Stepping in the Light

“For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.” John 3:17-18

Most people believe that they are inherently good, and the idea that they are sinners is offensive to them. Some reject Christ because they believe that their good works will take them to heaven, and they feel that they have done enough good things to merit eternal life. Others feel that the message of Jesus condemns their sin. Jesus made it clear in the passage above that He did not come to earth to condemn sinners, but rather to save them. Jesus said that those who do not believe are condemned already. We all are sinners, and there is nothing that we can do to save ourselves. If we refuse the gift of eternal life that Jesus purchased for us on the cross of Calvary, we are already headed for eternal punishment in hell. Believing in Jesus Christ is the only thing that can make the difference. As we absorb this truth, we can begin to grasp how great the sacrifice of Christ on the cross was. Every person is born a sinner. We are all already condemned; but when Jesus died on the cross, He paid for every person’s sins. Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life, no man cometh unto the Father but by me,” (John 14:6). It is non-negotiable; either you are a believer, or you are condemned already. When we see our situation as sinners, it makes our decision to accept Christ an obvious one.

“And he said, Open the window eastward. And he opened it. Then Elisha said, Shoot. And he shot. And he said, The arrow of the LORD’S deliverance, and the arrow of deliverance from Syria: for thou shalt smite the Syrians in Aphek, till thou have consumed them.” II Kings 13:17

As the prophet Elisha lay on his deathbed, the king of Israel came to visit him. While he was there, Elisha asked the king to shoot an arrow out the window. Elisha placed his hands on the king’s hands as he prepared to shoot. As the king let the arrow fly, the prophet said that it was “the arrow of the Lord’s deliverance from Syria.” Elisha told the king that he would defeat the Syrians in Aphek until they were consumed. Then Elisha asked him to take an arrow and strike the ground. The king apparently did not understand the significance of this strange ritual, but Elisha was testing him to see the level of resolve that he had to defend his people against the Syrians. When he struck the ground only three times, Elisha became angry. Elisha knew that three victories in battle would not be enough to completely destroy the Syrians, and they would eventually come back and defeat the Israelites.

We are prone to become satisfied with partial victories in our Christian lives. Winning a skirmish or two against the devil does not indicate complete victory. We must be willing to keep fighting until the war is won. Paul said in II Timothy 4:7, “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course….”

“One of the two which heard John speak, and followed him, was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. He first findeth his own brother Simon, and saith unto him, We have found the Messias, which is, being interpreted, the Christ.” John 1:40-41

John the Baptist was preaching in the wilderness that it was time for people to prepare themselves for the kingdom of God. Many people who heard him understood this to mean that the promised Messiah was soon to appear. One of the people who had been following John the Baptist and hearing him preach was a man named Andrew. One day, as Andrew was with John, Jesus passed nearby. John pointed to Jesus and said to Andrew, “Behold the Lamb of God!” Immediately, Andrew began to follow Jesus. Andrew had been hearing the preaching of John the Baptist and preparing his heart for the coming Messiah. He must have been very excited the first time that He saw Jesus. Right away, Andrew wanted to tell his brother about Christ. Why did Andrew go looking for Peter? Andrew was excited about the coming of the promised Messiah. He was convinced that the preaching of John the Baptist was true and that Jesus was the Messiah. This was such a monumental moment for Andrew that he felt he had to share it with someone, and the first person who came to mind was his brother. It is natural for us to share the things that are important to us with the people we care about the most. Do your family and friends know Jesus Christ as Saviour? Andrew’s example should encourage us to find ways to share Christ with those who are closest to us.

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.” John 1:1-5

As Jesus is introduced in the Gospel of John, His deity is clearly emphasized. He is referred to as “The Word” throughout John’s introduction, but it becomes clear that John could only be referring to the Lord Jesus in verse 14. Then in verse 17, John uses the name Jesus Christ explicitly demonstrating that he was introducing Jesus as God.

Who is this person that John is introducing to us? He was in the beginning. He existed from eternity past, long before He was born in Bethlehem. He was with God and He was God. This may sound confusing at first, but both parts of this statement are true because of the doctrine of the Trinity: one God in three persons; Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. This shows us that Jesus is God. As we read on, we see that He made everything. Jesus Christ is not only our Saviour; He is also our Creator. Understanding Who Jesus really is brings comfort, because we can begin to realize that He knows our needs, He has the ability to provide for us, and He loves us enough to do so. We need to be sure that we recognize Him for Who He is and that we give Him His rightful place on the throne of our hearts.

“And his servants came near, and spake unto him, and said, My father, if the prophet had bid thee do some great thing, wouldest thou not have done it? how much rather then, when he saith to thee, Wash, and be clean? Then went he down, and dipped himself seven times in Jordan, according to the saying of the man of God: and his flesh came again like unto the flesh of a little child, and he was clean.” II Kings 5:13-14

Leprosy in Bible days was a terrible, contagious disease. It spread slowly throughout the body and would eventually cause death. There was no known treatment for the illness, so the people who suffered from it were often quarantined to keep them from spreading the disease to others. Leprosy is often used in the Bible as a picture of sin. Thus, the healing of Naaman can be seen as a picture of salvation. Naaman came to Elisha in need of healing. Elisha told Naaman to wash in the Jordan River seven times and he would be clean. Naaman was disappointed that Elisha did not come out and perform an impressive ceremony, and he was angered by the idea of traveling such a long distance to Israel just to wash in the river. Naaman had to lay aside his pride and submit to the instructions that were given to him. When Naaman came up out of the Jordan River that seventh time, he was completely healed! Because Jesus paid for our sins by dying on the cross, we can be cleansed of all of our sins by placing our faith in Him. In I Corinthians 6:11 (speaking to believers) Paul said that through Christ we are washed, sanctified, and justified.

“And Elijah took his mantle, and wrapped it together, and smote the waters, and they were divided hither and thither, so that they two went over on dry ground. And it came to pass, when they were gone over, that Elijah said unto Elisha, Ask what I shall do for thee, before I be taken away from thee. And Elisha said, I pray thee, let a double portion of thy spirit be upon me.” II Kings 2:8-9

Elisha was Elijah’s servant for almost eight years. He had spent a great deal of time with Elijah. He had heard Elijah prophesy and had seen the miracles that he performed. When the time had come for Elijah to be taken up to heaven in a whirlwind, Elisha had one request. He wanted a double portion of Elijah’s spirit. Elisha did not ask for any earthly possession. He did not desire to have fame or popularity. He did not ask for wealth or position. Elisha asked for a double portion of Elijah’s spirit.

What would you have asked for if you had been in Elisha’s situation? Would it have been something spiritual? Many people ignore their spiritual condition. They seem unconcerned about their attitudes and uninterested in accomplishing anything for God. Elisha had seen the spiritual example of Elijah, and he wanted to pattern his life after what he saw. It is interesting to note that Elisha performed twice as many miracles in his lifetime as Elijah did. Elisha’s experience demonstrates that if we want to experience spiritual blessings, we need to cultivate our spiritual desires.

“And one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on him, saying, If thou be Christ, save thyself and us. But the other answering rebuked him, saying, Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation? And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss. And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom. And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.” Luke 23:39-43

Jesus was crucified between two thieves. One of them mocked Jesus along with the crowd that was gathered at the cross. The other thief rebuked him and then turned to Christ and said, “Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom.” Jesus answered, “To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.” In this one brief conversation, we can see the answer to the question as to whether a person can earn an entrance into heaven by good works. First, we can see that there is no doubt that this man was a sinner who was worthy of both death and hell. He was a convicted criminal, and we know that the Bible teaches that only one sin is enough to keep a person out of heaven. Second, there is no need for a theological discussion as to whether this man ever actually made it to heaven. Jesus gave him a guarantee, “Verily I say unto thee….”  Finally, this man never had an opportunity to do good works after he turned to Christ. If good works were necessary for salvation, he could not possibly have been saved. Only Christ can save us!

“Yet I have left me seven thousand in Israel, all the knees which have not bowed unto Baal, and every mouth which hath not kissed him.” I Kings 19:18

Elijah challenged the prophets of Baal to a contest to see who could call down fire from heaven. The prophets of Baal prayed, but no fire came. Then Elijah called all of the people around the sacrifice that he had made. After he prayed a short prayer, fire came down from heaven and consumed the sacrifice. The people exclaimed, “The Lord, He is the God!” All of the prophets of Baal were put to death because they had broken God’s law by leading the people into idolatry. When Elijah heard that Jezebel was going to kill him, he fled for his life.  He became so tired and discouraged that he sat down under a tree and asked God to kill him, but the Lord sent Elijah to a mountain and spoke to him there. Elijah told the Lord that he was the last person in Israel who only worshipped the true God, but God told Elijah that there were seven thousand people in Israel who had not bowed their knees to Baal. God wanted Elijah to know that he was not alone. Just because you feel alone in serving God, doesn’t mean that you are alone. God sees every person who sincerely worships Him, and each one is so important to Him that He is counting them. All through the scriptures, we see that God is looking for those who love Him. If you love the Lord, you can be sure that you are important to Him. He is watching you, He is listening to your prayers, and He is counting on you to keep on serving Him.

“And the ravens brought him bread and flesh in the morning, and bread and flesh in the evening; and he drank of the brook. And it came to pass after a while, that the brook dried up, because there had been no rain in the land.” I Kings 17:6-7

King Ahab and his wife Jezebel had led the people of Israel to worship Baal. Elijah stood before Ahab and told him that there would not be rain or dew in the land until he said so. When Elijah left King Ahab, God sent Elijah to hide by the brook Cherith. Every morning and evening, God sent ravens to feed Elijah with bread and meat. In addition to this miraculous daily provision, Elijah enjoyed the natural provision of drinking from the brook. The water in the brook sustained Elijah, but it also helped him to know how things were going in other parts of the land. Each day that passed with no rainfall, the water levels got lower, and it became more obvious that the people of Israel needed to turn back to God. Finally, the brook dried up and God moved Elijah to another place.

Just as water is necessary to sustain physical life, God’s Word is necessary to sustain spiritual life. Jesus said that our survival depends upon every word that comes from God. Are we getting enough of the living water in our lives? Does God have our hearts, or does He need to send a drought to get our attention? How pressing do our physical needs have to become before we awaken to the immediacy of our spiritual needs? Don’t let the brook dry up in your life. Spend time in God’s Word each day.

“And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat: But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.” Luke 22:31-32

Simon Peter was so outspoken in his dedication to the Lord Jesus that it seems he considered himself to be completely invincible in his determination to follow Christ. However, Jesus knew that Peter would soon deny Him, and His desire was for Peter to survive the spiritual storm that he would soon face. Jesus told Peter that He had prayed that his faith would not fail. The Lord had great plans for Peter’s life. He knew that Peter would eventually preach to great crowds and see many thousands of people receive Christ. But first, Peter would fear for his life because of Jesus’ arrest. He would feel extreme disappointment because of Christ’s death on the cross. He would be confused and bewildered when he heard the news of the Lord’s resurrection. He would become discouraged and disillusioned when he realized that the kingdom of God was not at all what he had imagined it to be. Jesus knew that there was only one ingredient that would bring Peter through that season of testing, and that was his faith. We serve a God Who can do anything, but His actions are often set in motion by our faith. Sometimes the Lord is waiting on us to believe. We will never come to the end of God’s ability unless we first come to the end of our own faith. The Lord wants to work in our lives today, but His work depends on the exercise of our faith.