Every Christian struggles at times with assurance; in John 8, Jesus teaches us that we can be certain of our salvation. We are called to abide in Christ, to be absolutely anchored in him alone. When we do this, we are freed from the enslavement and guilt of sin. So we must examine ourselves; do we manifest the obedience, repentance, and freedom that accompany abiding in Christ.
Every Christian struggles at times with assurance; in John 8, Jesus teaches us that we can be certain of our salvation. We are called to abide in Christ, to be absolutely anchored in him alone. When we do this, we are freed from the enslavement and guilt of sin. So we must examine ourselves; do we manifest the obedience, repentance, and freedom that accompany abiding in Christ.
By declaring himself to be the light of the world, Jesus makes an exclusive claim as the way of salvation. The true light exposes the sinful heart, and so man often twists Christianity into a false religion. However, anything apart from Christ is darkness, no matter how it may appear.
At the end of Jesus’ time at the Feast of Booths in John 7, he makes it clear that the feast, and everything it pointed to, were fulfilled in him. He shows himself to be the only source of true life, deliverance, and salvation, and the call to all people is to trust in him alone.
As we continue to press on through the Gospel of John, Jesus more and more deeply reveals the unbelief of the people. He showed who he was plainly, leaving people without excuse, and yet they did not truly believe in him. And Jesus warns them of the consequence of unbelief: they will not be able to go to where he is.
As we continue our series through John, we see Jesus again and again establishing his authority, not by man or by other teachers, but by who he is - the Son of God. His teachings are perfect, originating from Heaven itself. And he doesn’t stop with simply establishing his authority, but he exposes the sinful hearts of the false teachers. We are called to discern every teaching according to its consistency with God’s Word.
Usually, the most essential teachings of Christianity are the most difficult to grasp, and the bodily resurrection of Jesus is no exception. However, the resurrection is true, historical, and something that every person must wrestle with. Jesus’ being raised from the dead proves everything he taught to be true, it defeats sin and its consequences, and guarantees the bodily resurrection of every person. As Christians, we must proclaim this glorious reality.
The reason why Jesus was rejected as the Messiah is because he did not meet the personal and political expectations of many in his day, and this is still the case for many people today. His victory is not what we expect: it came through submission the the Father’s will and death on a cross. When we look for Jesus to be a king we of our own cause, we will be let down; he deals with the root of every issue: the human heart.
John chapter 6 comes to a close with this bold teaching of Jesus: He is the only one who is sufficient, who meets all of our needs, and who must fill us completely. And unless he calls us, we cannot come.
Jesus’ teaching on salvation in John 6 is abundantly clear: not one person is able to be saved unless God has chosen them; every single person who belongs to God has absolute, perfect assurance of their salvation in Christ.