June 14
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HE WHO DOESN’T OBEY WON’T SEE LIFE
31 “He who comes from above is above all, he who is of the earth is from the earth and speaks of the earth. He who comes from heaven is above all. 32 What He has seen and heard, of that He testifies; and no one receives His testimony. 33 He who has received His testimony has set his seal to this, that God is true. 34 For He whom God has sent speaks the words of God; for He gives the Spirit without measure. 35 The Father loves the Son and has given all things into His hand. 36 He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.” – John 3:31-36
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The whole chapter three of John’s gospel declares verse by verse the divinity of Jesus. He comes from heaven and is above all. The previous verses before these ending for this chapter is giving us a picture of the power of the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the Son of God sent to us so that God’s love will be manifest in Him alone. He has made everything for Him and through Him and has given all things into His hand.
The greatest promise of God to mankind is emphasized in this chapter. He gave his only begotten Son so that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. That is one of the conditions; to believe. The other condition is to obey.
Some Christians think that to believe is a passive act. Nelson’s bible dictionary defines faith as a belief in or confident attitude toward God, involving commitment to his will for one’s life. Nelson says belief is to place one’s trust in God’s truth. A person who believes is one who takes God at his word and trusts in him for salvation. So, when you commit, it isn’t a passive act. It is active because you have put your heart into it. Obedience is compliance with an order, request, law or submission to another’s authority. So, if we made a decision to believe in Jesus Christ, shouldn’t obedience be automatic? Just like when we decide to marry someone, we have made a commitment to be with that person for life and that we will do life together. A wife entrusts her life to her husband and he is supposed to care and love her as he would his own body. She in turn needs to submit to him in everything. This is how Christ, who is the bridegroom treats his wife, the church. He brings her honor and ensures that she stays pure for him. This is why disobedience is such a defiance to God’s commands. He can’t fulfill his promise when we don’t obey him.
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REFLECTION
• Why do you think obedience is a very important factor in a Christian’s life?