Are You Abiding or Sliding?

Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him,“If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed (John 8:31 NKJV). 

So, let’s see if we have this straight – Jesus is telling those people who already believed Him that if they would abide in His word, THEN they would be His disciples.  Interesting because I thought the only prerequisite to being a disciple is to “accept Christ as your Lord and Savior.”  This definitely borders on that age old debate of are we saved by faith alone or faith plus works.  Well, I think Jesus is making the case here that it is both.  It is what James explains in that often quoted verse:  “Faith without works is dead.”  This does not mean that we must have works in order to be saved – which is the misconception on the one side of the argument, but it does mean that the faith alone by which we are saved in Ephesians 2:10 (the other side of the argument) will produce works in synch with His Word.

The middle ground of truth on the works vs. grace debate resides in that concept of abides.  This is an interesting concept that we should not step over too quickly.  Noah Websters’ 1828 dictionary defines abide to mean:

·      To rest, or dwell.

·      To continue permanently or in the same state; to be firm and immovable.

·      To remain, to continue.

·      To wait for; to be prepared for;

·      To endure or sustain.

·      To bear or endure patiently.

So, Jesus is telling those who believe in Him that if they rest, dwell, continue permanently, immovable, enduring patiently in His Word, THEN they will be His disciples.  By the way, last time I checked, those people in the category of those “who believe in Him” include you and me.  So the matter moves from a theological debate and becomes quite personal, leaving us with some extremely probing questions - Are we abiding in God’s Word?  And if we are, what should our life look like?  Does it?

When you consider how many people describe their religious affiliation as “Christian,” yet do not manifest even a trace of God’s principles and heartbeat found in His Word, you can begin to understand more fully the implications of what Christ is telling us in this admonition.  And you can appreciate the Apostle Paul’s warning to the Corinthians in Chapter 13:5 when he says,

Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you--unless, of course, you fail the test? (2 Corinthians 13:5 NIV).

Let’s connect the dots.  If Christ is truly in you, is He not the Word incarnate?  So, if Christ dwells in your heart – BY FAITH, then by the very definition of that word in Hebrews 11:1 - would not the substance of that unseen individual be the evidence of a changed life – one that looks like Jesus?

Today, I need to examine my every action and thought to see if I am truly resting, dwelling, continuing permanently, immovable, and enduring patiently in God’s Word in a way that is evident to others. 

Gratitude Promotes Praise

So he, leaping up, stood and walked and entered the temple with them—walking, leaping, and praising God (Acts 3:8 NKJV).

Gratitude is a powerful partner of praise.  When we are grateful, there is an accompanying attitude of humility and indebtedness towards the source of our thanksgiving.  This is the picture we see so poignantly painted in this scene.  Consider for just one moment the change that has taken place.  This man got up the morning of this event in the same mindset that he awoke every day – one of resign to a future defined by circumstances.  He had no control over his situation.  Born lame from birth, his future was settled.  Not only would he never have the potential for a normal life, he would actually be labeled as someone who was a lesser human being.  The prevailing theory about his condition was that he had somehow sinned and his paralysis was his punishment.  This theory is clearly seen in the question the disciples asked Jesus about another healing they witness in John 9:

His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”

John 9:2 NIV).

So we can assume that this man at the Gate Beautiful has spent his entire life under the stigma of the assumption that he is a sinner with sub-human potential, and certainly not worthy of any more than a possible donation of pity through a couple of pennies in his cup.  We can also bet that this beggar has been the brunt of some very unkind and ruthless remarks that have probably left him emotionally wounded and no doubt distrustful of the majority of mankind. 

Yet, in one moment of time, the entire course of his life changes.  He goes from unworthy sinner to the subject of God’s gracious healing.  He moves from his mat to the majesty of walking in full potential of everything life could and should be for a man.  And for the first time in his existence, he can enter the temple of the God who has restored him to wholeness. 

It is no wonder that the gratitude in this man’s heart emerges in the form of him leaping into the temple with praise on his lips for the God who was able to take him from bondage to freedom in one moment of trust. 

Are any bells ringing in your heart when you read of this man’s transformation?  It is a clear reminder to me of my own beggarly existence before I met Jesus.  I was crippled with sin, unworthy, an emotional wreck, and in grave need of a moment with Jesus.  And I can remember that moment like it was yesterday.  In the hopelessness of my circumstances, God held out His holy hand, locked arms with me and has never let go.  He pulled me up onto my feet and set me on a course that changed not just my life, but the lives of all who witnessed the power of God in and through me.

Today, I will express my heart of gratitude by praising God in a tangible way in the life of someone else.

Are You Seizing the Moment?

And all the people saw him walking and praising God (Acts 3:9 NKJV).

There is nothing more inspiring than to see a fresh work of God’s Spirit in the manifestation of a miracle and praise.  And the verse says that ALL the people saw him.  It is mind boggling to consider the ramifications of this one act of spontaneous faith by Peter and John.  And it happened because Peter and John seized the moment of opportunity that the Holy Spirit presented to them with the lame man.  And because the lame man seized the moment of opportunity when Peter and John presented Jesus to him, ALL the people are now given an opportunity to seize their own moments, and for those who do, they will continue the chain of opportunity.

This ripple effect is true in our life as well.  As we stay in tune with God’s Spirit, when He opens a door of opportunity, we will be less likely to miss the call of our eternal mission.  But we need to remember that what hangs in the balance of us being on the same page as Jesus is not necessarily the one act of faith that God is asking us to initiate, but the many lives that will be affected after the fact when others can see the clear manifestation of our faith.  What a beautiful demonstration of the verse we all love to quote when it comes to this topic: 

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen (Hebrews 11:1 NKJV).

We hope that the Word of God is true and when we see tangible evidence of that hope as we step out in faith, it is like peering through a window into an invisible world and it brings an uncontrollable urge to praise God.

Today I will seize every moment that the Holy Spirit gives me to throw a stone of faith into the pond of someone else’s world so that I can set into motion a ripple effect resulting in praise to God. 

Does Your Faith Impact Others?

And he took him by the right hand and lifted him up, and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength (Acts 3:7 NKJV).

How amazing is this moment?  Think about where Peter was just a few Chapters earlier.  He didn’t even have enough faith to face up to a young servant girl in a courtyard.  Yet this same man who denied Christ, is now boldly putting out his hand to lift up the lame man and is expecting the miracle that is about to happen as if it has already happened.  This speaks volumes to validate the encounter that Peter had on the day of Pentecost where he was baptized by the Holy Spirit and began preaching and living a life that impacted the lives of everyone around him.  From the 3000 who found salvation through his first ever message to the ignition of faith in the heart of this man who had been lame from birth, Peter’s faith has been set on fire and is setting the faith of others ablaze as he steps out into the calling of Christ on his life.

It is interesting to think about the fact that when Peter got up that morning, he had no idea who he would run into during the course of his day.  Yet, because his mind and heart were synched with his eternal purpose, when he is approached by a man that has been sitting in the same spot, day after day, for who knows for how many years or how many times he had gone right by him previously, he now stops and seizes the moment to offer this man the opportunity to step into a new destiny.  We certainly don’t want to miss the fact of the man’s part in this drama either.  He could have scoffed at Peter and said, “Look, I’m just looking for a hand out – not a life change.”  But the fact was, this man was looking for more and it was the cry of his heart – the mustard seed of hope – that connected with Peter’s offer.  It was this tiny particle of faith that motivated him to put his hand in Peter’s and to make the attempt to stand – against all logic.   I mean think about it – the man had never stood in his entire life.  Why would he even attempt to do it now?  I have to believe it was something he saw in Peter’s eyes since the Bible records the fact that Peter “fixed his eyes” upon the man.  There was a conviction in Peter’s stare and an authority in his voice, that made this man believe beyond all logic that the impossible could happen. 

I am so convicted when I read about this story.   Am I even on the look out for someone who I might have encountered a million times before but is at the right time and place for a divine appointment.  What do people see in my eyes or hear in my voice when I encounter them in my day-to-day routine? 

This is a serious reminder that if I expect to impact the world around me I need to be more focused on the things that matter and less caught up in the things that don’t.