God's Word Not Abiding in You - John 5:38

The apostle John wrote how Jesus said, “I can of my own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which has sent me. If I bear witness of myself, my witness is not true. There is another that bears witness of me; and I know that the witness which he witnesses of me is true. You sent unto John, and he bare witness unto the truth. But I receive not testimony from man: but these things I say, that you might be saved. He was a burning and a shining light: and you were willing for a season to rejoice in his light. But I have greater witness than that of John: for the works which the Father has given me to finish, the same works that I do, bear witness of me, that the Father has sent me. And the Father himself, which has sent me, has borne witness of me. You have neither heard his voice at any time, nor seen his shape”, and in chapter five and verse thirty-eight of his book, John shared how Jesus said, “you have not his word abiding in you” where we read:

And you have not his word abiding in you: for whom he has sent, him you believe not.

The verse reads, “And you have not his word abiding in you:”. John began with the words, “and you have not his word” or “and you, Jewish people who came to question Jesus, have in no way and not at all God the Father's speech or tone of uttered words” “abiding in you” which means “tarrying, remaining and kept continually within you, Jewish people who questioned Jesus”. John shared how Jesus told the Jewish people, most likely the religious leaders, who were questioning Him that they did not in any way have “God the Father's word” within them.

The verse continues, “for whom he has sent, him you believe not.” John added the words, “for whom he has sent” which means “because, since and on account the One who God the Father dispatched and assigned”, “him you believe not” or “the One sent by God you, Jewish people, did not trust, have confidence within nor think to be true”. John shared how Jesus said the One God sent into the world, Jesus Himself, was not “trusted nor thought to be true” by the Jewish people who questioned Him.

When we think through John's words in this verse, we learn how Jesus indited the Jewish people who were questioning Him as “non-believers” even though He was sent to them by Father God. Jesus demonstrated over and over again that He was indeed the Messiah and Christ of God, and anyone who “believes” in Him will be forgiven of their sins and inherit everlasting life. In other words, those who “believe in Jesus” have “God's word” “abiding” in them, and those who do not “believe” do not have the word of Father God living within them.

Next time John shares how Jesus says, “search the scriptures”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

Look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County" in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore. All references are from "Strongs Concordance".