January 8, 2022 -- John 16:1 -- To Keep You from Falling Away from Jesus

People loved by the Father, in the power of the Spirit: Sh'ma ~ hear and obey Jesus!

I have said all these things to you keep you from falling away.
John 16:1 ESV

That is possible? It is possible to fall away from Jesus? Look at the eleven disciples that heard this teaching. Judas Iscariot had already left the group to betray Jesus. Those who heard Jesus’ teaching and these words ran from Jesus at the Garden of Gethsemane. They couldn’t believe His resurrection, until Jesus showed them His nailed scarred hands and feet and wounded side.

Jesus went on to teach that believers, His followers, would be put out of synagogues—they’d be booted out of religious assemblies for their faith in Jesus. They’d be persecuted. Mocked. Hated. When the believer experiences such things Jesus said “I have said these things to you, that when their hour comes you may remember that I told them to you”. Persecution. Troubles in faith. All of these can serve to remind us of Jesus’ words—He informed His followers of such things.

A weight lifter will experience pain, repeatedly, in order to experience the goal of lifting the greatest weight in the competition. A family preparing to sell a house will paint, clean extra deeply and thoroughly, do patch work and repairs that normally would go unattended because they are slight, doing so with the goal of selling the house. A Christian will face persecution, suffering, self-denial—with the goal of knowing Jesus better in this life and living in the presence of the Father and the Son and the Spirit in all eternity.

Judas Iscariot was among the disciples and none of the Eleven recognized his duplicity, even at the Last Supper, the disciples had to ask Jesus who is it? In fact, the disciples asked, "Is it I (that will betray You)?" How deceitful is the human heart. How mighty and powerful is the Spirit of God, given by the Father and Jesus, to carry believers through the trials and persecutions and sufferings of this life bringing them to the eternal shores.

Spirit of God, renew in Your people the glorious vision of life everlasting in the Presence. Keep Your people from falling away. Renew in believers a deep-rooted zeal and life-committing faith in Jesus Christ. With hearts and minds filled with such a wonderful hope, empower holy service and determined, courageous endurance in obedience to Jesus Christ to the glory and praise of the Father in heaven. Amen.

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