to hear truth. Be aware that you might not understand something correctly, having been taught things that are not in accordance with truth from God. Do not let one thing you do not understand blind you to vitally important truth that can save your soul. In due time, God will guide you into all truth. Let the truth of God sink in. If you seek God with all your heart, He will reveal Himself to you. That is what happened to Amy’s father! In God’s great love and sovereignty, he answered the cry of his heart. God opened the way for him to come to America and hear truth, and he was bound in communist Russia! The first time he heard who Jesus is, of his great love, what love is, he believed and was saved!
John 7:30
30 At this they tried to seize him, but no one laid a hand on him, because his hour had not yet come.
After this, that angered them so much, that Jesus would be making a claim of knowing something they did not know. They have been through all the training, not realizing Jesus was the one who originated the training. That did not make any difference to them. They kept saying, “We have got all these laws down and this Jesus is claiming that he knows more than us and we do not even know where he is come”. But for some reason no one laid their hands on him. God would not allow it.
John 7:31
31 Still, many in the crowd believed in him. They said, “When the Messiah comes, will he perform more signs than this man?”
Yet there were many in the crowd who put their faith in him. They put their trust in him and believed. Why did they believe?? They wanted to know the will of God. When you want to know the will of God, you will find out that the teaching of the gospel is true.
John 7:17
Anyone who chooses to do the will of God will find out whether my teaching comes from God or whether I speak on my own.
Many put their faith in him. Why? They asked, “When Christ comes will he do more miraculous signs than this man?
In Jewish orthodoxy they believe the Messiah is going to come. They believe that. If you were ever to ask a rabbi, “Do you believe the Messiah is going to come?”, he would say yes. Then you ask him, “How are you going to know who he is when all the genealogy is gone? You do not have any genealogy to prove that point”. Then ask, “How many more miraculous signs, that you say he is going to come, than what Jesus did? How many more miracles will he have to do than Jesus did?” When you ask the rabbi, “What if the day comes when the Messiah shows up and he happens to be Jesus?” He looked at me, and said, “it would not surprise me one bit”. Wow! Willfully blind!
You have to tell yourself to either forget the Messiah or say that if he does come, how much more miracles will he do?
John 7:32-39
32 The Pharisees heard the crowd whispering such things about him. Then the chief priests and the Pharisees sent temple guards to arrest him.
Now they are going to take action!
John 7:33-34
33 Jesus said, “I am with you for only a short time, and then I am going to the one who sent me. 34 You will look for me, but you will not find me; and where I am, you cannot come.”
Do you think that after the resurrection of Christ Jesus that the Pharisees and Sadducee’s and all the Jewish leaders were trying to find Jesus? Do you think they were looking for him? The story is he was raised from the dead, so to disprove him, you have to find a body. How did he get out of the tomb and where is he?
John 7:35-36
35 The Jews said to one another, “Where does this man intend to go that we cannot find him? Will he go where our people live scattered among the Greeks, and teach the Greeks? 36 What did he mean when he said, ‘You will look for me, but you will not find me,’ and ‘Where I am, you cannot come’?”
They are thinking back in the natural realm. Where does this man intend to go? Teach the Greeks. What does he mean when he says, “you will look for me and not find me and where I am you cannot come.”
John 7:37-39
37 On the last and greatest day of the festival, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. 38 Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.” 39 By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified.
Jesus had said to his disciples that it is good for you I am going away. When I do go away, I will send the Holy Spirit to live in you and you are not going to see me on the face of earth as you once did.
John 16:7
But very truly I tell you, it is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you
The king is exiled and he lives in us. His church is people. We may belong to some organization but his church is made of only born again people. Only those who came to faith in Jesus by his death, burial and resurrection are members of his body.
1 Corinthians 15:1-4
1 Now, brothers and sisters, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. 2 By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain. 3 For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures,
He is going to live in you. He is not going to live beside you to help you to obey the law. He came to live his life in and through you. The life Jesus lives is a life of love. He obeyed the ten commandments by walking in love. He is coming to live inside you, not alongside, but inside you.
In the Old Testament, the Holy Spirit came alongside people for divine service, such as through the prophets or king David or king Saul. That is why you hear in the psalms of David, “Please do not take your Holy Spirit away from me!”
Psalm 51:11
Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me.
Would we pray that today? No. Prior to the cross, since Jesus did not take away the cause of death, which is sin, there was a temporary provision for sin. That is why God left the sins committed beforehand unpunished so that only together with us are they made perfect.
Romans 3:24-26
24 and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. 25 God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement,[propitiation] through the shedding of his blood—to be received by faith. He did this to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished— 26 he did it to demonstrate his righteousness at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.
The punishment for all sin was at the cross. That also means that when someone in the Old Testament sinned, the Holy Spirit could leave a person. There was no permanent indwelling of the Holy Spirit in the days of the Old Testament. The Holy spirit had not yet been given to indwell permanently in man until Jesus completed the work his Father assigned him to do for us.
Jesus is saying, “There is an event going to take place where I am going to send the Spirit to live in you.”
1 Corinthians 2:16
“Who has known the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?” But we have the mind of Christ.
2 Peter 1:4
Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.
It is a reality and a miracle that Jesus comes to indwell you and me! That is why our body is the temple of the Spirit of God.
1 Corinthians 6:19
Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own;
What do you do at the temple? Stand outside it or go in it? The Spirit of God is living in you, our only hope of glory. He comes to live in you and to indwell you forever. He does not oem to live along side you, as so many teach, but in you.
Colossians 1:26-27
He has kept this secret for centuries and generations past, but now at last it has pleased him to tell it to those who love him and live for him, and the riches and glory of his plan are for you Gentiles, too. And this is the secret: Christ in your hearts is your only hope of glory.
John 7:39
39 By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified.
Had the spirit at that time come along side? Yes. That is why the Spirit was not yet given. Had the Spirit at that time been given? No. To who will the Spirit be given? You and me and and any person currently living on the face of earth who puts their faith in Christ.
Why has the Spirit not living in people prior to the cross? Jesus had not yet been glorified. He has not yet risen from the dead and returned to his Father.
Acts 1:1-5
1 In my former book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and to teach 2 until the day he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen. 3 After his suffering, he presented himself to them and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God. 4 On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. 5 For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”
So when the Jews asked, “Where are you going where we could not go?”, in Acts we are given more information. They were given instruction to wait in Jerusalem for the gift they were promised to receive. What is the gift the Father promised? The gift is the Holy Spirit to indwell in the hearts of men.
After reading about the gift, “which you heard me speak about”, notice the transition word, “For”. There is a before and an after. Notice the contrast here.
Before the cross, John baptized with water. After the cross, and after the resurrection and ascension of Jesus to his Father, you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.
So there are two baptisms. When you see the word “but”, then there is a before and an after. Before Christ rose from the dead there was John’s baptism of water. But after there was a spiritual baptism. Why is it, that even today, as it was in their day, people are so caught up in the natural that they miss coming to Christ for life? John’s baptism is closely tied to the ceremonial washing of the Old Covenant system, and is a physical baptism of water to prepare men’s hearts to listen to the Messiah to come, who will explain everything. Now Jesus has explained everything. Again, man has tendency to get all hung up on the physical.There is a distinct spiritual birth, separate from water baptism, without which no one can enter the kingdom of heaven. This concept of being born again was what Jesus spoke to Nicodemus about. When one is spiritually baptized, then he is placed into the body of Christ. This concept of the body of Christ, with Jesus as the head, is explained in scriptures.
1 Corinthians 12:11-13
12 Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. 13 For we were all baptized by[a] one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.
There is only unity among people who are plugged into the head, which is Jesus Christ. What unity does righteousness and unrighteousness have? And if Christ is in you, then you have the righteousness of Christ imputed to you with the mind of Christ to discern the things of God. Otherwise, you remain unrighteous.
So when did the Holy Spirit first come to live inside men. In Acts 2, one reads about the day of Pentecost.
Acts 2:1-12
2 When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. 2 Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. 4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.
5 Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven. 6 When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard their own language being spoken. 7 Utterly amazed, they asked: “Aren’t all these who are speaking Galileans? 8 Then how is it that each of us hears them in our native language? 9 Parthians, Medes and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, 10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome 11 (both Jews and converts to Judaism); Cretans and Arabs—we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!” 12 Amazed and perplexed, they asked one another, “What does this mean?”
The Spirit of God came upon these men. In verse 7, we read, “Aren’t all these who are speaking Galileans? 8 Then how is it that each of us hears them in our native language?” So what can one discern from reading these scriptures. A tongue is a language like German or French today. The Apostles were speaking in their native tongue, their own language of Galilee. Each person heard them speaking in their own language while the Apostles were speaking only in their own language. Tongue has never meant anything else but a language. In many churches today, the incorrect teaching is to get a second blessing, a second Spirit other than one received when you were born again. When one is born again today, the Holy spirit takes residence in you immediately, and you have every spiritual blessing in Christ.
Ephesians 1:3
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.
Now, in this time of transition, when the Holy Spirit was first given at Pentecost, just 10 days earlier all the disciples were fearful like cowards behind closed doors. What happened to Peter from being scared in a room to speaking boldly to a large crowd of 3000 people? For now he is spoken boldly even proclaiming that the Jews crucified the Lord of glory. The apostles were not babbling, but teaching truth to people, the gospel message.
Acts 2:8-14
8 Then how is it that each of us hears them in our native language? 9 Parthians, Medes and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia,] 10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome 11 (both Jews and converts to Judaism); Cretans and Arabs—we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!” 12 Amazed and perplexed, they asked one another, “What does this mean?”
They were preaching the gospel in foreign lands, and people were hearing the message in their native tongue. That is the miracle. What people should be excited about is the preaching of the gospel! There were 3000 people were added to the church that day, not to the local synagogue, that is not the church being referred to here, but new members of the body of Christ, born again with the Spirit of God. Peter was indwelt by the Holy Spirit, speaking the very words the Holy Spirit wanted him to speak. It was the Holy Spirit speaking through him the message of the gospel. Tongues was for communicating truth, an evangelistic gift to go into foreign lands,to fulfill prophecy of the gospel going to the Gentiles and to the ends of the earth.
13 Some, however, made fun of them and said, “They have had too much wine.”
Peter Addresses the Crowd
14 Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice and addressed the crowd: “Fellow Jews and all of you who live in Jerusalem, let me explain this to you; listen carefully to what I say. 15 These people are not drunk, as you suppose. It’s only nine in the morning!
What role does the Spirit of God have in your salvation? Was it to forgive sins? No. Jesus death accomplished that. The Holy Spirit was to give life to man, and would not have been given if Jesus had not raised, and would not have been given if Jesus did not return to His Father. The Holy spirit living in you is what saves you. He is the giver of life, God’s life, the very Spirit of Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit is the same Spirit living in Jesus, who only did what he saw His Father doing, who told him what to say and how to say it.
Was anybody regenerated prior to this gift of the Holy Spirit? Until Jesus completed the work he came to do, to die on a cross to take away the sins of the world in order that he would be raised to new life so that he can offer that same Holy Spirit life, that always was and always will be in him, to all who but put their faith in him. That faith in Him is in His work for us, not deeds of the law, but His gift of righteousness given to us.
Ponder over the meaning of this scripture, in reference to those who lived during the Old Testament and regarded as men of faith who believed in the coming Messiah, to discern what the Lord is saying. If you have the Spirit of God in you, then God will reveal to you what this means.
Hebrews 11:39-40
39 These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised, 40 since God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect.
Now continuing on in John 7, starting in verse 40 to the end of the chapter, we have various people divided over who Jesus is. Some say he is a prophet. Others say he is the Messiah. Other doubted because they had read scripture but had not understood all of scripture that had to be fulfilled concerning Jesus, they so focused on the one thing they did not understand and failed to just think about the miracles Jesus performed. The miracles that Jesus performed was enough for Nicodemus to seek the will of God out and meet Jesus at night, and he was a Pharisee! For Nicodemus had said in his heart that no man can do what he is doing unless God were with him.
Nicodemus even challenged the other Pharisees who were making charges against Jesus without even a trial, presuming him guilty before hearing him out. Nicodemus understood that a man is assumed innocent until proven guilty but there is nothing that can be found against Jesus. The Jews logic was on various scriptures concerning the lineage of Christ through the line of David. They knew that Jesus would come from the line of David and did not understand how Jesus would come from Galilee. Nor did they realize Jesus was born in Bethlehem in fulfillment of prophecy. They knew something about prophecy but did not make the connection that Jesus actually fulfilled prophecy.
John 7:42-43
Still others asked, “How can the Messiah come from Galilee? 42 Does not Scripture say that the Messiah will come from David’s descendants and from Bethlehem, the town where David lived?” 43 Thus the people were divided because of Jesus. 44 Some wanted to seize him, but no one laid a hand on him.
Yet the Old Testament prophets spoke concerning the coming Messiah, where he was to be born, where he was to go, and even about his death, burial and resurrection.
Micah 5:2
“But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah,
though you are small among the clans[a] of Judah,
out of you will come for me
one who will be ruler over Israel,
whose origins are from of old,
from ancient times.”
Isaiah 9:1
Nevertheless, there will be no more gloom for those who were in distress. In the past he humbled the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the future he will honor Galilee of the nations, by the Way of the Sea, beyond the Jordan—
So according to the prophets in the Old Testament, Jesus would be born in Bethlehem and would start his public ministry in Galilee. Indeed, if one were to look into scriptures more closely, his death, burial and resurrection were all prophesied by the prophets. Check out these prophecies (https://www.jesusfilm.org/blog-and-stories/old-testament-prophecies.html).
So they doubted he was the Messiah because of not knowing the scriptures fully or lack of knowledge of Jesus lineage and instead made false assumptions. Even the Pharisees tried to poison the others concerning Jesus and they too replied to Nicodemus that a prophet does not come out of Galilee.
John 7:50-52 (TLB)
50 Then Nicodemus spoke up. (Remember him? He was the Jewish leader who came secretly to interview Jesus.) 51 “Is it legal to convict a man before he is even tried?” he asked. They replied, “Are you from Galilee, too? Look into it, and you will find that a prophet does not come out of Galilee.”
They failed to understand that Jesus was born in Bethlehem and later in life started his public ministry in Galilee. They assumed he was born in Galilee and did not know he was born in Bethlehem, thus failing to understand Jesus to be of the royal line of David. The attitude of the Pharisees is not unlike many wicked politicians today. They never answered Nicodemus question but instead did name-calling and re-focused attention not on the question but false charges.
The question the Pharisees asked is not unlike a lawyer who would say to someone on trial, “So when have you stopped beating your wife?” and insisting on only a yes or no answer so as to incriminate you no matter how you answered. That is the same kind of trap they tried to set for Jesus in regards to the woman caught in adultery. So how did they know she committed adultery? Did they set the whole scenario up so as to trap Jesus? The whole account in scripture is in John 8:1-11.
Bob made a point to mention that not all manuscripts contain John 7:53 to John 8:1-11. You may see a footnote in your bible stating this. Notice that Apostle Paul did not use the King James bible. The original bible was in Hebrew and came by meticulous copying by Jewish scribes. If there was just one letter missing, they destroyed the entire scroll and started all over. They had a high regard for preserving the word of God. Consider the fact that the scribes saw the power of God, the parting of the Red Sea and all sorts of dealings of God with the Jews throughout history. For God Himself was at work to preserve His word. The dead sea scrolls were fond in recent history, he earliest dated copy of the scriptures. So is the older better, or the many better? In virtually all translations today there is nothing different in regards to salvation. So why are these certain passages missing in certain passages. In certain manuscripts found, they were not written down. In later ones, they were. A Jewish scribe still wrote down these things at a certain time even though the earlier ones did not have them. Does that make it not inspired? No. Do they change any significant doctrine or meaning of God’s word or do they provide greater clarity into the walk of Jesus Christ and his manner of love? I say they provide better clarity or amplification on the life of Christ and into the mindset of the religious Pharisees.
The main point Bob emphasized was that Jesus acted in love. He did not come to condemn but to save. He walked in love and is full of mercy and grace. His attitude is one of how to restore man. When you see someone in a sin, do you look down on them and tell them they deserve to be where they are or do you have pity and a longing in your heart for the person to be set free, to walk in new free freedom, to change their attitude toward sin. Bob says he has no greater joy than to see someone who is on verge of divorce be restored in their marriage. No matter what the other person has done, would it not be better if the person confesses their adultery and shows genuine godly sorrow. Would it not be wonderful to see the spouse totally forgive and welcome back the partner in marriage, knowing the person has cut all ties with the other person with evidence of clearing himself.
Notice also the attitude of the Pharisees even wanting to put Jesus to death, and bothered by the fact the Temple police did not arrest Jesus. Yet the Temple police responded that they never heard anyone speak like this man.
John 7:45
45 Finally the temple guards went back to the chief priests and the Pharisees, who asked them, “Why didn’t you bring him in?”
Bob shared a story concerning the father of his wife Amy. He was born in Russia under communism. This little guy, born an orphan, broken his leg as a little child. Raised on his own, put his way into law school. Yet, communists see those with knowledge as a threat, and falsely charge people with a crime against the state. This could very well happen in America in the future. So Amy’s father was taken to Germany and put in a slave labor camp. Amy thought he was dead. No one has heard from him in 40 years. Later he made it into America and visited his wife, Amy’s mom and Bob and Amy. So when Bob heard his wife tell this story, immediately Bob thought of John 7:46.
John 7:46
46 “No one ever spoke the way this man does,” the guards replied.
Bob was saying that Amy’s father never heard words of love before, an orphan and raised under communist Russia and in a slave labor camp! Bob recalls the conversation with Amy, as she would read scripture to him, “Little daughter, where did you hear these words? From Jesus. Who is Jesus? No one ever spoke to me this way. In Russia, they throw rocks at you. But here they throw flowers at you.”
So Amy’ Father’s heart was ready to hear, and in God’s sovereignty, he made a way for him to hear the truth to be saved, and he gladly received it.
I contrast, the Pharisees and religion leaders of the day were so hardened to truth. The Temple police were hearing words of love from Jesus, so how could they arrest him? That goes against all logic and reason.
Yet, the Pharisees were like the Communists. The Pharisees are also not unlike many politicians today and rulers of this world or even religious leaders. What politicians do not care about truth but only about power and position and see any teaching of truth as a threat to them. What religious leaders insist one must be water baptized and only in their church in order to be saved? What religious leaders insist one must participate in a mass in order to have your sins forgiven? What religious leader insists you must believe in Calvinism or Arminianism? In history, one reads about Calvinists persecuting the Armenians? Or Catholics burning people on a stake for refusing to believe that the Eucharist (God in a wafer or loaf of bread) is not necessary for salvation? Is that the way of love? God forbid! What religious people will accuse you today of going against 2000 years of church history?
John 7:47-49
47 “You mean he has deceived you also?” the Pharisees retorted. 48 “Have any of the rulers or of the Pharisees believed in him? 49 No! But this mob that knows nothing of the law—there is a curse on them.”
Have any religious leaders or theologians told you this? So the Pharisees said in their heart, who is this man who dares think he knows more than us? We were trained under Moses and who is this man to tear down all the ways of Moses? So do we base truth from what we hear from men or from every word that proceeds from the mouth of God, words that are spiritually discerned by the spirit that has been given to you? As Jesus conversed with Nicodemus, “Are you born again? Are you like Nicodemus, even though highly religious, was willing to hear words of truth from Jesus? Do you want to do the will of God? Do you have any sorrow over sin? Then a good start is to listen to truth from scriptures, from the man from heaven. The word of God is like a seed that is sewn, and to those who have the right attitude, who turn from pride, and are willing to listen, then the Holy Spirit will be drawing you unto Himself until the point in time your eyes are opened and you believe and receive the gift of eternal life, God’s Holy Spirit to be placed in you. Then you can see clearly. Let the seed of God’s word be sewn in your heart. Go and read the entire of John for yourself. Test and see what is truth from God, asking Him to reveal truth to you. The first time you hear truth you may be like Nicodemus not understanding what born again means. But put yourself in a position to hear truth. Be aware that you might not understand something correctly, having been taught things that are not in accordance with truth from God. Do not let one thing you do not understand blind you to vitally important truth that can save your soul. In due time, God will guide you into all truth. Let the truth of God sink in. If you seek God with all your heart, He will reveal Himself to you.
