Devotional Tuesday 1/11/16 – John 17:7-8 Now we know Jesus

Who do you say that Jesus is? Your view on the identity of Jesus will come under attack. Demonic forces are at work in the world to belittle Jesus.

To meditate/pray upon

John 17:7-8 “Now they know that everything you have given me comes from you.  For I gave them the words you gave me and they accepted them. They knew with certainty that I came from you, and they believed that you sent me.”

John 5:19-20   “Very truly I tell you, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does. For the Father loves the Son and shows him all he does. Yes, and he will show him even greater works than these, so that you will be amazed.”

John 14:9-11 “Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? Don’t you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you I do not speak on my own authority. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work. Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the works themselves”.

Who is Jesus? An interesting man? A teacher? A miracle worker? Political agitator? Jesus is many things, but principally, He is God in the flesh, doing the work of God. The disciples had doubts, but over time, and particularly after the resurrection, they would come to ‘know’ that Jesus was who He claimed to be – one with the Father and only doing the works of God.

Your view on the identity of Jesus will come under attack. Demonic forces are at work in the world to belittle Jesus; to raise other prophets, teachers, philosophers, heroes, celebrities, to a similar status as Christ. We face pressure to be more expansive and generous toward others, which, in effect, remove Jesus’ unique and special identity as God’s only Son, the only Saviour, Lord and God.

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Happy Reformation Day 2016

Happy Reformation Day 2016

As others are knocking on doors offering a “trick or treat?” we could remember how the courage and faith of Martin Luther, 499 years ago, caused him to nail his message to a door, changing the world.

I wonder if you knew that the 31^st of October is also, along with ‘Halloween’, Reformation Day.

It was on 31^st October 1517 that Martin Luther wrote his letter of ‘protest’ against the Catholic Church, which has become known as The 95 Theses.

Luther objected to such theological error as that written by Johann Tetzel,

"As soon as the coin in the coffer rings, the soul from purgatory springs."

The Protestant Reformation reflected the theological journey that Luther had made toward embracing salvation by faith alone.

Martin Luther and righteousness as a gift

We owe a huge debt to Martin Luther for making a stand and helping the church to embrace salvation by grace through faith alone.

After a thunderstorm in 1505 struck the fear of God into him, the young 21-year-old Martin Luther became a monk.

Luther became more and more fearful of God’s holy wrath. According to the teaching of the Catholic Church at the time, he was struck with impending judgement when he read texts like Romans 1:17, ‘For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed—a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.”’ Luther initially understood these words as meaning that one had to become righteous in order to live the life of faith and thus be acceptable to God.

Luther remarked, "I hated that word, 'the righteousness of God,' by which I had been taught according to the custom and use of all teachers ... [that] God is righteous and punishes the unrighteous sinner."

Things changed whilst teaching on the Psalms and studying Romans during 1513-15:14, "At last meditating day and night, by the mercy of God, I ... began to understand that the righteousness of God is that through which the righteous live by a gift of God, namely by faith… Here I felt as if I were entirely born again and had entered paradise itself through the gates that had been flung open."

On the 31^st October 1517, Luther nailed the 95 Theses to the door of All Saints Church in Wittenberg. The Thesis was copied, translated, and ‘modern’ printing technology spread the message and sparked the Protestant Reformation.

You too can know that you are accepted by God; not by your efforts of righteousness, but by putting your faith in Jesus’ death and resurrection for your sin, you obtain the gift of His (Jesus perfect) righteousness.

Maybe as others are knocking on doors offering a “trick or treat?” we could remember how the courage and faith of Martin Luther caused him to nail his message to a door. Let’s, like him, in a day of compromise, continue to protest for the truth of the gospel (Sole fide) and the authority of Scripture (sola scriptura).

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Devotional Monday 31/10/16 – John 17:6 Given to the Son

When you are tempted to doubt your worth or that of another Christian. Let these words encourage you.

To meditate/pray upon

John 17:6 “I have revealed you to those whom you gave me out of the world. They were yours; you gave them to me and they have obeyed your word.”

John 6:37 “All those the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away”.

John 10:27-30 “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.  I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand.  My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all[c]; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand. I and the Father are one.”

If you are a Christian it is because the Father chose you (Election) and gave you to Jesus.

What is the basis of our being chosen to be given to Christ? Mercy! There is nothing special or godly about those whom God chooses. His choice gives glory to His mercy, it points to Him.

What is the result of this? You will seek to obey God’s word, seek to honour Christ and live for Him above all things. The fruit of obedience to God’s word will always follow true conversion; This obedience starts with believing in who Jesus is as Lord and Saviour.

‘Election is the cause of our salvation, sanctification is our evidence. Sanctification is the ear-mark of Christ’s elect sheep’ (Thomas Watson)

Let these words spur you on to obedience to God’s word and faithfulness to Christ. But Jesus also wants to fill you will the joy and assurance of His love and grace toward you as, in eternity past, He chose you!

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Devotional 29/10/16 – John 17:5 Jesus’ eternal glory

Jesus left eternal glory and heaven’s worship to be our suffering Saviour.

To meditate/pray upon

John 17:5 "And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began".

John 1:1 ‘In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God’.

Philippians 2:5-11 ‘In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross! Therefore God exalted him to the highest place  and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father’.

Jesus is the eternal Son of God. He has no beginning or end.

‘The obedience of the God-man to the Father while on earth was not a new relationship occasioned by the incarnation, but the continuation in time of the eternal relationship between the Son and the Father in heaven… We see now what it meant for the Son of God to empty Himself and become poor.  It meant a laying aside of glory; a voluntary restraint of power; an acceptance of hardship, isolation, ill-treatment, malice, and misunderstanding; finally, a death that involved such agony spiritual, even more than physical’. (J I Packer Knowing God)

At Christmas we celebrate the incarnation (Jesus coming in a human body) but this was not His beginning. The incarnation was a means of His going to the cross, dying, as a man, in our place, for our sin. Jesus descended from the glory of heaven, finished the work, and has now returned to heaven to be forever glorified.

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Devotional 28/10/16 – John 17:5 Jesus prays to be glorified

We are left in no doubt as to God’s will regarding Jesus. Jesus is the passion of heaven and should be our ever-increasing passion.

To meditate/pray upon

John 17:5 "And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began".

Revelation 5:12-14 ‘In a loud voice they were saying: “Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!” Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, saying: “To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever!” The four living creatures said, “Amen,” and the elders fell down and worshiped’.

“Glorify me in your presence” – Jesus is looking beyond the cross to His resurrection and ascension into heaven. Jesus doesn’t pray, “Let me glorify you in your presence”. Jesus is in no doubt that He is worthy of worship, along with the Father (and the Spirit). He is also in no doubt that He will be victorious and be glorified. In any other creature such a prayer would be absurd. But Jesus is no creature! He is God Almighty.

As we saw in 16:14, the Holy Spirit is also working to bring glory to Christ in our lives right now. God wants us to grow in our admiration and love of Christ; our hearts, minds and lives bringing Him honour.

This prayer has indeed been answered; Jesus is enthroned in glory. He is our great victor, Saviour, Lord and friend. Let’s worship, trust and add our glory to that of all heaven.

You can catch up on all the messages in the John series at:

http://www.communitychurchputney.com/community-church-putney--audio---resources.html

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