SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 12/22/2016 11:03 AM
My Worship Time Focus:
The Friends of Jesus Obey Him
Bible Reading &
Meditation Reference: John 15:14
Message of the verses: 14 “You are My friends if you do what I command
you.”
I want to
point out a verse in 1 Samuel that will help us understand what Jesus is saying
to His disciples: “Samuel said,
"Has the LORD as much delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices As in
obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, And to
heed than the fat of rams (1 Samuel 15:22).”
We can learn from this verse that the essence of sin is rebellion and
that rebellion is against God’s Law.
Samuel went on to tell Saul in verse 23: “"For rebellion is as the sin of
divination, and
insubordination is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected
the word of the LORD, He has also rejected you from being king."” John writes in 1 John 3:4 “Everyone who
practices sin also practices lawlessness; and sin is lawlessness.”
Now we look
at this from the positive way as we know now that all sin is rebellion against
God so when we turn from our sin this necessarily implies that we are obeying
God. MacArthur writes “A person cannot
submit to God while at the same time openly rebelling against Him; the same
life cannot be characterized both by lawlessness and obedience (1 John 3:6;
5:18). Thus obedience and faith are
closely linked throughout Scripture.
Conversion takes place when those who ‘were slaves of sin’ become ‘obedient
from the heart’ (Rom. 6:17). Acts 6:7
describes the salvation of ‘a great many of the priests’ as their ‘becoming
obedient to the faith.’” People who do
not obey the gospel are the ones who will not go to heaven, but will spend
eternity in hell. I am reading a book on
the parables of Jesus and last night I was trying to finish up the chapter that
speaks of the parable that speaks of Lazarus and the rich man. The parable shows that there is a hell for
one thing and it shows that once a person dies and enters hell that there is no
return, and also that there is no rehabilitation in hell, people stay the same
forever. You can tell from this parable
that the rich man stayed the same as he asked “father Abraham” to have Lazarus
come to him to give him some cold water, he still thought of Lazarus as being
lower than he was, and yet Lazarus was actually in a higher position than the
rich man.
Now a
person is saved by realizing that he is a sinner and in need of a Savior who
has paid for his sins, and after this person becomes a believer he wants to
obey the commands of Jesus. So we see that
faith and obedience go together. When we
go through the people spoken about in Hebrews chapter eleven we see that faith
and obedience went together in what they were doing for the cause of
Christ. John MacArthur writes “So
closely is obedience related to saving faith that Hebrews 5:9 uses it as a synonym
for faith: ‘Having been made perfect, [Jesus}
became to all those who obey Him the source of eternal salvation.’
John
MacArthur quotes W. E. Vine who points out another link between faith and
obedience: Peitho (to obey) and pisteuo ‘to
trust,’ are closely related etymologically;
the difference in meaning is that the former implies the obedience that is
produced by the latter, cp. Heb. 3:18, 19, where the disobedience of the
Israelites is said to be the evidence of their unbelief…When a man obeys God he
gives the only possible evidence that in his heart he believes God…Peitho in N.T. suggests an actual and
outward result of the inward persuasion of consequent faith.” “Etymologically” “the study of the origin of words and the way in which
their meanings have changed throughout history.”
Now we realize that obedience cannot save a person for this is what the
Pharisees believed and were proud of the way that they obeyed the Law, but
obedience comes after we are saved. Paul
writes the following “8 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and
that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9 not as a result of works, so that no one may
boast. 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God
prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them (Eph. 2:8-10).” Notice that the good works, obedience comes
after being saved.
John
MacArthur concludes “The branches that abide in Christ, the true vine, will
inevitably bear fruit. His sheep hear
His voice and follow Him (John 10:27); true disciples obey His Word (John
8:31). Good works save no one, but a faith
devoid of them is dead and cannot save (James 2:14; cf. Eph. 2:10).”
Spiritual meaning for my life today: Obedience to the Lord produces fruit for the
Lord as we have seen, and it is my desire, as the desire of all true believers
to produce fruit through the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit in order to
bring glory to the Lord.
My Steps of Faith for Today: Trust the Lord to show me the things that He
wants us to do this day that will bring glory to His name.
Memory verses for the week: (Romans 6:8-9) “8 Now if we died with Christ,
we believe that we shall also live with Him, 9 knowing that Christ, having been
raised from the dead, is never to die again; death no longer is master over
Him.”
Answer to yesterday’s Bible question: “Apostle’s doctrine, fellowship, breaking of
bread, prayer” (Acts 2:42).
Today’s Bible question: “Who did Jesus meet at Jacob’s well?”
Answer in our next SD.
12/22/2016 12:20 PM
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