You Believe, May God Help Your Unbelief

It is a great blessing that we have been saved, even the many of us Gentiles in the flesh.  For it is but by God's mercy that He looked on us in favor.  And yet in John 12:42ff we have testimony that probably reminds us of ourselves.  For there it says:

Nevertheless many even of the rulers believed in Him, but because of the Pharisees they were not confessing Him, for fear that they would be put out of the synagogue; for they loved the approval of men rather than the approval of God. And Jesus cried out and said, "He who believes in Me, does not believe in Me but in Him who sent Me. He who sees Me sees the One who sent Me. I have come as Light into the world, so that everyone who believes in Me will not remain in darkness. If anyone hears My sayings and does not keep them, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world, but to save the world. He who rejects Me and does not receive My sayings, has one who judges him; the word I spoke is what will judge him at the last day. For I did not speak on My own initiative, but the Father Himself who sent Me has given Me a commandment as to what to say and what to speak. I know that His commandment is eternal life; therefore the things I speak, I speak just as the Father has told Me."

Here we have the words that many rulers believed in Jesus Christ.  That is, they believed the true Gospel and were saved and yet they feared the Pharisees.  They feared persecution, for we have multiple accounts where the Pharisees murdered those who followed Jesus.  Paul (Saul) was one of those murders, in fact. Specifically here they feared being kicked out of the synagogue.  So because they longed for the approval of men, because they feared men, they did not confess Him publicly.  They didn't give a testimony, no bearing of the facts were given before the people, the Word was not spoken by these believers.  They feared death, they feared being kicked out.  And yet it is too often for us that we fear men, yet not because we will be put to death, but something far less extreme, something not as significant.  We fear men at our jobs because we could get fired, we fear men on the streets because they might think ill of us or that we are strange or dogmatic.  

But how is that Jesus responds to these rulers and us?  Jesus says, "He who believes in Me, does not believe in Me but in Him who sent Me. He who sees Me sees the One who sent Me. I have come as Light into the world, so that everyone who believes in Me will not remain in darkness. If anyone hears My sayings and does not keep them, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world, but to save the world. He who rejects Me and does not receive My sayings, has one who judges him; the word I spoke is what will judge him at the last day. For I did not speak on My own initiative, but the Father Himself who sent Me has given Me a commandment as to what to say and what to speak. I know that His commandment is eternal life; therefore the things I speak, I speak just as the Father has told Me." 

And He says in Matthew 5, "You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has become tasteless, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled under foot by men. You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven." 

 

Let us not serve men or think too highly of them, but let us serve our Master and Savior Jesus Christ.  Remember, it is Him who knew no sin who was made to be sin on our behalf that you might have life.  Therefore, glorify Him with your body, and with your life, and soul, your all.