Insightful Musings on the Scriptures

by

Raymond P. Sparre
Northwest University class of '67

Good cold morning, dear people.

Everything is frosty out there. And I still didn’t take time to “winterize” our camper. Hope I don’t have waterline ruptures.

Interesting day ahead. Among other things, Seaside, Oregon is a target. So the work list is on hold for the day.

Non-believers abound in the world around us. But is there any package of non-belief out there that can even come close to rendering the benefits of believing Jesus? Is there such a thing as a non-believer who can, with face aglow and peace in his soul, expound in a clear and compelling way on the wonderful benefits he has discovered in non-belief as compared with belief? I guess I’m biased by both personal conviction and personal experience—making me resonate with the book title that says, “I DON’T HAVE ENOUGH FAITH TO BE AN ATHEIST.”

Blessings on your today.

Love, Dad/Ray.

I urge you to take time to memorize these two verses—John 11:25-26: “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?”

Notice that the condition to this awesome promise is “He who believes in me.” So I hereby repeat Jesus’ question: “Do you (I mean YOU) believe this?”—and what He said? If your answer happens to be something like, “Mostly yes…but not fully,” a good follow-up question would be, “What would it take to influence you to fully believe?” Notice that for some in this account—those who did not want to believe—even seeing a dead man raised to life was insufficient to convince them. But the wonderful benefit to those who choose to believe, even though they cannot fully understand every facet of that belief, any and all reasons for fearing death is now completely removed. I’ll choose that over the alternatives any day!

Let’s review some key exchanges in this passage. Jesus said to Martha, “Did I not tell you that IF YOU BELIEVED, you would see the glory of God?” (v. 40). Then Jesus prayed while standing before the open tomb of Lazarus, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, THAT THEY MAY BELIEVE that you sent me” (vv. 41-42). Many of the people “who had come to visit Mary, and had seen what Jesus did, PUT THEIR FAITH IN HIM (believed)” (v. 45). But the angry and frustrated Jewish leaders exclaimed, “If we let him go on like this, EVERYONE WILL BELIEVE IN HIM (Oh—how terrible!), and then the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation” (v. 48). Do you see what’s going on here? These guys are now fabricating the appearance of a noble concern for their nation as a smoke screen for justifying their hatred of Jesus. It’s a common tactic— manipulation by fear. “So from that day on they plotted to take his life” (v. 53). Such is the natural outcome of refusing to believe. Indeed, no one can peacefully coexist with the claims of Christ without believing.

Why is believing so critically important? Because BELIEF DETERMINES BEHAVIOR—and BEHAVIOR CONFIRMS BELIEF. For “faith (belief) without deeds (evidential behavior) is dead (worthless, not true)” (James 2:26).

In chapter 6 of John, Jesus presents Himself as THE BREAD OF LIFE (6:35). In chapter 7 He claims to be LIVING WATER (7:37-38). In chapter 8 He is THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD (8:12). In chapter 9 Jesus clearly states that He is THE SON OF MAN (MESSIAH) (9:35-37). In chapter 10 Jesus says He is THE GOOD SHEPHERD (10:14). And now in chapter 11, Jesus states that He is THE RESURRECTION AND THE LIFE (11:25). The BIG question remains: DO YOU BELIEVE THIS?