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excerpts from:
FEATURE
A DAILY BIBLE STUDY GUIDE
Selected © FEATURE Devotionals From Past Issues
Comforting Words
Pastor Dennis Costella
John 11:17-36
BEHOLD HOW HE LOVED HIM!
MARY AND MARTHA
were in need of comfort following the death of
Lazarus, their brother. The religious Jews of their day did their best to console them (v.
19), but well-meaning friends and religious counselors were no substitute for the One the
sisters hastened to meet in the way (vv. 28-32). They not only acknowledged that the Lord
Jesus had the divine power to prevent the death of their brother in the first place, had
that been the will of God, but they also witnessed firsthand that He was, indeed, the
compassionate, sympathetic Saviour who was able to succor [help] them in time of sorrow
(vv. 33,34). It was obvious to all that the Lord deeply cared for those He loved (vv.
35,36). The same is true of His love and concern for us in our time of distress; His words
are always perfectly fitted to our need.
Where do we look for comfort and help in time of
need? "Christian" psychology beckons many. Unsaved friends and the "wisdom
of this world" (1 Cor. 1:19-25) capture the confidence of others who seek
answers to life's problems. This should not be! The same Lord and Saviour who comforted
Lazarus' grieving sisters is the same One who desires to meet our every need as well (Heb.
4:13-16; 5:7, 8). He is the only One who perfectly understands, who genuinely cares, and
who can supply the required solution to whatever problem we may face. In the days ahead,
we will take a look at some of our Lord's comforting words. We can experience what Mary
and Martha found to be true concerning their loving and caring Saviour. DWC
John 5:17-24
THERE IS
NO CONDEMNATION FOR THOSE IN CHRIST
MORE COMFORTING
words than these have never been spoken: "He
that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and
shall not come into condemnation..."(v. 24). The judgment due sin, our sin,
has been borne by God the Son (vv. 17, 18), and He has promised that whosoever trusts Him
as his Saviour shall never again be called into account for sin. How do we know? Because
Jesus Christ is our eternal Judge (v. 22), and He has said it is so. We "honour
the Son "(v. 23) by believing on Him and receiving what He has done.
How does the sinner enter into such a blessed
agreement with the Almighty? By hearing and believing the Gospel (v. 24). At that moment,
he is translated from eternal death (condemnation) unto eternal life (v. 24). He is 'in
Christ' and, therefore, there is now "...no condemnation to them which are in
Christ Jesus" (Rom. 8:1). One day the Christian will stand before the Judgment
Seat of Christ, but his works, not his sins, will be judged that day to see of what
"sort" they are whether they are "good" (worthy of reward) or "evil'
(worthless, not worthy of reward). Carefully compare 1 Corinthians3:11-15 with 2
Corinthians5:10, 11. Sin can also interrupt fellowship with the Lord. Therefore, that sin
must be judged in the believer's life as it is confessed and forsaken, thus renewing a
right relationship with the Lord (1 Cor. 11:31,32 cf. 1 Jn. 1:6-10). But, remember,
salvation is not the issue here, for the penalty for all our sin has been completely paid
forever! DWC
John 8:1-12
WE CAN WALK AS CHILDREN OF LIGHT
THE ADULTEROUS WOMAN
was brought before the Lord by the
Pharisees in an attempt to catch Him in a supposed conflict between allegiance to the Law
and the granting of mercy and forgiveness which were such integral components of His
ministry (vv. 1-6). No, there was no conflict, for the Law revealed that all were sinners
and that all, not just the woman taken in adultery, were in need of His cleansing (vv. 7-1
1). What follows this constitutive account is the Lord's charge to all that He is "the
light of the world, " and that those who follow Him "...shall not walk
in darkness" (v. 12). Those who have Christ also have both forgiveness and
provision to walk above the defilement, the darkness, of this sin-cursed world (see 1
Thess. 5:4-8; 2 Pet. 1:1-4). What a blessed, comforting truth! Through the transforming
power of the Gospel of Christ, sin need no longer reign (Rom. 5:17-21). The followers of
Jesus Christ can now walk in the Spirit as children of light.
An amazing sidepoint needs to be mentioned regarding
this text. The new Bible versions consistently leave out the account of the woman taken in
adultery, or include the narrative but add this footnote: "The earliest and best
manuscripts do not have John 7:53-8:11." That is preposterous! The 12th
verse is the summation and charge of the Lord concerning what had just transpired; it
lacks sense without the former portion. There is ample textual evidence to support the
inclusion of this verse as well. This is simply another example of Satan's "Yea,
hath God said?" DWC
John 6:26-35
WE CAN BE FILLED AND SATISFIED
UNCEASING
EFFORT is exerted by the world to satisfy the
need for food. There is nothing wrong with that, for all must eat. But in our text, the
Lord was addressing those who followed Him only because they thought He would
supernaturally supply them with bread. Christ was telling them they had a need infinitely
more important than the body's need for food. Their spiritual need was His greatest
concern (vv. 26,27). What labor was required to obtain this "Bread from Heaven
"? Only believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and receive Him, by faith, as Lord and
Saviour (vv. 28, 29). He is the Bread that gives everlasting life (v. 33). This is the
true Bread this lost and dying world needs! We must not lose sight of this primary need
and the believer's obligation to give this Bread to those who are dying without it.
Christ also sustains this new life once it is
received. The Lord holds forth the glorious promise, "...he that cometh to me
shall never hunger"(v. 35). Just as the manna miraculously
provided for the physical well-being of the children of Israel in the wilderness (Num.
11:4-9), even so the Lord Jesus, the anti-type of the manna, provides all the believer
needs to thrive spiritually. Too many Christians lack satisfaction and peace and wonder
why. The question that must then be asked is, "What place is Christ given in the
heart and life?" Just as the Israelites needed to feast upon the manna daily (none
could be stored up for succeeding days), so must the believer feast each day upon his Lord
through Bible study and prayer. DWC
John 7:37-39
WE CAN BE FILLED WITH THE SPIRIT
JUST AS THE
Lord Jesus provides spiritual life and sustenance as
the "Bread from heaven, " He also holds out to the trusting saint the
comforting words, "..he that believeth on me shall never thirst" (Jn.
6:35). This promise to quench the thirst of the inner man, to experience the "fulness
of God," speaks of the advent and subsequent ministry of the Holy Spirit (Jn.
7:37-39). It was necessary for the glorified Christ to ascend to be with the Father before
God the Spirit would descend and indwell every born-again believer on the day of Pentecost
(Jn. 16:7-14). The Holy Spirit living within is unique to the Church Age. The Spirit's
ministry empowers the Christian to live for God's glory and illuminates him as to the
glories and privileges of his position "in Christ." The believer enters
by faith into the blessedness of being "filled with all the fulness of
God" (notice Eph. 3:16-21 which splendidly portrays this relationship
between the saint and the indwelling Holy Spirit), to the extent that he yields himself to
the ministry of the Spirit within. We are "baptized" by the Spirit when
we are saved (1 Cor. 12:13), but "filled with the Spirit" daily as we yield to
the Spirit and walk in His strength (Eph. 5:18; Gal.5:25).
Also, the quenching of the saint's thirst for the "fulness
of God" is not found by some spurious charismatic experience or a so-called
"baptism of the Spirit" subsequent to the New Birth experience. It is obtained
by the Holy Spirit revealing to the saint all he is "in Christ" through the
Word (read 1 Corinthians 2:9-13). DWC
John 3:14-17
WE CAN KNOW WE ARE SAVED
S
their failures cause them to relinquish
their claim to salvation. But the promise of the Word is irrefutable, "whosoever
believeth in him [the Lord Jesus] should not perish, but have [at this very
moment; present possession] eternal life" (v. 15). It is in Christ's imputed
righteousness that we stand before God; it is through Christ's merit we are declared
justified (2 Cor. 5:21; Rom. 3:21,22). Yes, the saint still sins, but his heavenly Father
is faithful in applying a chastening hand when needed as well as cleansing from all
unrighteousness. God will complete what He has begun in us (Rom. 8:29-33; 2 Tim. 1: 12; 1
Thess. 5:23,24). The "things " recorded in God's Word concerning
salvation are written so that all who believe can "know" they have
eternal life (1 Jn. 5:9-13).
Eternal life is a gift of God. It is not earned by
good works either prior to, or subsequent to, saving faith. The Lord Jesus plainly stated,
"I give unto them [the sheep given the Son by the Father] eternal life,-and
they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand"(Jn. 10:27-29).
No one can-not Satan, not any other person, not even the Christian himself. The believer
becomes part of the body of Christ when he accepts Christ. Salvation from start to finish
is by the inexhaustible grace of God. The grace that saves, however, also disciplines the
unruly and instructs in godliness (Titus2:11-15). The "eternal security" texts
in the Bible are intended to encourage the weary, not give license to the wayward. DWC
John 11:21-27
WE WILL LIVE FOREVER WITH OUR LORD
DEATH HAS NO terror for the saved, for to be absent from the
body in death is to be at home with the Lord. The apostle Paul was able to say with
heartfelt assurance, "for to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. " How
can that possibly be the case? Because "...to depart, and to be with Christ ...
is far better" (Phil. 1:20-23). What an understatement! Even when the
righteous die, however, there is a measure of sorrow; it is only natural that hearts ache
whenever loved ones part company for a time. But the difference between the sense of loss
the Christian experiences and that of the unsaved is that believers do not sorrow as
others "which have no hope. " A reunion lies ahead for all who die in
Christ. They will also be joined by those yet living when the Lord returns. This blessed
truth removes the anguish of dying. "Wherefore comfort one another with these
words" (1 Thess. 4:13-18).
In our text for today, the Lord Jesus comforted Mary and Martha as they mourned their
departed brother by reassuring them of the resurrection and the certainty of living
forever with the Lord. Whoever believes in Me, the Lord Jesus said, "shall
never die" (Jn. 11:26). Yes, death to the body very well may come - "though he were dead"- but that
is not the end. The fact that Jesus Christ is "the resurrection, and the
life" (v. 25) guarantees that those who die "in Jesus" will also
be resurrected to live forever "with the Lord" (1 Thess. 4:14, 17). Faith
in Christ assures our future resurrection and everlasting life. "Believest thou
this?" DWC
John 8:48-51
WE HAVE ESCAPED THE SECOND DEATH
FINALLY, WE
CONSIDER the words spoken by our Lord, "Verily,
verily, I say unto you, If a man keep my saying, he shall never see death " (v.
51). These certainly are wonderful, comforting words as well for those who are followers
of the Lord and who truly know Him as their Saviour. But here the Lord's words are, in
reality, a solemn rebuke and warning directed to the unbelieving Jews who so vehemently
rejected His eternal, absolute deity (vv. 44-48). He reminds them that God will judge
unbelief (vv. 49, 50). Only those who accept the truth concerning God's Son will not "see
death"(v. 51); conversely, those who have not believed, will see death.
Along with the certainty of future eternal blessing
for all who have everlasting life, there also comes the sobering reality that the penalty
of death still looms over those who are yet in their sins. To die in such a lost condition
(the first death) means that they will also experience the "second death, " and
this has reference to the Great White Throne judgment (Rev. 20:11-15; 21:8). The notion
held by so many that "death ends it all" must be Satan's deadliest delusion!
Yet, this "second death" has no power over those whose robes have been
made white in the Blood of the Lamb (Rev. 2:11; 20:6). All others will, indeed, see this
second death-the Lake of Fire! The terrible end of unjudged sin is eternal
death, eternal damnation. No, these are not comforting words, but they are necessary for
they speak of the terrible future awaiting those who refuse the full and free salvation
offered in Christ. DWC
continue with your study:
[ Up ] [ 1 Peter Chapter 5 ] [ Comforting Words - John ] [ Ephesians Chapter 4 ] [ Galatians Chapters 1 to 3 ] [ Galatians Chapter 4 ] [ Prayer ] [ Revelation Chapter 9 ] [ Revelation Chapter 8 ] [ The Names of God ] [ Truth ] [ Until He Returns ] [ Watching,Warning,Waiting ]
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