In This Issue

 

• EATING THE FLESH, DRINKING THE BLOOD

• WORLDLINESS

• MORE INFORMATION...

EATING THE FLESH, DRINKING THE BLOOD

Jesus said to the Jews in Capernaum, “I am the bread of life. Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and are dead. This is the bread which comes down from heaven, that one may eat of it and not die. I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world." The Jews therefore quarreled among themselves, saying, "How can this Man give us His flesh to eat?" Then Jesus said to them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. For My flesh is food indeed, and My blood is drink indeed. He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him. As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he who feeds on Me will live because of Me. This is the bread which came down from heaven--not as your fathers ate the manna, and are dead. He who eats this bread will live forever." These things He said in the synagogue as He taught in Capernaum” (John 6:47-59).

The Jews had been impressed by the miracle of the manna in the wilderness. Jesus reminded them that those who ate of the manna for 40 years had died. In spite of eating that physical bread which came from God, they had died. In fact, many of them had died, alienated from God by their sins. They had needed more than physical blessings from God. They also needed to maintain a spiritual relationship with Him.

Though Jesus inhabited a physical body descended from David, His spirit had been with the Father eternally, John 1:1-3, 14. He had literally come down from heaven. He had come in order that those who would choose to come to Him, might have quality life forever.

As the ancient Israelites had eaten the manna from heaven, people could now “eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood” and live perpetually. Even for us today, this is sometimes a difficult concept. We, of course, do not literally eat His flesh or literally drink His blood. When we observe the Lord’s supper, we partake of unleavened bread and “fruit of the vine” which are symbols of His body and His blood. But the Lord’s supper was not really in view in this passage from John 6. That supper was not yet instituted, and there is no way His listeners could have understood such a concept.

Rather Jesus was talking about spiritually appropriating His life and His teaching into our minds and into our actions so that He has, in a very real sense, become a part of our own being. As Paul later said, “Christ will be magnified in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me, to live is Christ…” (Phil. 1:20-21). In Col. 3:4, he refers to “Christ, who is our life.”

For those who come to Him for the forgiveness of their sins, Jesus, the bread of life is more real than any physical loaf could ever be, and the blessings He brings are not temporary, but permanent.

–Clarence R. Johnson

WORLDLINESS

As a young preacher, I moved with my family from the hills of northwest Arkansas to Baytown, Texas. I was greatly fascinated by the huge vessels that came through the ship channel to the Port of Houston. Tankers and freighters weighing thousands of tons each, which would be totally incapable of any movement on land, moved with ease and grace through the water. Ships belong in the water, but the water does not belong in the ships.

Even so, what the Master noted primarily of his apostles secondarily applies to all his disciples. We as they must be "in the world" (John 17:11) but "not of the world" (John 17:16).

What should be the attitude of disciples of Christ toward worldliness?

Definition

To answer this question we must define "worldliness." The term is unknown to Scripture, but the idea is found throughout.

In Romans 12:1-2 beloved Paul states the general principle which relates the gospel to our daily lives. He exhorts, "present your bodies a living sacrifice." How do we do so? We must "not be conformed to this world" but be "transformed" into the image of Christ. Rather than being fashioned according to this world, we should be changed so as to reflect Christ in character and life. One who is worldly is conformed to this world.

What then is the "world"? John forbids us to love the world or what it contains (1 John 2:15-17). Does he mean we are not to love the material creation of which God is the author? (cf. Acts 17:24). I believe not. Nor do I believe he condemns our love of the people who inhabit the earth (John 3:16). Rather, the inspired penman identifies the contents of the world of which he speaks as "the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life" (1 John 2:16). The "world" we must not love is sin and its enticements. "Worldliness" is the love of sin and the allurements of sin.

But one can be guilty of worldliness without succumbing to that which is inherently sinful. Paul the aged prisoner grieved, "Demas has forsaken me, having loved this present world" (2 Timothy 4:10). Demas simply allowed the love for things of this life to cause his love for the Lord to grow cold. Those "who set their mind on earthly things," i.e., make the things of this life their primary concern, "are the enemies of the cross of Christ" (Philippians 3:18-19). The Christian’s citizenship is heavenly, and he must love his country! (Philippians 3:20) The man who values material things above spiritual is worldly.

Results

What are the results of worldliness?

The devastating consequences in the home are dramatically demonstrated in the life of David. David was guilty of adultery and murder (2 Samuel 11). Though he repented at the preaching of Nathan and was forgiven, God through the prophet warned the king that evil would rise up out of his own house because of these sins (2 Samuel 12:1-14). What grief David suffered in the rebellion of his dearly loved son Absalom, in fulfillment of God's word! Are any words of deeper anguish recorded than those of David at the news of Absalom’s death? (2 Samuel 18:32-33) Worldliness will destroy our homes.

Likewise, a nation that forgets God and turns to the world has turned to its own destruction (Psalm 9:17; Proverbs 14:34). Even more than terrorists, our nation should fear the consequences of its own worldliness!

But of greater importance yet, worldliness will destroy the souls of those who succumb to its charm (Galatians 6:7-8) and, where left unchecked, will destroy the Lord’s church (Revelation 2:14-l6). Worldliness is the most destructive force mankind faces.

Cure

Since this is true, we surely need to know how to overcome worldliness. In past generations many thousands were killed or maimed by polio. But Dr. Jonas Salk discovered a vaccine to prevent this horrible disease. Now that merciless killer is virtually eradicated. We had much rather vaccinate to prevent polio than contract the disease and need the cure.

In like manner, let us learn how to prevent the worst killer of all, worldliness. To be protected, we must first change our attitudes to spiritual mindedness. This means to love and seek the things of God rather than the things of this life (Colossians 3:1-4). We must study the Bible to learn the difference between right and wrong (Psalm 119:11). We need to attend the worship assemblies of the saints to be strengthened (Hebrews 10:24-25). And how we desperately need sound, fundamental, Bible preaching from our pulpits that will plainly point out sins and duties rather than the flashy, shallow entertainment that passes for preaching in so many churches of Christ today! (Titus 2:11-15)

But for those who are already afflicted with the spiritual malady of worldliness, the cure is essential to eternal life. As an innoculation for a bodily infection is unpleasant but essential, so genuine repentance is difficult but necessary for the sinner to overcome worldliness (Revelation 2:16).

If a limb has contracted gangrene, as horrible as the thought is, that limb must be amputated so as to save the whole body. When a member of the church will not repent of worldliness, as difficult as it is and as much as we love him, we still must withdraw from him that we might save both the church and the sinner (1 Corinthians 5:3-6).

Conclusion

Too many Christians are trying to achieve the impossible, to hold on to God and to the world at the same time. We must choose one or the other (James 4:4). And remember, we will reap the rewards of the choice we make: either spirituality to life or worldliness to death (Galatians 6:7-8). Which will you choose?

--Keith Sharp, Meditate on These Things

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