Spiritual Food for Women

John 10:6-9

6 Jesus used this illustration, but they did not understand the things which He spoke to them.

7 Then Jesus said to them again, “Most assuredly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. 

8 All who ever came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them. 

9 I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture.

“I Am the Door”

Is anyone surprised by verse 6? The Jews did not understand the things that He spoke to them. Let’s think back to what Jesus said in John 9:39. He said that He came to make people who think that they can see so clearly, realize that they are actually blind without Him. These Jews think they see things so clearly, but they are so very blind. So… Jesus continues to try to teach them. Do you know what is incredible to me? Jesus knew all along that these people would not accept Him, yet He continued to give them every opportunity to listen, believe, and obey Him. He tried every way possible to get them to understand. However, He was also teaching everyone else who was in earshot, and He knew that His Words would be recorded for us to read and study so many years later. Jesus said all of those things, not only to the people at that time, but to us as well. Sometimes I try to picture Him speaking the truth to these stubborn people who refused to listen, and I just can’t imagine what that was like to the ones standing around who believed in Him, and to His disciples who were fully invested in following Him. The Son of the living God that the Pharisees and Jewish leaders claimed to know so well was pouring His heart out to them, and they rejected every word that He said. 

In verse 7, Jesus used the example of the sheep again, but this time, instead of referring to Himself as the Shepherd, He refers to Himself as the actual door to the sheepfold. No one could get to the sheep, because Jesus was the door separating His sheep from the sheep on the outside. The sheep in the fold are protected, but the sheep outside the fold are vulnerable. We’ve all heard the phrase, “arc of safety”. When we are baptized into Christ, we pass through “the door”, and at that point we become Jesus’ sheep in His sheepfold. The sheepfold is His church. We belong to Him, and are safe inside His church as long as we continue to follow Him. If we leave the sheepfold to follow another shepherd who belongs to the world, then we are not safe anymore. A shepherd of the world can be anything. It could be a false teacher. It could be material things or riches. It could be our career or even recreational activities such as sports or vacations. If we follow after anything else and leave Jesus in the dust, then we lose the privileges of being His sheep. We could also look at this as going through the wrong door. There are many doors to choose from in the world. Do we recognize the right door? 

In verse 8, Jesus made a powerful statement. He says, paraphrasing, “All who came before me have been thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them.” Jesus is talking about all the leaders who came before Him. The prophets also had a lot to say about the selfishness and evil deeds of the shepherds/leaders of Israel. In Jeremiah 23:1-2, it reads, “Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of My pasture!” says the Lord. Therefore thus says the Lord God of Israel against the shepherds who feed My people: “You have scattered My flock, driven them away, and not attended to them. Behold, I will attend to you for the evil of your doings,” says the Lord. Ezekiel 34:1-10 goes on and on about how irresponsible the shepherds were, how they didn’t feed the flock, but selfishly fed themselves, and how the flock was scattered and became prey for the wild beasts. Of course, we know that the shepherds were the leaders of Israel, and the flock was the children of Israel. The leaders were thieves and robbers. Now think about the leaders that Jesus is trying to teach in this passage. Were they responsible leaders of the flock of Israel? Not at all. They were selfish and greedy for power and prestige… aka… they were thieves and robbers. They were calling themselves the spiritual leaders of Israel, all the while rejecting the true spiritual leader… Jesus. These so-called leaders were trying to lead people away from salvation, aka… scatter the flock. But look at the second part of verse 8. It says, “but the sheep did not hear them.” Jesus’ sheep do not hear the thieves and robbers. For example, the blind man stood up to the Jewish leaders and was cast out. He was one of Jesus’ sheep because he did not listen to the Jewish leaders. He chose to follow and obey Jesus. The Jewish leaders who were claiming to be this blind man’s spiritual leaders didn’t care one thing about his welfare. They weren’t even joyful about his eyes being opened. One of the qualities of a leader is to care and show concern for every member of the flock. Where was the care and concern for this blind man? Let’s think about how this relates to leaders of the Lord’s church today. The elders of churches today will be judged on how well they cared for and guided the members who were under their leadership. We can see how seriously God took the shepherds’ performance of their duties in Jeremiah 23 and Ezekiel 34. He takes the performance of the shepherds today just as seriously. 

In verse 9, Jesus again refers to Himself as “the door”. Then, He tells us the benefits of entering through that door. First, He says we will be saved. The only way to receive salvation is through Christ. Next, He says that we will be able to go in and out safely. We will be spiritually protected at all times as long as we belong to Jesus’ sheepfold or church. We may have physical hardships, trials, or earthly misfortune, but we will be spiritually safe for eternity. And last, we will “find pasture,” which means we will be fed and spiritually satisfied forever. Salvation, protection, and satisfaction! What more could we ever want? What a blessed life!  Psalm 1 says it beautifully, “Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful; But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night. He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither; and whatever he does shall prosper.” The prosperity referred to in these verses is not worldly. It is spiritual prosperity which is the very thing that Jesus is speaking of in verse 9… salvation, protection, and satisfaction. What else do I need? 

God means for everyone to learn what the Bible teaches about being saved. It only takes an open heart for Jesus and a willingness to put away what we’ve been taught in the past, and truly read what God’s Word says for ourselves… and then accept what it says and obey it. If I can help you in any way, I would love to! Are you walking in the light? Are you in Christ? Are you saved? If you aren’t, or if you’re not sure if you are, I’d love to help you. Are you a member of the Lord’s church, but are struggling spiritually in your walk with Christ? If you are… believe me, I’ve been there many times, and I’d love to help you. If you have any questions, please reach out. 

I love God’s Word. It challenges me to be better… to do more in His service. It is interesting and keeps me on the edge of my seat, wondering what will happen next. It gives me confidence and builds me up, and it brings me to my knees when my soul needs convicting! Thank you, Father, for the wonderful gift of Your Word!

God’s Plan of Salvation

Below is the plan God has outlined in His Word for humankind to receive His grace, which leads to salvation and an eternity with God in heaven. This plan is straight from the Bible. 

We have to hear His word. (Romans 10:17) 

Upon hearing the message of Jesus, we believe it. (Mark 16:16) 

Then, we confess Jesus’ name before men. (Matthew 10:32) 

Next, we repent of our sins. (Acts 2:38, Acts 3:19) 

Finally, we are baptized into Christ for the remission of our sins.  (Acts 2:38, Matthew 28:18-20, Mark 16:16, Romans 6:3-4, Acts 22:16, 1 Corinthians 12:13, Galatians 3:26-27) After baptism, God adds us to His church. (Acts 2:47)

John 10:2-5

2 But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. 

3 To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice; and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 

4 And when he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them; and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. 

5 Yet they will by no means follow a stranger, but will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.”

Whoever enters the sheepfold through the door is the shepherd of the sheep. Anyone who tries to get in another way is a thief. It is the same way with our houses. The owner of the house comes in through the door. A thief will try to break a window to get in another way. In verse 3, we see a doorkeeper. This doorkeeper will not open the door for anyone except the shepherd. The sheep will recognize the voice of their shepherd as He calls each of them by name. The sheep will follow the shepherd out of the sheepfold. The shepherd leads the sheep, and the sheep follow the voice of the shepherd. The sheep will not follow a stranger. They will run from a stranger, because they don’t recognize his voice. This is a beautiful analogy of us as we follow Jesus. We are the sheep, and Jesus is the shepherd. It was a known fact at that time that sheep only responded to their shepherd’s voice. If they were in a pen with sheep from another fold, and the other fold’s shepherd came to lead them out to pasture, only that shepherd’s sheep would follow him out of the pen. The others would stay in the pen until they heard the voice of their shepherd. That is what Jesus meant in verse 4 by saying, “the sheep follow him; for they know his voice”. 

Am I one of Jesus’ sheep? I am as long as I listen to Jesus and follow Him. How do I know that I am truly listening to the True Shepherd… the real Jesus? I’ll answer that question with another question. Do the words that I am listening to come from God’s Word? That is how I know if I am listening to the real Jesus. For example, if I am listening to a podcast, and the person speaking claims to be speaking the truth of the gospel of Jesus, but one of the things he says during the podcast is, “baptism is not for salvation”. Is this person the True Shepherd? Is that what the True Shepherd said in Mark 16:16 about baptism? No, it is not. Another thing he says in the podcast is, “choose the church that works best for you. It is your choice.” Is this what Jesus said in Matthew 16:18 when He said that He would build HIS church? This is how I know that the person speaking on the podcast is not speaking with the voice of the True Shepherd. It is the same analogy as those false lights that are out there in the world. Jesus is the True Light… the light of the world. Satan can make himself look like light… an angel of light, according to 2 Corinthians 11:14). Satan can pretend to be a shepherd, but he isn’t the True Shepherd. Jesus says in verse 5 that the sheep flee from a stranger’s voice. Since we are the sheep, we should flee from anyone’s voice except Jesus’. If something we hear is contrary to what the Bible says, then we need to turn away from it. If it doesn’t come from God’s Word, then it is not the voice of the True Shepherd. Notice that the shepherd doesn’t force or drive his sheep out of the sheepfold. The sheep heard his voice and followed him. They yield to the shepherd without having to be forced. Jesus isn’t going to force us to heed his voice and follow Him. We follow Him of our own free will.

In verse 3, Jesus says that the shepherd calls each sheep that belongs to him by name. Think about that for a moment. I am picturing that right now…..Jesus, the True Shepherd, using His beautiful, glorious voice to call my name, because I belong to Him. Can you imagine Jesus coming to the sheepfold and calling your name? Is He your shepherd today? 

God means for everyone to learn what the Bible teaches about being saved. It only takes an open heart for Jesus and a willingness to put away what we’ve been taught in the past, and truly read what God’s Word says for ourselves… and then accept what it says and obey it. If I can help you in any way, I would love to! Are you walking in the light? Are you in Christ? Are you saved? If you aren’t, or if you’re not sure if you are, I’d love to help you. Are you a member of the Lord’s church, but are struggling spiritually in your walk with Christ? If you are… believe me, I’ve been there many times, and I’d love to help you. If you have any questions, please reach out. 

I love God’s Word. It challenges me to be better… to do more in His service. It is interesting and keeps me on the edge of my seat, wondering what will happen next. It gives me confidence and builds me up, and it brings me to my knees when my soul needs convicting! Thank you, Father, for the wonderful gift of Your Word!

God’s Plan of Salvation

Below is the plan God has outlined in His Word for humankind to receive His grace, which leads to salvation and an eternity with God in heaven. This plan is straight from the Bible. 

We have to hear His word. (Romans 10:17) 

Upon hearing the message of Jesus, we believe it. (Mark 16:16) 

Then, we confess Jesus’ name before men. (Matthew 10:32) 

Next, we repent of our sins. (Acts 2:38, Acts 3:19) 

Finally, we are baptized into Christ for the remission of our sins.  (Acts 2:38, Matthew 28:18-20, Mark 16:16, Romans 6:3-4, Acts 22:16, 1 Corinthians 12:13, Galatians 3:26-27) After baptism, God adds us to His church. (Acts 2:47)

John 9:39-10:1

39 And Jesus said, “For judgment I have come into this world, that those who do not see may see, and that those who see may be made blind.”

40 Then some of the Pharisees who were with Him heard these words, and said to Him, “Are we blind also?”

41 Jesus said to them, “If you were blind, you would have no sin; but now you say, ‘We see.’ Therefore your sin remains.

10 “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door, but climbs up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber.

Am I Blind? If So, Will I Remain in the Dark?

In verses 39 through 41, Jesus says some things that are a bit confusing on the surface. Let’s paraphrase verse 39, “I have come into this world for judgment, so that people who can’t see will see, and so that people who can see will become blind.” Hmmmm. Isn’t it a bad thing to be blind, and a good thing to be able to see? This is what the Pharisees were thinking when they asked in verse 40, “Are we blind also? Jesus answered them in verse 41 by saying, “If you were blind, then you would have no sin; but since you say that you can see, then your sin remains.” What does Jesus mean? He means this…..Jesus came to this lost and dying world to help people who were spiritually blind see His light. The people who saw Jesus for who He was were humble and realized that they were blind without Him. They allowed themselves to be healed spiritually by Him. He also came to this lost and dying world to help those who thought they could see realize that they were actually spiritually blind. The Pharisees did not know that they were spiritually blind, and until they were willing to admit it, they would remain in the darkness of sin. If they would admit that they were blind and allow the light of Jesus to open their eyes, their sin would be forgiven. It is the same situation with us today. If we do not know that we are in darkness, then we will remain in the darkness of sin. If we refuse to admit that we can’t see without the light of Jesus, then we remain blind. The Pharisees refused to realize that they needed Jesus to see. So… we have to admit that we are spiritually blind without Jesus, to be able to see. If we say we have never been blind, then we are saying that we never needed Jesus to see. How sad! Until we admit that we are sick, we won’t go to the doctor, will we? Until we admit we have a problem of any kind, whether it is alcohol, drugs, etc., we won’t get help. What Jesus was saying makes so much sense. In Isaiah 42:6-7, Isaiah prophesied, “I will keep You and give You as a covenant to the people, as a light to the Gentiles, to open blind eyes, to bring out prisoners from the prison, those who sit in darkness from the prison house.” This is talking about Jesus! He will open blind eyes and bring people out of the prison of sin! He is still opening blind eyes and bringing people out of the prison of sin today! Every day!

Have my eyes truly been opened? Or do I just think they are open? Here are some questions I have to ask myself to see if my eyes are truly open spiritually. Do I truly love others? Do I love them enough to help them see the truth? I am spiritually blind if I think I can be a Christian and have hate in my heart (1 John 2:10-11). I do not truly know God if I don’t love others, because God is love (1 John 4:8). Do I have or am I working toward having the fruit of the spirit within me? 2 Peter 1:5-9 says that I am to grow, adding to my faith, virtue, to my virtue, knowledge, to knowledge, self control, to self-control, perseverance, to perseverance, godliness, to godliness, brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness, love. I have to be diligent to grow in all of these fruits so that I can be a fruitful servant of God. It says that I am nearsighted to the point of blindness if I lack these things or if I am not working diligently to add them to my life. Nearsighted means that I only see what is right in front of me. I only see what this world has to offer. I only see what can benefit me physically in this world. I am not looking ahead to my future… my eternity. God wants me to be far-sighted and prepare myself for eternity, because eternity can start at any time. He also wants me to be near-sighted, but not in a worldly way. He wants me to see spiritual opportunities right in front of my face. He wants me to see the harvest that is right under my nose. He wants me to see with spiritual eyes, not worldly eyes. It also says that I have forgotten that I was cleansed from my sins if I think that I can be a Christian without these fruits growing within me. 

Here is another question to ask myself. It will definitely reveal if I am spiritually blind or not. Do I desire to worship God? If I don’t truly desire to worship God in spirit and truth, then I am blind (John 4:24). If I don’t love to worship here on earth, then how do I expect to be in heaven, where I will be worshiping for eternity? 

Jesus transitions to a discussion about sheep and shepherds in chapter 10. It seems that He is still speaking to the same people. In verse 1, He says, paraphrasing, “Most certainly, anyone who comes into the sheepfold in any other way other than the door, is a thief and a robber.” This sounds like Jesus is changing the subject, but he is really not. He is still trying to get these people to realize that they are blind and need to be healed spiritually. This verse reveals that there is only one way into the sheepfold… through the door. The world has made up all kinds of ways to get into the sheepfold… other than the door. This has fooled so many people into thinking they have actually made it into the sheepfold. Just like Jesus said in John 9:41… they think they can see, but they are really blind and remain in sin. Jesus’ way is the only way into the sheepfold. His way is the only way to gain our spiritual sight and be free from the bondage of sin. It doesn’t matter how good a person I believe I am or how good a person people say that I am. If I haven’t obeyed Jesus, I am blind and outside the sheepfold. Salvation is about obedience to Him. Yes, Jesus paid our sin debt on the cross, but He never said we didn’t have to obey Him. “If you love me, keep my commandments” (John 14:15). 

Let’s put the pieces of the puzzle together, my friends. Here are some of the pieces: “Go, teach, and make disciples by baptizing them…” (Matthew 28:18). “If you believe and are baptized, you will be saved” (Mark 16:16). “Repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins…” (Acts 2:38). “Three thousand people who gladly received the word with open hearts were baptized on the day the church was born” (Acts 2:41). “God added souls to the church daily as they were being saved” (Acts 2:47). “Get up and be baptized to wash away your sins and call on the name of the Lord” (Acts 22:16). “Here is water. What is stopping me from being baptized?” (Acts 8:36) We were buried with Jesus through baptism into death so that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we were also raised to walk a new life. Through baptism, we were united with Jesus to represent and reenact his death for our sins, and we were then raised with Him to represent and reenact Jesus’ resurrection. (Romans 6:3-6) To explain this a little further, Jesus’ beaten and crucified body was buried, and was raised completely healed from His injuries. Our body, which Satan had beaten down with sin, was buried in the waters of baptism with Jesus’ beaten and pierced body, which carried all our sins. We were buried together with Him at that moment of immersion. When we came up out of the water, all the sin had been washed away… left behind. Just like Jesus was raised physically healed, we were raised spiritually healed when we were baptized. (Romans 6:3-6) All of us who were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. (Galatians 3:27)

Everyone, use the verses to answer these questions as you read the verses word-for-word. I paraphrased the verses in the paragraph above. Open your heart and eyes, and let yourself see. How are disciples of Christ made? (Matt. 28:18, speaker is Jesus) How are we saved? (Mark 16:16, speaker is Jesus) How do we receive remission of sins? (Acts 2:38, speaker is Peter)  What did 3000 people with open hearts do on the day the church was born? (Acts 2:41) Who adds us to the church and when? (Acts 2:47) How are our sins washed away? (Acts 22:16, Ananias speaking to Saul/Paul) How do we call on the name of the Lord? (Acts 22:16, Ananias speaking to Saul/Paul) What are we baptized in? (Acts 8:36, the eunuch speaking to Philip) What is baptism a reenactment of? (Romans 6:3-6) Who are we buried with in baptism? (Romans 6:3-6) Who are we raised with? (Romans 6:3-6) How do we get “in Christ”? (Galatians 3:27 and Romans 6:3, speaker is Paul) How do we “put on Christ”? (Galatians 3:27) By reading these verses, answer honestly: Is baptism essential for salvation? 

What do all these pieces put together tell you? Isn’t it beautiful? Let the purity of God’s Word help you open your eyes. Believe me, I have been blind in the past. It is nothing to be ashamed to admit. I admit that I was blind in so many ways spiritually. It is one thing not to know and then be willing to change, but it is another thing to turn away from what is right in front of us. I turned away for a long time, knowing deep in my heart that I was wrong. I loved the sin I was in more than I loved Jesus. Do you know how hard that is for me to type? Tears come just thinking of how I let Him down with no regard for what He did for me. But no more… I make mistakes, and I do still let Him down, but I own those mistakes, and I’m sorrowful for them, and I try to do better and not make those same mistakes again. That is all He wants… our best efforts… and that means “for real” efforts, not the “I am who I am” attitude. That’s what the world wants you to believe. The world wants you to stay blind and believe that “you are who you are” and you don’t have to change for anyone… even God. Whew! I certainly know who I am, and it is not pretty! I put Jesus on the cross with my sin, just the same as Eve did in the garden. And if I am who I am, then I can’t be with Him for eternity. I have to strive to be who He wants me to be… less of self, and more of Him. It’s impossible to reach that high bar… that high bar that is Jesus Christ, but I’m willing to try. Are you? 

Reach out if you need help putting the pieces together. I’d be glad to help. 

God means for everyone to learn what the Bible teaches about being saved. It only takes an open heart for Jesus and a willingness to put away what we’ve been taught in the past, and truly read what God’s Word says for ourselves… and then accept what it says and obey it. If I can help you in any way, I would love to! Are you walking in the light? Are you in Christ? Are you saved? If you aren’t, or if you’re not sure if you are, I’d love to help you. Are you a member of the Lord’s church, but are struggling spiritually in your walk with Christ? If you are… believe me, I’ve been there many times, and I’d love to help you. If you have any questions, please reach out. 

I love God’s Word. It challenges me to be better… to do more in His service. It is interesting and keeps me on the edge of my seat, wondering what will happen next. It gives me confidence and builds me up, and it brings me to my knees when my soul needs convicting! Thank you, Father, for the wonderful gift of Your Word!

God’s Plan of Salvation

Below is the plan God has outlined in His Word for humankind to receive His grace, which leads to salvation and an eternity with God in heaven. This plan is straight from the Bible. 

We have to hear His word. (Romans 10:17) 

Upon hearing the message of Jesus, we believe it. (Mark 16:16) 

Then, we confess Jesus’ name before men. (Matthew 10:32) 

Next, we repent of our sins. (Acts 2:38, Acts 3:19) 

Finally, we are baptized into Christ for the remission of our sins.  (Acts 2:38, Matthew 28:18-20, Mark 16:16, Romans 6:3-4, Acts 22:16, 1 Corinthians 12:13, Galatians 3:26-27) After baptism, God adds us to His church. (Acts 2:47)

John 9:35-38

35 Jesus heard that they had cast him out; and when He had found him, He said to him, “Do you believe in the Son of God?”

36 He answered and said, “Who is He, Lord, that I may believe in Him?”

37 And Jesus said to him, “You have both seen Him and it is He who is talking with you.”

38 Then he said, “Lord, I believe!” And he worshiped Him.

“Do You Believe in the Son of God?”

Jesus heard about the man’s excommunication and went and found him. He asked the man if he believed in the Son of God? When I first read this, I thought… doesn’t he know that the one who healed him is the Son of God? But I realized that the man had never actually seen Jesus. The man is willing to believe in the Son of God, as his response reveals. Paraphrasing, he said, “Show me who He is so that I can believe in Him.” The belief that Jesus was asking this man about was not just a casual acknowledgement. It was fully and completely trusting the Son of God with his life, and fully and completely obeying Him. It was a lifelong commitment. It was putting Him first.

Jesus said to the man, “You are looking at the Son of God, and you are talking to the Son of God.” When the man heard this, he immediately confessed that Jesus was the Son of God. He said, “Lord, I believe!” Then he worshiped Jesus. Think about the progression of the man’s belief. Jesus went from being a man to a prophet, and finally, to the LORD, the Son of God, whom he worshiped on the spot. The man would have never been able to see without the light of Jesus. The Pharisees would never see the light of Jesus, even though He was right in front of them, because they didn’t want to see Him. The world today is in the same boat as the Pharisees were. They don’t want to see the light of the world. They love the darkness too much to open their eyes. We just have to keep shining the light of Jesus and pray that more eyes will be opened to the truth.

God means for everyone to learn what the Bible teaches about being saved. It only takes an open heart for Jesus and a willingness to put away what we’ve been taught in the past, and truly read what God’s Word says for ourselves… and then accept what it says and obey it. If I can help you in any way, I would love to! Are you walking in the light? Are you in Christ? Are you saved? If you aren’t, or if you’re not sure if you are, I’d love to help you. Are you a member of the Lord’s church, but are struggling spiritually in your walk with Christ? If you are… believe me, I’ve been there many times, and I’d love to help you. If you have any questions, please reach out. 

I love God’s Word. It challenges me to be better… to do more in His service. It is interesting and keeps me on the edge of my seat, wondering what will happen next. It gives me confidence and builds me up, and it brings me to my knees when my soul needs convicting! Thank you, Father, for the wonderful gift of Your Word!

God’s Plan of Salvation

Below is the plan God has outlined in His Word for humankind to receive His grace, which leads to salvation and an eternity with God in heaven. This plan is straight from the Bible. 

We have to hear His word. (Romans 10:17) 

Upon hearing the message of Jesus, we believe it. (Mark 16:16) 

Then, we confess Jesus’ name before men. (Matthew 10:32) 

Next, we repent of our sins. (Acts 2:38, Acts 3:19) 

Finally, we are baptized into Christ for the remission of our sins.  (Acts 2:38, Matthew 28:18-20, Mark 16:16, Romans 6:3-4, Acts 22:16, 1 Corinthians 12:13, Galatians 3:26-27) After baptism, God adds us to His church. (Acts 2:47)

John 9:31-34

31 Now we know that God does not hear sinners; but if anyone is a worshiper of God and does His will, He hears him. 

32 Since the world began it has been unheard of that anyone opened the eyes of one who was born blind. 

33 If this Man were not from God, He could do nothing.”

34 They answered and said to him, “You were completely born in sins, and are you teaching us?” And they cast him out.

“If this Man were not from God, He could do nothing.”

The formerly blind man continued to confidently defend Jesus with a very logical argument in verses 31 through 33. He said, paraphrasing, “We all know that God does not hear the prayers of sinners; but if a person worships God and does His will, then God hears his prayers. And no one has EVER healed a blind person. This Man has to be from God, or He could not do this or anything else.” Think about the logic that this man is speaking with. The Pharisees said that Jesus was a sinner. The man refuted that statement with the idea that only God would be able to heal a blind person. Since Jesus healed him, He had to be from God, because God does not hear the prayers of sinners. God only hears the prayers of people who do His will. This makes perfect sense! No one had ever heard of a blind person being healed before. This was the first! If Jesus were not from God, He would not have been able to do this or any other miracle. You would think that intelligent people could understand what this formerly blind man is saying, but they still closed their ears to the truth. They might as well have had sound-canceling headphones on because they were not hearing him. Or rather… they were choosing not to listen. They heard, but would not listen. There is a big difference between the two. How many people sit in pews every Sunday and hear the gospel, but remain lost because they either haven’t obeyed or have fallen away? They are hearing, but not letting it sink in. I pray that it sinks in before it is too late for them. I was one of those wayward people, off and on for a lot of years. I sat in the pew, and made excuses for myself, justified myself, and told myself that I was ok. Let me say this… if we have to make excuses, justify ourselves, and tell ourselves that we are ok, as the preacher is extending the invitation… then we are probably not ok. 

Before I am through, I would like to elaborate on the statement by the formerly blind man about God not hearing the prayers of sinners. First of all, God hears everything. He hears everything. Psalm 139:4 says this, “For there is not a word on my tongue, but behold, O Lord, You know it altogether.” He may not respond to the person’s prayer, but that doesn’t mean He doesn’t hear the person’s prayer. And aren’t we all sinners (Romans 3:23)? If we straight up go by this, then God would hear or respond to no one’s prayers… not mine, not yours, not anyone’s. There are examples of God refusing to hear sinners’ prayers (1 Peter 3:12, Proverbs 28:9, Psalms 34:15-16, Psalms 66:18). But there are examples of God hearing sinners’ prayers (1 John 1:9, Acts 8:22-23, Acts 9:10-11, Acts 10:4, 31). It really depends on the attitude of the person praying. God knows if a person has a willing and open heart to the gospel. God will not respond to a rebellious-hearted person, whether he/she is a person who has never known God (Ephesians 2:11-12), or is a wayward Christian (1 John 5:16). God will turn His face away from rebellion (Isaiah 59:1-2). However, He will hear and respond to a Christian who is trying to do what is right, but falls short at times (1 John 1:7-9). He will also hear a person who is honestly seeking to know the truth, as Saul (Paul) was when he prayed after being struck blind on the road (Acts 9:10-11) and Cornelius, who prayed sincerely to God with an open heart (Acts 10:4, 31). In both instances, though, the prayer is not what ultimately saved Saul (Paul) and Cornelius. It was their willingness to humble themselves to the will of God and obey Him in repentance and baptism. A person who is trying to be saved by prayer only is rebellious, because he/she is not obeying the gospel. No one can set their own terms of salvation by praying to God. God responds to the people who obey Him, or who have an open heart of obedience (1 John 3:22).

Below is a really great article on this subject, which I studied before I wrote this. 

https://www.fishers-churchofchrist.com/resources/articles/2021/01/17/does-god-hear-a-sinners-prayer

In verse 34, the Pharisees are true to their word. They excommunicate the man. They said to the man, paraphrasing, “Who are you to teach us? You were obviously born in sin, because you were born blind.” This goes back to the question that the disciples asked Jesus before He healed the man. “What sin did this man or his parents commit to cause him to be born blind?” This was the way of thinking of these Pharisees, and this is how they disregarded this man’s testimony about his healing and about Jesus. They made the excuse…” Well, this man is a sinner anyway, or else why would God have punished him with a lifetime of blindness? We are not obligated to listen to him. We are God’s chosen people, and we are disciples of Moses.” How sad! They had Jesus with them and rejected Him. How many of us today would give anything to have gotten to hear Him in person? To sit at His feet? No worries. We will get to be with Him for eternity someday! 

God means for everyone to learn what the Bible teaches about being saved. It only takes an open heart for Jesus and a willingness to put away what we’ve been taught in the past, and truly read what God’s Word says for ourselves… and then accept what it says and obey it. If I can help you in any way, I would love to! Are you walking in the light? Are you in Christ? Are you saved? If you aren’t, or if you’re not sure if you are, I’d love to help you. Are you a member of the Lord’s church, but are struggling spiritually in your walk with Christ? If you are… believe me, I’ve been there many times, and I’d love to help you. If you have any questions, please reach out. 

I love God’s Word. It challenges me to be better… to do more in His service. It is interesting and keeps me on the edge of my seat, wondering what will happen next. It gives me confidence and builds me up, and it brings me to my knees when my soul needs convicting! Thank you, Father, for the wonderful gift of Your Word!

God’s Plan of Salvation

Below is the plan God has outlined in His Word for humankind to receive His grace, which leads to salvation and an eternity with God in heaven. This plan is straight from the Bible. 

We have to hear His word. (Romans 10:17) 

Upon hearing the message of Jesus, we believe it. (Mark 16:16) 

Then, we confess Jesus’ name before men. (Matthew 10:32) 

Next, we repent of our sins. (Acts 2:38, Acts 3:19) 

Finally, we are baptized into Christ for the remission of our sins.  (Acts 2:38, Matthew 28:18-20, Mark 16:16, Romans 6:3-4, Acts 22:16, 1 Corinthians 12:13, Galatians 3:26-27) After baptism, God adds us to His church. (Acts 2:47)

John 9:27-30

27 He answered them, “I told you already, and you did not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you also want to become His disciples?”

28 Then they reviled him and said, “You are His disciple, but we are Moses’ disciples. 

29 We know that God spoke to Moses; as for this fellow, we do not know where He is from.”

30 The man answered and said to them, “Why, this is a marvelous thing, that you do not know where He is from; yet He has opened my eyes!

“He Has Done This Wonderful Thing For Me, and You Still Don’t Know Where He is From?”

“I have already told you how I received my sight. You didn’t listen the first time! Why do you want to hear the same story again? Do you now want to become His disciples?” This is how the man who was blind responded when the Pharisees asked him once again how he regained his sight. Wow! He is speaking very boldly to these religious leaders. Listen to the confidence exuding from him! Where did He get that confidence? We know exactly where He got it… from Jesus! He was a pitiful beggar with no hope. Now, he is boldly standing up against these religious leaders. He is standing up for the Man who gave him not only his sight back but also a life he had never had… a life of light. Why is it that we, as humans in general, have a hard time realizing what Jesus has done for us? Why can’t we realize that we, like this blind man, have no hope and no life without the light of Jesus? We are literally no different than this blind beggar without Jesus. Without Him, we are not only in darkness, but we are walking around blindly with our hands out like this beggar, searching…..begging the world (Satan) for satisfaction. Some are searching for it in material things and wealth. Some look to substances such as alcohol or drugs. Even the food God has provided us for nourishment and enjoyment can be used in the wrong way. When we turn to things other than Jesus for comfort and satisfaction, we are beggars… begging for fulfillment within our souls. Until we realize that Jesus is the only way to fulfill our souls, we will continue to be blind beggars with no hope. 

I’m sure the tone of voice that the man used in verse 27 did not sit well with these Jewish leaders. Verse 28 says that they reviled the man. To revile means to abuse or speak evil about someone, to destroy their reputation. Let’s remember where we have heard Jesus use this word. In Matthew 5:11, Jesus said, “Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake.” This man, whom Jesus healed, was being reviled because he was speaking the truth about Him. What did Jesus say? Jesus said that this man was “blessed” because of it. It will be the same for us. If we speak up in defense of the truth and are reviled because of it, then we will be “blessed”. When will we be blessed? Of course, we will be blessed when we enter our heavenly home. But… we will also be blessed here on earth. How will we feel blessed while being reviled and persecuted? We will be blessed in knowing that we have done what was right. We will be blessed within our souls to know that Jesus is pleased with us. The more we take a stand, the more confidence we will gain. That in itself is a blessing to us as we walk the narrow path through this world of darkness. Then the Jews said, “You are His disciples, but we are Moses’ disciples.” I can picture them almost hissing at the man as they said this. Then, in verse 29, they said, paraphrasing, “We know for a fact that God spoke to Moses, but we have no idea where this guy called Jesus is from.” THEN, the man’s confidence continued to grow as he responded to them in verse 30. Paraphrasing, he said, “I marvel that you don’t know where He is from, since He did this wonderful thing in me.” Who else would be able to heal a blind man? The more the man stood up for Jesus, the more confident he became. It will work this way for us, too! It is about taking the first step. One step outside our boxes leads to two steps, then three, and so on… until all fear is gone. “For God did not give us a spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” (2 Timothy 1:7) These Pharisees did have a “spirit of fear”! They feared that their status in life and control over others would be taken away. This is why they didn’t want to accept Jesus. They certainly did not have a “sound mind” if they thought anyone other than God could heal this man. They did not have “love” if they were not rejoicing with this man because he was healed. They thought they had “power” because they were disciples of Moses, and supposedly kept the law. But… in reality, they had no “power” at all, because they did not accept God’s only Son. The man had no “spirit of fear” after Jesus healed him. He had a “sound mind” to realize that only God could be behind his healing. He had “love” for Jesus, or He wouldn’t have stood up for Him. And he had “power” as he grew more and more confident in his ability to stand up to these leaders. We have all three of these things inside of us… power, love, and a sound mind. Let’s not let “a spirit of fear” cancel them out, because it will. Can power, love, and a sound mind from God reside within us if fear from Satan has already made its home within us? And vice versa….can fear from Satan reside within us if power, love, and a sound mind from God are already thriving within us? The answers to both questions are a firm “NO”. We’ve got this, my friends!

God means for everyone to learn what the Bible teaches about being saved. It only takes an open heart for Jesus and a willingness to put away what we’ve been taught in the past, and truly read what God’s Word says for ourselves… and then accept what it says and obey it. If I can help you in any way, I would love to! Are you walking in the light? Are you in Christ? Are you saved? If you aren’t, or if you’re not sure if you are, I’d love to help you. Are you a member of the Lord’s church, but are struggling spiritually in your walk with Christ? If you are… believe me, I’ve been there many times, and I’d love to help you. If you have any questions, please reach out. 

I love God’s Word. It challenges me to be better… to do more in His service. It is interesting and keeps me on the edge of my seat, wondering what will happen next. It gives me confidence and builds me up, and it brings me to my knees when my soul needs convicting! Thank you, Father, for the wonderful gift of Your Word!

God’s Plan of Salvation

Below is the plan God has outlined in His Word for humankind to receive His grace, which leads to salvation and an eternity with God in heaven. This plan is straight from the Bible. 

We have to hear His word. (Romans 10:17) 

Upon hearing the message of Jesus, we believe it. (Mark 16:16) 

Then, we confess Jesus’ name before men. (Matthew 10:32) 

Next, we repent of our sins. (Acts 2:38, Acts 3:19) 

Finally, we are baptized into Christ for the remission of our sins.  (Acts 2:38, Matthew 28:18-20, Mark 16:16, Romans 6:3-4, Acts 22:16, 1 Corinthians 12:13, Galatians 3:26-27) After baptism, God adds us to His church. (Acts 2:47)

John 9:23-26

23 Therefore his parents said, “He is of age; ask him.”

24 So they again called the man who was blind, and said to him, “Give God the glory! We know that this Man is a sinner.”

25 He answered and said, “Whether He is a sinner or not I do not know. One thing I know: that though I was blind, now I see.”

26 Then they said to him again, “What did He do to you? How did He open your eyes?”

“I Was Blind, and Now I See”

“He is an adult. Ask him.” This was the formerly blind man’s parents’ response to the interrogation from the Pharisees. Basically, the parents said, “He is not our responsibility anymore. He is a grown man. Go talk to him, and leave us out of it.” Of course, they were afraid of being excommunicated from the synagogue. But… these Pharisees don’t give up. In verse 24, they called the man who was blind again, but this time, they gave him what sounds like an order! They said, “Give God the glory! We know that this Man is a sinner.” Paraphrasing, this means, “Tell the truth! The man who healed you is a sinner.” They are trying to force him to reject the Man who gave him his sight! Crazy! What if one of them was the one who was blind and was healed by Jesus? I bet they wouldn’t reject Jesus then. These people had no idea how to put themselves in another person’s shoes. 

In verse 25, we see the power of Jesus shining through within this man. It didn’t matter to this man how much power the Pharisees had over him. He didn’t care that they could excommunicate him. He knew who had opened his eyes. He knew why he could see for the first time in his life. Had the religious leaders ever offered to help him? Probably not. Had these Pharisees ever shown any compassion for him? Most likely… not. What these Pharisees really wanted was for the man to bear false witness against Jesus, and say that He was a sinner and didn’t really heal him. This man had the strength and light of Jesus inside of him at this point, and he wasn’t going to waver. He said, paraphrasing, “I don’t know anything about whether he is a sinner or not, but I know one thing… I was blind, and now… because of Him, I can see.” This took such courage! 

It is amazing how much courage Jesus can give us if we let Him mold and shape us into His image. We know the courage that Jesus had when He came to earth to be persecuted and murdered for us. If we truly let Him shine through us, we can have that courage too. This man let the light of Jesus shine through Him as He went up against the most powerful religious leaders of that day. He knew what the cost would be. Am I willing to have this kind of courage? Look at the apostles on the day of Pentecost! Think about the courage that it took for them to stand up in front of thousands, proclaim Christ, and usher in the kingdom of God… the church of Christ. Can you imagine the beautiful chaos on that day when 3000 were baptized into Christ for the remission of sins? I wonder… what were the Pharisees doing during all of that? What about the courage of Paul, who left everything he had been taught at the feet of Gamaliel behind to follow Christ? Paul was a Pharisee who persecuted Christians! I wonder… was Paul present on the day of Pentecost when all that took place? He could have been, and obviously, he wasn’t one of the 3000 who obeyed on that day. He would have been in his mid to late 20’s from what I have read about his age. And… what about the courage that Stephen had as he saw people gnash at him with their teeth, and felt that first stone dig into his body after standing up for our Savior? I’m sure that it was all worth it to him when he looked up, saw the heavens open, and saw Jesus… standing at the right hand of God before he died. If I truly have Jesus inside of me, then I will have this kind of courage… when or if the time comes that I need it. I may not need courage to withstand physical suffering in this day and age, the way Jesus and the apostles did. But… it might be the courage to withstand mental and emotional suffering from the world today. I pray that I have the light of Jesus inside of me so that I will have the courage to stand up for Jesus…..no matter the cost…..like the formerly blind man did so long ago. In verse 26, the Pharisees again asked him, “What did He do to you? How did He open your eyes?” At this point, the man probably feels like a broken record. As this account continues, we see the light of Jesus continue to shine within this newly healed man. The man was blind throughout his whole life, then Jesus came along, and he could see. Spiritually, this is how it is with every single one of us. We were blind for our entire lives… until we allowed Jesus to heal us… and then we could see!

God means for everyone to learn what the Bible teaches about being saved. It only takes an open heart for Jesus and a willingness to put away what we’ve been taught in the past, and truly read what God’s Word says for ourselves… and then accept what it says and obey it. If I can help you in any way, I would love to! Are you walking in the light? Are you in Christ? Are you saved? If you aren’t, or if you’re not sure if you are, I’d love to help you. Are you a member of the Lord’s church, but are struggling spiritually in your walk with Christ? If you are… believe me, I’ve been there many times, and I’d love to help you. If you have any questions, please reach out. 

I love God’s Word. It challenges me to be better… to do more in His service. It is interesting and keeps me on the edge of my seat, wondering what will happen next. It gives me confidence and builds me up, and it brings me to my knees when my soul needs convicting! Thank you, Father, for the wonderful gift of Your Word!

God’s Plan of Salvation

Below is the plan God has outlined in His Word for humankind to receive His grace, which leads to salvation and an eternity with God in heaven. This plan is straight from the Bible. 

We have to hear His word. (Romans 10:17) 

Upon hearing the message of Jesus, we believe it. (Mark 16:16) 

Then, we confess Jesus’ name before men. (Matthew 10:32) 

Next, we repent of our sins. (Acts 2:38, Acts 3:19) 

Finally, we are baptized into Christ for the remission of our sins.  (Acts 2:38, Matthew 28:18-20, Mark 16:16, Romans 6:3-4, Acts 22:16, 1 Corinthians 12:13, Galatians 3:26-27) After baptism, God adds us to His church. (Acts 2:47)

John 9:19-22

19 And they asked them, saying, “Is this your son, who you say was born blind? How then does he now see?”

20 His parents answered them and said, “We know that this is our son, and that he was born blind; 

21 … but by what means he now sees we do not know, or who opened his eyes we do not know. He is of age; ask him. He will speak for himself.” 

22 His parents said these things because they feared the Jews, for the Jews had agreed already that if anyone confessed that He was Christ, he would be put out of the synagogue.

“Don’t You Dare Say that Jesus is the Christ, or You are Out of Here!”

“You say that this is your son who was born blind? Well….how does he see if he was born blind?” The Pharisees are interrogating the blind man’s parents. The man’s parents admit that the man is their son, and that he was born blind, but they play dumb about the rest. They said, paraphrasing, “We don’t know how he got his sight back, or who healed him. He is an adult… ask him. He can tell you himself.” We find out in verse 22 that his parents acted like they had no idea how their son was healed because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders. The Jewish leaders had already decided, and evidently made it known, that if anyone claimed that Jesus was the Christ, he would be excommunicated from the synagogue. This was a big deal. It didn’t just mean that they were barred from the synagogue. It meant that everyone in the community completely isolated them. There were both temporary and complete excommunications. I would say that in this case, it was complete until the person renounced their belief in Christ. If a person was completely excommunicated, they were to act as if they were in mourning. They were confined to their homes. Only their families could be around them. It was complete isolation from the community. Now think about it… How would they buy food? How would they work for anyone, and make a living? It was a very serious thing. I explain all that before being too hard on this man’s parents for not speaking the whole truth. We don’t know what kind of life these people had. Since their son was found begging as a blind person, it seems to me that either his parents were very poor and couldn’t help support him, or they could have helped him, but chose not to do so. We don’t know the situation, so we can’t judge. They did admit that he was their son, and confirmed that he was blind from birth, but confirmed nothing about the manner in which he was healed. 

I’m sorry, but I have to say it! The Pharisees were bullies! Threatening people who think differently from them made them bullies! Even if they had been right about Jesus, and He wasn’t the Messiah, should they have been going around threatening to excommunicate people who believed in Him? Of course not! Can we as Christians be right about something, but wrong in the way we present it? Is it possible to be a Christian and a bully? Well, someone might call themselves a Christian, but if they are also a bully, then the word bully cancels out the word Christian. We are to do and say everything in love. We are to present the truth, not because we want to be right, but because we want to save a person’s soul. The Pharisees were all about keeping their status, power, and control over people. They only cared about being right! That is not Christianity, and that was not what God intended the law of Moses to be either. The law of Moses was about teaching people to recognize the difference between right and wrong,  to distinguish good from evil, and to choose obedience over disobedience. It was a bumpy ride, but it brought us our Savior. The law of Moses was a tutor to get people ready for the grace and truth that would come with Jesus Christ, so that we would know how to make right decisions on our own without every law spelled out for us, and so that we would have a deeper spiritual understanding of what God expects of us. The law of Moses was ultimately about love. It was about God showing love to humans by giving us a roadmap that taught us who He is, what He expects, and what sin is. That is what the law taught us… all of us… even if we didn’t live in that time, we have still learned from it. If we didn’t have the law, then we certainly wouldn’t understand how to follow Jesus. The Pharisees turned the law into the opposite of what God intended it to be. To them, it was a set of rules that they used to exercise control over others. They didn’t follow the law perfectly themselves, yet they expected everyone else to follow it perfectly, or suffer the consequences. 

Let’s never forget that whatever was written in the past was written for our learning, so that we, through patience and comfort of the scriptures, might have hope (Romans 5:14). What hope? The hope of eternal life through Jesus Christ, who grew up under the law of Moses, and was the only person who kept that law perfectly. Let’s fast forward to the present day. There will never be another sinless person ever again since Jesus walked on earth. There isn’t one now, and there never will be. I pray that I never act like the Pharisees of old and pass unrighteous judgment on everyone who walks by me. I pray that I never think more highly of myself than I ought to. I am one of Jesus’ sheep in His fold. I follow my Shepherd. And that is all I want to do with my life. It doesn’t make me any better than anyone else. It just makes me fortunate to be where I am. It makes me fortunate enough to have been taught the truth. And Jesus wants me to gather more sheep for Him, not drive them away with self-righteousness and pride, like the Pharisees drove people out of the synagogue. Just something to think on this morning…..

God means for everyone to learn what the Bible teaches about being saved. It only takes an open heart for Jesus and a willingness to put away what we’ve been taught in the past, and truly read what God’s Word says for ourselves… and then accept what it says and obey it. If I can help you in any way, I would love to! Are you walking in the light? Are you in Christ? Are you saved? If you aren’t, or if you’re not sure if you are, I’d love to help you. Are you a member of the Lord’s church, but are struggling spiritually in your walk with Christ? If you are… believe me, I’ve been there many times, and I’d love to help you. If you have any questions, please reach out. 

I love God’s Word. It challenges me to be better… to do more in His service. It is interesting and keeps me on the edge of my seat, wondering what will happen next. It gives me confidence and builds me up, and it brings me to my knees when my soul needs convicting! Thank you, Father, for the wonderful gift of Your Word!

God’s Plan of Salvation

Below is the plan God has outlined in His Word for humankind to receive His grace, which leads to salvation and an eternity with God in heaven. This plan is straight from the Bible. 

We have to hear His word. (Romans 10:17) 

Upon hearing the message of Jesus, we believe it. (Mark 16:16) 

Then, we confess Jesus’ name before men. (Matthew 10:32) 

Next, we repent of our sins. (Acts 2:38, Acts 3:19) 

Finally, we are baptized into Christ for the remission of our sins.  (Acts 2:38, Matthew 28:18-20, Mark 16:16, Romans 6:3-4, Acts 22:16, 1 Corinthians 12:13, Galatians 3:26-27) After baptism, God adds us to His church. (Acts 2:47)

John 9:11-14

11 He answered and said, “A Man called Jesus made clay and anointed my eyes and said to me, ‘Go to the pool of Siloam and wash.’ So I went and washed, and I received sight.”

12 Then they said to him, “Where is He?” He said, “I do not know.”

13 They brought him who formerly was blind to the Pharisees. 

14 Now it was a Sabbath when Jesus made the clay and opened his eyes.

“A Man Called Jesus Told Me…” 

The man who was formerly blind proceeds to answer the question posed to him in verse 10, “How were your eyes opened?” The man tells them exactly how it happened. It is a very simple explanation. He says, paraphrasing, “A Man named Jesus anointed my eyes with clay and told me to go wash in the pool of Siloam. I did what He told me to do, and now I can see.” Then the people want to know where Jesus was, and the man does not know. Jesus didn’t wait for the man to go to the pool or help him get to the pool. Jesus had places to go. He told the man what to do and went on his way. Now comes the fun part. They take the man to the Pharisees. Why do they take the man to the Pharisees? We see why in verse 14. It was the Sabbath when Jesus made the clay and healed the man. Making clay or mud was a violation of Jewish tradition, but not a violation of the law of Moses. Jesus had broken their made-up rules about what not to do on the Sabbath. This is the second time Jesus had healed on the Sabbath. (John 5:9) 

Now we see why Jesus made the clay. He was proving another point. The Pharisees tried to bind their traditions on people as if they were laws. Traditions should not have been enforced on people as if they were laws/commandments. This can carry over to the church today. We have traditions such as the order of worship. Do we have bible class and then worship, or vice versa? Do we have the sermon first and then the Lord’s Supper, or can we switch that? These are traditions. They don’t matter. Do we have a Sunday night service, or a second service earlier in the day? Do we have a second service at all? We have “worship, bible class, worship” at our congregation on Sunday morning, and we don’t have an evening service. Do we have a Wednesday night bible study, or can it be another night? Is Wednesday night a commandment or a tradition? Well…..

Wednesday night is a tradition, but if our hearts are right, and we are under the leadership of the elders who deem it necessary, then we should be there, right? I’m not arguing that. We should want to be there. And I love Wednesday night bible study. It recharges me for the rest of the work week. And I believe God wants us there, feeding ourselves with His Word, and being uplifted by our siblings in Christ, to help us throughout our week. At Smartt, we have it on Tuesday night during the week of Thanksgiving, as a convenience for people who are traveling and such. Are we wrong for changing it for the convenience of our members? No, not at all. Let’s not blur the lines of tradition and commandment. 

Now, let’s look back at the simplicity of the blind man’s answer in verse 11, and get the biggest takeaway from these verses. Wasn’t it simple how the man explained how he was healed? “A Man named Jesus put clay on my eyes and told me to go wash in the pool of Siloam. So I went and washed, and now I can see.” What if someone asked us how we are spiritually healed from sin? How were you saved/healed from your sins? Well, a Man named Jesus told me if I repented and was baptized (immersed in water), then I would be spiritually healed/saved. So… I repented of my past sins, and was baptized, and now I’m saved, spiritually healed, and free of sin. Doesn’t that sound simple? It really is that simple. Jesus told me what to do, and I did it. That is all we have to do, my friends. “A Man called Jesus told me…” Obeying His Word brings healing to our souls. Do we want to be truly healed?

God means for everyone to learn what the Bible teaches about being saved. It only takes an open heart for Jesus and a willingness to put away what we’ve been taught in the past, and truly read what God’s Word says for ourselves… and then accept what it says and obey it. If I can help you in any way, I would love to! Are you walking in the light? Are you in Christ? Are you saved? If you aren’t, or if you’re not sure if you are, I’d love to help you. Are you a member of the Lord’s church, but are struggling spiritually in your walk with Christ? If you are… believe me, I’ve been there many times, and I’d love to help you. If you have any questions, please reach out. 

I love God’s Word. It challenges me to be better… to do more in His service. It is interesting and keeps me on the edge of my seat, wondering what will happen next. It gives me confidence and builds me up, and it brings me to my knees when my soul needs convicting! Thank you, Father, for the wonderful gift of Your Word!

God’s Plan of Salvation

Below is the plan God has outlined in His Word for humankind to receive His grace, which leads to salvation and an eternity with God in heaven. This plan is straight from the Bible. 

We have to hear His word. (Romans 10:17) 

Upon hearing the message of Jesus, we believe it. (Mark 16:16) 

Then, we confess Jesus’ name before men. (Matthew 10:32) 

Next, we repent of our sins. (Acts 2:38, Acts 3:19) 

Finally, we are baptized into Christ for the remission of our sins.  (Acts 2:38, Matthew 28:18-20, Mark 16:16, Romans 6:3-4, Acts 22:16, 1 Corinthians 12:13, Galatians 3:26-27) After baptism, God adds us to His church. (Acts 2:47)

John 9:7-10

7 And He said to him, “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam” (which is translated, Sent). So he went and washed, and came back seeing.

8 Therefore the neighbors and those who previously had seen that he was blind said, “Is not this he who sat and begged?”

9 Some said, “This is he.” Others said, “He is like him.” He said, “I am he.”

10 Therefore they said to him, “How were your eyes opened?”

“Wash in the Pool to be Physically Healed”  “Be Baptized in Water to be Spiritually Healed”…What is the Difference?”

Jesus has just anointed the blind man’s eyes with clay that he made from His own saliva and dirt. The blind man was located near the Temple Mount. In verse 7, He then tells the man to go and wash in the pool of Siloam. The pool of Siloam was near the southeast corner of the city, and was roughly a half-mile from where the blind man was when Jesus anointed his eyes. It also involved traveling down a steep hill of about 350 feet. Now, to you and me, that might not be such a difficult task. But, just imagine a blind man trying to get to the pool on his own. I wonder… did he beg people for help along the way? 

Verse 7 also tells us that the word “Siloam” is translated as “Sent”. I have read this many times and didn’t realize the significance that the name of the pool held. Jesus was “sent” by God to endure rejection, hardship, and being crucified to save the world from sin. Jesus “sent” this man to the pool to wash and be healed. This was a sign of Jesus’ identity as the Messiah. The One whom God “sent” to set us free from the bondage of sin, “sent” the blind man to the pool to be set free from the bondage of a lifetime of blindness. Beautiful, right? 

In verses 8 and 9, we see that the people are divided on the identity of the man. Someone said, “Isn’t that the blind man who sat and begged?” One said, “Yes, it is him.” Another said, “No, it can’t be him. It is someone who looks like him.” All the while, the man was saying, “Yes, I am him. I was that blind man, but now I see.” Can’t you just hear people arguing with him? “There is no way that you can suddenly see after all these years!” Finally, in verse 10, they asked, “Well, how then… how is it that you can see when you were born blind?” 

So… what are the lessons from these verses? The first lesson that I see is that following Jesus is not always an easy path. I believe Jesus didn’t make it easy on this man to make a point to us today. Jesus knew that we would be reading and writing about the healing of this blind man today. And He wanted to teach us a lesson. Following Jesus shouldn’t be easy all the time. If it is easy, then we aren’t doing something right. If we are truly following Jesus, then we will suffer persecution in some form. In today’s time, it most likely won’t be physical persecution, although it could be. It will most likely be mental/emotional persecution. We might lose friends, even family, over following Jesus. But our reward in heaven will far outweigh all the hardships that we go through here on earth. The blind man was probably wandering around trying to figure out which way to go to get to the pool. Maybe, hopefully, someone helped him get to the pool, but we don’t know that. Maybe some people were laughing at him and making fun of him. People can be cruel. Isn’t that how our lives are sometimes? Don’t we sometimes lose our way? Do we have times when we don’t know which way to turn? Don’t we sometimes get ridiculed and made fun of for following Jesus?

The second lesson I see is that we have to DO what Jesus says. Why didn’t Jesus just say, “You’re healed!” and go on about His way? If this man wanted physical healing, he had to obey Jesus and DO what Jesus told him to do. It is the same with us today. If we want to be saved from our sins and have spiritual healing, then we have to DO what Jesus tells us to do. Jesus told this man to go and wash. He had to walk a half-mile and 350 feet downhill with clay on his eyes to do this, but guess what? He did it, and he was set free from his physical blindness. Jesus has told us that we have to be baptized in water to wash our sins away and be healed from our spiritual blindness. Tell me, what is the difference between Jesus telling the blind man to go and wash in the pool, and telling us to be baptized for the remission of our sins? The answer is there is no difference at all. If Jesus says to do it, then what is the issue? If we had a terrible physical ailment or disease and Jesus told us that we had to go to Riverfront Park in McMinnville, Tennessee, and wash in the river to be healed, would we do it? Of course, we would. If we lived 3000 miles away, we would get there. What is the difference between obeying Jesus to be physically healed and obeying Jesus to be spiritually healed? There is no difference, except that our eternal soul depends on it. “He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.” This is Mark 16:16 from the mouth of Jesus Himself. 

So… following Jesus won’t always be easy, but it will be so worth it at the end of this life. Living like the world is the easy way. Going through the motions of being a Christian is no different than living like the world. It’s easy to never take a real stand against sin. It’s easy to just sit on a pew, but a real commitment? Now that is a challenge. The blind man had a hard journey to the pool to be healed. Jesus wants us to see that following Him will not always be easy, but if we do, a reward beyond our imaginations is coming one day. Jesus said in John 15:18-19, “If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.” Jesus says, “No worries, they hated me first. We are in this together.” I wouldn’t have it any other way. Jesus also told the man what to do to be healed. There were stipulations. He tells us what to do to be healed. Just like the blind man, He expects us to do something too. We have to obey Him. He is our King. If Jesus were an earthly King, would we obey Him? If He were standing in front of us right now saying, “If you believe and are baptized you will be saved,” would we believe Him? What if Peter were standing here today, and we asked Him, “what do we do?” And he told us to “Repent and be baptized for the remission of your sins…” (Acts 2:38), would we do what the 3000 did on Pentecost? Please consider the true purpose for baptism, and reach out if you need help. I love your soul, and want to help you. 

God means for everyone to learn what the Bible teaches about being saved. It only takes an open heart for Jesus and a willingness to put away what we’ve been taught in the past, and truly read what God’s Word says for ourselves… and then accept what it says and obey it. If I can help you in any way, I would love to! Are you walking in the light? Are you in Christ? Are you saved? If you aren’t, or if you’re not sure if you are, I’d love to help you. Are you a member of the Lord’s church, but are struggling spiritually in your walk with Christ? If you are… believe me, I’ve been there many times, and I’d love to help you. If you have any questions, please reach out. 

I love God’s Word. It challenges me to be better… to do more in His service. It is interesting and keeps me on the edge of my seat, wondering what will happen next. It gives me confidence and builds me up, and it brings me to my knees when my soul needs convicting! Thank you, Father, for the wonderful gift of Your Word!

God’s Plan of Salvation

Below is the plan God has outlined in His Word for humankind to receive His grace, which leads to salvation and an eternity with God in heaven. This plan is straight from the Bible. 

We have to hear His word. (Romans 10:17) 

Upon hearing the message of Jesus, we believe it. (Mark 16:16) 

Then, we confess Jesus’ name before men. (Matthew 10:32) 

Next, we repent of our sins. (Acts 2:38, Acts 3:19) 

Finally, we are baptized into Christ for the remission of our sins.  (Acts 2:38, Matthew 28:18-20, Mark 16:16, Romans 6:3-4, Acts 22:16, 1 Corinthians 12:13, Galatians 3:26-27) After baptism, God adds us to His church. (Acts 2:47)