John 5:24 is among one of the most precious treasures in the Scriptures to me. It is the clarity and powerful authoritative assurance in it to all who trust in Lord Yeshua obeying the Spirit of God, which strikes me. Every word of the Lord Yeshua is so, but this seems to always touch a deep place within. A recent reading of it brought into my ponderings this thought: Definitions are important!
In this specific context of the import of this verse, the true meaning of two words the Lord uses: ‘hears’ and ‘believes’ stood out, especially the letter ‘s’ at the end of both words, which is also instructive! The verse records Lord Yeshua’s word as saying this:
“Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment , but has passed from death into life.” (underlined for emphasis of import).
Firstly, I encourage you to just let this awesome truth with its assurance sink in!
The two words highlighted above in red text were without doubt being highlighted for me. Two questions followed in my own thoughts, the first being, what then does ‘hears’ mean, biblically? The answers the Scriptures give is that this means not only hearing, obviously, but receiving the word as it is – truth – and heeding it. The ‘and’ is all important. When we hear God’s word, we listen to it, as we listen to what God is saying, we understand that there are things God is telling us, including things we need to do and why, and things we need not to do (or stop doing) and why. When we obey what God said, it means we have heeded and are heeding His word. It means we have heard and are hearing. The ‘s’ at the end of ‘hears’ means it is continuing in it– we are never to stop hearing the word of Lord Yeshua, the word of the Father in Heaven, Almighty God.
Likewise, the second question was what then does ‘believes’ mean, biblically? Simply put, it is faith – i.e. belief + trust resulting in heart-led actual obedience to God! Living out life in the Spirit, grounded in Lord Yeshua, in the word of God. Again, the ‘s’ in ‘believes’ means it is to be continuing. We are never to stop believing in the Father in Heaven, Almighty God.
Considering these things, it becomes so crystal clear that all this is only made possible in and through Lord Yeshua, by God’s grace through faith in Him, in the enabling power of the Holy Spirit working in us!
Having been thus alerted to pause and consider and, having thus had defined the conditions upon which the great promise in this Scripture is made, how precious indeed is the individual teaching of the Lord to His children. The ‘lamp to our feet and light to are path’ (Psalm 119:105) is made to shine a little brighter, just where we need it in as we run the race of faith.
Being clear on definitions in the word of God as we continue to read and feed upon it should never be considered a drudgery for the children of God! When the Holy Spirit leads us to consider that which He points out to us, it is rather a cause for joy, always resulting in rejoicing in Him for the goodness of God to those who receives what He gives. May we never lose sight of the preciousness of words and truths in the Holy Scriptures being defined and outlined for us. Some day we shall come to know just how needful and timely it was!
Until He calls or comes, Shalom and God bless you.
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