How does John 5:38 challenge our understanding of faith and obedience? Setting the Scene • In John 5 Jesus addresses religious leaders who scrupulously searched Scripture yet failed to recognize Him. • Verse 38 stands at the heart of His indictment: “nor does His word abide in you, because you do not believe the One He sent.” The Heart of the Verse • “His word” refers to God’s revealed truth. Jesus says it does not “abide”—remain, live—within them. • The root cause: “you do not believe the One He sent.” Lack of faith in Christ exposes that God’s word never took root in their hearts, despite outward religiosity. Faith and the Indwelling Word • Genuine faith is inseparable from the indwelling word (John 15:7; Colossians 3:16). • Believing in Jesus is the litmus test of whether Scripture truly lives within us. • Intellectual familiarity with Scripture is not enough; it must transform and dwell in the inner person (Hebrews 4:12). Obedience as Evidence of Faith • When the word abides, obedience flows naturally (James 1:22; 1 John 2:3-5). • The leaders’ refusal to obey Jesus revealed a vacuum where God’s word should have been. • Obedience, therefore, is not a separate add-on to faith but its visible fruit (James 2:17). Practical Takeaways • Measure faith not by Bible knowledge alone but by surrender to Jesus. • Let Scripture move from the page to the heart—ask, “Is this word shaping my choices?” • Self-examination: where obedience lags, trace it back to unbelief in some promise or command. • Cultivate a rhythm of hearing, believing, and acting on God’s word, keeping Christ at the center. |
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