Greetings!
As people grow older, they naturally spend more and more time thinking about the legacy they will leave behind. They begin to consider how they will be remembered, and what they will hand down to those coming after them. Like never before, they reflect on the heritage they have built over their lifetime.
On the financial front, many plan for the distribution of the wealth they have accumulated, wanting to make sure it goes to their heirs of choice, and not to the government or an unacceptable third party. Not surprisingly, addressing such concerns has become big business. There are innumerable estate planners, investment counselors, and attorneys offering means to accomplish people's differing objectives. Television commercials tout life insurance and exhort seniors not to burden their families with expensive funeral costs. Local bookstores are fully stocked with self-help books and computer programs dealing with estate planning. Special seminars are frequently offered on how to handle wills and trusts. All of this is predicated on people's desire to preserve their wealth and pass it on to the next generation.
Such concerns are valid. The Bible speaks of the importance of wise stewardship (cf. Prov. 27:23-27; Matt. 25:14-30; Luke 16:11), and assumes that people will leave an inheritance to those who come after them (Prov. 13:22; 17:2; 19:14; 20:21; Matt. 21:38; Luke 12:13; 15:11-12). But of far greater importance than the corruptible, earthly inheritance they leave others is the incorruptible heavenly inheritance God has for every child of His. That inheritance is "imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for [them]" (1 Peter 1:4; cf. Eph. 1:11). It is far beyond human understanding, prompting Paul to write,
Ephesians 1:18 (HCSB)
[I pray] that the perception of your mind may be enlightened so you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the glorious riches of His inheritance among the saints,
I pray you will be challenged, convicted, encouraged, and blessed by today's devotional to the glory of God.
THE LEGACY OF JESUS
JOHN 14:15-26
Part 1
LOVING OBEDIENCE PRECEDES THE LEGACY JESUS
John 14:15 (NASB)
"If you love Me, you will keep My commandments."
To be clear, no human merit can qualify lost sinners to receive the inheritance of the riches of heaven; only those who,
- Acts 26:18b (NASB)
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"Turn from darkness to light and from the dominion of Satan to God, [and] receive forgiveness of sins [will receive] an inheritance among those who have been sanctified by faith in Me [Christ]."
Compare:
- Acts 20:32 (AMP)
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And now [brethren], I commit you to God [I deposit you in His charge, entrusting you to His protection and care]. And I commend you to the Word of His grace [to the commands and counsels and promises of His unmerited favor]. It is able to build you up and to give you [your rightful] inheritance among all God's set-apart ones (those consecrated, purified, and transformed of soul).
Believers, "being justified by His grace, [are] made heirs according to the hope of eternal life" (Titus 3:7; cf. Heb. 9:15). They receive their inheritance from all three members of the Trinity. The Father "has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in Light" (Col. 1:12); we are "fellow heirs with Christ" (Rom. 8:17; cf. Col. 3:24); and "the Holy Spirit... is given as a pledge of our inheritance" (Eph. 1:13-14).
But that inheritance is not merely after death. God provides rich blessings for His children in this life that are a foretaste of the full riches that await them in heaven. On the night before His death, the Lord Jesus Christ revealed those blessings to His disciples, who were at that time in desperate need of great comfort and encouragement. The disciples were distraught over the impending loss of the Master they loved and on whom they depended. Concerned about their anxieties (John 14:1), even in the face of His own death, Jesus selflessly sought to relieve their fears with stunning and gracious promises that would provide everything they needed.
And those promises the Lord made are not restricted to the apostles and their associates. They are for all true believers—those who are called to prove the genuineness of their love for Christ by keeping His commandments.
- John 14:15 (NASB)
- "If you love Me, you will keep My commandments."
- John 14:21 (NASB)
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"He who has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me; and he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and will disclose Myself to him."
- John 14:23 (NASB)
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Jesus answered and said to him, "If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our abode with him.24 "He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine, but the Father's who sent Me.
- John 15:10 (NASB)
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"If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love; just as I have kept My Father's commandments and abide in His love."
- John 15:14 (NASB)
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"You are My friends if you do what I command you."
- John 8:31 (NASB)
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So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, "If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine."
Obedience is a hallmark of genuine saving faith and love for God. Those who are truly saved, by grace alone, will invariably respond with a life of submission and service.
- Ephesians 2:4-10 (NASB)
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But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), 6 and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9 not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.
Compare:
- 2 Timothy 3:16-17 (AMP)
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Every Scripture is God-breathed (given by His inspiration) and profitable for instruction, for reproof and conviction of sin, for correction of error and discipline in obedience, [and] for training in righteousness (in holy living, in conformity to God's will in thought, purpose, and action), 17 So that the man of God may be complete and proficient, well fitted and thoroughly equipped for every good work.
With their hearts regenerated (John 3:5; Titus 2:4-7; cf. Eph. 2:4-10) and their minds renewed (cf. Rom. 12:2; Eph. 4:23), genuine Christians cannot help but outwardly reflect who they are on the inside—new creatures in Christ (2 Cor. 5:17).
Throughout His ministry, Jesus repeatedly emphasized the obedience that characterizes all who savingly believe.
- Luke 6:46 (NASB)
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"Why do you call Me, 'Lord, Lord,' and do not do what I say?"
- John 3:36 (NASB)
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"He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him."
- John 3:36 (AMP)
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And he who believes in (has faith in, clings to, relies on) the Son has (now possesses) eternal life. But whoever disobeys (is unbelieving toward, refuses to trust in, disregards, is not subject to) the Son will never see (experience) life, but [instead] the wrath of God abides on him. [God's displeasure remains on him; His indignation hangs over him continually.]
The apostle Paul declares,
- Romans 2:5-8 (NASB)
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But because of your stubbornness and unrepentant heart you are storing up wrath for yourself in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, 6 who WILL RENDER TO EACH PERSON ACCORDING TO HIS DEEDS: 7 to those who by perseverance in doing good seek for glory and honor and immortality, eternal life; 8 but to those who are selfishly ambitious and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, [will face God's] wrath and indignation.
- Romans 2:5-8 (NLT2)
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But because you are stubborn and refuse to turn from your sin, you are storing up terrible punishment for yourself. For a day of anger is coming, when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed. 6 He will judge everyone according to what they have done. 7 He will give eternal life to those who keep on doing good, seeking after the glory and honor and immortality that God offers. 8 But he will pour out his anger and wrath on those who live for themselves, who refuse to obey the truth and instead live lives of wickedness.
It was Paul's privilege through God's grace "to bring about the obedience of faith among all the Gentiles for His name's sake" (Rom. 1:5; cf. 15:18; 16:26; Acts 6:7).
At His second coming Jesus will "[deal] out retribution to those who do not know God and to those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus" (2 Thess. 1:8). To "all those who obey Him [Jesus is] the source of eternal salvation" (Heb. 5:9). The elect were chosen "to obey Jesus Christ" (1 Peter 1:2), while the unregenerate are those who "do not obey the gospel of God" (1 Peter 4:17).
John emphasized the inseparable link between love and obedience in his first epistle:
- 1 John 2:3-5 (NASB)
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By this we know that we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments. 4 The one who says, "I have come to know Him," and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him; 5 but whoever keeps His word, in him the love of God has truly been perfected. By this we know that we are in Him.
- 1 John 3:24 (NASB)
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The one who keeps His commandments abides in Him, and He in him. We know by this that He abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us.
- John 5:2-3 (NASB)
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By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and observe His commandments. 3 For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments; and His commandments are not burdensome.
Thus it is to the eleven disciples, and by extension all the faithful, that the Lord speaks these words of promise and provision. Although He would no longer be visibly present with His disciples, they would not be left alone. Jesus promised them (and all subsequent believers) four permanent sources of power and comfort: (1) the presence of the Spirit, (2) the presence of the Son, the presence of the Father, and the presence of the truth.
We will pick up here next with Part 2 of this devotional series entitled "Legacy 1: The Presence of His Spirit."
Proverbs 22:19 (NASB)
So that your trust may be in the LORD, I have taught you today, even you.
Amen.
