Here's another great article written by Wayne Jackson. This appeared in the July, 1983 Christian Courier. It was published by the East Main Street Church of Christ in Stockton, California. Jackson was the editor.
Jesus was in Jerusalem attending one of the annual Jewish feasts (probably the Passover). On this occasion He encountered an invalid man who had been in his affliction some 38 years. The Lord asked the poor gentleman if he would like to be made whole. After a brief exchange, Christ instructed the man to, "Arise, take up thy bed and walk." Immediately the man was made whole and he took up his bed and walked (John 5:1-9). Since this remarkable incident occured on the Sabbath day, the Jewish leaders attempted to implicated the Lord in having violated the Sabbath. John, who recorded this matter, informs us that the Jews persecuted Jesus and intensified their efforts to kill Him (cf. John 5:10-18).
After an extended discourse during which He affirmed His divine relationship with the Father, Christ charged the Jews thusly. "Ye search the scriptures, because ye think that in them ye have eternal life; and these are they which bear witness of Me; and ye will not come to Me that ye may have life" (5:39-40). There are several important truths in this statement that warrant further reflection.
First, there is the shocking truth that one can be a diligent student of the scriptures and yet not know Christ! Many of the Jewish leaders, particularly the scribes, prided themselves on their rich knowledge of the sacred writings. Why then, were they unable to recognize Jesus of Nazareth as the promised Messiah, since the Old Testament narratives were filled with prophecies that centered on Him? Remember how the Lord had said, "...all things must needs be fulfilled, which are written in the law of Moses, and the prophets, and the psalms concerning Me" (Luke 24:44). Well, the reason they failed to see the Christ of the Old Testament was as Paul explains the matter, that whenever, "Moses is read, a veil lieth upon their heart" (II Corinthians 3:15). Their preconceived notions of what the "Messiah" ought to be and do blinded them to an objective evaluation of the character, works and words of the Lord. When I think of the many religious scholars of today's religious scene who have spent a lifetime mastering the Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek, who have studied Biblical lands and cultures, who have become experts in exegesis and yet, who do not know the Son of God in the genuine sense of the term "know," I am deeply saddened. Knowledge that is not set to action only brings a more severe condemnation.
Secondly, there is the fact here affirmed that there can be no bestowal of eternal life apart from Jesus. In this age when the spirit of pseudo-ecumenism has invaded the hearts of many, this truth needs to be vigorously pressed. The Son of God made no apology for His declaration: "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father but by Me" (John 14:6). There is simply none other in which salvation is to be found. There is no other name under heaven that is gven among men, wherein we must be saved (Acts 4:12). If that sounds narrow, so be it! The question is not one of bigotry but one of truth. Are the claims of Christ true? Will the evidence support such? That is what it all boils down to and that is why it is our job to bring men to the Savior!
Third, the Master here teaches that it is possible to exercise that personal will-power by which men make the decision as to whether or not they will be counted with Christ or against Him. Of course some religions have suggested otherwise. Calvinism asserts that men are so enslaved in that inherited depravity that they are wholly helpless to respond to the Savior's message until assisted by some miraculous impulse of the Spirit (which puts the responsibility for their conversion soley with God and hence, implicates the Lord in wrongdoing if they are not saved!). Man is a volitional creature. He is capable of making choices (cf. Genesis 2:16-17; Joshua 24:15; Isaiah 7:15; John 7:17; Revelation 22:17). Accordingly, when exposed to the gospel call, men assume the responsibility for either accepting or rejecting the divine message. If they are thus lost, God certainly is not to blame.
But there is another thought that engages the attention when contemplating John 5:40. Jesus said to those Jews, "Ye will not come to Me that ye man have life." Since the message of the gift of Christ is so beautiful, since the facts of His death and resurrection are so dynamic and as the blessings offered are so impelling, one wonders how it is that rational people can neglect coming to the Redeemer. How is such foolishness to be explained? Let us consider several possibilities.
1. Some are unaware of being lost. The Bible teaches that Christ came to seek and save the lost (Luke 19:10). Unless a person is aware of being lost, he will see no need whatever for Christ as a Savior. For many decades society has been told by rationalistic philosophers and humanistic psychologists, that "sin" does not exist in reality. It is alleged to be the mere imaginative concoction of insecure, religious fanatics. Oh, man may occasionally be involved in "unacceptable societal behavior" but these are simply impulses hammered out by his "evolutionary, jungleistic past" and for such slips of conduct, humanity should actually feel no guilt. "Guilt" is really a dirty word in the vocabulary of many. Until therefore, the message of sin, rebellion and guilt can be burned into the consciences of our contemporaries, many will continue to see absolutely no need for what Jesus Christ has to offer.
2. Some will not come to Christ because they are not convinced of His uniqueness. The time was, in days gone by, when most of our neighbors revered the name of Jesus. But that day is rapidly vanishing. We are living in an increasingly unbelieving world. Many of our fellows no longer even believe in the existence of God. They have been taught from elementary school onward and via the news media that the universe is eternal and self-sustained. Man has evolved from an animalistic ancestry. The Bible is not the Word of God but is merely a collection of ancient fables. And Jesus Christ, though He may have been an remarkable teacher and a benevolent influence of antiquity, nonetheless is not the unique Son of God and the Savior of the world. Without an accurate knowledge of who Christ is, men are just not going to be drawn to Him. I will tell you my brethren, that a study of Christian evidences is one of the crying needs of our time. Is the Bible true? Is Christ divine? These are questions which Christians answer affirmatively but which precious few are prepared to deal with when confronting those who have not been raised in the environment of Christian influence.
3. Some do not come to the Lord because, as a result of false teaching, they have concluded that they are already associated with Him. In Acts 19:13 and following, one reads of certain Jews who feigned the ability in connection with the name of Christ, to cast out evil spirits and their fakery was dramatically exposed. There is something we can learn from this case. Not everyone who claims connection with Jesus Christ actually enjoys such a union. I think there is a Biblical truth that some of us need to be reminded of and it is this: correct teaching and an accurate understanding of the message must precede obedience to the gospel. Under the Mosaic system, a person was physically born into a covenant relationship with Jehovah. As the Hebrew grew toward maturity, he was instructed in the principles of the divine system. Under the New Testament economy however, it is different. This is one of the very points of emphasis in the great prophecy of Jeremiah 31:31ff. The prophet declares, "...they shall teach no more every man his neighbor, and every man his brother saying, 'Know Jehovah' for they shall all know Me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them..." (vs. 34). Christianity is a taught religion. Jesus announced, "And they shall all be taught of God. Every one that hath heard from the Father and hath learned, cometh unto Me" (John 6:45). One does not accidentally obey the truth and stumble into the kingdom of God. Denominational clergymen have taught a perverted gospel (cf. Galatians 1:6-8) and many have sincerely, though erroneously been led to believe that an acceptation of their doctrines is genuine Christianity. It is the sacred responsibility of every child of God to show the distinction between truth and error, to draw the line between primitive Christianity and modern sectarianism and so, to call men back to the Bible. Some of our preachers have ceased to proclaim this distinctive message and are assuming postures that will lead our people into a destructive apostasy.
4. Some will not come to Jesus because they are unwilling to pay the price He requires. If you would follow Christ, you must be willing to forsake all that is in conflict with Heaven's requirements. A man must be willing to deny himself, take up the cross daily and follow his Lord (Luke 9:23). The Savior urged men to count the cost before assuming the role of discipleship and he who is not willing to renounce any obstacle to the faith cannot be a follower of Christ (cf. Luke 14:25-35). A tragic example is that of the rich, young ruler. He was consumed with materialism. When the Lord demanded that he sell his possessions and then follow Him, the young man sorrowfully departed from Christ (Matthew 19:16-22). He was unwilling to pay the price. For some, forsaking worldliness is too great of a demand (cf. II Timothy 4:10) for discipleship. Others cannot afford the time (and so they trade the few moments of time for eternity). The excuses are many, the result is the same. Other priorities crowd out God.
5. Some will not come to the Lord because they fear failure. We have heard the excuse many times. "I would become a Christian but I know I could not hold out." Do you not realize that when you turn to Christ, God is aware of the fact that you are but a babe in the faith? Don't we understand that Heaven is cognizant of human frailty? Hasn't Jesus promised to be with us, "all the day" (Matthew 28:20)? Yes, we will make mistakes, and frequently. But we will repent of those things and learn to grow in spite of our blunders. What if one reasoned, I will not marry because so many marriages end in divorce? Surely that would be unsound thinking. What if the farmer argued, I'll not plant for there was a crop failure? He would go hungry! One need not fear failure if he will do his best to serve his God and if he will pledge himself to progressively learn and respond to the truth.
6. Some do not come to the Christ because of what they see in professed Christians. No one will be excused for his own disobedience in the day of judgment because he was influenced by someone else's sorry example. Each person is responsible for his own activity (II Corinthians 5:10). Be that as it may, it is a fact that cannot be denied, some of the Lord's own people are His worst enemies. By their coarse and wretched lives, they drive many away from exposure to the truth even before they have opportunity to know of the gospel. In some places, the morals of members of the church are far inferior to those of false religionists. And in most areas, corrective discipline is a totally unknown practice. Surely Jehovah will not hold us unaccountable for such downright neglect.
Yes, there are many excuses why men reject Christ. There are no reasons!
No comments:
Post a Comment