JESUS SPEAKING
“He who believes in me, believes not in me, but in Him who sent me. And him who sees me sees Him who sent me. I have come as a light into the world, that whoever abides in me, should not abide in darkness. And if anyone hears My words and does not believe, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world. He who rejects me, and does not receive my words, has that which judges him—the word that I have spoken will judge him in the last day. For I have not spoken on my own authority; but the Father who sent me gave me a command, what I should say, and what I should speak. And I know that his command is everlasting life. Therefore, whatever I speak, just as the Father has told me, so I speak” (John 12: 44-50.)
INSPIRED THOUGHTS
Jesus is making himself equal to God in this particular passage. Many people had been placing their faith in God, and here he saying, ‘put your faith in me, and you will be putting your faith in God.’ Man was made in the image of God, implying that God has a shape, and here Jesus is confessing to be that shape. Seeing Jesus is seeing God.
Every human being is already under judgment and condemnation. Most people don’t realize that even a little sin causes a person to be separated from God, and everyone sins. Jesus says, “For I did not come to judge the world but to save the world.” He doesn’t need to condemn and judge those who are already condemned. His purpose is to present every person with a way to avoid the judgment of God. That way, is too believe and have faith in Jesus Christ and to abide in him. Anyone who rejects the provision that God has made is judged rightly and has no excuse for the wrath that remains on them. This is why Jesus says, “The word that I have spoken will judge him in the last day.” When we all stand before God those who have rejected Gods plan, and God’s son, and the message of Jesus Christ will stand condemned by their own free will. The word ‘abide’ is used to refer to ‘physical location’ in other portions of scripture, and it is used in similar fashion by Jesus here. When someone goes home for the night to sleep, they abide in their home. When a person puts their money in the bank, that money abides in the bank. When we put our lives in Jesus we abide in him. He lives within us, and we live within him.
To illustrate what it means to ‘abide’ in Christ, let’s imagine Noah and his family. A man builds a boat in the middle of nowhere; in a place where there is no water. The people who lived around him at that time were so wicked, perversion was common public practice. Noah knew of the impending destruction, but no one outside of that boat knew they were doomed, and none recognized their own sin, and need for repentance. Noah’s boat was a vessel, and when the rain came, Noah and his family did ‘abide’ in that boat. They entered and shut the door, and as the world died Noah’s family lived because his boat was able to protect them from the destruction of the flood. Had Noah decided to not enter the ark, he and his family would have been destroyed. God provided this boat for Noah, just as He has provided Jesus Christ for us. When we place our hope, our faith, and our trust in Jesus Christ we are entering God’s sanctuary; we are entering God’s protection from the coming storm (judgment.) To abide in him is to live inside of his promise, and to dwell within his commands.
Today, we can place our lives, our hope, and our faith in Him. When destruction comes, anyone who has believed, and has placed their hope in him will avoid destruction and inherit eternal life. He has told us, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” Do we truly believe that today? Do we look to the cross when things get difficult? Are we resting in the promises of God? Are we living for a time that has not yet come? Are we living a life that resembles someone who lives in Jesus Christ? If yes, continue on; if no, pray to him and ask Him to help you to have faith, and he will answer you, and your life will never be the same.
“Lord Heavenly Father, we ask and pray that You would help us to abide in You. Please assist us in giving ourselves completely over to You and to Your Son. Help us to look to Your Son and to have faith in him, and to believe in all that he has told us. Help us Lord, to live by faith, and to walk in faith, and to rest in You. We love You Father, we praise You, and we thank You, and we ask and pray all of these things in Jesus Christ’s name. Amen.” God bless all of you.
Jesus Speaks 