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by Sandy Shaw
We are reading and have been reading about the consequences of rejecting the truth of God. It was serious then, and it is equally as serious today. What happens to people who reject Jesus and His Word?
We are in John Chapter 8 and we come to verse 21, where we have these words of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, “You shall die in your sins, and you cannot come where I am going!” Now, that is strong, and to many people it may appear and sound shocking, but it happens to be true.
To go where Jesus is we must believe He is who he claims to be, and have faith and be faithful to the end, and when we have faith, that faith and faithfulness will be revealed by our discipleship and obedience.
Verse 24 is another devastating statement. The wrong kind of faith can be eternally fatal.
If you just believe something about Me, but do not believe that I am who I say I am, the consequences are eternal separation.
We are to go all the way. Do not just believe a little, but believe and obey the lot.
Think of John, this mature experienced disciple who had walked and talked with Jesus Christ, saying all this to the people in Ephesus. As he recounts this record of the life and ministry of Jesus Christ, he is encouraging these people, that if they believe a little, then this is the time to go further and further until they believe as much as there is to believe. For us, that is the entire Book.
Verse 25. They are still asking questions. “Who are you?” And many wonder that today. Jesus more or less repeated himself but they could not understand what God was doing and what God was saying.
Verse 28. One day you will lift Me up, and then you will see I am who I claim to be, but then it will be too late. If you ever doubt, have good look at the Cross. That R.S.M. of man in the Roman Legion looked and said, “Truly, this is the son of God”.
Look and see and hear. On the Day of Pentecost, three thousand looked and saw and heard, and were convicted of their sin when Peter spoke and they came to Repent and Believe and Be Baptised and receive the Holy Spirit.
They became disciples – disciplined believers in Jesus, but also coming under the teaching of the apostles.
Jesus says twice in these verses – I am who I am – I am who I claim to be – and I speak what the Father has taught me.
Verse 29. I always do what pleases him. Jesus was a Father pleaser, and this is the way to evangelise – to live a life pleasing to the Father. Many came to believe.
A little seed of faith came to life. We would probably rush in and say they were converted, but as soon as Jesus saw that little seed of faith he said, “Now you must let it grow”.
Jesus is not so rash. Jesus is not easily taken in. Jesus realises that even though a man makes a decision to believe, and even though he makes it openly and in public, there is more, and Jesus goes on to say, “If you continue in my word, then you will prove to be my disciples.
Will you last? Will you go and grow? Will you continue and survive and thrive and be fruitful?
Alexander 'Sandy' Shaw is pastor of Nairn Christian Fellowship in Nairn, Scotland. Nairn is 17 miles east of Inverness - on the Moray Firth Coast - not far from the Loch Ness Monster!
Gifted as a Biblical teacher, Sandy is firmly committed to making sure that his teachings are firmly grounded in the Word.
Sandy has a weekly radio talk which can be heard via the Internet on Saturday at 11:40am, New Orleans time, at wsho.com.
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