The Excitement Of Eternal Life! - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, and majestic in his radiant splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in 1 John 5:11-12,

“This is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.”

This testimony that John speaks of is the testimony that God the Father has given about his Son. We who have embraced Jesus Christ in faith have eternal life, and this eternal life is in his Son, Jesus Christ. In verse one of this chapter John says that “everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God". And, as John quotes Jesus in John 14:6, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

As I attempt to meditate on this wonderful gift of eternal life afresh, I find it somewhat difficult to wrap my mind around all that is implied with the notion that I have eternal life as my own possession today! As all others (accept those who are here when the Lord returns), I will pass through physical death. But on the other side of physical death there will be a loving Savior waiting to receive me into his presence, together with all those believers who have preceded me. And then at the appointed time, on the day of the resurrection of life, I will be united with my transformed body for an eternal existence.

Will I have the same or similar talents and abilities in the resurrection that I have in this life? What kind of projects and purposes will I be engaged in? Will I be doing some kind of work for a living? What might that be? What kind of language will we all be speaking and will there be different languages? How much of our past will be reflected in eternal life? Will there still be gender and race? Will we all be in our biological prime for all eternity? Will it be impossible to skin my knee? Will I get to go fishing? Will we play Hearts or Monopoly? What kinds of holidays will we have on our calendars? Will we have family identity? Will I have a checkbook to balance?

There are just all kinds of questions that can be asked about eternal life, life in the resurrection. I could take a stab at answering a few of them but I myself don’t know much with certainty. One thing I am certain of though is that I do now possess eternal life and that life is in Jesus Christ. I know with certainty that life in the resurrection is going to be wonderful as we will be communing with our God. It is the presence of Jesus Christ that makes eternal life the wonder and fascination it will be!

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

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God Will Condemn All Unbelievers - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, and majestic in his radiant splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in  1 John 5:10b,

“Anyone who does not believe God has made him out to be a liar, because he has not believed the testimony God has given about his Son.”

Here is a horrific reality: those who reject the gospel outright, and even agnostics, who struggle with knowing what to believe, have made their Creator out to be a liar! When confronted with the claims of the gospel message that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, and that he died for our sins, everyone has a choice to make. There are those who believe it, and then there is everyone else. Those who don’t embrace the gospel message in faith sit in judgment of our loving heavenly Father as a liar.

John does not seem to provide any middle ground here. He speaks of anyone who does not believe what God says about his Son. For one to place himself/herself in this position, it is a fearful position to be in. In Revelation 19:15b we read, “He [Jesus Christ] treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty.” And in the following chapter, 20:15, “If anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.” I would not want to face God on judgment day when I have attempted to make him out to be a liar!

In this letter John tells us several times our God is love. Paul speaks of God’s kindness and love, “But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy.” Titus 3:4,5b. In Romans 2:4 he points to this kindness of God as a motivation for people to repent, “Do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, tolerance and patience, not realizing that God's kindness leads you toward repentance?”

But there are other aspects to the many-faceted jewel that comprises God’s character and nature. Nahum tell us, “The Lord is a jealous and avenging God; the Lord takes vengeance and is filled with wrath. The Lord takes vengeance on his foes and maintains his wrath against his enemies.” Nahum 1:2. As the writer of Hebrews observes, “It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.” Hebrews 10:31.

Sobering, isn’t it?!

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

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The Spirit Is The Truth! - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, and majestic in his radiant splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in 1 John 5:6b,

“And it is the Spirit who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth.”

John tells us the Holy Spirit testifies to the truth of Jesus Christ. It is this very truth our faith rests in that John says is the “victory that overcomes the world", verse 4. It is our faith in this truth that brings about our new birth by God, making us his children.

This morning my thoughts are drawn to the sometimes-asked question, “what is truth?” Where many shy away from being so bold as to claim to having ascertained truth, and living in a day where many reject the very notion that any truth can be grasped, or that it even exists, (with claims of “truth is whatever you want it to be…”) John declares with the piercing brilliance of truth: the Holy Spirit is the truth!

I am sometimes astonished with the befuddled thinking of so many today as they grope for understanding the world around them. Whether the practical aspects of child-rearing, what passes today for notions of liability/responsibility in courts of law, the basis on which we elect our leaders, and so on, demonstrates to me that truth couched in clarity of thinking has taken a back seat.

It seems as though anyone with even a faint imagination can put forward anything and it has as much of a chance at being embraced and held as accepted “truth” as anything else out there. Just listen to the news: a multitude of concepts, thoughts and ideas express the reality that truth has been abandoned in favor of something else, anything else.

In the clarity of the truth within Scripture, we find truth is not only present but available to be had by all! John tells us the Holy Spirit is truth and he leads us into all truth. Jesus Christ declares that he himself is truth in possibly the most intolerant statement history has ever recorded: “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” John 14:6.

Truth is always intolerant, as it not only defines that which is true but it also clarifies that which is not.

Today I worship our God of truth. How wonderful we have a source of truth that is reliable, consistent, and always provides for clarity of thought!

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

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God's Commands Are Not Burdensome! - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, and majestic in his radiant splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in 1 John 5:3-4a,

“This is love for God: to obey his commands. And his commands are not burdensome, for everyone born of God overcomes the world.”

From time to time I hear someone talk about what a challenge it is to live “a Christian lifestyle”. Simply or nearly impossible to do what should be done to live life as a dedicated disciple of Jesus Christ. All of the challenges, all of the difficulties, “the things I ought to be doing”, etc. But here John claims that the commands of God are not burdensome. He makes it sound like it is our birthright as children of God to be enabled to obey God in “overcoming the world”.

What John says here reminds me of what the Lord Jesus Christ had to say, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” This certainly doesn’t sound like our new life in Jesus Christ should be an overwhelming challenge.

So why do so many among us feel like living a life pleasing to God is such a challenge, so difficult? John makes clear in this letter that it is inevitable that we, as believers, will see changes in our lives. We will not continue in sin as a lifestyle, 3:6,9; 5:18, we will do what is right and we will love our brothers, 3:10,14, we will obey God’s commands and do what is pleasing to him, 3:21,22.

Sometimes I wonder if we might bring various expectations on ourselves that God doesn’t intend. Sometimes I wonder if we have really done our homework in the Scriptures to know accurately what it is the Lord expects of us and what the lifestyle of a disciple of Jesus Christ really looks like. Sometimes I wonder if a number of us live under an illusion fostered by religiosity and the do-gooders amongst us. (I consider “do-gooders” as those who lay burdens on the rest of us like the religious elites that Jesus Christ castigated, “You experts in the law, woe to you, because you load people down with burdens they can hardly carry, and you yourselves will not lift one finger to help them.” Luke 11:46.)

I certainly wouldn’t say life isn’t difficult. It is as we live in a world under the curse of God for the sin of Adam and Eve and of all mankind. We struggle with our sin nature and we are subject to the discipline of our loving heavenly Father. “Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons… God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.” Hebrews 12:7-11.

Life in this world is difficult. It is difficult for everyone, believers and non-believers alike. But for believers, we find in our God that his commands, that is, what he requires, are not burdensome. Our Savior Jesus Christ who did all the heavy lifting himself on the cross invites us to himself with the understanding that we will find rest for our souls as his yoke is easy and his burden is light.

God's commands are not burdensome.

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.