Introduction: Grace be to you and peace, from God our Father, and from our Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ. Our text is the Gospel Lesson just read, from John 8. We begin with prayer.
Dear fellow disciples of our Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ:
- Often we do not carefully consider the full ramifications of conversations that we are having, or conflicts that we are engaged in, or of what we actually say to other people. This is almost certainly the case in the conversation recorded in our text, in the Gospel Lesson. Either that, or these opponents and adversaries of Jesus were utterly insane. What they said about Him, and directly to Him, were outrageous beyond description. But surely they were said in the heat of “debate” and “conflict.”
- Unfortunately, we often suffer from the same foolishness – ratcheting up our “polemic” so as to intensify the pressure and the force of our “position.” But we might want to think more carefully before doing this – especially when the context of our conversation is the church, people within the church who may be dear children of God, and especially “theology.” For it would be tragic, dangerous, and deplorable for us to end up disparaging and dishonoring the Lord Jesus Christ for the sake of “winning” some trivial argument!
- Unfortunately, far too many people even within the church – including also a number of pastors and “theologians,” have a very superficial and trivial understanding of the very serious and weighty issues of “theology.” Often the conversations, debates, and discussions seem to be understood as just so much “intellectual” and “theoretical” jousting. But whenever we are talking about God, and about Jesus, it has to do with HIS honor – and people are either “HONORING GOD” or they are dishonoring and abasing Him, which is a very serious and dangerous matter.
- So we might want to seriously consider our own thinking – what is happening in our hearts and minds, and also our conversations, that we be among those who seek always to be “HONORING GOD.” For surely we would agree that:
I. Jesus, The Father, And The Holy Spirit Are To Be Honored
Text: “I honor My Father, and you dishonor Me. I do not seek My own glory; there is One Who seeks it, and He is the judge.”
Statement: We must not omit the Holy Spirit of God in this consideration. These opponents of Jesus actually identified the Spirit of Jesus, the Holy Spirit of God, with the devil. They actually said to Jesus: “Now we know that You have a demon.”
Again, I’m sure that these people had no idea what they were actually saying: to misidentify God – the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit – with the devil. But this is exactly what they did, and what they publicly stated, what they said directly to God, to the Lord Jesus Christ! The whole incident is really quite incredible!
Application: Is it possible that we could actually do just this same thing? It is certain that we could! There are times when we really don’t know what we are talking about, what issues are involved, how God’s glory is being impacted in what we are saying and doing – and yet because of our arrogance, our impiety, and our superficiality, we say things that are utterly blasphemous and dishonoring of God. I have heard such statements, and perhaps you have as well. And more often than not, I have heard them within the church, from people who are supposed to be “churchmen,” people who purport to know and claim to be “HONORING GOD” – just as these opponents of Jesus thought they were “honoring” God by castigating Jesus!
Transition: We must all take great care in this matter – for our sinful nature is such that we can easily become confused, and carried along by our evil nature. But there is an antidote to this, and Jesus make this quite clear in our text, that:
II. We Are To Be Honoring God By Receiving And Keeping God’s Word – Holy Scripture; And That To Do Otherwise Is Not Neutral, But Is Dishonoring God
A. Jesus Makes Clear That Not Honoring His Word Is Not Honoring Him, And Not Honoring Him Is Not Honoring The Father
Text: “Truly, truly, I say to you, if anyone keeps My Word, he will never see death. The Jews said to Him, ‘Now we know that You have a demon! Abraham died, as did the prophets, yet you say, If anyone keeps My Word, he will never taste death. Are you greater than our father Abraham, who died? And the prophets died! Who do you make Yourself out to be?’ Jesus answered, If I glorify Myself, My glory is nothing. It is My Father Who glorifies Me, of Whom you say, ‘He is our God.’ But you have not known Him. I know Him. If I were to say that I do not know Him, I would be a liar like you, but I do know Him and I keep His Word.”
Statement: To reject Jesus’ Word is to reject God’s Word, for Jesus keeps God’s Word, and obviously “knows” the Father!
Application: If we wish to be “HONORING JESUS” AND “HONORING GOD,” we too must be keeping Jesus’ Word, God’s Word, the Word given to us through the prophets and apostles, Holy Scripture. Dishonoring God’s Word, the Scripture, is directing dishonoring God.
Transition: In fact:
B. Not Honoring Jesus Is Calling Him, The Father, And The Holy Spirit A Demon
Text: “Are we not right in saying that You are a Samaritan and have a demon? . . . Now we know that You have a demon!”
Statement: Again, people, even within the church, have a tendency to speak and act as if God is not present everywhere, as if He is not Almighty, as if He does not know everything, and as if His Word might possibly be not true!
And we sometimes act as if this is a mere “debate” or simply a difference of opinion! It is not! It is blasphemy – a terrible dishonoring of God, by actually suggesting that He could be mistaken, or a liar, like the devil!
Application: I know that you would never want to do such a thing, at least not the most of you. So beware, and be clear in your thinking about the Lord Jesus and His Word. Take care first in what you believe about God, and then take care to accurately reflect and convey what you truly believe about God, about the Lord Jesus, and about His Word, Holy Scripture, in what you are actually saying and doing!
Where we have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God in this respect, let us repent, and confess these sins to our dear Savior and Lord Jesus – that we may receive the assurance of His gracious mercy and forgiveness. Then let us pray to Him to strengthen us in our faith, and in our devotion to Him. Yes:
III. Let Us Resolve To Believe God’s Word, And To Rejoice In Christ, That We Keep His Word And Live
Text: “If anyone keeps My Word, he will never see death.”
Statement: Jesus promises: “He that believes the Son has everlasting life . . . and shall not come into condemnation, but has passed from death to life.” Those who oppose God’s Word, in any respect whatsoever, have “confused” God with the devil, as if His Word could be false or could possibly be “unfit” or “unblessed” for us. Lord, have mercy! May the dear Lord Jesus keep and preserve us from ever thinking this, or ever giving the impression that we could think of Him as “having a demon.”
Application: Again, the corrective to our fallen sinful nature, the path to growing in always “HONORING GOD” is to keep His Word, to rejoice in His gracious forgiveness and mercy, and to conform our thinking and our lives to His Word!
It is not different with us. The one who dishonors our word is actually dishonoring us. It should not surprise us then that those who dishonor God’s Word, Holy Scripture, are actually dishonoring God – and treating Him as if He were akin to the devil. God forbid we should ever do this!
Conclusion: It is an arrogance on our part to think of “theology” as a matter of debate, and to think that our “thinking” is more powerful and important than the TOPIC, WHAT WE ARE TALKING ABOUT, THE VERY WORD OF GOD. To do so, to act and posture like this, is in itself grossly dishonoring of God! It leads to the absurdity of “picking up stones” to throw at God!
May we rather be among those who humbly keep God’s Word, rejoicing at His promise: “But this is the one to whom I will look, he who is humble and contrite in spirit, and who trembles at My Word.” God grant such grace and blessedness to us all! Amen.
Votum: And the peace of God, which surpasses all human understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds in the true faith, which is in Christ Jesus, even unto life everlasting, Amen.