Eternal Light And Salvation Offered
Or
Judged By His Word
Sunday Oct. 9, 2022
Scripture To Consider:
“Then Jesus cried out and said, ‘He who believes in Me, believes not in Me but in Him who sent Me. And he who sees Me sees Him who sent Me. I have come as a light into the world, that whoever believes in Me should not abide in darkness. And if anyone hears My words and does not believe. I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world.’”
“He who rejects Me, and does not receive My words, has that which judges him, the word that I have spoken will judge him in the last day. For I have not spoken on My own authority; but the Father who sent Me gave Me a command, what I should say and what I should speak. And I know that His command is everlasting life. Therefore, whatever I speak, just as the Father has told Me, so I speak.” John 12.44-50
Something To Consider:
Earlier the Greeks asked to see Jesus. Therefore, Jesus spoke to their desire and also to the entire world’s need of seeing Jesus. But the irony of our seeing Jesus means we are confronted with the person and reality of God Himself. For according to Jesus, “He [or she] who believes in Me, believes not in Me but in Him who sent Me. He [or she] who see Me sees Him who sent Me.”
In other words, Jesus perfectly resembles God the Father. For it was so in the beginning, “In the beginning was the Word [Jesus], and the Word [Jesus] was with God, and the Word [Jesus] was God.” This truth remains true even today, whether religious so-called highly educated theologians say it is so!
In John 14.7, Jesus also proclaimed, “If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; and from now on you know Him and have seen Him.” Philip answered and said; “Lord, show us the Father, and it is sufficient for us.”
Jesus answered, “Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me? Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father in Me, or else believe Me for the sake of the works themselves.” If eternal light and salvation is to be received, we must believe in the One who has freely offered these eternally lasting gifts.
Something Else To Consider:
Many in the world claim to be seeking the truth. And yet, God the Father has sent His Son Jesus, an exact likeness of Himself into the world as John 1.14 explains; “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us [in the person of Jesus], and we beheld His glory, the glory of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.”
Therefore, what is God like? He is like His Son Jesus. He is full of grace and He is full of truth just like His Son Jesus. If a person sees Jesus, he or she has seen God the Father who is in heaven. If we have seen Jesus, we have seen the light of God. If we have seen Jesus and have received His message of salvation that has been offered to the human race, then we have received the Father who has sent Him.
Therefore, it can also be said, that if we reject Jesus, we have or are rejecting God the Father. Later in John chapter 14, Jesus proclaimed; “If anyone loves Me, he [or she] will keep [or obey] My word, and My Father will love him [or her], and We will come to him [or her] and make Our home with him [or her].”
Therefore, just as true is Jesus’ following statement in John 14.24. “He [or she] who does not love Me [who has rejected Jesus] does not keep [or obey] My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine but the Father’s who sent Me.”
Something More To Consider:
But if we reject God’s light, if we reject God’s salvation offered to us in and through the person of Jesus, we will be judged by the Word of God spoken by Jesus, God’s direct mouthpiece to mankind. For Jesus said, “He who rejects Me, and does not receive My words, has that which judges him, the word that I have spoken will judge him in the last day.”
The Word that Jesus brought to the world gives much needed light and offers much needed salvation. But Jesus has not spoken merely on His own authority. He has spoken on the authority given Him by God His Father. And the command and desire of God’s Word which is God’s light, is everlasting life. This is accomplished through the offering of salvation to all and yet rejected by so many.
Just looking back to 2020 and the pandemic of covid-19, we saw a slight glimmer of hope across the political party lines, which lasted less than a few most difficult months. As the number of deaths began to decrease the left and the right were once again anything but united and greatly divided.
And yet, the light of Christ and the eternal light of salvation was and has been offered to the world. And the world would rather position itself against God and against one another in the political and religious arenas of the world. How sad to not consider Jesus Christ as the uniting factor of all of humanity!
But, for the most part, political and religious posturing was more important in the times of Jesus as is now, than the thought of future judgment of man’s sin and rejection of Jesus Christ. Therefore, billions will be judged in the end by the words of Jesus, and the messenger of God the Father, and the Word of God.
A Few Final Words:
Jesus affirmed in our Scripture to consider today, by His declaring; “And I know that His command [the Father’s command] is everlasting life.” Yes, God’s will is that none perish! And yet, most will be judged due to their repeated rejection of Jesus Christ, the truth, the life, and the way to God the Father.
Rejecting the light of the Word of God and the salvation offered in the Word of God, ironically brings about the judgment found within the Word of God. For according to Jesus, “He who rejects Me, and does not receive My words, has that which judges him, the word that I have spoken will judge him in the last day.”
Prayer:
Our Father in heaven, thank You for Your light and salvation that has been offered to all who believe. Thank You Father for Your Son, Jesus, and that our judgment has been laid on Him, if we have truly repented of our sin. In Him Always, Amen!
According to Jesus 