Anchor My Faith

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Author: Stephen Weller
710 words, 4 minutes read time

Have You Believed?

Scripture: John 12:44-50

In the previous lesson we considered the question of who we seek glory from. In this lesson we will learn more about the importance of believing in Jesus Christ.

^{Jn 12:44} And Jesus cried out and said, “Whoever believes in me, believes not in me but in him who sent me. ⁴⁵ And whoever sees me sees him who sent me. ⁴⁶ I have come into the world as light, so that whoever believes in me may not remain in darkness. ⁴⁷ If anyone hears my words and does not keep them, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world. ⁴⁸ The one who rejects me and does not receive my words has a judge; the word that I have spoken will judge him on the last day.

Jesus said to Thomas, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6 ESV). To believe in the Father is to believe in Jesus because no one can come to the Father without going through Jesus. Jesus is a visible representation of God to us in a way that we in fallen flesh are able to see. When we reach heaven we will see clearly, not like through a dirty glass as is now the case.

A long time ago in our study at lesson h008, John the Baptist said, “The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world” (John 1:9 ESV). Jesus came and “In him was life, and the life was the light of men.  The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it” (John 1:4 – 5 ESV). Jesus said to the people gathered about him, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness but will have the light of life.” (John 8:12 ESV). This darkness is spiritual darkness and only through belief in Jesus can that darkness be overcome. Rejecting Jesus and his message of salvation, leaves one in spiritual darkness and separated from God forever.

All are born spiritual dead and if something doesn’t happen during one’s physical life to provide spiritual life then one’s soul continues on in eternal death. Ones relationship to the words of Jesus determine one’s eternal outcome. One who hears his words and keeps them and believes in Jesus will not be judged by them. One is judged on the basis of their spiritual condition; one is either spiritually dead or spiritually alive, and that is determined by who received the gift of salvation by grace through faith. God does not review your life and then based on what you did determine whether you are worthy of eternal life, for he knows who have been born spiritually because he caused each one to happen (Ephesians 2:4 – 6). We are not judged on the basis of our works, but on whether we are spiritually alive.

^{Jn 12:49} For I have not spoken on my own authority, but the Father who sent me has himself given me a commandment—what to say and what to speak. ⁵⁰ And I know that his commandment is eternal life. What I say, therefore, I say as the Father has told me.”

These two verses indicate that supreme authority in the Trinity belongs to the Father and is delegated to the Son. It was the Father who sent Jesus and instructed him in what to say. Jesus knows that he is to speak about eternal life and what he says about it is determined by the Father.

Conclusion

Gev183 ended with the first half of John 12:36 and gev184 began with the second half of John 12:36 with the statement, “When Jesus had said these things, he departed and hid himself from them.” Does this mean that gev183 belongs on Tuesday and gev184 belongs on Wednesday? Jerry Peyton, who prepared this harmonization we are following, does not think so. In gev185 we find Jesus with his disciples away from the temple. Did this occur Tuesday afternoon or Wednesday morning? Jerry Peyton believes it was Tuesday.