August 10
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BELIEVE AND YOU WON’T STAY IN DARKNESS
44 And Jesus cried out and said, “He who believes in Me, does not believe in Me but in Him who sent Me. 45 He who sees Me sees the One who sent Me. 46 I have come as Light into the world, so that everyone who believes in Me will not remain in darkness. 47 If anyone hears My sayings 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 He who rejects Me and does not receive My sayings, has one who judges him; the word I spoke is what will judge him at the last day. 49 For I did not speak on My own initiative, but the Father Himself who sent Me has given Me a commandment as to what to say and what to speak. 50 I know that His commandment is eternal life; therefore, the things I speak, I speak just as the Father has told Me.”– John 12:44-50
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In this account, we hear Jesus declares the formula for salvation: to believe in Him. He explains that He is the Light and if one believes in Him, they will not remain in darkness. Believing Jesus is faith in action. It is not only saying that you believe Him. He says in verse 47 that the gauge of a true believer is to do what Scripture says, not just hear it. James 1:22 says “But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves.” Some Christians think that faith is a passive act. They think that declaring Jesus as Lord and Savior is enough. Clearly, Jesus explains here that there is an active role that the believer needs to take part in so that the Holy Spirit can move into his heart and bring salvation into fruition in his life. Sanctification is the ability to live pure and holy life. It is the Holy Spirit who equips us in obedience and dependence on God. Following truth that comes only from God’s word is key in living a holy life, that chooses righteousness as a lifestyle. It negates lies and exposes the enemy’s tactics to keep us away from knowing God and bringing Him glory. In verse 48, Jesus states the consequence of rejecting Him: they will be judged not only by Him, but by His Father in heaven. We still hear how Jesus operates in unity with His Father when He said that He is following what His Father told Him to say. In verse 50, He declares that He never operates alone but only does what the Father tells Him. Can we say the same thing of our lives? Do we do only what our Lord and Master does? The whole theme of this gospel account is to live in the Light, which refers to Jesus. A life without the Light is total darkness. Believing is the first step, “doing His will” completes the process of salvation.
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REFLECTION
• How dark was your life before you accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior?