Reformed Doctrine Daily Devotions

 ³²  Jesus then said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, it is not Moses who has given you the bread out of heaven, but it is My Father who gives you the true bread out of heaven.

 ³³  “For the bread of God is that which comes down out of heaven, and gives life to the world.”

 ³⁴  Then they said to Him, “Lord, always give us this bread.”

 ³⁵  Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life;  he who comes to Me will not hunger, and he who believes in Me will never thirst.”  John 6:30-35. 

Here is a good way for believers to meditate and celebrate Jesus, “the bread of life”.  We can take the Lord’s Supper.  Consider what The Heidelberg Catechism states about the Lord’s Supper.

Question 75.  How are thou admonished and assured in the Lord’s Supper, that thou are a partaker of that one sacrifice of Christ, accomplished on the cross, and of all his benefits?

Answer.  Thus: That Christ has commanded me and all believers, to eat of this broken bread, and to drink of this cup, in remembrance of him, adding these promises: first, that his body was offered and broken on the cross for me, and his blood shed for me, as certainly as I see with my eyes, the bread of the Lord broken for me, and the cup communicated to me; and further, that he feeds and nourishes my soul to everlasting life, with his crucified body and shed blood, as assuredly as I receive from the hands of the minister, and taste with my mouth the bread and cup of the Lord, as certain signs of the body and blood of Christ.

Question 76.  What is it then to eat the crucified body, and drink the shed blood of Christ?

Answer.  It is only to embrace with a believing heart all the sufferings and death of Christ, and thereby to  obtain the pardon of sin, and life eternal;  but also, besides that, to become more and more united to his sacred body, by the Holy Ghost, who dwells both in Christ and in us;  so that we, though Christ is in heaven and we on earth, are notwithstanding “Flesh of his flesh, and bone of his bone”; and that we live, and are governed forever by one spirit, as members of the same body are by one soul.

Question 77.  Where has Christ promised that he will as certainly feed and nourish believers with his body and blood, as they eat of this broken bread, and drink of this cup?

Answer.  In the institution of the supper, which is thus expressed:  “The Lord Jesus, the same night in which he was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said:  eat, this is my body, which is broken for you;  this do in remembrance of me. After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying:  this cup is the new testament in my blood;  this do ye, as often as ye drink it, in remembrance of me.  For, as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do show the Lord’s death till he come.”  This promise is repeated by the holy apostle Paul, where he says:  “The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ?  The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ?  For we, being many, are one bread and one body; because we are all partakers of that one bread.”

 ²⁹  Jesus answered and said to them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent.”  John 6:27-29.

In yesterday’s devotion, I asked:  “So, what will we do today or this week or this year to “work” for eternal life?”.  Just like me in yesterday’s devotion, they asked:   “What shall we do, so that we may work the works of God?”  We want this eternal life, so what should we do?

Here is what I wrote in 1992.  All of the “Gold Mines” a/k/a “Letters to Harry” are under the tag “Gold Mining” at the top of my Reformed Doctrine Blog.  Here is a direct link – Click here: Gold Mining « Reformed Doctrine Blog

GOLD MINE 7:  JOHN 6:27-29

WHAT SHALL WE DO TO WORK THE WORKS OF GOD?  

November 19, 1992

Harry:

I believe the clearest and most succinct confrontation between works and faith in the Scripture is John 6: 27-29:

“`Do not work for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man shall give to you, for on Him the Father, even God, has set His seal.  They said therefore to Him, `What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?’  Jesus answered and said to them, `This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent.'”

Man wants to know what he (man) should do to be righteous.  He gets up every morning and thinks:  “What should I do?”  God replies: “Look to Me.  Look at what I do.  My work is to make you believe in Me.”

God changes the focus from man to God.  God changes the focus from work of man to work of God.  God changes the focus from works to faith.  God changes the focus from man gaining faith through man’s effort to God giving faith through God’s work.

     Bill

 ²³  There came other small boats from Tiberias near to the place where they ate the bread after the Lord had given thanks.

 ²⁴  So when the crowd saw that Jesus was not there, nor His disciples, they themselves got into the small boats, and came to Capernaum seeking Jesus.

 ²⁵  When they found Him on the other side of the sea, they said to Him, “Rabbi, when did You get here?” 

 ²⁷  “Do not work for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you, for on Him the Father, God, has set His seal.”  John 6:22-27.

The miracles that Jesus did for the people, such as miraculously multiplying food to feed the five thousand, were not intended primarily just to take care of the physical needs of the people.  The primary purpose of these miracles was to show that God had “set His seal” on Jesus, so that they seek Jesus for their spiritual needs, most importantly for their need of eternal life. 

Regarding the supreme value of eternal life, we are reminded of Matthew 16:26 :  “For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul?  Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?”

Jesus gave us the following two parables to show the value of eternal life and the total commitment and effort that one should have in seeking it.     

“The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in the field, which a man found and hid again;  and from joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.”  Matthew 13:44. 

“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking fine pearls, and upon finding one pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he had and bought it.”  Matthew 13:45-56.

We all nod our heads in agreement as this supreme value of eternal life and the total commitment and effort that one should have in seeking it, but what will we do today or this month or this year to “work” for it?  

Although as we will see in the following Scripture, there is the sense that ultimately salvation is God’s work, there is a sense that we should “work” for eternal life in the language of the Scripture of today and the following other Scripture. 

“So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling;  for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.”  Philippians 2:12-13. 

“Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence, and in your moral excellence, knowledge, and in your knowledge, self-control, and in your self-control, perseverance, and in your perseverance, godliness, and in your godliness, brotherly kindness, and in your brotherly kindness, love.

For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they render you neither useless nor unfruitful in the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.  For he who lacks these qualities is blind or short-sighted, having forgotten his purification from his former sins.

Therefore, brethren, be all the more diligent to make certain about His calling and choosing you;  for as long as you practice these things, you will never stumble;  for in this way the entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will be abundantly supplied to you.”  2 Peter 1:5-11.

James 1:27
“Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this:  to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.” 

So, what will we do today or this week or this year to “work” for eternal life?

Through God’s grace and His work in our lives, we can seek to read and meditate upon Scripture and learn more about this Jesus.

Through God’s grace and His work in our lives, we can seek those moral qualities mentioned above.

Through God’s grace and His work in our lives, we can seek to serve others and seek to live blamelessly such as to “visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.”

Through God’s grace and His work in our lives, Scripture shows us other things that we can do as well. 

In conclusion, we seek to follow Jesus, because it is Jesus who gives us “the food which endures to eternal life“.

 ¹⁷  and after getting into a boat, they started to cross the sea to Capernaum. It had already become dark, and Jesus had not yet come to them.

 ¹⁸  The sea began to be stirred up because a strong wind was blowing.

 ¹⁹  Then, when they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and drawing near to the boat; and they were frightened.

 ²⁰  But He said to them, “It is I;  do not be afraid.”

 ²¹  So they were willing to receive Him into the boat, and immediately the boat was at the land to which they were going.”  John 6:15-21. 

Last night as I worried about one of my sons, Jesus spoke to me through this Scripture:  “It is I;  do not be afraid.” 

This early morning as I wondered about what I would write, Jesus spoke to me through this Scripture:  “It is I;  do not be afraid.” 

Later, as I will go to work and face all that is on my calendar, Jesus will speak to me through this Scripture:  “It is I;  do not be afraid.” 

As we are willing to receive Him, our boat will also be at the land where we are going.  Sometimes, Jesus calms the seas.  Other times, Jesus calms our hearts.  In either case, when we trust and receive Jesus, we will be where we should be.

So, when we do trust and receive Jesus, where are we? 

In the love of God! 

In the same boat as Jesus!                                                                                 

We are “seated … with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus”.

^“But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.”  Ephesians 2:4-7.

^“For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”  Romans 8:38-39.

Who will bring a charge against God’s elect?  God is the one who justifies;  who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us.

Who will separate us from the love of Christ?  Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?

Just as it is written,
         “FOR YOUR SAKE WE ARE BEING PUT TO DEATH ALL DAY LONG;
         WE WERE CONSIDERED AS SHEEP TO BE SLAUGHTERED.”

But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us.  For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”  Romans 8:29-39.

 ²⁶  “For just as the Father has life in Himself, even so He gave to the Son also to have life in Himself;

 ²⁷  and He gave Him authority to execute judgment, because He is the Son of Man.

 ²⁸  “Do not marvel at this;  for an hour is coming, in which all who are in the tombs will hear His voice,

 ²⁹  and will come forth;  those who did the good deeds to a resurrection of life, those who committed the evil deeds to a resurrection of judgment.”  John 5:24-29.

What is this eternal life?  Just because we cannot comprehensively list all of the glorious elements does not mean that we should not at least consider some of the elements or benefits. 

It is forgiveness.

^“1  How blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven,
         Whose sin is covered!
    ²  How blessed is the man to whom the LORD does not impute iniquity,
         And in whose spirit there is no deceit!
    ³  When I kept silent about my sin, my body wasted away
         Through my groaning all day long.
    ⁴  For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me;
         My vitality was drained away as with the fever heat of summer. Selah.
    ⁵  I acknowledged my sin to You,
         And my iniquity I did not hide;
         I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the LORD”;
         And You forgave the guilt of my sin. Selah.
    ⁶  Therefore, let everyone who is godly pray to You in a time when You may be found;
         Surely in a flood of great waters they will not reach him.
    ⁷  You are my hiding place;  You preserve me from trouble;
         You surround me with songs of deliverance. Selah.
    ⁸  I will instruct you and teach you in the way which you should go;
         I will counsel you with My eye upon you.
    ⁹  Do not be as the horse or as the mule which have no understanding,
         Whose trappings include bit and bridle to hold them in check,
         Otherwise they will not come near to you.
    ¹⁰  Many are the sorrows of the wicked,
         But he who trusts in the LORD, lovingkindness shall surround him.
    ¹¹  Be glad in the LORD and rejoice, you righteous ones;
         And shout for joy, all you who are upright in heart.”  Psalm 32:1-11.

It is righteousness.

Romans 5:17
“For if by the transgression of the one, death reigned through the one, much more those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.”

It is knowing God the Father, God the Son (Jesus Christ), and God the Spirit (the Holy Spirit), and it is fellowship with them.

It is joy and peace.

Psalm 16:11
“You will make known to me the path of life;  In Your presence is fullness of joy;  In Your right hand there are pleasures forever.”

Isaiah 55:12
“For you will go out with joy And be led forth with peace;  The mountains and the hills will break forth into shouts of joy before you, And all the trees of the field will clap their hands.”

Romans 14:17
“for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.” 

 ²⁰  “For the Father loves the Son, and shows Him all things that He Himself is doing;  and the Father will show Him greater works than these, so that you will marvel.

 ²¹  “For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son also gives life to whom He wishes.

 ²²  “For not even the Father judges anyone, but He has given all judgment to the Son,

 ²³  so that all will honor the Son even as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him.”  John 5:18-23. 

This devotion covers two points of which the second point is the main theme of this devotion. 

The first point is briefly covered.  Jesus’ statement “the Son also gives life to whom He wishes“ reminds us of “Unconditional Election”, the “U” of “TULIP”, the Five Points of Calvinism a/k/a Reformed Doctrine.  This statement reminds us of Romans 9:15-16:    “For He says to Moses, “I WILL HAVE MERCY ON WHOM I HAVE MERCY, AND I WILL HAVE COMPASSION ON WHOM I HAVE COMPASSION.”  So then it does not depend on the man who wills or the man who runs, but on God who has mercy.”

The second point is the main theme of this devotion.  Jesus’ statement “He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him.” reminds of Luke 10:16, John 8:42, and 1 John 2:23.  

“The one who listens to you listens to Me, and the one who rejects you rejects Me;  and he who rejects Me rejects the One who sent Me.”  Luke 10:16.

^“Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I proceeded forth and have come from God, for I have not even come on My own initiative, but He sent Me.”  John 8:42 

^“Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father;  the one who confesses the Son has the Father also.”  1 John 2:23. 

In conclusion, the following Psalm Chapter 2 warns of the consequences of failing to honor Jesus, the Son of God, and it concludes with the blessing upon those who do honor Jesus, the Son of God. 

“¹  Why are the nations in an uproar
         And the peoples devising a vain thing?
    ²  The kings of the earth take their stand
         And the rulers take counsel together
         Against the LORD and against His Anointed, saying,
    ³  “Let us tear their fetters apart
         And cast away their cords from us!”
    ⁴  He who sits in the heavens laughs,
         The Lord scoffs at them.
    ⁵  Then He will speak to them in His anger
         And terrify them in His fury, saying,
    ⁶  “But as for Me, I have installed My King
         Upon Zion, My holy mountain.”
    ⁷  “I will surely tell of the decree of the LORD:
         He said to Me, ‘You are My Son,
         Today I have begotten You.
    ⁸  ‘Ask of Me, and I will surely give the nations as Your inheritance,
         And the very ends of the earth as Your possession.
    ⁹  ‘You shall break them with a rod of iron,
         You shall shatter them like earthenware.'”
    ¹⁰  Now therefore, O kings, show discernment;
         Take warning, O judges of the earth.
    ¹¹  Worship the LORD with reverence
         And rejoice with trembling.
    ¹²  Do homage to the Son, that He not become angry, and you perish in the way,
         For His wrath may soon be kindled
         How blessed are all who take refuge in Him!”  Psalm 2:1-12.

 ²  Now there is in Jerusalem by the sheep gate a pool, which is called in Hebrew Bethesda, having five porticoes.

 ³  In these lay a multitude of those who were sick, blind, lame, and withered, [waiting for the moving of the waters;

 ⁴  for an angel of the Lord went down at certain seasons into the pool and stirred up the water; whoever then first, after the stirring up of the water, stepped in was made well from whatever disease with which he was afflicted.]

 ⁵  A man was there who had been ill for thirty-eight years.

 ⁶  When Jesus saw him lying there, and knew that he had already been a long time in that condition, He said to him, “Do you wish to get well?”

 ⁷  The sick man answered Him, “Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up, but while I am coming, another steps down before me.”

 ⁸  Jesus said to him, “Get up, pick up your pallet and walk.”

 ⁹  Immediately the man became well, and picked up his pallet and began to walk.  Now it was the Sabbath on that day.

 ¹⁰  So the Jews were saying to the man who was cured, “It is the Sabbath, and it is not permissible for you to carry your pallet.”

 ¹¹  But he answered them, “He who made me well was the one who said to me, ‘Pick up your pallet and walk.'”

 ¹²  They asked him, “Who is the man who said to you, ‘Pick up your pallet and walk’?”

 ¹³  But the man who was healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had slipped away while there was a crowd in that place.

 ¹⁴  Afterward Jesus found him in the temple and said to him, “Behold, you have become well;  do not sin anymore, so that nothing worse happens to you.”

 ¹⁵  The man went away, and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had made him well.

 ¹⁶  For this reason the Jews were persecuting Jesus, because He was doing these things on the Sabbath.

 ¹⁷  But He answered them, “My Father is working until now, and I Myself am working.”  John 5:1-17.

Doesn’t it seem like Jesus did a lot of healing on the Sabbath?  Why didn’t Jesus do less healing on the Sabbath?

Why didn’t Jesus just tell the sick man:  “Get up and walk.”?  Why did Jesus command him to pick up his pallet?

This all seems to be a set-up for our theme for this devotion:  “My Father is working until now, and I Myself am working.”  

This can be an encouragement to us who tend to think of God as just an observer having his arms folded and watching what we will do.  In a prior devotion, I emphasized Jesus’ promise:  “I will build My church.”  And, there is much more work that the Holy Trinity does.

^“Thus says the LORD, “Let not a wise man boast of his wisdom, and let not the mighty man boast of his might, let not a rich man boast of his riches;  but let him who boasts boast of this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the LORD who exercises lovingkindness, justice and righteousness on earth;  for I delight in these things,” declares the LORD.”  Jeremiah 9:23-24. 

We have a God Who intercedes!  We have a God Who works!  Praise God!!!

Isaiah 59:16
“And He saw that there was no man,And was astonished that there was no one to intercede;  Then His own arm brought salvation to Him, And His righteousness upheld Him.”

“In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness;  for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words;  and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.”  Romans 8:26-27. 

Romans 8:34
“who is the one who condemns?  Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us.”

What is our response?

 ⁴⁸  So Jesus said to him, “Unless you people see signs and wonders, you simply will not believe.”

 ⁴⁹  The royal official said to Him, “Sir, come down before my child dies.”

 ⁵⁰  Jesus said to him, “Go;  your son lives.”  The man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him and started off.

 ⁵¹  As he was now going down, his slaves met him, saying that his son was living.

 ⁵²  So he inquired of them the hour when he began to get better.  Then they said to him, “Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him.”

 ⁵³  So the father knew that it was at that hour in which Jesus said to him, “Your son lives”;  and he himself believed and his whole household.

 ⁵⁴  This is again a second sign that Jesus performed when He had come out of Judea into Galilee.”  John 4:46-54. 

Today, somehow, we will need to be like the nobleman.  “The man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him and started off.” 

We may not need healing for our son.  But, we will need to trust Jesus and His word somehow.

For me today, as I go to work, I need to trust Jesus that He will supply all of my financial needs.  Others may have similar financial needs or they may have other needs.  But, we all have needs and troubles for which we need to trust Jesus and His word.

“Many are the afflictions of the righteous, But the LORD delivers him out of them all.”  Psalm 34:19.

Let us also realize that the benefit can be much more than a delivery from our particular financial need or other need.  We read in verse 53:  “… and he himself believed and his whole household”.

This possible additional benefit, beyond such getting our particular need supplied or getting delivered from a particular trouble, is receiving saving faith resulting in eternal life, and sometimes not only for ourselves but also for our whole household.  Is there anything more important?!

It may be tough for us to believe.  Sometimes, Jesus healed by touching or by even a more dramatic display such as for the healing of the blind man when Jesus “… spat on the ground, and made clay of the spittle, and applied the clay to his eyes,”  John 9:6.  But, here in the Scripture for today, Jesus simply told the nobleman.  “Go;  your son lives.” 

We should be inspired by the example of the nobleman.  “The man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him and started off.”       

God often helps us in unexpected and different ways so that we do not base our trust in what we expect and see.  God wants us to trust Him, no matter what we expect and see.

If we trust in just what we expect and see, such as money, then we will love and serve just what we expect and see, such as money.  However, if we trust in God, no matter what we expect and see, we will love God.

We should not be anxious, particularly about money.  Matthew 6:25-34, Philippians 4:19, and many other verses assure us that God will take care of us.

It may also help us to not be anxious, if we understand that God wants to create, build and finish our faith in Him.  How can He best do that?  God often helps us in unexpected and different ways so that we do not just trust in what we expect and see.  We just trust God to help us and get us through our struggles somehow.

So, we believe Jesus and His word, and we start off this Monday morning.