April 18, 2022 – Monday
John 12:24-26 NIV
24 Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds.
25 Anyone who loves their life will lose it, while anyone who hates their life in this world will keep it for eternal life.
26 Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me.
John 12:24-26 NASB
24 Truly, truly I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.
25 The one who loves his life loses it, and the one who hates his life in this world will keep it to eternal life.
26 If anyone serves Me, he must follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also; if anyone serves Me, the Father will honor him.
Comment.
If you go here you will find John MacArthur says of these verses (and others like them), Isn’t repentance included by implication in the following Johannine descriptions of saving faith? Frankly, that’s what we have been writing about in all the verses chosen from the book of John, how faith and repentance go hand in hand.
When I started writing about how repent and repentance are not in the book of John on April 12, 2022 I wrote, “[A] likely answer why the book of John does not reference either repent or repentance, it was to him understood as a given. Consider our two verses for today, Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God—children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God. Ask yourself how anyone could receive Jesus and believe in His name unless they first repented of their sins? I do not believe it is possible.” John MacArthur gives a more scholarly answer to the question when he writes, To John, becoming a believer meant resurrection from death to life, a coming out of darkness and into light, abandoning lies for the truth, exchanging hatred for love, and forsaking the world for God. What are those but images of radical conversion? I could not agree more.
We might argue, but what about those who continue sinning and have chosen never to change their ways, but say they believe? What about them? Jesus gives us the answer in Matthew 7:22-23, 22 Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ 23 Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’ Jesus calls them evildoers, meaning they never repented, they never changed their ways and as a result He never knew them. Thus, the preceding verse makes complete sense to us now where Jesus said, Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.
With this in mind, let’s consider our verses for today, Truly, truly I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. The one who loves his life loses it, and the one who hates his life in this world will keep it to eternal life. If anyone serves Me, he must follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also; if anyone serves Me, the Father will honor him. Only if we die to all the attractions of this life and turn to Jesus will we have eternal life. Only if we follow Him and serve Him will the Father honor us. That cannot happen unless we repent and turn from the sins of our prior life.
Bottom Line: Repenting or repentance and believing go hand in hand, two sides of the same coin leading to salvation. Anything less and Jesus will not know us.
Prayer: Almighty God, You gift of life, eternal life, through the blood of Your Son is beyond my understanding. Yet I accept Your gift of love. Help me to walk as Your servant. – In Jesus’ Name. Amen.
RileyD, nwJ
Riley D. Driver – Pastor
Calvary Chapel of Dayton
in Beavercreek
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