SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 1/31/2017
1:19 PM
My Worship Time Focus: PT-2 “Love”
Bible Reading & Meditation Reference: John
16:25-27A
Message of the
verses: “25 “These things I have
spoken to you in figurative language; an hour is coming when I will no longer
speak to you in figurative language, but will tell you plainly of the Father. 26
“In that day you will ask in My name, and I do not say to you that I will
request of the Father on your behalf; 27 for the Father Himself loves you,
because you have loved Me”
We know from the “focus” part of this SD that it is
about “love” but we did not get that far yesterday as we talked about “figurative
language” in most of that SD and hopefully we will get to “love” in this SD.
Jesus told His disciples that an hour is coming when He
would no longer speak to them in “figurative language.” The disciples before the cross could not understand
the figurative language that Jesus was talking to them as we gave some
examples, but only a few, as there are many more in the gospels that we could
have included, but really did not need to.
Now we have also spoken about what it means when Jesus uses the word “hour”
as it could mean different amounts of time, and this time He is speaking about
Pentecost when the Spirit of God would come upon the disciples enabling them to
understand the figurative language that Jesus had used when He was with them,
and so this would enable them to tell others as Peter did on that day. One of the things that the disciples would
better understand was Jesus’ relationship with the Father.
Now we come to a somewhat difficult portion in this
section which is the last part of this section including verse 26-27a. John MacArthur writes “That statement
clarifies what it means to pray in Jesus’ name (cf. the expositions of
14:13-14; 15:16; and 16:23-24” we looked at these in earlier SD’s.) “It does
not mean that believers ask Jesus to ‘request of the Father on’ their ‘behalf,’
as though the Father were indifferent to their requests. If that were all that praying in the name of
Jesus meant, it would be an inestimable privilege. But the full privilege believers have is that
of making their requests directly to the Father consistent with the will of the
Son. They have that privilege because ‘the
Father Himself loves’ them, ‘because’ they ‘have loved’ Christ—love that they
demonstrate through their obedience to Him (John 3:36; 14:21, 23; Heb. 5L; James 2:14-26; 1
Peter 1:1-2.”
Now there is a portion from MacArthur’s commentary, which
I follow that speaks of a horrendous falsehood of the Roman Catholic church
that they believe that God is indifferent and harsh, and so they have to go
through Mary whom they believe is God also.
Now I have been thinking about their belief that Mary is also God and I realize
that there are many places in the Word of God to prove that this is false I
began to think that because the virgin birth had to between the Holy Spirit and
a woman in order for Jesus to qualify to die for our sins, so this would rule
this out if Mary was God which is what they believe. It does no good to believe that you can use
Mary as an intercessor to get to God, as we see in this and other passages that
since the death of Jesus Christ true believers can go directly to the Father in
prayer.
“14 Therefore, since we have a great
high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us
hold fast our confession. 15 For we do not have a high priest who cannot
sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as
we are, yet without sin. 16 Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the
throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of
need (Heb. 4:14-16).”
“19 Therefore, brethren, since we
have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus, 20 by a new and living way which He inaugurated
for us through the veil, that is, His flesh, 21 and since we have a great
priest over the house of God, 22 let us
draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts
sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water (Heb.
10:19-22).”
Now we have mentioned that the tearing of the veil which
was in front of the Holy of Holies was ripped from top to bottom once Jesus had
completed His payment for sin and died on the cross. This was a very thick veil and for it to tear
from top to bottom was something that God did to show those who are believers that
they can come to the presence of God in order to pray to Him.
There is another reason that we can do this and that
comes from the biblical doctrine of the priesthood of believers”
“9 But you are a chosen race, a royal
priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may
proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his
marvelous light (1 Peter 2:9 ESV).”
“6 and He has made us to be
a kingdom, priests to His God and Father-to Him be the glory and the dominion
forever and ever. Amen (Rev. 1:6).”
God’s motive for allowing believer’s access to Him is
that He loves them. Now I mentioned we
are going to talk about the Greek word for “love” used here. John MacArthur writes:
“Loves translates a form of the verb
phileo. Which is the love of deep,
caring affection. It is the love of
emotion, which is consistent with agapao,
which is the love of the will. Phileo describes the love of parents for
their children and children for their parents (Matt. 10:37) and of friends for
each other (John 11:3, 36). God loves (agapao) sinners (John 3:16), but
expresses a special, fatherly affection (phileo)
for His children—so much so that He sent His Son to die as the sacrifice for
their sins (Rom. 5:8; 1 John 4:9-10).
Because of that they can boldly and fearlessly enter His presence in
complete confidence, as children for whom He cares deeply (cf. Rom. 8:15; Gal.
4:6).”
With this said I can understand why the Holy Spirit had
John use phileo as His choice of words for love in this section and it does
mean much to me.
Spiritual meaning
for my life today: Knowing that I
can go to the Father with my requests and petitions because He is described as
ABA-FATHER, meaning daddy or papa makes me ready to go and talk to Him.
My Steps of Faith for Today: I want to remember this truth when I go to
the Father in prayer and saying to Him that I am coming to You because Jesus
instructed me to do so.
Answer to yesterday’s Bible
question: “Pharaoh’s daughter” (Heb.
11:24).
Today’s Bible question: “What event is described as ‘Jesus coming to
take His church, composed of saints of both dead and living, out of this world’?”
Answer in our next SD.
1/31/2017 2:02 PM
No comments:
Post a Comment