Latest / The Daily Word / August 1 – Saved by Grace, Led to Obedience
Transcript
- Cory Barnes: Well, hello and happy August. Pastor Jenny here. It is August first, and we are in John chapter three as we are continuing our year in the life journal reading plan as a church at Lakeshore. So, John chapter three. How many of you think of John three sixteen? For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son that who ever shall believe in him should not perish but have eternal life. I think many who don't even profess Jesus know that verse. But that's not the verse I'm going to lean in on today. But of course couldn't help but highlight it being in John chapter three. But I want to go to the very end of the chapter and actually share the very last verse of the chapter, John three thirty-six. That says whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him. So as believers, maybe as someone who's considering following Jesus, believing in Jesus, what do we do with this scripture at when we take it at first glance? Because we're coming off of one of the most popular verses in the well-known verses in the Bible, John 3 16. for God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son. and if you, you know, keep reading right past verse sixteen, for God did not send his son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but Whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. But then we get to the very end here, and it says, Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but keeps going and says, Whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him. So if we're just reading this at first hand, it can kind of maybe come across a little confusing because we go, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, Pastor Jenny. I'm confused. Do I I thought I was saved by believing in Jesus, professing him as Savior, declaring him, you know, not just believing in him, but declaring him as Lord, that, you know, professing with my mouth, believing in my heart. I thought I thought that's what saved me. Why is it saying now that whoever does not obey, so is it By faith that I'm saved, or is it by works that I'm saved? Because there's some other scriptures, right, that it says not by works, but by by faith. So this is where I encourage you to make sure when you have questions that you don't just take what you're reading at face value. Because we have to remember that our English language is not the language that the Bible was originally written in. So sometimes translations as we read it are going to, you know, be translating not word for word. What they're gonna be translating, sometimes it's word for word, but even then with our English from the original language, doesn't do it a full doesn't do it full justice because it wouldn't quite make sense. so we can go back and you can do a translation, or you can do a reference in your study Bible to say, What tell me more about this verse? And when you do a little bit of digging into this verse, while at first glance it looks like We're talking about believing in Jesus versus our actual actions and works. and it appears to be a faith versus a works issue here. That's not what it's talking about. it's really a still a faith thing that's i essentially tied to obedience at the end of the day. So really the scripture is actually still saying whoever believes in the sun has eternal life, and whoever does not o believe in the Son shall not see life. Because if you think about it, if people don't believe in Jesus, well, they're walking in disobedience, right? But if we believe in Jesus, well, we've chosen to obey the call of Jesus. We've chosen to walk in obedience. Now does that mean we perfectly do that and we never disobey, we never fall short, we miss the mark? No. Because Romans Book of Romans, I believe it's 316, if but I may be confusing that in my head at the moment with John 316. But the book of Romans definitely tells us that all have fallen short, all have missed the mark. That's why Jesus came. so we know we all miss the mark, but when this scripture, John 336, talks about whoever does not obey the son shall not see life, it's talking about those who intentionally are. refusing to believe in the Son. It's a lifestyle of unrepentance. It's a lifestyle of disobedience. That's what it's referring to. So I wanna encourage you today that if you read that scripture and you thought, no, sometimes I miss the mark, sometimes I still mess up, sometimes I'm not walking in full obedience. Am I and I and you're questioning your salvation, you do you can be assured you don't need to Do that today. We are saved by grace. we're saved our we're saved in our f faith by grace or through grace. so it's because of what Jesus has done, we are saved, right? Our belief in Him, that we can follow Him and pursue Him. It's not by works, but it's by grace. through faith that we are saved and can trust in him. Now, there is another side of the coin, of course, as we are saved because of the finished work of the cross, there is obedience that follows. And I talked about that many daily word podcasts ago, it talking about how in the old testament it was obedience that led to salvation. But now, because of what Jesus has done, our salvation leads to obedience. So obedience does follow, but it's not just I just want to remind us, it's not our obedience, it's not our good deeds that get us salvation, I'll say. So don't let legalism creep into your relationship with Jesus. However, remember that because you've been set free. You have been set free from sin because you're under righteousness now. You're you've been set free from sin, but you're a slave to something. You're either a slave to sin or you're a slave to righteousness. The Bible's pretty clear on that. And so because you're under grace and you're under Jesus, you can now freely walk in his ways and you can freely walk in the Spirit and under Him. So take those thoughts with you today. As you conclude your reading in John chapter three, and let me pray for you. Well, Lord, we come before you and we thank you, Father, for sending your son. Thank you, Father, for loving us, for loving the world, that you would send your one and only Son, so that no one should perish. It was it's your heart that all would have eternal life. Lord, we're praying for. All to come to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ today, that we would turn our hearts to you and profess you as Savior. Lord, we thank you that this is not a legalistic battle that we have to fight, that it's not through our own good works and deeds that bring us salvation, that it's only through Jesus that life comes. But we thank you as we Profess and believe in Jesus and it's through Jesus that abundant life does come and we are f able to freely walk in all that you've called us and redeemed us to be. So Lord as we go into our day today or maybe we're listening to this at night and we go into our day tomorrow, I thank you that you have gifted and graced us to walk in who you've called us to be. And it's in Jesus' name we pray. Amen. None.