John 1:6-8
God sent a man named John, who came to tell about the light and to lead all people to have faith. John wasn't that light. He came only to tell about the light.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
Have you ever tried to ask someone a question, and the person totally went off in another direction with their answer? They missed the point completely! Or maybe you have said something to someone, and what they heard was altogether different. You gave one message… the person received another!
We do this a lot in our faith walk. We get all hung up on one little phrase in a scripture verse… or we focus on something that is really pretty insignificant… and we miss the bigger picture. And a lot of people got mixed up and thought that John was God’s “Chosen One,” when in reality, he was the messenger. John was anointed by God and chosen to prepare the way… and he did lead many to develop a faith in Jesus and a relationship with our Heavenly Father. But John was not Jesus, and he never claimed to be.
So often, we get a little pious – somewhat high and mighty – and we tend to think better of ourselves than we should! Just because we have a relationship with Jesus and are covered in His blood – heirs to the Throne of Grace – doesn’t mean we can lord it over others! This is not a license to judge and condemn them for what we consider sinful or wrong behavior. We are not entitled to claim to do great things under our own power. The only power we have comes from Jesus Christ working in and through us!
With the power of Jesus, we can spread the Good News of His salvation. With the power of Jesus, we can tell all about the light and lead people to a faith in Christ for themselves. We cannot judge sin… we cannot heal sickness… we cannot save anyone. Only God can do this through the blood of Jesus Christ. But we can deliver the message. We can live in a manner that shows others what a faith in Jesus can do for them. We can love others and share grace, mercy, and forgiveness… modeling Christ-like behaviors. And we must do this!
When it comes to modeling Christian behavior, John was a pioneer! He showed others the way to walk in faith and shared the Good News of the coming of Jesus. We can take our cue from John… we can walk in faith, and we can share with others how Jesus sacrificed His very life for each of us on the cross. It is our turn to tell about the Light. How are you doing?
©2011 Debbie Robus
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