9. Meditation: Chapter 8. The Dead Religion And The Living Son Of God - Part 2

Chapter 8

The Dead Religion And 

The Living Son Of God - Part 2

John 5:18-47

The Revelation Of Mysterious Relationship 

Of Father And Son

In this paragraph, Jesus answered the Jews who want to kill Him with very mysterious revelation of Father and Son. That is so incredible! For Jesus laid forth so important revelation before the blind Jews. That is also a huge contrary between blind religion and enlightening revelation (dead religion and living union with Father). May the Holy Spirit continue to unveil and teach us some precious lessons by Jesus’ divine sayings more and more!   

The word “Father” is used thirteen times in this chapter. This word reveals us that living union and oneness with Father is the most important basis and secret of Son’s ministry on the earth. This divine and intimate relationship is a reminder for us. The valuable services in the God’s sight should be based on deep loving relationship with our precious Lord. We could not serve acceptably before God if we neglect this aspect. 

Unfortunately, the modern Christianity devoted herself to many services and activities by natural religious zeal without paying attention to love, admire, adore and pursue after the Lord Himself and His words (Matthew 26:6-13; Mark 14:3-9). The consequence is that we gain the approval, praise and glory from the religious world by benevolence, but meanwhile sacrifice a lot of precious truth and fullness in Christ, and lose the glory which comes from God alone. And modern Christians are no longer the lovers of God, but the supporters of superficial religion with religious benevolence just like Buddhist, Catholicism and other earthly religions. We fail to recognize that the focus and core of gospel is Lord Himself and His unsearchable fullness.

Jesus Is Selfless Servant

Futhermore, the selfless Jesus as a servant is our sample. The Son of man owns a perfect selfhood, and He could serve or do anything by (from) Himself. But He chose to empty out His perfect selfhood, and surrender under the sovereignty, guide and indication of His Father. Therefore His life is just like a baby, and He has to live by Father’s love, and thoroughly depends on Father for everything, and do Father’s (not His own) will, and finish Father’s work.

Dear servants of God, we have to learn from this selfless Servant in the realm of service. Let us remember all our services and works will be tried by God’s fire (1 Corinthians 3:10-15). And all that from ourselves (natural zeal and ability, good intention, human wisdom, carnal means, religious notions, worldly methods) will not be accepted by God. To give an account before the judgment seat of Christ! What a serious matter! 

To wait for and seek to understand the Master’s will and mind is most significant to the servants (Psalms 123:2). Today we need a fearful heart (Psalms 19:13), calm mind, clear vision (revelation, understanding) from God’s words and humble spirit to learn how to serve the living God according to His mind because spiritual services are so divine and profound that we could no longer serve by our old natural man. The Chinese brother Watchman Nee (1903-1972) once said: “The work of God is that: its commencement - God’s will; its process - God’s power; its end - God’s glory.” The Christ must be all, and in all! For of Him, and through Him, and for Him all things: to Him be glory for ever. Amen!         

What Is The Testimony Of God’s Assembly (Church)?

In Jesus’ divine reply, we could understand the nature of testimony. What is testimony? The testimony of God’s assembly is that: “the supreme status and excellent significance of Christ (God’s Son) in God’s eternal purpose.” Jesus Christ will head up all things in Himself (Ephesians 1:9-10), and occupy the first place in all things (Colossians 1:15-21) according to God’s eternal purpose. And now God’s Son is the King and Righteous Judge on the throne, Minister and the indissoluble High Priest of the holy places and of true tabernacle (Hebrews 8:1-2). And our testimony and part is to set forth the surpassing greatness and excellency of God’s Son (John 1:14; Hebrews 1:3-4).

We have to hold fast the Head (Christ) as our all in all, for He is the Pivot and Center of all things, and if we miss Christ, we almost forfeit everything. The Christ is the gate of salvation to the unbelievers, and whosoever don’t believe on and accept Him as the savior will miss eternal life and enter into judgment. Moreover, the fullness of Christ is the inheritance for all the saints. How shall we escape if we have been negligent of so great salvation and so excellent Christ? Can we continue to overlook or neglect Lord Himself and His precious words (the bible)? 

Let us again adjust our attitude towards our precious and grand Lord Jesus. First, we must honor, revere and hunger for God’s Son humbly. That is an important ground upon which the Holy Spirit could work. And then we need the revelation of the Holy Spirit to open our understanding by His words so that we could further know the infinite Christ (Ephesians 1:15-19; Philippians 1:9-11). For He is ever much bigger than our present and limited knowledge of Him (1 Corinthians 13:9-12). We need to press on and pursue after Him (Philippians 3:12; 1 Corinthians 9:24).      

The Antidotes To The Legalism And Earthly Religion

John 1:17: For the law was given by Moses: grace and truth subsists through Jesus Christ. (Darby’s Bible Version) Christians should live in the grace, mercy and truth of Christ, not hold fast the legalism of earthly Christianity (James 2:13). For the purpose of law is to expose the sinful, fallen and helpless state of our old natural man (Romans 3:20, 23; 7:7-9, 14-24). The more we want to keep the law, the more we sink into the depth of despair because of the failure of keeping them. However, blessed be our Lord! Christians are dead to the law (Romans 7:4-6) and live under another better law! What is the better law under which we live now? That is the law of the Spirit of “life” in Jesus Christ (Romans 8:2-4). And there is now no condemnation in this new law (the old Moses’ law is full of judgment, condemnation and death). Today as long as we follow after, rely on and walk according to the indwelling Holy Spirit, the Christ will be our supply to fulfill the demands of God’s righteousness (Matthew 5:17), and we would enjoy the peace, joy and rest of life without fear in Christ.

This new law is also the law of “love”. And Love should be our mark (Matthew 22:37-40; Mark 12:33; John 13:34-35, 15:12-13; Romans 13:8-10; Galatians 5:14; 1 John 3:18, 4:12; 1 Thessalonians 3:12; 1 Corinthians13:1, 13). Love! What a challenge to Christians! The testimony of love is costly but precious in God’s sight. May the Lord shed abroad God’s love in our hearts by the Holy Spirit!

In addition, let the words of the Christ dwell in us richly! God’s words are the foundation and root of our faith. We have to cherish and investigate the bible. And God’s words are also a living Person (Christ). The Word is toward Christ, and the Word is Christ. All the scriptures point toward the Son of God. Therefore whenever we read the bible, actually we are having a meeting with a glorious God. The bible is a living Christ, and He always wants to talk to us through His words. And Jesus demands us to have a stable relationship with Himself and His words. The bible is not only a book filled with doctrines but also the voices of Son of God. May God open our spiritual ears! He that has an ear, let him hear! John 6:63: the words which I have spoken unto you are spirit and are life. Christ is the Word. In Him is life. The life, words and Christ are inseparable. Do we desire to have life more abundantly? Work hard in reading bible because His words of life will quicken, enlighten, enrich and renew us (Psalm 119:107).   

Let us live for Christ’s glory and kingdom (1 Corinthians 10:31; 2 Corinthians 5:15; Matthew 6:33), and seek His pleasure and praise alone, not the vanity and applause from men (Romans 2:29).