SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 6/14/2016 12:22 PM
My Worship Time Focus:
Continuing in the Word
Bible Reading &
Meditation Reference: John 8:31b
Message of the verse: “"If you continue in My word, then you
are truly disciples of Mine;”
As we look
at our verse I want to quote what John MacArthur writes about the word “are.” The present tense of the verb eimi (are) suggests that Jesus was not
telling them the requirements for becoming a disciple; He did not say, ‘If you
continue in My word you will become My
genuine disciples.’ Instead, He declared
that the nature of true discipleship consists of continued obedience to His
Word. Scripture repeatedly affirms that
only those who obey Christ are truly His disciples.”
Let us first of all look at some
verses that show us that true believers will continue to obey the Lord and His
Word. “"For whoever does the will
of My Father who is in heaven, he is My brother and sister and mother’ (Matt.
12:50).” “"If you love Me, you will
keep My commandments (John 14:15).” “21 "He who has My commandments and keeps
them is the one who loves Me; and he who loves Me will be loved by My Father,
and I will love him and will disclose Myself to him." 23 Jesus answered and said to him, "If
anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will
come to him and make Our abode with him. 24 “He who does not love Me does not keep My words;
and the word which you hear is not Mine, but the Father’s who sent Me (John
14:21, 23-24).” "If you keep My
commandments, you will abide in My love; just as I have kept My Father’s commandments
and abide in His love (John 15:10).” “4 The one who says, "I have come to know
Him," and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not
in him; 5 but whoever keeps His word, in
him the love of God has truly been perfected. By this we know that we are in
Him: 6 the one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same
manner as He walked.” 24 The one who keeps
His commandments abides in Him, and He in him. (1 John 3:24a).” “ For
this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments; and His commandments
are not burdensome (1 John 5:3).”
I have heard people in the past say that they
have accepted Jesus Christ as their Savior, but later on they accepted Him as
their Lord. This cannot be for a true believer
will always accept the Lordship of the Lord Jesus Christ. What they may have been thinking was that
they just figured out that He was their Lord and so they began to obey Him. MacArthur writes “Surrender to Jesus’
lordship is not an addendum to the biblical terms of salvation; the summons to
submission is at the heart of the gospel invitation throughout Scripture. It is not possible to be saved without
confessing Christ as Lord, and giving willing obedience to His lordship.”
MacArthur
adds the following on the word disciple “Disciples translates the plural form
of the noun mathetes. The word primarily refers to a learner, one
who adheres to the teaching of the spiritual leader.” “"Take My yoke upon you and learn from
Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and YOU WILL FIND REST FOR YOUR SOULS’
(Matthew 11:29).” I think that sometimes
we confuse the difference between the word disciple and apostle, as there were
only a certain number of the apostles of Jesus Christ, while there were many
disciples. MacArthur adds “True
disciples are Word oriented. They
recognize that it is ‘the word of His grace, which is able to build [them] up’
(Acts 20:32). They understand the importance of being ‘doers’ of the word, and
not merely hearers who delude themselves’ (James 1:22). True believers are ‘like newborn babies,
long[ing] for the pure mild of the word, so that by it [they] may grow in
respect to salvation’ (1 Peter 2:2.).”
So as we
look at verse 31 in total we begin to realize that there is a difference between
those who claim to have believed in Jesus as stated in verse 30 with those who
are true believers. As we continue our
journey through chapter eight we will see that those who said they believed in
Jesus really were not true believers.
Spiritual meaning for my life today: My prayer is that the Lord may bring people
into my life who think they are true believers but are not and willing to
listen to the true message of the gospel.
My Steps of Faith for
Today: “always being ready to make a
defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in
you, yet with gentleness and reverence;”
Memory verses for the week:
(2 Cor. 12:7-10) “7. Because of the surpassing greatness of the
revelations, for this reason, to keep me from exalting myself, there was given
me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to torment me-to keep me from
exalting myself. 8. Concerning this I implored the Lord three
times that it might leave me. 9. And He said, ‘My grace is sufficient for you,
for power is perfected in weakness,’ most gladly, therefore, I will rather
boast about my weakness, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. 10. Therefore I am well content with
weakness, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions with difficulties
for Christ’s sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong.”
Answer to yesterday’s Bible question: “John the Baptist” (Mark 6:18).
Today’s Bible question:
“Elisha caused the waters of what river to be parted?”
Answer in our next SD.
6/14/2016 1:07 PM
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