3-27-16 DEVOTION

John 5:19
John 5

Like Father, Like Son

Jesus healed a lame man on the Sabbath, the holy day of rest, and the Jews were offended. They believed that by following the law, they would find favor and salvation with God. But Jesus challenged them. He called God His Father, which made the religious leaders angry. How could He call God His Father? Jesus had a personal relationship with God at a level the Jews could not understand by following the rules alone.

Reflection:

What did Jesus do without the Father? When you obey God, what difference does it make? What does it look like for you to rely on God today? Do you trust in God’s free gift of salvation, or do you think you will be saved because you’re a good person?

Jesus didn't do anything without the Father. When I obey God, I honestly don't always know what difference it makes. Sometimes the results of my obedience are obvious & sometimes, well, I can hope there's some spiritual implication but I have no idea. I think it takes a lot of faith to rely on God. It's almost easier to be like the lame man & rely on the Pool of Bethesda because you can see instant & reliable results.

I want to say I'm 100% confident that my salvation is free but I still catch myself "working" for redemption. What if that lame man did the same thing? "Nah I no can get up stupid, just help me get to the pool when the angel stirs it up!" How much longer would he be there--lame and wasting life? So why do I still catch myself trying to be good and earn my salvation? Just gotta receive it, pick up my junk & move forward.

I think that when I obey God it saves me a lot of grief and sometimes hopefully blesses someone else. Jesus told the healed man to go and sin no more lest a worse thing come upon you. When i disobey God it just opens doors for me to be run over by Satan. Trying to be good of course doesn't earn salvation but obeying God sure saves a lot of trouble.

the key is to not try in my own strength by rules but by surrender and basically let God take me over. Tough when it gets to the nitty gritty in the moment of life, but with God's help not impossible. Pharisees had a different definition of obeying God than Jesus did. I know I'm not a good person left to myself with the right heat turned on. To rely on Him is to choose for Him to take me over especially in my heated moment and repent when I fail.

I think we can all pretty much say that when we obey God life is much easier, but my struggle is letting Him guide me and not try to get through everything on my own. I probably try to solve the "little things" on my own and only run to Him with the "big things". Peace comes with the reliance on Him.

I have experienced what it's like to rely completely in Him and what it's like to take matters into my own hands.
So if I understand the peace that comes with being in constant communion with letting the Spirit lead me, why do I sometimes continue toward the downward spiral of trying to be in control?
Jesus did nothing apart from the Father.........nothing

What did Jesus do without the Father? When you obey God, what difference does it make? What does it look like for you to rely on God today? Do you trust in God’s free gift of salvation, or do you think you will be saved because you’re a good person?

Jesus did nothing without the Father. To obey God, is not only to listen to his word, but live it. The same is true for me growing up, my father spoke, we would listen, but we wouldn't obey as much as we listened. Often times I would get hurt, because I did not obey him. God is teaching me lessons every second in my life, I am like a rabbit when listening, but when it comes to obedience (application), I move like a tortoise. If I don't turn my will and my life over to God every morning, my day is completely miserable. Ill start sinning in traffic, on my way to help people with a bad spirit. Ill have really bad thoughts, that distance me from his relationship. My life becomes very unsettled. I trust in God's free gift of salvation.

Nothing. I believe obeying what God says in his word by living a good life makes your life better. For extra things though, honestly, I don’t know what difference it makes sometimes when I obey God because a lot of times I don’t know what ends up happening. I am doing what I do because I felt like this is what God wanted me to do and I spent a lot of time praying about the business I am doing before getting started. I trust God’s free gift of salvation and thank God that it’s not based on whether I’m a good person or not.