John 5:19-29 FROM DEATH TO LIFE
“Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him. Truly, truly, I saw to you, whoever hears my word and believes Him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from DEATH TO LIFE.”
Since Jesus' time, there has always been confusion and division across different religions and 'truths' about Jesus Christ. He was a "stumbling block to the Jews and folly to the Gentiles" (1 Corinthians 1:23); He was the "stone the builders rejected" (Psalm 118:22); "He came into the world but the world did not recognize Him" (John 1:10). The Pharisees, Sadducees, and Scribes, they all sought Jesus' life for they did not acknowledge Him as the Son of Man.
Up until today's age, there are various religions that do not honor Jesus Christ as the Savior of the World. For Islam, Jesus is still a vital part to their religion. He is held in high regard and is believed to be a prophet and Apostle of God. But they do not believe that Jesus is the Son of God. For Judaism, they believe that Jesus was indeed crucified on the Cross but they deny Him as the Messiah. For Buddhism, they believe that Jesus is a wise teacher who is worthy of respect but they did not see Him as a divine God. There are many other religions out there that does not testify to Jesus' sovereignty and equality to God the Father.
As Christians, we are in constant battle with the world whose beliefs are in conflict with ours. We may even have friends and families who don't believe in God at all or whose religion is different from ours. We may be the only Christian in our households or workplaces. How do we respond to those who questions our faith? How do we even handle conversations that are about God?
GOSPEL OF CHRIST
“Until we all attain to the unity of the FAITH and of the KNOWLEDGE OF THE SON OF GOD, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the FULLNESS OF CHRIST, we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes.”
Jesus reminds us that we need to acknowledge and honor Him for who He says He is. He is the SON OF GOD! We need to stand up and not waver in our faith in the GOSPEL OF CHRIST. There is no other Gospel but there are those who trouble us and want to distort it (Galatians 1:7). We need to grow deeper in our relationship with God through the reading of the Word and to mature in our faith in Jesus Christ!
“Giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of His Beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.”
PRAYER
Lord Jesus, You are the Beloved Son of God, our Redeemer, our Savior, our One True God. Thank You for opening the hearts of our eyes and showing us who You are. We are so blessed to have known You and claim You as our Savior. Because of You, we have the forgiveness of our sins. We were made right before the Father because of what You did on the Cross. We were made alive in the newness of our being because You have given us an identity as sons and daughters of the Most High God. Thank You for welcoming us into Your kingdom and saving a place for us in heaven. We love You, Lord. Please give us the deeper wisdom and revelation of who You are. And may we never lose our wonder! In Your Name, we pray. Amen!