Shade Tree wisdom 2/5/10

In the beginning God spoke, and it was so. Creation came by the spoken word of God. Then something went wrong, very wrong. That, too, is recorded in Genesis. But God, in His mercy, promised to do something about it. He promised to send a Savior to this broken mankind.

That is what the Gospel deals with. The WORD of God, Jesus Christ, became flesh “and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory of the only-begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth”. John 1,14.

The Gospel tells of the Baptizer, who, when he saw Jesus coming toward him and, ‘behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world’. 1,29. That is what the Gospel tells about, clearly that Jesus is this Savior the Lord had promised in Eden when Adam and Eve fell into sin. So, toward the end of his story, John writes, “Jesus did many other miracles in the presence of his disciples which are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in His name”. John 20,30.

The Gospel, then, is written to teach men who Jesus is, and lead them to believe in Him as their Savior from sin.

Later, when he was probably already an old man, he writes his letters. These are addressed more to those who now are believers. He wants to make sure one more time that they KNOW the truth, and hold it tight. Picture, if you will, a Pastor about to leave his flock, people he taught, and cared about and for, and cherishes still. He assures them of an “Advocate with the Father.” If any man sin”. I,2,1, And he calls Jesus their “Atoning sacrifice for their sins, and for the sins of the whole world”. V.2 He warns about the world and its lures, and about the Antichrist who is already present to try them, and tells them a truth to cling to. He writes in 3,8. “The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil”.

Then he warns them always to “Try the Spirits whether they are from God, because “many false prophets have gone into the world”. 4,1 (Isn’t our world full of such today?)

And he speaks of the confidence they have. They are SURE of these truths John taught them. He urges and prays they will Hold to them always to their salvation. A good word for us to remember. When we are puzzled, have trouble seeing clearly, we make it a practice to first find something sound to stand on, a rock to cling to, a TRUTH we KNOW. Then we will not be struck down by the devil’s.

We, too, walk in dangerous times. Let us be sure we stand in the truth of Jesus Christ as the Only Savior.

GPD 2/5/10