Habakkuk 2

Then the Lord replied: "Write down the revelation and make it plain on tablets so that a herald may run with it. For the revelation awaits an appointed time; it speaks of the end and will not prove false. Though it linger, wait for it; it will certainly come and will not delay."

Friday, November 6, 2020

Jesus, the Bread of Life

John 6:35 ESV

 

”Jesus said to them, ‘I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.’”

 

We eat physical food when we get hungry and it gives sustenance to our bodies so that we have strength to do our work each day and so we can live. But we are not just physical beings. We are also spiritual beings with hearts, souls, and minds. There is the physical us, and there is the us that is spirit.

 

So, not only must our physical bodies be fed physical food so that we can live physically, but our souls (spirits, hearts) must have the right spiritual food to provide life in the Spirit of God which then gives us eternal life with God. And this only comes through faith in Jesus Christ, God the Son.

 

Jesus Christ is the living Word of God. He is the one who gives eternal life. And the way to life eternal with God that he provides is through dying with him in death to sin so that we can live with him to his righteousness. And it is through daily feeding on his Word and in doing what it says to do (Lu 9:23-26; Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-17; Eph 4:17-24; 1 Jn 1:5-9; 1 Jn 2:3-6).

 

For, it is the one coming (continuously) to him who shall not hunger spiritually, and it is the one believing (continuously) in him who shall not thirst for living water. Thus, this is why Jesus said we must abide (continue, remain) in him and his word remain in us if we want eternal life with him (Jn 15:1-11; cf. Col 1:21-23; Heb 3:6, 14-15; I Jn 2:24-25; Jn 6:35-69).

 

John 6:52-56 ESV

 

“The Jews then disputed among themselves, saying, ‘How can this man give us his flesh to eat?’ So Jesus said to them, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him.’”

 

Jesus was speaking figuratively here, not literally. He was speaking of us partaking with him in his death and resurrection and in his sufferings and therefore also partaking with him in his life. For his flesh and his blood were given for us on that cross that we might die with him to sin and live to him and to his righteousness (1 Pet 2:24; 2 Co 5:15, 21; 1 Co 6:19-20).

 

So, what happens in our lives when we believe in Jesus Christ with God-given and divinely persuaded faith in him? We are crucified with him in death to sin and we are raised with him to newness of life in him, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness (Rom 6:1-23; Eph 4:17-24).

 

Our old self is crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. Sin no longer has dominion over us but now we are under the control of the Holy Spirit who has come to dwell within us (Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-17).

 

But then we must walk (conduct our lives) according to (in agreement with) the Spirit and no longer in agreement with the flesh, for if we walk according to the Spirit, we will die in our sins, but if by the Spirit we are putting to death the deeds of the flesh, then we will live (Rom 8:1-17; 1 Jn 1:5-9).

 

So, again, this is continuous faith. It is abiding and active faith. For if we do not continue in him till the end, we don’t have eternal life with God. If we don’t abide in him and his words abide in us, and if we, instead, decide to live by the flesh, making sin our practice, then we will die in our sins.

 

And this is why it says here in John 6 that it is the one eating (partaking) of Jesus’ flesh and it is the one who is drinking of his blood who has eternal life in him. For, this is not a one-time event which takes place in our lives which secures us eternal life regardless of how we live.

 

Jesus said that if anyone would come after him, he must deny self and die daily to sin (take up his cross daily) and follow him in obedience. For, if we hold on to our old self, we will lose our lives for eternity. But if our old self is put to death with Christ, then we have eternal life (Lu 9:23-26).

 

John 6:60-65 ESV

 

“When many of his disciples heard it, they said, ‘This is a hard saying; who can listen to it?’ But Jesus, knowing in himself that his disciples were grumbling about this, said to them, ‘Do you take offense at this? Then what if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before? It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is no help at all. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life. But there are some of you who do not believe.’ (For Jesus knew from the beginning who those were who did not believe, and who it was who would betray him.) And he said, ‘This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father.’”

 

But many people today also are saying, “This is a hard saying; who can listen to it?” And it is, too, because they take offense at it, because they don’t want to die to sin and self, but they still want to live for self and for sinful and selfish pleasures.

 

But what Jesus said then still rings true today. It is the Spirit of God who gives life, and we must do what he says if we want to have eternal life with God. There are no shortcuts. There is no easy way. Well, there is, but it will lead to hell, not to heaven.

 

Jesus said the flesh is no help at all. Amen! The way of the Spirit is the way of the cross, but not just Jesus’ death on a cross, but us participating with him in his death and resurrection, in us dying to sin and living to righteousness in the Spirit and by the Spirit as we surrender to God.

 

But there are many who do not believe. And there are many who say they believe, but what they believe is not the truth. It is not eating Jesus’ flesh and drinking his blood. For they deny Jesus and his gospel, and they make up their own gospel, which is of the flesh, so they continue in the flesh and not in the Spirt.

 

And this is why Jesus said that no one can come to him unless it is granted (given, gifted) to him by the Father. For, genuine faith is God-given faith, and if it is from God, it is going to submit to Christ as Lord, it is going to obey his commands, and it is going to die with Christ to sin and live with Christ to righteousness all in the power of God’s Spirit within us, and for the glory and praise of God. Amen!

 

It’s All You

 

Lyrics by Tosin Iyawo Ogaga & Sue Love

Music by Sue Love @ Original Works

Vocals by Tosin Iyawo Ogaga

 

May 31, 2019

 

You are the reason I want to dance.

You are the reason I want to sing.

You are the reason, expressing myself,

I serve You in all the ways You lead me.

 

You are the reason my heart gives You praise.

You are the reason that I am alive.

I bring out Your best moves

Just so I do embrace You;

Sing out loud as You lead just to please You.

 

Let myself follow You. I don’t care who watches me.

All I want to do is to make You smile.

 

Let every fiber of me bring You praise.

Your love has lifted my feet to dance.

Your faithfulness leaves me singing for joy.

You, Jesus, are the reason, it’s all You.

 

Your grace gives me life.

 

https://vimeo.com/379180900

No comments: