Words

Jesus understood the power of His words. We often do not. He also understood that many who heard Him could not understand Him. Listen to how He describes those who could neither hear nor understand Him.

Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I proceeded forth and came from God; nor have I come of Myself, but He sent Me. Why do you not understand My speech? Because you are not able to listen to My word.” John 8:42-43

Truly hearing the words of another person and understanding their words requires much more than ears that work.  It requires a relational and cultural connection to the one speaking. Communication requires a living history. Only relational and cultural connection allows  words spoken to be heard correctly.

The first part of us that needs to be “born again” is our hearing.  We need to learn like a newborn child learns to hear with understanding.  To abide in the words of Jesus is like learning a new language—the language of God. Jesus is the language of God. It takes time but the rewards of being able to hear and understand in a new language is worth the effort.  It is liberating.

Keep listening to Jesus and you will grow more and more aware of the liberating power of His words.  Disciples of Jesus abide in His words and become more and more aware of what God is saying and doing.  When they do they are see free to join in.

Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” João 8:31-32

Bud McCord

Abide International

A Good Theology

Is your theology good?  Would a face to face meeting with Jesus concerning your personal theology go well for you? Would your theology pass the Jesus test?

In John chapter 5:38-47 Jesus has a very direct and honest conversation with the Jewish theologians of His day.  The conversation did not go well for the theologians.  They definitely did not pass the Jesus test.  Listen to Jesus’ evaluation of their theology.

“But you do not have His word abiding in you, because whom He sent, Him you do not believe. You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me. But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life.

“I do not receive honor from men. But I know you, that you do not have the love of God in you. I have come in My Father’s name, and you do not receive Me; if another comes in his own name, him you will receive.

How can you believe, who receive honor from one another, and do not seek the honor that comes from the only God? Do not think that I shall accuse you to the Father; there is one who accuses you—Moses, in whom you trust.For if you believed Moses, you would believe Me; for he wrote about Me. But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe My words?”

Notice the three things Jesus said they their theology did not give them.

1.     Life.  They thought they had found eternal life in the Scriptures so they did not need to go any farther to find life.  They especially did not believe they needed to come to Jesus for life.

2.     Love. They sought honor from men above the love of God.  God’s love had no home in them.

3.     Faith.  They knew Moses’ words but they did not believe them.  If they believed them they would have believed Jesus’ words.

In the end it will be Jesus who says whether our theology was good or not.  Jesus defines and approves theology.  Theology does not define or approve Jesus.

Bud McCord

Abide International

A Good Confession

Confession is good for the soul.  It reallly is.  Confession is good for the soul because we must continously be reconciled to the truth in order to live freely and well.  Confession is resetting the soul to the truth.

So, please hear my confession:  I confess that I have been continously helped by God to be what I am and do what I do.  Whatever I am and whatever good I have done came from God’s help in Christ.

I cannot honestly claim I am the source of what I am and what I have done that is good.  I have always had Divine help.

Admitting one has been helped by God in Christ generates thanksgiving and being thankful is the will of God for all of us.

“In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” I Thess. 5:18

We often here people say “If you can dream it, you can do it!”   Really?  Without help? With no one to thank but yourself?

The Apostle Paul dreamed of keeping the law of God.  He tried and failed.  He made a very difficult confession about himself.

“I find then a law, that evil is present with me, the one who wills to do good. For I delight in the law of God according to the inward man. But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? I thank God—through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, with the mind I myself serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin.”  Romans 8:20-25

Paul confessed he needed Divine help.  “Who will deliver me from this body of death?”

Paul gave thanks to the One who helped.  “I thank God—through Jesus Christ our Lord!”

As Christians we all have a confession to make. “To be the kind of person I hope to be, I have always needed God’s help in Christ and I always will.”

Paul confessed this way.  ‘I am what I am by the grace of God.”   Confessing this is good for the soul and it makes thanksgiving come easily.  It is also the truth for all of us.

Reconcile yourself to the fact that you have been helped and will always be helped by God in Christ.  This is good for your soul because the truth will set you free.

Bud McCord

Abide International