I want to take you back to the days when you sat in school and took tests. Do you remember those days? Do you remember joking around about how you wished that osmosis would work when studying books for an exam? I mean, wouldn’t it just be nice if you could lay your head on a book and the information inside would somehow seep into your brain? Maybe putting it under your pillow so that when you slept at night the information would magically migrate over?
We all know the struggles of trying to learn. It takes time and dedication. It takes memorization and study. Just because I walk around with a book in my arms does not mean that I know what’s in it. I need the information to be in my head. I want us to think of that analogy as we think of our Fighter verse for this past week.
…he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. – 1 John 4:4
The apostle John wrote these few and yet powerful words to a church struggling with false teaching – individuals doubting God’s promises and wondering if believers could stray from the faith. John’s response is a call to not live in fear. We are to remember that the one IN us is greater than the one in the world. Look at the hope he gives in this verse.
Just like a book, if the information is outside of us, it doesn’t serve us any purpose. The information is there and the book can change us, but we must see the importance of understanding and diligently studying it before we can expect the information within it to really help us. In this way, it’s similar to our relationship with Jesus.
Jesus left heaven’s glories to come, live and die on the cross. He did this so that lost and broken people might have hope for eternal life. Then after three days, our Lord Jesus Christ rose again as victor over our sin and death. And when He ascended into heaven, He gave His children a Helper. Jesus offers eternal life and the gift of the Holy Spirit to those who diligently seek Him. Believers, we have the Holy Spirit within us to help us along the way! Therefore, we have hope! We have confidence that we will persevere in this world to the end because of the One Who resides within us.
So this week, if you come with discouragement or heavy hearts, remember to turn to Christ and diligently seek Him! He is greater. He is stronger. He is more glorious, and He is in you to empower you to worship and adore Christ the Lord in all you do, say and think. Revel in this truth this week as we gather together as believers Pursuing Jesus Together.
Timothy Durey
Pastor of Ventura Baptist Church
Quincy Street, Holland Mi