SAVED

"He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him" (John 3:36).

 

To believe in the Son is to obey the Son--to join Jesus in the work that He is already doing.  And of course, wherever the Son is--there is life!

 

Today:  believe . . . obey . . . live!

CONSUMED

"The Father loves the son and has given all things into His hand" (John 3:35).

 

As a gift of love, the Father has given everything to Jesus.  You and I are included in the "everything" and thus are given to Jesus.  We are not given to Jesus like a new car (one of many), but more like a new bride (unique and special).  "A man can receive nothing unless it has been given him from heaven" (John 3:27).  As a gift to Christ we are to be consumed by Christ--loved, cherished, and treasured.

 

Today, remember that you belong to Jesus and He has assumed the role of husband--your protector and provider.

SPEAK

"For He whom God has sent speaks the words of God; for He gives the Spirit without measure" (John 3:34).

 

Jesus, sent from God, spoke (and still speaks) the words of God.  In the same way, all those who are on mission with God also speak His words.  The second phrase of the verse is not without significance in that it is the Spirit of God that tells us what to say.  Jesus says in John 16:13, "But when He, the Spirit of Truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come."  The Spirit will guide us into truth.  The Spirit will reveal what is to come.  The Spirit speaks to us and we simply repeat what we hear.  And since the Spirit is given without measure, we will never lack in what to say.

 

Today, when you find yourself in a position to give advice--resist the urge to give your opinion.  Rather, pause and invite the Holy Spirit to guide your words.

SEAL

"He who has received His testimony has set his seal to this, that God is true" (John 3:33).

 

Your seal is your certification of authenticity.  It is your personal endorsement.  There are many ways to accomplish the sealing of Christ's testimony--to declare that God is true.  The big one that Jesus gave us is the seal of baptism.  Baptism is a symbolic act of declaring Christ's death, burial, and resurrection in your own life.  It is an outward sign of an inward change.  It isn't something to be done privately but rather something to be done in a crowd--a public declaration of your faith in Jesus.  In addition to baptism or immersion, there are countless opportunities every day to set our seal on the truth of God.  People all around us will be watching today.  We will either declare the truth of God or the myth of God depending on our attitudes and actions.

Today, declare the truth of God everywhere you go . . . Use words if necessary.

ACCEPT

"What He has seen and heard, of that He testifies; and no one receives His testimony" (John 3:32).

 

There is a tendency that we all have to deny the truth when it contradicts what we already have come to believe.  Jesus brings us the truth about God, about our world, and about us.  There is no doubt that Jesus' words will rock our boat!  We have a choice of either receiving His testimony or ignoring it.  The trick is to determine to obey (accept) Jesus' instruction before He gives it.  Make up your mind to walk with Jesus regardless...

 

Today, let me suggest that we read John 3 one more time, inviting the Holy Spirit to speak something from the text into our lives.  Read and reread it until you feel like God has spoken to you personally.

BORN

"He who comes from above is above all, he who is of the earth is from the earth and speaks of the earth.  He who comes from heaven is above all" (John 3:31).

 

A clear comparison is being made between "He who is from above" and "he who is of the earth".  Jesus is from above and is thus speaking the language of "the above".  We are naturally born citizens of earth and naturally speak of earthly things.  Jesus tells Nicodemus in John 3:3, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God."  There is an urgency for us to be born from above so that we too can see what is above (God's Kingdom) allowing us then to speak heaven's perspective.

 

Let me suggest this prayer: "Father, by the blood of Jesus, please birth me into the Kingdom of Heaven, forgiving me of all my sin, and granting me the righteousness of Christ."

CONSUMED

"He must increase, but I must decrease" (John 3:30).

 

To be consumed with Christ is to be so captivfated and conscious of Him that we take on His appearance, His attributes, and His actions.  He increases and we, of necessary consequence, decrease.  It's no longer about us--it's about Christ!

 

Today, invite Christ to consume you through and through!

CELEBRATE

"He who has the bride is the bridegroom; but the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom's voice.  So this joy of mine has been made full" (John 3:29).

 

We are being consumed with Christ when we give CREDIT to Christ in all things--pleasant and difficult.  We are being consumed with Christ when we have CLARITY--accepting who we are and who we are not.  Third, we are being consumed with Christ when we CELEBRATE the bridegroom's joy.  John the Baptizer was able to share in the joy of Jesus--not because the people were coming to John--but because he rightly understood the preeminence of Christ.  He was happy that Jesus was happy!  So how about you?  Is your joy made full only when everything is going right in your life?  Or are you able to share in the joy of Jesus?

 

Today, let's celebrate the life that Jesus is creating.  Let's focus on His accomplishments and celebrate His success!  Purpose to let your joy be in Jesus!

CLARITY

"You yourselves are my witnesses that I said, 'I am not the Christ,' but, 'I have been sent ahead of Him.'" (John 3:28).

 

This week's Daily Grace is all about how to be Consumed with Christ.  CONFLICT (I'm right and you're wrong) and COMPARISON (I want what you have) can only move us in the wrong direction.  The first step in the right direction towards being consumed with Christ is "CREDIT"--remembering that every good gift comes from above--what you have and what you don't have. 

 

The Second step is in our verse today:  There is a God . . . you're not Him!  Like John the Baptizer, we need to remember that we're not the Christ.  We need CLARITY to understand who we are and who we're not.  It takes a lot of pressure off when we stop trying to become someone that we're not.  Just be yourself--the amazing person that God created you to be.  God has set you up to succeed today.  Any anxiety that you may feel today will come from trying to be and experience something contrary to what God has set in motion.

 

Today, take a moment and get some clarity from God in terms of what He wants to accomplish in your day.

CREDIT

"John answered and said, 'A man can receive nothing unless it has been given him from heaven'" (John 3:27).

 

The first step towards being consumed with Christ is to understand that everything beneficial comes from Christ.  "All good things come from above" (James 1:17).  The sin of making comparison that often leads to conflict completely goes away when one is rightly understanding that what we have comes from God and, of course, what we don't have is being witheld by God.  That's right--God blesses us with great experiences, and He also blesses us with not so great experiences (at least, not so great from our perspective).  We are being consumed with Christ when we trust that God knows what is beneficial for us--even if it is painful.

 

Today, give God credit for what happens...and for what doesn't happen.

COMPARISON

 

"And they came to John and said to him, 'Rabbi, He who was with you beyond the Jordan, to whom you have testified, behold, He is baptizing and all are coming to Him.'"  (John 3:26).

 

One clear indicator that we are NOT consumed with Christ is when we begin to make comparisons with others.  Comparison indicates that rather than being consumed with Christ, we are consumed with others, consumed with success, consumed with everything but Christ.  John's disciples were concerned that their ministry was being overshadowed by Jesus' ministry.  They were concerned, they were fearful, and they were blaming John--after all, it was John that made such a big deal out of Jesus.

 

Today, should you find yourself feeling insecure or fearful because of someone or something, let me suggest that you run to Jesus and allow Him to consume you.  Allow yourself to be saturated in the love of Jesus until the distractions begin to pale in comparison.

CONFLICT

"Therefore there arose a discussion on the part of John's disciples with a Jew about purification" (John 3:25).

 

All this week, we'll be focused on how to be consumed with Christ.  We're headed toward John 3:30, "He must increase, but I must decrease".  Today's verse identifies a distraction for John's disciples.  They were involved in a "discussion" or what we would call a theological argument concerning how to be clean before God.  This conflict, rather than consuming them with Christ, was removing them from Christ--they were headed in the wrong direction.  Arguments don't honor Christ--rather, they often are a waste of time, dividing God's people instead of uniting them.

 

Today, in our quest to be consumed with Christ, let's be careful not to be distracted by conflicts.  Let the Holy Spirit confirm His truth in your heart and mind and trust that He can do the same in others.

RESCUE

Somebody needs this today...maybe right now...

 

"O Lord, I have come to you for protection; don't let me be put to shame.  Rescue me, for you always do what is right.  Bend down and listen to me; rescue me quickly.  Be for me a great rock of safety, a fortress where my enemies cannot reach me" (Psalm 31:1-2).

 

I'm one of those people who struggles with depression.  I click along just fine and then wham!--I find myself drowning in an ocean of despair.  I am learning to understand the triggers and I am learning how to let the Father lift me back up again.  I've had a rough couple of weeks . . . with Tina being gone . . . with Jaren coming home . . . with some disappointment that I've caused some friends.  I tend to take everything personally even if it's not about me.  So, today I choose to be rescued, to be delivered, to be saved, to be born again.  I'm praying Psalm 31:1-2 and I'm allowing my Daddy in Heaven to love on me.

 

If you need to be rescued today, try praying Psalm 31:1-2.  It seems to be helping me.  :)

FAILURE

"For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed" (John 3:20).

 

The Greek word for "evil" in this verse is different from verse 19 that we looked at yesterday.  The word here is "phaulos" and it means "foul" or "worthless".  In the same way, that we often want to hide our struggles, we really want to hide our failures--our worthless and rotten behaviors.  We fear that if anyone knew our secrets, then they would condemn and reject us.  The truth is that some will condemn us--but the true carrier of light never will.  Those who have been forgiven of much will of course forgive much.  We are to, "confess our sins to one another, and pray for one another so that we may be healed" (James 5:16).  Healing comes when we are dangerously transparent with each other.  Our confession prompts prayer and restoration from the true Body of Christ.

 

Today, rather than covering up your failures (whatever they may be), own up to them, confess them, share them.  This is where the healing begins...

STRUGGLE

"This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil" (John 3:19).

 

It is a very natural thing to want to hide our imperfections, our flaws, our failures, and our sin.  The word translated "evil" in this verse does not care the devilish idea that we most often think of as evil.  The word "evil", here is the Greek word, "poneros", which means, "full of hardship, annoyances, pain, and trouble".  We all experience this kind of evil just about every day.  Here is the message of the verse: when we keep our struggles to ourselves, we are condemning (judging) ourselves to a life of struggle.  Freedom and deliverance come when we bring these "hardships, annoyances, pain, and trouble" into the light and share them with each other.

 

Today, don't just struggle, but rather, share your struggle with someone you trust.  This is where the healing begins...

RESCUE

"He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God" (John 3:18).

 

Understand that we're all drowning and that Jesus is the lifeguard who swims out to rescue us.  If you believe that Jesus is not capable of rescuing you or if you believe that He is out to harm you, then you may swim away from Jesus.  To do so is to turn away from the only chance that you have to keep from drowning.  Apart from Jesus' intervention, you will drown--you are already drowning.  The eternal consequence of sin is death and separation from God.  To push away from life (Jesus) is to embrace death (the absence of life).  You are consequently judging and condemning yourself through your own actions.  The only hope is the Lifeguard--Jesus!

 

Today, allow yourself to be rescued by Jesus.  Don't push away no matter how scary it may seem.  Let me suggest that you take a moment and close your eyes and picture Jesus coming to your rescue.  Picture him rescuing you from your sin, your circumstances, and your confusion.  Let His rescue be your prayer today.

RESCUE

"For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him" (John 3:17).

 

This one verse, perhaps more than any other, declares the great purpose of God.  His agenda is saving--not judging!  He is about correcting rather than condemning.  He rescues instead of retaliating.  He delivers...not destroys.  And Jesus seeks to include us in His mission of rescue.  Paul says it this way, "Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation, namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation" (2 Corinthians 5:18-19).

 

Today, let's join Jesus in not holding the sins of people against them.

LIFE

"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life" (John 3:16).

 

The reason that "whoever believes (trusts) will in Him have eternal life" (John 3:15) is given in 3:16.  #1--God loves the world and all that is in it, including you.  God's love is a sacrificial love that is freely given without strings attached.  #2--He loves the world that He created so much that He has given us the gift of His one and only, unique, and one of a kind Son--Jesus.  #3--This sacrificial gift of Jesus is for whoever (anyone and everyone) that will put their trust in Him.  #4--The result of trusting in Jesus is rescue from a life of death and transformation into a life of eternal living.

 

Today, if you feel like you are dying, call out to Jesus and receive His gift of living!

UNDERSTAND

"If I told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things?" (John 3:12).

 

Jesus often used common objects and events in order to reveal spiritual truth.  He was a master of metaphor.  In John 3, He has already used both the birthing process and the wind to represent spiritual reality.  One comes into the kingdom of God much like he comes into this world--by being born. The process of spiritual rebirth is mysterious--not unlike the wind.  He uses metaphors so that we can have a point of knowledge.  He takes something that would be impossible for us to understand and simplifies it for us by comparing it to something that we already know.  Nicodemus not only does not understand "heavenly things", he isn't getting the earthly metaphors either. 

 

Today, invite the Holy Spirit to guide you into all truth concerning the scripture that you will read, your circumstances, what other believers might express, and even your time in prayer.

TESTIMONY

"Truly, truly, I say to you, we speak of what we know and testify of what we have seen, and you do not accept our testimony" (John 3:11).

 

The first thing that I notice in this verse is the personal pronouns.  Jesus says, "I say", "we speak", "we know", and "we have seen".  Isn't it interesting that Jesus moves so quickly from "I" to "we".  It's not unlike the creation narrative where we find, "Then God said, 'Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness'" (Genesis 1:26).  "God" is singular and "us" and "our" is clearly plural.  It's not that God is schizophrenic but rather He is three in one--He is Trinity.  If we use our math skills we can count "we" three times in John 3:11.  Perhaps Jesus is alluding to the fact that though He is speaking--God the trinity is indeed testifying in unity.  He was testifying then and He is testifying now.  God speaks primarily in four ways: through the Bible, through our circumstances, through other believers, and through prayer.

 

Today, spend some time listening for the testimony of God.  He will be speaking--will you be listening?