Some who do not believe ...
It is the spirit that gives life; the flesh is useless. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life. But among you there are some who do not believe.” For Jesus knew from the first who were the ones that did not believe, and who was the one that would betray him. And he said, “For this reason I have told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted by the Father.” -John 6:63-65 NRSV
It is an age old debate. Does God grant the ability to believe to just a few or does that ability lie within each of us? Doubtful in these few sentences that I will sway you one way or another on that question. Yet it is clear that John was thinking about Judas Iscariot when he wrote about how people could be outwardly religious yet inwardly unbelieving.
Interesting how John only knew this after Judas betrayed Christ. It is like he was telling us that no one but Christ knows who truly believes. The point was not to answer the question that I posed above but to speak to each of us about believing the words that give us "spirit and life" and to allow ourselves to be drawn and led by the Spirit.
Father, grant us to come to you today. Renew us that we might receive your life and your Spirit.
... this devotion is part of an ongoing series on the Gospel of John.
Amen my friend.
ReplyDelete