SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 8/5/2016 8:32 AM
My Worship Time Focus:
A Ministry Marked by Compliance to the Father
Bible Reading &
Meditation Reference: John 10:17-18
Message of the verses: “17 “For this reason the Father loves Me,
because I lay down My life so that I may take it again. 18 “No one has taken it
away from Me, but I lay it down on My own initiative. I have authority to lay
it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This commandment I received
from My Father.’”
We
mentioned in an earlier SD that the Father loves the Son, and even mentioned
this verse, so we can say as we look at these two verses that we see two
attitudes that define the relationship between the incarnate Son of God and the
Father, and those are love and obedience.
It is impossible to love God and not obey Him, and Jesus Christ came to
earth to obey the Father which He did perfectly. Of course there are applications for us as
believers and they are to show our love for our Lord Jesus Christ by obeying
the commands that He has given to us to follow.
Jesus said “If you love me you will keep my commandments,” so love and
obedience are what we are to do in our relationship to our Lord Jesus
Christ. Let us look at a few verses and
then comment on them afterwards: “John
15:9 “"Just as the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you; abide in My
love.” 1 John 2:3-5 “3 By this we know
that we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments. 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:” 1 John 5:3 “For this is the
love of God, that we keep His commandments; and His commandments are not
burdensome.” These verses show us that it
is impossible to love God and not obey Him.
Another
thing we learn in this section is that the Father loves the Son because He laid
down His life for the sheep, and we know that the Father chose the sheep before
time began, and it was a part of the plan of sending Jesus Christ to the earth,
that is to die for His sheep. The sheep
that the Father chose, and the sheep, that the Son died for are the same, and
they will be given to the Son by the Father as His bride, something we learned
when we looked at the later chapters of the book of Revelation last year. We will now look at Philippians 2:8 which show
us that the Son demonstrated His love to the Father by “humbled Himself by
becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.” MacArthur writes “He did so voluntarily; no
one took His life away from Him, but He laid it down on His own
initiative. At His trial Jesus told
Pilate, who would order His execution, ‘You would have no authority over Me,
unless it had been given you from above’ (John 19:11; cf. Matt. 26:53-54). The Lord’s twice-repeated declaration that He
would take His life up again points forward to His resurrection—the ultimate
demonstration of His messiahship and deity (Rom. 1:4). As with everything He did, Christ exercised
His authority to lay down His life and take it up again in voluntary compliance
with and loving obedience to the commandment He received from the Father. By the power of His resurrection, He would
raise all His flock to eternal glory (John 6:39-40, 44).”
Spiritual meaning for my life today: Once again on keeping with the theme of
looking forward to partaking of Communion this upcoming Sunday evening I can
see in these verses what Jesus Christ did on the cross for me, and this is
something that I could never do for myself.
My Steps of Faith for
Today: Reflect on what Jesus did for
me on the cross to pay for my sins and to give me eternal life. I also want to remember that He will come in
the clouds to receive me unto Himself some time soon.
Memory verses for the week:
(Romans 6:5-6) “5 For if we have become united with Him in the likeness
of His death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection; 6
knowing this that our old self was crucified with Him in order that our body of
sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin;”
Answer to yesterday’s Bible question: “Timothy” (Acts 16:1-3).
Today’s Bible question:
“What is the name of the Greek translation of the Old Testament made in
Alexandria between 250 and 150 B. C.?”
Answer in our next SD.
8/5/2016 9:07 AM
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