They Loved the Glory that Comes from Man

“Though he had done so many signs before them, they still did not believe in him, so that the word spoken by the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled:

“’Lord, who has believed what he heard from us,

    and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?’

“Therefore they could not believe. For again Isaiah said,

’He has blinded their eyes

    and hardened their heart,

lest they see with their eyes,

    and understand with their heart, and turn,

    and I would heal them.’

“Isaiah said these things because he saw his glory and spoke of him. Nevertheless, many even of the authorities believed in him, but for fear of the Pharisees they did not confess it, so that they would not be put out of the synagogue; for they loved the glory that comes from man more than the glory that comes from God.” (John 12:37-43 ESV)

So, what is the message that we are to receive from this? It reminds me a bit of John 8 where it says, “So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him…” but then in his discourse with them told them that their father was not Abraham, and not God, but the devil (see John 8:31-59). So “belief” is not necessarily the kind that saves from sin and promises eternal life with God. For people can intellectually acknowledge the truth of something but then not really commit themselves to what that faith requires.

And so we have to take into consideration what the Scriptures teach on the subject of faith and what the word “faith” really means. For Jesus Christ is the author and the perfector of our faith, a faith which originates with God, is persuaded of God, and is gifted to us by God, and is not of our own doing – not of the will nor of the flesh of man. We can’t even come to faith in Jesus Christ unless God the Father draws us to Christ, i.e. unless he first persuades us as to his righteousness and of our sinfulness and of our need to forsake our sins and to follow Jesus in obedience to his commands.

[Hebrews 12:1-2; Ephesians 2:8-10; John 1:12-13; John 6:44; Romans 1:18-32; Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-14; Luke 9:23-26; Matthew 7:21-23; Acts 26:18; Ephesians 4:17-24; Titus 2:11-14; Galatians 5:16-24, etc.]

So, it is possible for you to believe that something is true but to not really receive that truth into your life and to apply it to your life. And that appears to be the case here with some of the Pharisees who believed Jesus’ words, but who denied him by their refusal to confess that belief and then to put that faith into practice. And there are many people who openly profess faith in Jesus Christ but it is superficial only because they do not put that faith into practice. So faith is more than just an acknowledgment of something.

Now some people may interpret this to say that they had no say in the matter at all for it was God who hardened their hearts. But if we read this in the full context, I believe that we will see that the people chose not to believe in Jesus, and they chose to harden their hearts against the truth when it was presented to them. And, as a result of their obstinance, the Lord gave them up and he handed them over to do whatever it was their sinful hearts desired (see Romans 1:18-32). 

Now please know that the Scriptures teach that if we deny Jesus that he will deny us when he returns for his faithful bride. So it is not enough to believe intellectually, and it is not enough to just make a verbal confession of faith in Jesus Christ, but our lives must be surrendered to the Lord. We must now walk (in conduct, in practice) according to the Spirit and no longer according to the flesh. Sin must no longer be our practice. For if sin is what we obey, it will lead to death. But if obedience is what we obey, it leads to righteousness and to sanctification, and its end is eternal life (Romans 6:1-23).

So, denying Jesus Christ isn’t verbal only and it isn’t just a lack of a verbal confession of Christ as Savior and Lord. For many give lip service to the Lord whose hearts are far from him. So denying Jesus and his gospel message and denying genuine God-persuaded faith in him really does come about when we love the glory that comes from man more than the glory that comes from God. For many professers of Christ will not share his gospel message out of fear of the rejection of humans. For they will desire the approval of humans over the approval of God. But that can’t be!

For Jesus said that if we are going to come after him that we must deny self, take up our cross daily (die daily to sin) and follow (obey) him. And he said that whoever loves his family more than they love the Lord is not worthy of the Lord. And he said that whoever does not take up his cross and follow him is not worthy of him. And he said that no one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God. So he must be first and foremost in our lives and all else should follow after that.

[Matthew 7:21-23; Matthew 10:32-38; Matthew 15:7-9; Matthew 22:8; Luke 9:23-26,62; Ephesians 4:1; Philippians 1:27; Colossians 1:10; 2 Timothy 2:11-13; 2 Timothy 3:1-5; Titus 1:15-16; 2 Peter 2:1-3; Jude 1:4]

Oh, to Be Like Thee, Blessed Redeemer 

Lyrics by Thomas O. Chisholm, 1897

Music by W. J. Kirkpatrick, 1897

Oh, to be like Thee! blessèd Redeemer,

This is my constant longing and prayer;

Gladly I’ll forfeit all of earth’s treasures,

Jesus, Thy perfect likeness to wear.

Oh, to be like Thee! full of compassion,

Loving, forgiving, tender and kind,

Helping the helpless, cheering the fainting,

Seeking the wandering sinner to find.

O to be like Thee! lowly in spirit,

Holy and harmless, patient and brave;

Meekly enduring cruel reproaches,

Willing to suffer others to save.

O to be like Thee! while I am pleading,

Pour out Thy Spirit, fill with Thy love;

Make me a temple meet for Thy dwelling,

Fit me for life and Heaven above.

Oh, to be like Thee! Oh, to be like Thee,

Blessèd Redeemer, pure as Thou art;

Come in Thy sweetness, come in Thy fullness;

Stamp Thine own image deep on my heart.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KrYhiK2nQBg 

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