30th Mar 26 | 13:54
Studies by Book
Luke 24 50-53 THE BLESSING OF GOD 21 02Jun2022 Luke 24 52 Faith in God, the salvation of our souls
📖 Luke 24:50-53
21 – 02Jun2022 – Faith in God, the salvation of our souls - Luke 24:50-53 - THE BLESSING OF GOD - Bible reading: I Peter 1:5-9
“Thank You, Lord Jesus, that we can believe in You, which leads us to worship You, which results in rejoicing. This is our life, always. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.”
Luke 24:52 And they worshiped Him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy,
We understood that there is a sequence in our Christian life. It begins with faith or belief, which leads to worship and results in rejoicing. This is a continuous, ongoing experience for the children of God.
We have said that believing in God and walking in His ways, are synonymous. Whatever the circumstances around us may be, we walk in His ways. This is the expression of our belief. If we are not walking in His ways, then, we do not believe in Him.
John concludes his gospel by explaining the purpose of writing his book.
John 20:30-31 And truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book; (31) but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name.
Therefore, the Gospel of John is full of the teaching of the ways of God. When we walk in His ways, we are walking in faith/belief. When we believe, we have life in Christ. When we do not live in belief in Jesus, we are in death.
The Jews chose not to accept what the Lord was seeking to instil in them.
John 6:28-29 Then they said to Him, "What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?"
For the Jews, the relationship with God was transactional. They sought to follow the Law, meticulously, so that they would receive God’s favour. They were not in a relationship of belief in God, regardless of the circumstances.
Listen to the answer of the Lord to the question raised by the Jews.
(29) Jesus answered and said to them, "This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent."
This was the experience of the man who was born blind, whom Jesus healed.
John 9:35-41 Jesus heard that they had cast him out; and when He had found him, He said to him, " Do you believe in the Son of God?" (36) He answered and said, "Who is He, Lord, that I may believe in Him?" (37) And Jesus said to him, "You have both seen Him and it is He who is talking with you." (38) Then he said, "Lord, I believe!" And he worshiped Him.
We see the sequence here. This man believed in Jesus and he worshipped Him.
(39) And Jesus said, "For judgment I have come into this world, that those who do not see may see, and that those who see may be made blind." (40) Then some of the Pharisees who were with Him heard these words, and said to Him, "Are we blind also?" (41) Jesus said to them, "If you were blind, you would have no sin; but now you say, 'We see.' Therefore your sin remains.
This is the sad reality. Many people do not want to believe in Jesus. They choose to walk in their own ways and they seek a relationship with God, which they can control. Believing in God is to lose control over what our perceptions dictate, but walk in God’s ways, irrespective of the popular opinions around and from within us.
To bring us to the relationship of belief, where we walk in His ways, regardless of the pressures around and from within us, the Lord takes us through trials. It is only in the furnace of affliction that we learn to walk in the ways of God, not looking at the circumstances.
I Peter 1:5-9 who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. (6) In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, (7) that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ, (8) whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, (9) receiving the end of your faith—the salvation of your souls.
To receive the salvation of our souls, we must be people who walk in God’s ways. To teach us this lesson, the Lord allows us to go through trials. It is in the trials of affliction that our belief in God is purified. These difficult experiences are necessary in our lives.
Instead of asking God to take away the crisis in our lives, let us ask the Lord, to reveal to us, His ways, that He intends to teach us through the crisis. In applying the lessons learnt, to our lives, we grow in faith. The Lord takes care of us, in the crisis.
Thought to ponder
Be focussed on the lessons learnt through the everyday issues of life.