To The Intent Ye May Believe!

Hello to All:

The title, for this posting, takes us back to the end of our last posting and verse 15 of John chapter 11. The full text, for todays post is verses 13 thru 16, where we find written:

(13) "Howbeit Jesus spake of his death: but they thought that he had spoken of taking of rest in sleep. (14) Then said Jesus unto them plainly, Lazarus is dead. (15) And I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, To The Intent Ye May Believe (emphasis mine); nevertheless let us go unto him. (16) Then said Thomas, which is called Didymus, unto his fellowdisciples, Let us also go, that we may die with him."

God's intent is that we believe! Earlier in John's gospel, we find written (6:29): Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on Him whom He hath sent." At 1 John 3:23, we find written: "And this is His commandment, That we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ." The "work of God" - The "commandment" of God - The "intent" of God - The sovereignty of God: They all take us to the same place - they take us to salvation - and they take us to the fullness of salvation; and they compell us to, once again, ask the most compelling of questions: Do We Believe? The question needs to be repeated, because, if we truly believed: we would be experiencing and living as: victorious disciples in Jesus Christ. The truth is, if we are willing to see it, is that most of us are stuck in entry-level discipleship: we have salvation and eternal life - but, we are robbed of power, we are robbed of authority and we are robbed of victory because we do not believe!

Some of you are, possibly, in a most self-righteouse manner, thinking: well , I do believe in Jesus Christ; I have eternal life. My beloved brethren, I am so very thankfull that you believe -but, please be reminded that this belief, that you have, is the foundation of our eternal relationship with Jesus Christ. It is the beginning - it is not the end. Earlier in John's gospel (10:10), Jesus speaks these words to us, for eternity and for the present: "I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly." Yes, we would boast that we believe in Jesus Christ and have eternal life; and, in this, we should boast. But, the question, that now stands before us is this: Do we have life "more abundantly," in the present day - do we have life "more abundantly" in the moment of our need - do we have life "more abundantly" in the here and now of our lives? Do we believe?

The disciples did not believe! It was the soveriegn "intent," of our Lord Jesus Christ, that the disciples believe. He "abode two days" (verse 6); and then proclaimed - "Lazarus is dead" (verse 14); and then said this (verse 15): "And I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, to the intent ye may believe; nevertheless let us go unto him." Furthur on, in the chapter (verse 42), Jesus, again, emphasises His intent, when He states His reason for crying out to the Father: "...that they may believe that thou hast sent me." Clearly, Jesus has a purpose; and what is that purpose: that "ye may believe." The disciples did not believe! Thomas, speaking to the other disciples (verse 16) says: "Let us go, that we may die with him." Thomas and the disciples (no one protested what he said), were locked into the here and now, without hope. The disciples did not believe!

These are the same disciples, who, earlier (chapter 6 and verse 69), agreed to this confession: "And we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God." These are the same disciples, who (by the time of our text, for this posting), had already spent several years of their lives with Jesus. These are the same disciples, who had seen Jesus do many wonderous and miraculous works, including the raising of the dead. They knew who Jesus is and they knew what He could do; and yet - they did not believe Him. When confronted with the death of Lazarus, they could only function in the natural realms. They could not believe in the surpernatural intervention of Jesus Christ. They were robbed of power and authourity and victory because they did not believe. Oh, most certainly, they, like us, believed Jesus for who He is; and they, like us, believed Jesus for what He had done and could do (in the future); but, they, like most of us, did not believe Jesus for victory in the moment of their need, in the present, in the here and now. And so, my beloved brethren, the question must be asked, once more: Do We Believe?

Until next time, my beloved brethren, in Christ Jesus, I continue to be:

Your servant and your fellow pilgrim,
Elder Theophilus