Bible In One Year-Day 306 (Saturday, November 02, 2013)
Commentary: John1-4. This book is one of the most important in the New Testament. This is the book that could help us to understand the other parts of the New Testament. We need to understand that we, human beings, have two natures; the physical and the spiritual. On the physical side, we could relate with the physical; this is the shallow part of us. The food for this aspect of us is different from the food necessary for the other side of our being. In the physical, we could reproduce our selves (procreation). We are able to relate with the world and walk around. All our intellects are in the physical aspect of our being. As we age, the physical side dies gradually. The food we eat does not give eternal life but helps sustain living. Through this physical being we are able to be identified with a clan, persons (father and mother), kindred, family and tribe or race; this are just gates to our entry into the world. This is the meaning of being born of the will of man or of the flesh according to John1:13.
John 1:13 “Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.”
The other side of our being is the spiritual side. Who we are is a matter of the spirit and soul. if the soul (with its elements- mind, emotion and will) is detached from the spirit of man and becomes attached to the issues of this world, a man becomes carnal and, consequently, its elements comes under the control of Satan, the prince of this world. Unfortunately, our birth makes us to be born in this way because of what Adam did in the Garden of Eden; i.e. naturally, we are born sinners, the soul identifying with this world (we are all carnal-minded naturally). This natural state cannot obey the law of God for the law is spiritual. It is only the spiritual nature that obeys the things of the spirit, i.e. when the soul is under the control of the spirit of man.
May I digress a little bit that spiritual nature can takes its origin from either of two kingdoms; Kingdom of God and that of Satan. If the spirit controlling the soul of man is demonic, the person will manifest the spirit in charge and this is what is responsible for all demonic manifestations which demand for deliverance. The evil spirit must be cast out in the name of Jesus before such could enjoy God.
1 John 3:8 “that committeth sin is of the demon; for the demon sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the demon.”
In Apostle Paul’s statement, he recognized the fact that he was carnal and the law is spiritual. Not until the law in his soul changes, he could not obey the law of God.
Romans 7:14 “For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin.”
Romans 8:7 “Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.”
To those who followed in our readings, we would realize that the book of Luke (read in Feb2-9, 2013) presented Jesus as “Son of Man”. This is presenting Him as a nature of Man, which is one side of Jesus’ being. This book of John is different as it is presenting Jesus in His true nature, i.e. who He is; His deity. The Gospel of John presented Jesus as “Son of God”
This book started with the “beginning” and identified the Element of the beginning, which is the WORD. Verse 1 through 5 perfectly describes this WORD.
- The WORD was the beginning
- The WORD was with God
- The WORD was God
Verse1 focused on the beginning. The WORD was not the beginning but the initiator of the beginning. This means He has been in existence before the beginning. Verse2 started bringing our focus to the WORD and other verses (3-5) focused on how the beginning was initiated. Verses 9-14 described the features of the WORD. This same WORD (God, incorrigible, life and light) filled the earthen vessel of human being (corrupt and filthy being). This is grace in action. The human nature does not deserve to be filled by divine nature because it is sold out to Satan.
John 1:14 “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.”
This is the root of the divine nature of Jesus, the WORD. To address Jesus in both natures is right. If He is seen as the “Son of Man”, we will appreciate GRACE better; “the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ”. If He is seen as the “Son of God”, we have seen and known the truth; “I am the Way, the TRUTH and the life, …”
The first person to receive this revelation of the Divine nature of Jesus was John The Baptist.
John 1:33-36 “And I knew him not: but he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said to me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizeth with the Holy Spirit. And I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God. Again the next day after John stood, and two of his disciples; And looking upon Jesus as he walked, he saith, Behold the Lamb of God!”
The second person was Nathanael. What he perceived beat his imagination; he never expected a Divine nature to come through anyone from Nazareth (probably because of their social life and notoriety. This is to teach us that God’s grace can use anyone.
John 1:49-50 “Nathanael answered and saith to him, Rabbi, thou art the Son of God; thou art the King of Israel. Jesus answered and said to him, … thou shalt see greater things than these.”
The transformation of a man from carnality to being divinely spiritual starts with seeing Jesus and His calling. Once He calls you, you are out of darkness. He told the disciples of John The Baptist that followed Him to “Come and see”. He told Philip “Follow Me” These ones never knew darkness again in their lives. They believed Him unto death.
John 1:4-5 “In him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.”
He is the Light of men and He made us to understand that our carnal nature cannot obey or please God; only in our divine or spiritual nature could we please God. This is because since the Spirit of God is in us, He will do that which is of God and God’s will is perfected. This is the advocacy of Jesus telling us to be born again.
John 3:3 “Jesus answered and said to him, Verily, verily, I say to thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
This is for our soul to be detached from the issues of this world and from the activities of the prince of this world by receiving the breath of Life (to be expounded in further reading of this book) which changes the law in the soul to that of divine.
Romans 8:2 “For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.”
The law is spiritual because it is from God, therefore, we need the divine nature to obey it. our spirit must be in agreement with the Spirit of God before proper communication could be established.
Amos 3:3 “Can two walk together, except they be agreed?”
God communicates with our spirit and not our soul. if the soul is carnal it receives nothing from God, but if redirected to be under the control of the spirit of man, the light of life shines in that life and such will not go into the pit of this world.
Job 33:28 “He will deliver his soul from going into the pit, and his life shall see the light.”
Job 33:30 “To bring back his soul from the pit, to be enlightened with the light of the living (light of life).”
Once the spirit of man receives this light of life, he dictates to the soul of man and the elements (mind, emotion and will) receives this light and walks in light and no more in darkness.
Not until the soul is connected to the spirit of man in which there is light, one cannot receive the gift of faith. In this view, the first evidence of becoming a born again Christian is not the speaking in tongues but it is the FAITH manifested as the fruit of the Spirit.
2 Thessalonians 2:13 “But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit (Breath of Life) and belief of the truth (FAITH):”
This faith is the driving force of the disciples and they never looked back even in the face of persecution and condemnations, imprisonment and beatings, etc
John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
Let us seek for the old path where we could find rest. Let us listen to the trumpet’s sound, wherewith we could escape the calamity to come. Our reading for today is John5-8. Keep the fire of burning and alive.
Supo Abayode
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Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries
Delaware, USA
Mountain of Fire And Miracles Ministries Delaware 