John 1:3
All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. - John 1:3
There are a some similarities between the first chapter of John and the first chapter of Genesis. Both start with the assumption of God. He is. Compare �In the beginning God� with �In the beginning was the Word.�
This is just foundation. Without this fact there is nothing which can follow in the narrative. Did you ever see the cartoon character, Snoopy, as he prepared to write his great novel while sitting on top of his doghouse? He always begins with, �It was a dark and stormy night...�
Snoopy uses two qualifiers to describe the night. It was dark and it was stormy. That is more information than we are given to explain God to us in those first words of John and Genesis. In essence I guess we could say that the Bible tells us it is night. Then the sacred page begins to explain just how dark and stormy is that night.
Without the night, it probably wouldn�t be as dark, and the storm would not inspire such awe. We know this from the physical world about us. When it comes to spiritual realities, we do not have such a frame of reference to allow us to understand what is being explained.
A couple of years ago I had a speaking engagement in North Carolina. I had never before been in North Carolina. But, I thought that I knew all about the geographical settings of the United States. I knew that I could just get to the state line and then follow the road signs to lead me to where I was going. I overshot my destination by about four hundred miles because I relied on my memory rather than on a simple road map.
My wife would have just said I was a typical man.
Typical men think they know everything about the Scripture even if they have never bothered to read a single page of it! I have a movie flyer from Viet Nam. I got it while stationed there in 1969. I have no idea in the world what it says. I just thought it would be a neat souvenir. It is; but, it is rather useless to me.
If, however, I had a person with me who understood and read the Vietnamese language, they could interpret what was said. I could actually know what is on this paper I have had for nearly forty years!
Typical men are in just as bad a shape in their understanding of Scripture as was I on my trip to North Carolina. They don�t even understand where they are going. And, if they got there they would need an interpreter to explain what was the message.
Praise God that we have the Guide! Praise God that we have the Interpreter! The Holy Spirit will illumine and interpret as He guides our reading of the Holy Word. But, first we have to ask Him.
The really sad thing is that I had a travel map of the State of North Carolina in the van with me when I made my trip. I passed a thousand gas stations and tourist help centers on my way to the wrong place. Any of these would have saved me an eight-hundred-mile round trip to the wrong destination - if I had asked!
First, one needs to meet Jesus at the Cross in salvation. Then a simple study of the Scripture, with prayer will allow us to learn the things of God. We will never learn all that God has in His Word. But, He will continually show us as much as we need and will use.
By the way, a quick aside: We need BOTH prayer and the study of Scripture. To simply read the Scripture, without prayer, will tend to lead one into legalism. It will produce a harshness of spirit and a superior attitude unless we allow the Living Word to explain His Written Word.
To only pray, without a study of the Scripture, tends to lead us to a wild eyed fanaticism which has no bearing on the Message of the unread Scripture. To engage in real prayer is to enter into the realm of the spiritual. Without the Guide we can have problems in this unknown land. The wrong guide can lead us to spiritual disaster.
Paul was explaining the qualifications for a leader in the churches. He told young Timothy that such a person should be, �Not a novice, lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the devil.: (I Timothy 3:6)
The only way to leave the status of �novice� is to study the Word of God. To properly study the Word of God we must have conversation with the Author of that Word.
When I was in South Viet Nam in 1969 it was a war zone. My job, in the 4th Infantry Division, was to go out on nature walks with three other men. We were to see what we could see and try not to be seen. I had what could have been a very fatal flaw: I snore. Loudly. I didn�t go out on these little walks too often because people would refuse to go with me. Honestly, I was very mature about this rejection; I never complained about being left behind in a �secure� area. Never.
The fatal flaw among persons who would engage in much prayer, without ever following the command, of the One to Whom they attempt to pray, to study His Word (II Timothy 2:15), is pride. The fatal flaw among persons who would engage in much reading of the Scriptural Message without ever allowing the Writer of that Word to explain what it is that He meant, is pride.
Sinful pride will lead us into error. Every single time. Sinful pride causes us to rely upon our own intellect, our own understanding, our own hopes and desires, and not on the leadership of the God of the Universe. We may claim that this is not the case, but our sinful pride does not let us acknowledge that failing to allow His guidance, and following His instructions for understanding, is not following His leading. It is following the leading of another spiritual entity.
We don�t hear much preaching about Satan anymore. He doesn�t mind. It makes his job a whole lot easier!
Well, so much for the introduction.
Our text verse, John 1:3, is still commenting upon Jesus.
As I look at this verse I see another restating of the divinity of Jesus Christ. It seems that God considers this to be an important point. Jesus is not presented as a created being. He is shown to be the Creator God. This is a very hard fact to grasp. I do not understand it. But, the Word of God makes the case that this is fact, plainly makes the case that this is fact, so I do accept what God has said to be so.
To do otherwise is to wallow in the mud pit of my own pride and intellect. Worse than that, to do otherwise would be to argue that God has misled us.
Bad choice!
One God = Three �Persons� = One Essence of Being. Somehow I suspect that God may know a little more about the spiritual realm that do I.
The phrase �All things...� speaks of the overarching authority of Jesus.
Hebrews 12:2 says, �Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.�
From our standpoint the most important authority of Jesus is as the Author of our faith. Our salvation is entirely of His will. This verse was read from another translation at a church meeting I was at several months ago. That translation said that Jesus was the �beginning� of our faith.
I suppose that this rendition may be correct. But, it is not accurate.
Let me explain the difference. I have a book coming out in the Spring. It is called, �Outline Studies on the Divinity of Christ.� I will be listed as the �author� of the work. But, the bibliography runs for six pages. This was used as a study guide for the churches� T.V. program a few years ago. Now, I was there when this particular written work was started. I did do the work in assembling the information and presenting it in a logical formation. But, to say that I was the �author� of this work is to stretch the meaning of that word a little. I am the �compiler� of this work.
Correct: I am the author. Accurate: I am the compiler.
Do you notice the difference?
Jesus did all the work associated with our salvation. He has sustained our salvation - one of the reasons that I preach the doctrine of eternal security is based on His power vs. our ability. He will continue this to the completion of our salvation when we reach the hallowed halls of Heaven to be with Him eternally.
But, beyond this, He is the creative force behind our salvation. It was His plan to offer this salvation to sinful mankind. John the Revelator wrote: �And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.� (Revelation 13:8)
Before I go on I need to explain the first part of that verse. The person being worshiped here is not Jesus. These are the tribulation persons who worship the beast and the false prophet. This was simply a contrast between those and the saved, who were written in the book of life.
The salient part for our discussion is that Jesus is described as �...the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.� Remember that the foundation of the world was before the creation of any life, Adam and Eve included, upon this earth.
�Before the foundation of the world� means that God has His plan of salvation in place before it was even a necessity. Man had not yet been created or yet sinned. God loved man enough that He had a plan in place when man should sin.
God did not look down on the Garden one fine day and say, �Oh, my! They�ve sinned! I�d better get ready and find a plan to take care of this mess!�
God knew the beginning from the ending. ...and the ending even before the beginning! He knew that man would sin. Yet, He displayed His love in that He had a plan prepared to fix what man would make wrong! He knew that the disobedience would come and had already prepared a plan to restore the fellowship of the prideful, willful, sinning humans who would reject His ways.
Is it any wonder that we can say, �God is Love!�
God went so far as to make it so that Jesus is not only the Author of our salvation, He is also the Activator of that salvation.
We all know Ephesians 2:8-9. We use these verses in personal work. But, did you ever really stop to look at verse 8? �For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God.�
What is �not of yourselves?� The grace is not of ourselves; I also believe that faith - which is the medium of acceptance of that grace - is also not of ourselves. I believe that this is the meaning of this verse.
Jesus is not only the Author of our faith, He is also the Activator of our faith. Romans 3:11 reminds us that, �There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.�
For a person to say that he is searching for God is not an accurate statement. He may be searching for peace, or a secure after life, or even an altruistic meaning for this life. But, unless the Holy Spirit is bringing conviction upon a persons life, they are not searching for God. That is just another reason why we need to be much in prayer, by name!, for those to whom we witness. All of our witness and work is useless until the Holy Spirit energizes the Message within the heart of a person who is dead in his sins!
We must also note that Jesus is the Authorization of our salvation. Romans 3:25 makes note that our justification is predicated upon �...the redemption that is in Christ Jesus...� Our simply responding to Jesus is not that which effects salvation in our lives. This would be a work of ours. Our responding to Jesus because of, and as a response to, His Work on the Cross of Calvary is what effects our salvation.
Salvation is wholly of Him and none of us. Even our acceptance of Him is in response to the conviction of the Holy Spirit.
In our text verse, the phrase �...were made by him...�, gives us a chance to reflect on the overall activity of Jesus.
First, we must realize, John mentioned this specifically in this verse, that Jesus is the Creative Force which made the world and the universe it lies within. �All things were made by him...� means what it says: Everything that is was made by the Word. That �Word� is Jesus Christ.
He is the Creator of the world. The scientists may search all they may. They may analyze all the �evidence� which they find. But, until they realize that their buildings of theory are predicted on a false base - if they reject the revelation that Jesus Christ is the Creator - they will continue to flounder and their observations will continue to change from year to year. Their �assured assumptions� will be regarded as fable by the next set of �assured assumptions.�
So has it always been in the world of science. That�s one of the reasons I don�t get too excited when science �disproves� something. They are going to change their mind later. Remember when the best scientific minds considered the world to be flat? That was proof positive that Isaiah was mistaken when he described of God, �It is he that sitteth upon the circle of the earth...� (Isaiah 40:22)
Don�t forget to consider those scientists who argued that the earth was resting upon pillars, or the back of a giant tortoise. They pretty well knew that Job was only using mystical language when he said that, �he stretcheth out the north over the empty place, and hangeth the earth upon nothing.� (Job 26:7)
How foolish these �Bible believers� have been shown to be in the past!
It is the same way today. These �Bible thumpers� insist that Christ is going to return. Yeah; right! After all, �...Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.� (II Peter 3:4)
The main thing that has continued as it has always been is that sinful man scoffs at the truths of God. Mankind, in general, does not understand that Jesus is the Controller of History.
His prophecies are certain. There is nothing out of His control. We may not understand all that happens. But, we can trust that it remains in His prophetic will!
Sometimes it does get hard for us here on this earth. Sometimes we do have real problems. We are in this body of clay. We are in this world which is sold out to the things of Satan while we are the children of the heavenly King.
Jesus is also the comforter of the Christian. The writer of Hebrews reminds us that, �...in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people. For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted.� (Hebrews 2:17-18)
The wonder of it all that Jesus does care for us!
We also need to make note that the occasional ability of man is nil when compared to Jesus. The phrase �...and without him was not any thing made that was made.�, reminds us of this truth.
We, mankind, were created in the image of God. Genesis 1:26 says, �And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.�
There are two points I�d like to make concerning this �dominion.� The first is quite easily understood in this day of environmental concerns. Dominion implies the idea of care. Notice that in the garden man was placed there to �...dress it and to keep it.� (Genesis 2:15) This carries forth the idea of caring for the creation which God had placed under the stewardship of man.
This is not a picture which would allow for plundering or careless misuse of the resources which God had given into man�s hands. �In the image of God� would imply that man would act in the manner which God would act in relation to those who were in subjection to Him. This implies the idea of loving care.
The second point is that of the pervasiveness of sin. We never sin in a vacuum. Sin always bring consequence. The sin of Adam and Eve brought consequence to the creation which was placed under their care. Romans 8:22 tells us that, �For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.�
Sin is a serious thing. We sometimes laugh it off; but, it is a devouring force in our Spiritual lives. And, our sin can become a devouring force in the lives of those with whom we come into contact.
It is the seriousness of sin that caused the Apostle John to write to the Christian, �My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not...� It was the love of God that caused him to continue, �And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous...� (I John 2:1)
We were created in the image of God. Now, this obviously does not mean that we look like God. After all, God is spirit while we are physical. I believe the meaning is that we have that spark of creative impulse within our selves.
You will never find a goat who has written a book. No sheep has ever drawn a picture. I know that some animals will play in paint and produce what some call �art.� But a simple look at this �art� will show that it is all random squiggles and lines. There is no resemblance to anything. Only man, of all the physical organisms on this earth, could produce the talent to mold a statue of David.
The reason is that we are of a different nature than are the brute beasts. God breathed into the nostrils of our ancestors the breath of life and mankind became a living soul. Only man, among all the physical species on this planet has that spark of the image of the Divine.
But, sometimes we get carried away with out planning and plotting. Jesus told a parable about one such man.
�...The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully; And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits? And he said, This I will do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods. And I will say to my soul. Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry. But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided?� (Luke 12:16-20)
James was writing to Christians when he said:
�Go to now, ye that say, To day or tomorrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain: Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that.� (James 4:13-15)
This is not saying that we ought not plan. What this verse is saying is that we must plan with the realization that our plans are not permanent. Never can anything be certain in this life except the fact that the Savior loves us!
Neither is that which we produce permanent. Our productions are transitory.
Jesus warns us, �Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal...� (Matthew 6:19)
My wife had a habit of collecting those souvenir tee-shirts that one finds at hospitality and travelers aid booths across the country. She had quite an impressive collection from most of our United States and some other countries. Then, the Lord called her home.
She had enough shoes that she never needed to take a step in anything but another new shoe. Typical woman! Then, the Lord called her home.
I doubt that she misses any of these things right now. I doubt that she ever says, �Lord, would you mind if I went back to the earthly so I could enjoy my collections?�
While Linda took great joy in her collections, she understood that her true treasure, and her true joy, did not lay in any of these earthly things. Way back when she was in her early teens she committed her life to the Lord of the universe. That is real joy.
She received the crown of life from the Giver of Life. That is the only possession worth having.
Whatever we may gain, whatever we may search out, whatever we may long for on this earth is but transitory. There are more important things in this life, like the gaining of life eternal, than these. A wise person will realize this fact and act accordingly!
That is why our preparations are of eternal consequence.
Most of us will carry some sort of �life insurance.� We will spend the money to buy a small six foot by four foot plot of land. Some of the wiser of us will even look into �pre-need� plans so our �resting place and memorial service� are ready for �The Eventuality.�
Ever notice how we tend to skirt around the word �death?� It is something that we know is coming. We may even make some earthly preparations for it. But, to think about it...
The more important eventuality is what comes next.
Have you considered the matter of your soul�s highest need? Have your accepted Jesus Christ as your own personal Savior?
Why not do so?
You are not really prepared for this life until you have considered the consequence of your need for the next life.
Accept Jesus today!