October 22, 2024 -- John 16:33 -- Facing the inevitable troubles

 I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”
John 16:33 ESV

Funny thing is, when I memorized this verse (so many decades ago) I used the NIV translation. The second sentence uses the world “trouble” where the translation quoted today has “tribulation”. The original word means “pressing together”, or pressure. It can mean dire distress, struggles and oppression. The point is, Jesus was telling His followers as much as the world hated Him, equally the world will hate those who follow Him. He spoke the truth, people hated hearing it. He revealed the false hopes of the people and they became enraged against Him. For example, the religious leaders figured if they did good works, then God would be pleased with them. The problem is, no one can be sustained in good works. Even the slightest misstep into sin will render all your good works null and void. This is how high and great and perfect is the holiness of God Who is called a Consuming Fire. His perfections are so great anything even slightly less than perfect will be burned up. The religious leaders simply did not believe Jesus and in their pride put Him (their hope of salvation) to death. 

Why mention this? It is pretty discouraging. The point is, Jesus lived out absolute perfection from the moment of His conception until His death. No word, no thought, nor any single deed was ever contrary to the will of God. Earlier in this chapter He promised His disciples that He is going to the Father—He would be betrayed, falsely accused, tried in a court that was stacked against Him, killed by the very people He came to save—and He never even thought a wicked or bad thought against anyone. He prayed, even as He was dying on the cross, crying out, “Father, forgive them”. His perfection is credited to you, who believe in Him. We are saved by good works. But those good works are yours, they are the good works, the life-long perfections of Jesus, credited to you, as He died for the sinful, wickedness of all your trespasses against God.

Now, when you know this to be true, you will face hard times. Your old patterns of sin will want to rise up and rebel. You are more familiar with bad patterns of behaviour and life-controlling issues, like lust, or anger, gossip, or complaining. So, you retreat back to those, rather than trying to stay true to God. Jesus warned His disciples. You are going to struggle. But I have said this so that you will have peace, your old sins are no match for My goodness and My perfections which I bring into the presence of the Father. Do you understand the implications of this?! You and I will be declared clean and perfect based on Jesus’s perfections. Every time you fall back into sin, confess it. Trust that Jesus has overcome the world and you are gifted with the blessing of going ahead in life wearing victory of Jesus’s perfection.

The world will sneer. Hate you. Snarl against what they wrongly perceive as your smugness and self-satisfaction. They can’t understand that it is with humble awe and thanks you are made alive with Jesus and by His Spirit’s presence in you are able to stand against all the allurements of the world and to withstand the onslaught of pressures people of the world put on you, demanding you conform to their ways. Jesus already, two-thousand years ago, foretold that such pressures and troubles would push up against you because you believe in Him. Remember, He is stronger than the world. He faced all the world’s strongest powers and penalties and kept true to His Father. That is the kind of perfection that is applied to you when you believe in Jesus. As often as you fail, remember, that is precisely the reason He came to the earth, to lift you from your failures, your sins, and all your wrong-doing and bring you, as one declared not-guilty by reason of the fact all the punishment you deserved was put on Jesus. He will bring you to the Father, as one who is not guilty, and by who by the work of the Spirit  was being in real time, each day, conformed, molded to be more like Jesus.

Father in heaven, I feel like a nearly potty-trained toddler, ripe and smelly aware of my great need to have my diaper changed. Embarrassed and so aware that I messed up again. Thank You for the accomplished work of Jesus. Thank You that as often as is needed, daily, or hourly, or minute by minute, You will apply the perfections of Jesus to me. By Your Spirit living in me, help me to be so united with Jesus that all my sins, hidden and public, will be defeated, overcome by the goodness of Jesus. Lead me, Spirit of God, so that I will desire to follow Jesus, even when I face troubles in this world. Please, give to me the peace that this passage speaks of. I ask it, based on the fact that Jesus promised it for all who believe. Amen.

https://youtu.be/1yBzIt_z8oY?si=KIHViq3T0Q6zy_vC Nobody

Copyright © 2024 Sh'ma Christian Ministries, All rights reserved.