Who Do You Think You Are?

I am very fortunate to have a group of guys that I work with that are dedicated to staying after work once a week to study the Bible together. It is a great time of prayer, fellowship and learning. It is something we all look forward to each week. We are growing and I must admit it is a safe place of learning for me.

This week we were studying the last part of John 8 and this is where Jesus tells the Jews that the truth will set them free. That by grace through faith, believing and obeying will keep us from being slaves to sin. It is beautiful and comforting, yet the Jews rejected it. I have read this passage many times but near the end is part of a verse that during this study just lit up for me. As the Jews continue to debate with Christ, you can see the stubbornness build, the anger, and the self righteousness when in the last part of verse 53 they shout;

53b Who do you think you are?"

You have to think about it for a minute…these people turn to the Son of God and ask him; “who do you think you are?” Can you imagine ever doing that? How harsh and brash and so very self centered. But, don’t we still do that today; maybe not in words, but maybe in thoughts, actions and deeds?

Whenever we stray from the Word, whenever we sin, whenever we doubt, whenever Christ is not at the center of our lives; aren’t we saying to Christ; our Lord and Savior; who do you think you are? This was so revealing for me; so condemning for me; how about each of you? Through this revelation as tough as it is the real question is how do I (we) respond? Do not fear!

God is so great that there is hope, there is forgiveness, but we must turn to God through Christ. We need to remember who we are dealing with, who we will be honoring (or not) and so great is the love of Christ that even great sinners, even those who reject and even those that say who do you think you are can be saved.

I am encouraged by Paul’s prayer for the Ephesians;

16I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 18may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, 19and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

May we never again ask who do you think you are, may Christ dwell in all our hearts through faith and may we grasp the love of Christ!

Grace and Peace