Glory: His Need or Our Need

John 5:41 - "I do not receive glory from people" (ESV)

So, if Jesus wants us to honor him (v. 23) but "does not receive glory (the Greek doxa can also be translated honor) from people" (v. 41), then what's the purpose of giving him honor? He doesn't need it. It must be absolutely true, then, that giving Jesus honor is for us! This is the purpose of our lives! To give honor and glory to Jesus, and by doing so, we honor the Father. As I have written before, God is the only sufficient Source of true reward, fulfillment, and salvation. Everything else will leave us utterly lonely, empty, miserable, and eventually completely destitute of any moral incline.

Jesus takes our natural bents toward evil and replaces them with His righteousness and the Helper - the Holy Spirit of God - who will teach us and guide us (Jn. 16:13). Why do we need teaching? Why do we need guidance? Because evil, of all shapes, sizes, and degrees, lead toward an un-human experience. Consider at the incredibly natural, typical level: if a man steals and gets caught, he will go to prison. Prison is not a place God wants us to be. Prison is a place where people do not thrive. We weren't meant to do life in prison! Now, on a deeper, spiritual level, consider addictions: people are enslaved to their "drug" - physically, mentally, and spiritually. If one follows the life of an addicted person, they will see the slow, or even immediate decay of their humanity and experience of true life. Their addictions control their behaviors; they do things they wouldn't do if they weren't addicted to their "drug" (knowing that shopping, pornography, gambling, etc. can easily be substituted for the typical drug addictions with all the same physiological, biological, spiritual, and social consequences).

All this to say, when Jesus came to earth, he was not seeking glory from man as an end or even to fulfill His need. He receives everything from the Father (Jn. 16:15). Rather, He came to Earth to fulfill our need; to give us meaning. Thanks be to God, who fill us with purpose, love, and righteousness out of the blessing of Jesus Christ!

Accused w/ Response

"Doth Satan tell thee thou prayest but faintly and with cold devotions? Answer him, I am glad you told me, I will trust the more to Christ’s prayers, and groan, sigh, and cry more earnestly at the Throne of Grace.”

John Bunyan, vol. 1, Doctrine of the Law and Grace Unfolded. (Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 2006), 493.

Bottoms Up

Bobble Head

Bite Me

Blind Ball

Revival

My soul clings to the dust; give me life according to your word!

(Proverbs 119:25, ESV)

I love the Psalms! Reading through them has given me tons of ammunition for the battles I struggle with. So often I lose sight of what life is really all about. I'll get strayed from the path I know I should be on because shiny things tend to draw my attention so easily. Once I've been off the path for a short period of time, I then realize that I have strayed from the God who gives life...who is the Author of ALL life. Being disconnected from that Source tends to make my "life" not so lively. 

In Proverbs 119:25 the Psalmist first vividly describes the state of his soul: clinging to the dust. I imagine a huge desert with no water, no nourishment, no accompaniment, and hardly any life left in the soul whose been disconnected with the living God. The Psalmists soul is on it's last bit of strength, barely able to clench the ground, its face staring hopelessly off into the distance with nothing but heat waves emitting off the seemingly endless desert landscape. Its life is near the end. 

But the image the Psalmist gives doesn't stop there. Instead the Psalmist interjects the one thing he knows will revive even the most empty, lifeless, hopeless soul: God's word! God's word is nourishment for the weak soul. It is water for the thirsty soul. It strengthens it's will to fight another day. Because of the Word of God, his soul will live. 

I've been here before many times. Feeling like the life I live might as well be described as death. Like my soul, my most significant part of my being is laying lifeless in a barren desert. But there is always ONE thing that will bring life into my soul and that is Jesus Christ, the personification of the Word of God; the personification of God Himself; every command and incline of God illustrated with the flesh of man. He is my life. In fact, to live abundantly, I allow Him to live through me. This means that every one of my relationships - my wife, friends, family, acquaintances, co-workers, and even strangers I happen to come across - are submitted to God so that Christ Jesus can have His way in me and through me. 

To the one who was given life after the grave by the Father Himself be glory; great significance; the ultimate meaning; awe and wonder. And as I submit myself to Him and His will that life that conquered death will bring life into everything and everyone I come in contact with!