Title: Three Counsels for a Blessed Life
The Gospel of John (67) Three Counsels for a Blessed Life (John 10:31-42)
1. Keep the Word close
Psalm 82:6 says this. “I said, You are gods, and you are all sons of the Most High.” However, in verse 35, Jesus changed Psalm 82:6 to “The Bible cannot be abolished, for those who received the word of God are called gods.” As such, Jesus emphasized the importance of the word in the highest tone.
Always try to know the Bible well. Also, when you know the Bible, try to know the whole principle, not the partial. This is because there are cases where people only know one line of the Bible and act contrary to biblical principles. For example, the Bible says: “All things are yours.” (1 Corinthians 3:21) You must not steal other people's money by relying on those words. So we need theology.
Sometimes theology is wrong, but don't think theology itself is vain. Although theology may not seem related to a capable life, it is extremely important for a balanced life. Do not take theology lightly, emphasizing spiritual power. We also need a theological framework that limits freedom. There must be a certain frame and railing so that the soul does not fall off the cliff. Do not think of the frame of the Word as a frame that limits the freedom of the soul, but as a frame that maximizes the freedom of the soul, and try to live according to the Word with joy.
2. Do your father's work
God sent Jesus, and Jesus did the Father's work (verses 36-37). Even the saved saints are not just born into the world. God gave him a mission to be born on this earth in this age and live where he lives. There is a mysterious will and call of God. Do God's work with that sense of calling.
What is God's work you should do? Pray for it. Don't be too impatient. Be sure to seek God's guidance first. Do the mundane tasks assigned to you and wait without rushing for specific guidance from God. Sometimes waiting is worth more than being guided. Faith is a concept that involves waiting without giving up.
When we acknowledge God's sovereignty and wait for God's will, at some moment, suddenly, there is the voice of God that comes like a flash of light. Then stand up boldly. Do not impatiently follow where others are going. It is not recommended to visit seminars often. How many people get swept away by the crowd and fail in which way they go according to the collective mood? After praying in faith and discovering your specific work, work on it.
3. Become one with the Lord
Jesus lived in perfect union with God (verse 38). ‘The relationship between the saints and God’ is expressed in three ways. The first is ‘the relationship between master and slave’. The Old Testament compared the relationship between God and man as a servant. Abraham, Moses, and Jeremiah were all servants of God. Since a slave and a master are a legal relationship established by the law, if they obey, they will be blessed, and if they do not obey, they will be cursed and cast out.
The second is ‘the relationship between father and son’. Jesus made the relationship between the saints and God into a father-son relationship by forgiving sins through the blood of the cross. From then on, when we prayed to God, we could pray, “Our Father in heaven!” The son lives in the same house with his father, eats at the same table, and eventually inherits his father's inheritance.
Third, ‘the relationship between the groom and the bride’. This relationship is the deepest, the deepest and most mysterious relationship in which the Lord dwells in me and I in the Lord. The relationship with God must transcend the relationship between master and slave, go beyond the relationship between father and son, and enter into the relationship between groom and bride. Now get the concept of success and failure right. Success that separates us from God is not success, but failure, and failure that draws us closer to God is not failure but success.