Receive New Life From The Lord - And Live Your Life For Him.

What's it all about - this Christianity? is it a form of religion or a code of ethics? The words, 'religion' and 'ethics' are well wide of the mark when it comes to describing what it means to be a Christian.

The word, 'life' is the word used by Jesus: "I have come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly" (John 10:10).

Jesus did not say, "I have come that they might have religion (or ethics)."

Jesus came to give us life - the life of God.

When we have received this life from Him, we come to understand that being a Christian is about a personal relationship with God. It's not just a matter of following a certain code of religious or moral behaviour.

This personal relationship with God is entirely bound up with Jesus Christ. Apart from him, there is no life. There is only the emptiness of life without God, in this world and in the world to come. With Jesus Christ, there is life - a life given by God, a life dependent on God, a life lived for God.

• (1) A life given by God

What is a Christian? Is it about being kind to others, giving to charities, not committing crimes? A humanist does all of these things. Is it about going to church services? the New Testament says something different: "It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me" (Galatians 2:20).

Note the contrast between the things which we do and the New Testament teaching that Christianity is Christ .

This contrast is emphasized in the Gospels. The religious leaders of Jesus' day had become so tied up with rules and regulations that they had neglected their relationship with God. Jesus, offering them something better - a life that is to be given to us by God. He told them, in no uncertain terms, that they needed to be "born again."

This is a message that we need to hear today. Like the Pharisees, we tend to complicate the simplicity of the Gospel. We turn it into a complex system of rules. God invites us to come to know Him as our loving Father. Why do we insist on thinking of God as a kind of heavenly policeman, who is constantly trying to catch us out when we do wrong? The idea of God as a kind of heavenly policeman, who's trying to catch us out, needs to be rooted out of our thinking.

There's another idea we need to get rid of - the idea that God is a kind of heavenly skinflint, a tight-fisted character, who's only interested in what he can get out of us. The idea of a god, who is on the make, s the exact opposite of the god and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. He is a loving God, a giving God - "God so loved the world that He gave His only Son" (John 3:16).

It's often said, "You only get what you pay for." If you approach the Christian Faith from this angle, you will come up with the most complete misunderstanding of the Christian Gospel imaginable.

If God were to give us what we've paid for, there would be nothing, for us, but judgment and condemnation. This is what we deserve from God - nothing more, nothing less: judgment and condemnation. The amazing thing is this: God has, in His Son, paid the price of our sin. this is the Gospel. This is the Good News that comes to us from God. In Jesus Christ, God has taken the punishment for our sin. At the heart of the Christian Faith is the death of Jesus Christ as our substitute. He took my place and died for me. This is what the Christian has come to know. Those who have come to the Cross and accepted Jesus Christ as their Saviour can truly say, "The Son of God loved me and gave Himself for me" (Galatians 2:20).

There is no room, at the Cross of Jesus Christ, for a 'skinflint' god. It is, at the Cross, that we must receive the gift of God, the gift for which we can never even begin to pay, the gift which has been paid for the death of Another - our Lord Jesus Christ. At the Cross, we learn that it is not we who give to God. It's God who gives to us. we learn that we can only receive from God. From Him, we receive the gift of Jesus Christ, our Saviour.

• (2) A life dependent on God

We must avoid carefully the idea of a god, who is always on the make. We must also take care not to take God for granted. The kind of person, who tries to get as much as he can out of God with the least personal involvement, has misunderstood completely what it means to have faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. To have faith in Christ is to "live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave Himself for me" (Galatians 2:20). The Christian life is lived in the light of the death of Jesus Christ, who loved us and gave Himself for us. It doesn't make sense to say, "I believe the Son of God loved me and gave Himself for me", and, then, hold back from giving ourselves to Him, in glad surrender.

The question may be asked, "Can I accept Jesus Christ as my Saviour without submitting to Him as my Lord?" This question is based on reveals on a serious misunderstanding of the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. We are saved by the grace of God. We can do nothing to deserve His grace. We must receive the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ as God's free gift. We must never lose this emphasis. It is the heart of the Christian Gospel. Building on the foundation of God's grace, we must emphasize that Christian commitment is a privilege before it is a responsibility.

Trusting Jesus is not like wearing a lucky charm. It's not just a way of getting on the right side of God, and making sure of a place in heaven. We are called to a life of faith: "Trust and obey, for there's no other way to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey."

• (3) A life lived for God

If the life of trust and obedience is to be real in you and me, we must take great care to avoid two very dangerous misconceptions of the Christian life.

(a) The first is that we become so heavenly-minded that we're no earthly use. This kind of person is very concerned to make sure that he himself is going to heaven, but he shows no real interest in serving the Lord and serving other people here on earth. He needs to understand that real faith is more than booking a place in heaven. We need to be wary of a self-centred desire to get to heaven, which doesn't lead us to serve God and other people here and now. Salvation leads to service.

(b) The second is that we become so earthly-minded that we're no heavenly use. Some people throw everything into their work., their family life and their personal interests. The Christian has a higher priority: serving God and pleasing Him. This doesn't mean that we should all be preachers or missionaries. What it does mean is this: use your gifts and abilities to the full for God. The Bible never separates believing and doing. Faith and work belong together. We are not saved by works, but we are saved for works. When faith is real, it will lead to good works.

Live for God. This is very important. Words mean nothing, if we're not living for the Lord.

The Kingdom Of God In The Teaching Of Jesus

 * The Kingdom of God does not belong to this world (John 18:36). The Kingdom of God has come into this world (Mark 1:15). God's Kingdom cannot be identified with anything that belongs to this world. The church is not the Kingdom. The church is a signpost. It points us to the Kingdom. It is a sign that the Kingdom has broken into earthly existence.   

 * Jesus has come. The Kingdom has come. When Jesus says that the Kingdom is in the midst of us, He is speaking of His presence in our midst. Where Jesus is, there is the Kingdom. Jesus is the Kingdom.

 * In Christ's first coming, the Kingdom has come. In His Second Coming, the Kingdom will come. Jesus teaches us to pray, "Thy Kingdom come." He is directing our attention to the coming Kingdom. In Jesus' first coming, there is a real coming of the Kingdom. There is also this message, "There is more to come." When we pray, "Thy Kingdom come", we are praying, "Lord, lead us on, from the promise to the fulfilment." Jesus' first coming was a fulfilment. It fulfilled the Old Testament prophecies. Jesus' first coming is more than a fulfilment of Old Testament prophecies. It's also a promise that points forward to the ultimate fulfilment, the coming of God's eternal Kingdom.

 * The supreme sign of the Kingdom is Jesus' resurrection. The resurrection follows on from the incarnation (Jesus living among us) and the atonement (Jesus dying for us). The resurrection is God's way of saying, "Jesus really is My Son. Jesus really is your Saviour and Lord." The resurrection also points us to the future.

 * The Kingdom has come. The Kingdom will come. This is the context within which we are to live the Christian life. We have received the Kingdom (Luke 12:32). We have entered the Kingdom (Mark 10:24). We have become sons of the Kingdom (Matthew 13:38). The Kingdom belongs to those who have come to Jesus with simple, childlike faith (Matthew 19:14). The Kingdom has come to us. This is real, but there is more to come. We have only begun to experience the power of God's Kingdom. We must always be longing for more of God, looking forward to the fullness that is still to come.

 * The Kingdom has come. This is Good News (Matthew 4:23; Mark 1:15). Without this Good News, our life is built on sand. With this Good News, our life is built on the Rock, which is Jesus Christ. Building on Christ, we have hope for the future - hope that is more than hoping for the best, hope that is grounded in who Jesus is and what he has done for us.

 * Jesus calls us to put our faith in Him. He calls us to open hearts to Him This what Jesus means when He speaks about entering the Kingdom. We receive the Kingdom when we set aside our own self-righteousness and come as sinners to Jesus, the Saviour of sinners. We receive the Kingdom when we come to Jesus with simple and sincere faith (Mark 2:17; Matthew 18:3; Matthew 11:25). 

 * Jesus calls us to commit ourselves to Him. we are to live as His disciples. We are called to live a life that honours Him, a life upon which His blessing rests (Matthew 5:1-12). 

 * Jesus calls us to prepare ourselves for His return. We are to be grateful for His first coming. We are to have the attitude of gratitude. Thankful to the Lord for what He has done for us, we are to give ourselves in obedience to Him. We are to trust the Lord, and live in obedience to Him. This is the way of receiving joy. This is the way of bringing glory to God.        

Centred On The Saviour

Being a Christian isn’t something that we do for ourselves. It’s not something that we achieve in our own strength. When we learn about Jesus, we are drawn to Him. It’s the love of God that draws us to Jesus. God shows us how much He loves us. He shows us how much He wants to change us. He leads us to Jesus – “the Way, the Truth and the Life” (John 14:6).

  Jesus is “the Way without which there is no going.” Without Jesus, we’re lost. Jesus finds us.

  Jesus is “the Truth without which there is no knowing.” Without Jesus, we can’t make sense of our life. He shows us what our life is all about.

  Jesus is “the Life without which there is no living.” Without Jesus, life seems empty. He gives us true and lasting joy.

  How can Jesus bring these blessings to us? – He is our Saviour.

Immanuel - God with us

'Immanuel...God with us' (Matthew 1:23). Think of what this means! Here are some words to help you. 'He walked where I walked, He stood where I stand, He felt what I feel, He understands. He know my frailty, shared my humanity, tempted in every way, yet without sin. God with us, so close to us. God with us, 'Immanuel!'. Let your thoughts move on to the Cross - 'He died in my place that I might live'. Let your heart be filled with worship: 'Immanuel, O Immanuel, Bowed in awe I worship at your feet, and sing Immanuel, God is with us; Sharing my humanness, my shame, feeling my weakness, my pain, taking my punishment, my blame, Immanuel. And now my words cannot explain, all that my heart cannot contain, how great are the glories of Your Name, Immanuel' (Mission Praise, 221,326).

How’s your spiritual temperature?

In the summertime, it can get very hot. In the wintertime, it can get very cold. What about our spiritual temperature? Jesus had something to say about this – “most people’s love will grow cold’ (Matthew 24:12). Has the fire gone out? How long has it been since, in your heart, you said, ‘Did not our hearts burn within us … while He opened to us the Scriptures?” (Luke 24:32)? Must we get colder as we get older? Can we not be raised from the ashes? Must we be overwhelmed by the spirit of evil? Cannot God restore in us the spirit of praise – “I will sing of the Lord’s great love for ever” (Psalm 89:1)? Some of you may not have worshipped God in His House for many years. Is it not time to make a new beginning with God? Do you want to begin again with God? Over the years, God has been speaking to you – but you have not listened to Him. God is still speaking to you. Are you listening to Him? The Lord has come to us – “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners” (1 Timothy 1:15). Now, He’s inviting us to come to Him: ”Listen now, My people, and come to Me; come to Me, and you will have life! … Seek the Lord while He may be found, call upon Him while He is near” (Isaiah 55:3,6). This is your time for seeking the Lord. It’s the time of your salvation – if you will return to Him. Come to Jesus. Bring your sin to Him. He will come to you. He will forgive your sin. It’s time for a new beginning with God. Let it start now!

Jesus Christ - King of kings

'King of the Jews' (Matthew 2:2). Jesus came from the Jews. He came for 'all nations' (Matthew 28:19). He is the 'King of kings' (Revelation 17:14; Revelation 19:16). Here on earth, we are learning 'to worship Him' (Matthew 2:2). We are being prepared for heavenly worship (Revelation 7:9-12): 'Kings and queens and beggarmen, presidents and servants, the people of all nations, will gather on that day. We will kneel before the King. None will be observers. We will lift our voices. Together, we will say, "He is the King and He will reign forever. He is the King and we will sing His praise. The King of kings and Lord of lords forever, Jesus, He is the King. Hallelujah to the King, He is our salvation. Master of the universe, King of all creation"!' Let 'Jesus...take the highest honour'. Let us 'glorify the King of kings' (Songs of Fellowship, 302, 590).

Jesus Chrisr - our Saviour and Lord

'A Saviour, who is Christ the Lord' (Luke 2:11). The Name, 'Jesus', means 'Saviour' (Matthew 1:21). Focus your thoughts on Him: The Lord Jesus Christ. Here is a prayer to help you make your response to Him: 'Lord Jesus Christ, You have come to us, You are one with us, Mary's Son. Cleansing our souls from all their sin, pouring your love and goodness in; Jesus, our love for You we sing, Living Lord. Lord Jesus Christ, You have come to us, born as one of us, Mary's Son. Led out to die on Calvary, risen from death to set us free, Living Lord Jesus, help us see You are Lord. Lord Jesus Christ, we would come to You, live our lives for You, Son of God. All Your commands we know are true, Your many gifts will make us new, into our lives Your power breaks through, Living Lord' (Mission Praise, 435).

O little town of Bethlehem

Bethlehem was a 'little town'. Humanly speaking, it did not have any great importance. Its importance is derived from the fact that it was the birth place of our Saviour. when we think of Bethlehem, we do not think so much of the place as the Saviour who was born there. Herod says that he wants to go to Bethlehem to worship Jesus (Matthew 2:8). Satan was speaking through Herod. Satan 'comes only to steal and kill and destroy'. Christ comes to give 'life...to the full' (John 10:10). As the story unfolds, it becomes clear that Herod was not a worshipper of Christ but a servant of Satan. The wise men worship Jesus, then they return to their own country. Their whole purpose was to point away from themselves to Jesus.

A very special child!

No ordinary child! Jesus would be special - very special! This was the message the angel brought to Mary - 'He will be great...the Son of the Most High...the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God' (Luke 1:32,35). We celebrate the birth of a child. How much more should we celebrate the birth of our Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ! 'Come on and celebrate! His gift of love we will celebrate - the Son of God who loved us and gave us life' (Mission Praise, 99). God is calling us to worship His Son, our Saviour. Let Jesus be the centre of your attention. No one else must compete with Him. 'O come let us adore Him...For He alone is worthy...We'll give Him all the glory...Christ the Lord' (Mission Praise, 490). He is more than 'a lovely baby - much more than that! He is our wonderful Saviour!

Centred On The Saviour

 Being a Christian isn’t something that we do for ourselves. It’s not something that we achieve in our own strength. When we learn about Jesus, we are drawn to Him. It’s the love of God that draws us to Jesus. God shows us how much He loves us. He shows us how much He wants to change us. He leads us to Jesus – “the Way, the Truth and the Life” (John 14:6).
  Jesus is “the Way without which there is no going.” Without Jesus, we’re lost. Jesus finds us.
  Jesus is “the Truth without which there is no knowing.” Without Jesus, we can’t make sense of our life. He shows us what our life is all about.
  Jesus is “the Life without which there is no living.” Without Jesus, life seems empty. He gives us true and lasting joy.
  How can Jesus bring these blessings to us? – He is our Saviour.

A New Name

God has given us ‘a new Name’. It is ‘the Name which is above every name’, the Name of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ (Isaiah 62:2; Philippians 2:9-11).

Learning from the shepherds and the wise men

The shepherds and the wise men seem so different from us! Everything seems so long ago and so far away! Are they really any different from us? Can we dare to forget the lessons we learn from the shepherds and the wise men? Some may say, 'It was different back then. Life was so simple. Now, there are so many distractions. There are so many other things for us to do'. Listen to this kind of talk, and you are listening to the voice of Satan! The devil will fill our lives with all kinds of things. He will keep us so busy that we forget all about worshipping Jesus! More than ever before - in our world of so many distractions - we need to learn from the wise men and the worshipping shepherds. Make time to 'worship Jesus' (Matthew 2:2). There is nothing more important than this - 'glorifying and praising God' (Luke 2:20).

Jesus Christ - the Son of God, the Word of God, the Lamb of God

Jesus Christ is the Word of God. He is the Beginning. He is also the End (John 1:1-3; Revelation 21:6). He is 'the Word...made flesh. 'We have seen His glory' (John 1:14). This is only the beginning. When He returns, we shall see His glory - 'we shall see Him as He is' (1 John 3:2). From Him, there is creation (John 1:1-3). From Him, there is salvation (John 1:12-13). In Him, we receive the forgiveness of sins and the gift of the Holy Spirit (John 1:29,32-34). He is the Word of God, the Lamb of God and the Son of God (John 1:1,29,34). When we look at Jesus Christ, we see God - 'the Word was God' (John 1:1), 'No one has ever seen God; the only Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has made Him known' (John 1:18). Do you want to know what God is like? - Look at Jesus (John 14:9). What do we see when we look at Him? - 'the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world' (John 1:29).

The Saviour will come. The Saviour has come.

The birth of Christ is a fulfilment of prophecy: 'The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call Him Immanuel' (Matthew 1:23; Isaiah 7:14). Christ is 'God with us'. He was born through the power of the Holy Spirit (Matthew 1:18,20). He is still 'God with us', when we are 'born of the Spirit' (John 3:5). Some people do not believe what the Bible says here. They do not like the idea of a 'virgin birth'. The Bible gives no encouragement to such unbelief. Matthew simply says, 'This is the way it happened' (Matthew 1:18). In view of the amazing thing God was doing - sending His Son to be the Saviour of the world - why should we doubt that God took things out of man's hands and worked in His own miraculous way? We rejoice not only in the miracle but also in its saving purpose: 'He will save His people from their sins' (Matthew 1:21).

God is in control!

God is in control! Jesus was born at Bethlehem - Long before it happened, God had it planned (Luke 2:1-7; Micah 5:2-3). As we approach Christ's Return, God still has His plan. He is still in control. The birth of Christ is not merely an event from the past. It is also a message for the future. We look back so that we can move forward. We are fearful about many things. 'What's the world coming to?', we ask. God turns our question on its head: 'Christ is coming to the world'. From His first coming, we look on to His Second Coming - He 'will come to all the people' (Luke 2:10): 'Every eye will see Him' (Revelation 1:7). His Return invites us to ask another question: 'When the Son of man comes, will He find faith on earth?' (18:8). For you, is it still 'before Christ'? Let the 'new age' begin: Let Christ be 'born this day' (Luke 2:11) - in your heart!

Walking in the Light with God

God is calling us to walk in the light with Him.

* He’s calling us to walk with Him in the light of His love.

Go back to Genesis 1:3 – “Let there be light, and there was light.” Go back beyond the created light. Go back to the eternal God – “In the beginning, God” (Genesis 1:1). What do we find when we go back to the eternal God. We find love, eternal love:  “He has loved us with an everlasting love” (Jeremiah 31:3). This is light of God’s love.

* He’s calling us to walk with Him in the light of His Word.

What is it that brings us out of darkness and into light? It’s the light of God’s Word – “Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path” (Psalm 119:105).

* He’s calling us to walk with Him in the light of His Son.

What a great Saviour we have! Jesus is His Name. He is “the Light of the world” (John 8:12). Let us walk with Jesus – in the light of God’s love, in the light of God’s Word.

* He’s calling us to walk with God in the light of His Kingdom.

What do we see when we look on to the end of time? We see the light of God’s Kingdom: “There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign for ever and ever” (Revelation 22:5).

The darkness shall not prevail over us. How can darkness triumph over the light of God – the light of His love, the light of His Word, the light of His Son, the light of His Kingdom?

May God help us to look beyond the conflict. May He give us faith to look on to His victory, to rejoice in Him and be strong in Him.

A Christ-Centred Life And A Christ-Centred Ministry

• “He must increase, but I must decrease” (John 3:30).

One ministry was about to end. Another ministry was about to begin.

The second ministry would be greater than the first ministry.

- The first ministry was the ministry of John the Baptist.

- The second ministry was the ministry of Jesus the Saviour.

What a difference there is between a Baptist and the Saviour.

Plenty of people can baptize. Only one can save – Jesus.

• “He must increase, but I must decrease” (John 3:30).

This is an abiding principle of the Christian life. The servant must decrease. The Saviour must increase. There must be less of self, and more of Christ. We must learn to focus on Christ as the very centre of our faith and life, our worship and witness. We will receive blessing from our Saviour, as we learn to keep Him at the centre of every part of our life.

• “No one can receive anything except what is given him from heaven” (John 3:27).

What does the servant of the Lord bring to the people of God? We can only bring what is given to us by the Lord. God gives His Word to His servants, so that His people may give glory to the Lord.

• In the service of the Lord, there is something we must never forget: “He who comes from above is above all” (John 3:31). In the service of the Lord, is there a guarantee of ‘success’? – Let’s look at Jesus’ ministry: “He bears witness to what He has seen and heard, yet no one receives His testimony” (John 3:32). “No one receives his testimony” – Does that sound depressing? Are all of us to expect a great ‘success story’? Is the authenticity of a ministry to be assessed by human criteria – How many people are coming to the services? How much money is being given to the church? We must always ask the question, what is most important – ‘success’ or obedience? Have not some become so infatuated with the idea of success that they have sacrificed reality and depth in order to get the success that means so much to them? What does this kind of success amount to? Not very much at all – if it amounts to a denial of the principle: “He must increase, but I must decrease.”
• Worship in the Spirit and truth (John 4;24), preaching in the power of the Spirit (Acts 4:31) – These are the things that matter so much to the Lord. To lose sight of the importance of the things that matter most is to turn things around. It’s to make “I must increase” more important than “He must increase.” What happens when we start thinking like this? – “The glory has departed” (1 Samuel 4:21-22).
• “The One whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God gives the Spirit without limit” (John 3:34).

In the ministry of our Saviour, we see something very different from the departure of the glory. We see the revelation of the glory. God’s Spirit is given. God’s Word is spoken. God is glorified. Sinners are saved. There’s a new song of praise to the Lord, a song that exalts the Name of Jesus our Saviour, a song that says, “Hallelujah”, a song that says, “Praise the Lord.”

• “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on him” (John 3:36).

Wherever Christ is preached in the power of the Spirit, there will be salvation. This blessing comes when the Lord’s servants are faithful in preaching both the Gospel promise and the Gospel warning. How will people seek salvation unless they are told that they need to be saved? The warning is to be heeded, the promise is to be believed – and Christ is to be glorified.

Jesus And The Woman At The Well – Learning From Jesus

Jesus is tired. He rests at the well. A woman comes along …

Out of this very ordinary situation comes a great opportunity to speak of spiritual truth.

Jesus doesn’t barge in like a bull in a china shop.

He makes an intriguing comment about “living water” (John 4:10), and, then, He waits for the woman’s reply. She asks Him to explain what He means (John 4:11-12). She asks. Jesus answers. His answer is a call to faith.

He doesn’t start pleading with the woman – putting pressure on her. He gives a general answer to her question. His answer leads to her next question, “Sir, give me this water … ” (John 4:15).

The woman recognizes the uniqueness of “this water.” Jesus is speaking about something different.

She’s still confused. She’s doesn’t understand what He’s talking about – but she wants to understand.

Suddenly, Jesus changes the direction of the conversation. He asks her to go and get her “husband” (John 4:16). What’s going on here? What’s this all about?

Jesus is leading her beyond a general conversation about “living water.” He’s inviting her to think about herself, her own situation, her own need of “living water.”  He’s leading her to a deeper knowledge of herself and Himself (John 4:17-19).

The conversation moves off in a more general direction (John 4:20). Perhaps, the woman feels that it’s getting too personal.

What is this conversation about? Is it about places where people worship? No! It’s about Jesus. It’s about our Saviour. Everything comes back to Him (John 4:25-26).

Jesus has led the woman to say that she is looking for the Messiah. She’s looking for the Christ (John 4:25). He tells her that He is the Messiah. He is the Christ (John 4:26).

Do we want to lead people to Jesus? May God help us to learn from Jesus.

What is to be our attitude to the Sabbath?

What is to be our attitude to the Sabbath?

The best way to develop a proper attitude, a Christian attitude, to the Sabbath is to look, first of all, at Jesus' attitude to the Sabbath.

In a very real sense, the specific question, "What is to be my attitude to the Sabbath?" is included in the broader question, "What is to be my attitude to Jesus?"

As we look Jesus' attitude to the Sabbath, with a view to answering the question, "What is to be my attitude to the Sabbath?", we notice two key features.

• There is Someone greater than the Sabbath - Jesus (John 5:18). this is the dividing line between a disciple and a Pharisee. A disciple comes to the Saviour. A Pharisee, with all his Sabbath-keeping, does not acknowledge his need of the Saviour.
• Jesus viewed His whole life as holy to God and wholly to God (John 5:17) for service.

From these two observations about Jesus, we note five further principles concerning the place of the Sabbath in the life of Christian discipleship.

(1) Our essential commitment is to the Lord.

It is the Lord who calls us to be His disciples. Being a Christian is more than mere allegiance to a code of ethics. It is a matter of undivided loyalty to a Person - Christ. There is no such thing as a call to be a Sabbatarian, in some sense that is independent of the call to follow Jesus. Christ's call is the call to be a Christian. It is possible to be a Sabbatarian without being a Christian.The Pharisees promoted Sabbath-keeping (John 5:10), yet they crucified Christ (John 5:16). What about us?

(2) Our attitude to the Lord's Day should be governed by our attitude to the Lord.

Jesus' attitude to His Father was described as "holy" and "wholly" - living holy to God and belonging wholly to God. These principles ought to govern our obedience.

(3) Our attitude to the Lord's Day should not mean a devaluing of other days.

We are bound to obey Christ seven days a week. When Christ said, "I am working", He meant a "seven-day week" job. How we spend Saturday evening may say more about our Christian obedience than how we spend Sunday morning.

(4) Our attitude to the Lord's Day should be governed by Gospel obedience - not legal obedience.

The Pharisee had plenty of obedience. It was all legal obedience. By their words and actions, they made people feel inferior - "Keep on trying, but you'll never be as good as us." This leads to despair. It's bad news - not good news. Jesus was very different from the Pharisees. He brought good news to people. He showed them, love, forgiveness and joy.

(5) Our attitude to the Lord's Day should be one of joy.

When we think of the resurrection of Christ by which we have been brought into the rest of faith, in which we rest seven days a week ( see Hebrews 4:1-10, especially verses 9-10), we can only rejoice.

Hallelujah! What a Saviour!

Let's begin with who Jesus is, and then move on to what He does for us.

(1) "The Word was God ... The Word became flesh" (John 1:1, 14).

This is what the Bible teaches us about who Jesus was - He was God - and who He became - He became man.

The Bible doesn't say that (a) Jesus was man, but not God; (b) Jesus was God, but not man; (c) Jesus was neither God nor man.

Jesus is truly God and truly man. He's fully God and fully man.

The Bible doesn't say that the man, Jesus, was elevated to the status of God in the eyes of His followers who believed in Him. The Gospel begins with "the Word was God", and then goes on to say, "The Word became flesh."

(2) "Anyone who has seen Me has seen the Father" (John 14:9).

Many say, "How can a man be God?" That is a wrong question to ask!

What we should ask is this: "Can God become a man?"

When we ask this question in the light of the Bible's teaching - "All things are possible with God", we can acknowledge that the Word, who is God, has become flesh.

Many ask, "How can we see God in Jesus Christ?", when we see, in Jesus, a man who suffered hunger, thirst and tiredness, a man who can only be in one place at one time, when we hear Jesus speaking of His Second Coming - "But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father" (Matthew 24:36; Mark 13:32).

Listen to the words of Jesus, "He who has seen Me has seen the Father" (John 14:9).

We do not see everything we could possibly know about God - "Veiled in flesh, the Godhead see", but we do see everything we need to know about Him. We see Jesus as the Way through whom we come to know God as Father.

(3) We come to know God the Father through Jesus the Saviour.

This is not a matter of intellectual knowledge. It is with the faith of the heart that we trust Jesus Christ as Saviour and come to know God as Father.

What does it mean to trust Jesus Christ as Saviour?

It is really important that we understand what the Bible means when it speaks of Jesus Christ as our Saviour.

• What is a Saviour?

(a) Suppose you are drowning in the ocean. Suppose someone throws you a book - "Three Easy Lessons On How To Swim", would he be a Saviour? - No! He may be an educator, but he's definitely not a Saviour!

(b) Suppose a man got out of his boat, jumped in alongside you and showed you how to swim, saying to you, "This is what you do", what he be a Saviour? - Of course not! He may be an example, but he wouldn't be a Saviour!

(c) What if he took you into his boat, took you ten miles from the shore and then threw you back into the ocean, an said, "Now, make your own way back to the shore", would he be a Saviour? By no means! He would be like a kind of probation officer who helps out for a while, and then leaves you to go it alone. He would be like a kind of social worker, who gives a bit of help and then leaves you to make it on your own.

We don't need someone who will give up on us, leaving us to our own devices.We need a Saviour who is able to save to the uttermost all who come to God through Him (Hebrews 7:25).

(d) What is a Saviour? A Saviour is One who takes you safely all the way to the shore. This is the promise of Jesus Christ, our Saviour - "him who comes to Me I will not cast out" (John 6:37).

Jesus is so much more than an educator, an example or a probation officer.

- An educator may fail us if we do not learn the system of doctrine properly.

- An example will fail us. An example that we cannot live up to only serves to make us more conscious of our failure.

- A probation officer provides us with temporary help, but he also will fail us. When we are cast out on our own, failure becomes a very real possibility.

- The Lord Jesus Christ will not fail us. There is no possibility of failure. By ourselves, we are failures. With Him, the possibility of failure is excluded, since we have His promise: "and this is the will of Him who sent Me, that I should lose nothing of all that He has given me, but raise it up on the last day. For this is the will of the Father, that every one who sees the Son and believes in Him should have eternal life; and I will raise Him up at the last day" (John 6:39-40).

What a great Saviour we have! He has come from heaven to earth, and He will take us from earth to heaven. We can trust Him to finish what He starts. In Him, we have full salvation - eternal salvation.