John 2
Living for an Audience of One!
Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Saturday, June 6.
Who determines whether you are doing a good job in your life? Whose opinion of you is shaping your personal well-being and the efforts of your life?
In John 2:23-25, Jesus responded to the clamoring of people, “Now when he was in Jerusalem at the Passover Feast, many believed in his name when they saw the signs that he was doing. But Jesus on his part did not entrust himself to them, because he knew all people and needed no one to bear witness about man, for he himself knew what was in man.”
So quickly, Jesus’ actions have caused both great applause and passionate anger. With these came the very human pressure to give Himself over to their attention and opinions. Jesus’ did not!
Jesus was focused on leading people out of slavery to their own sin, and Jesus couldn’t set us free if He was enslaved to our fickle public opinion polls. Jesus did not allow either the complaints or the applause to get into His heart or mind. He stayed true to His Father’s words and secure in His Father’s love.
Our culture teaches us the value of self-worth, but even that, when we are honest, is slavery of the highest order—to self! Jesus came to give each of us a Christ-worth that is given in love, established by faith, and sealed for eternity by God’s Holy Spirit making His home in us!
May our views of ourselves be determined by how much Jesus loves us. It is only in Jesus’ love that we are set free to truly love others because we are now secure in the Father’s love.
Seize the moment and be free of the public opinion polls in your own life. Give 100% of your heart loyalty to Jesus and live for an audience of One and the applause of His nail-scarred hands!
Have a great weekend! God bless you!