My Progress in John and Insights on my Daily Bible Reading
I am glad that I decided to be firm and use back ESV and not change the bible translation for memorization. I could see that I am back to track following my schedule, today I had finished memorizing John 10, though it is still in my temporary memory. The advantage that I was stirred which bible translation to use is that I discovered great insights from an NKJV based bible study "New Spirit Filled Life bible" given a brother who helped me to become Christian. Before, this book gather dust in the shelf but now it became helpful for me in studying the Word.
As I am reviewing my old chapters, I cant help but be struck on John 6 the portions when Lord Jesus said "I am the bread of Life". This was the most difficult chapter and longest that I tried to commit to memory. I suppose to finish it by 3 weeks but it took me more than two months. Thanks be to God for giving me grace to continue pressing on this goal, I could not quote it perfectly yet but time will come.
One good thing that I realized now that I am halfway of John, memorizing them gives me insights on things that I do not understand in the past, scriptures just makes more sense to me now. I know I am young in faith and this verse below reminds me that even Jesus didn't immediately became full of wisdom, he grew or increased in wisdom. The Greek used here is translated to "increased" also means "make progress", "advanced".
Luke 2:52
And Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and man.
Today on my daily reading, Hebrews 4-10, the insights in John 6 "I am the bread of Life". I was compelled to repent for my dead works. When I read this verse (Hebrews 6:1 Therefore let us leave the elementary doctrine of Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God,) at first I did not know what dead works was. Oh how young I am in the faith, this is elementary doctrine and I am not proficient. Therefore I researched and grasped that these are the religious works we do to gain merit to God using our own efforts or when we glorify ourselves instead of abiding in our Lord. This link helped me to understand dead works:
http://www.sermonindex.net/modules/articles/index.php?view=article&aid=2708
An example of dead works are those in Matthew 7:22-23 22 On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ 23 And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’
If we look on this verse, we could easily say outwardly that "prophesy" and "casting out demons" are good works, but in the case of Matthew 7:22-23, the Lord said He never knew them thus those good deeds are dead works for them. They are not abiding in the Lord, it is possible to prophesy or use the name of the Lord in casting out demon in Jesus's name but not to glorify the Lord but for self-seeking motives. In John 15:5 says "...apart from Him we can do nothing". This verse (Matthew 7:22-23) also proves that the enemy can only see the outward but not the heart, only the Lord knows our heart, since they cast out demons although the Lord did not acknowledge them as under His flock.
I hope I had defined well what are dead works. Surprisingly we are commanded to repent from dead works in Hebrews 6:1, repentance here from Greek word "metanoia" means "change of mind". In my humble opinion, we should take part in good works but we have to "change our mind" if our motive is self-seeking or if our heart is not right with the Lord so that it won't be categorized as dead works. The other coin of good works are works or we can easily see as sins that we not only need to repent but also take no part at all as said in Ephesians 5:10 Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them.
Now to apply in my memorization work, it is possible that this good work could be categorized as a dead work if my motive is wrong, or if I seek my own glory instead of for kingdom's purpose. I also noticed that when I rely on my own "will power", I felt exhausted, but when I pray to the Lord and set my heart right, reminding myself that whatever I do should be to glorify God and that His grace is sufficient to sustain me, then it is like a life-giving thing, like a healthy food, that I didn't feel any feelings of being exhausted, but rather energized and well fed and full of life. John 6:63, it says the words of Jesus are spirit and they are life.
Isaiah 51:10
Create in me a clean heart, O God,
and renew a right spirit within me.
Now going back why I thought the insights in John 6 is intertwined in Hebrews 6? The Jews who were seeking Jesus after they were fed with bread, they were seeking Jesus not because of the sign or believed in Jesus but because Jesus gave them food to eat.
Then I felt like I was like one of those Jews at some point. Let me be sure that I believe God can do signs and wonders (like we believe and practice divine healing), so did the devil believes there is one God and shudder (James 2:19). I've got to ask myself why do I follow our Lord, is it because of the signs and benefits? had I really surrendered everything for His Lordship? So did the devil believes God has great power but they refuse to accept God's rule over them.
Oh how I need the Lord to renew and teach me daily to grow up in the faith.
2 Corinthians 3:16
And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.
As I am reviewing my old chapters, I cant help but be struck on John 6 the portions when Lord Jesus said "I am the bread of Life". This was the most difficult chapter and longest that I tried to commit to memory. I suppose to finish it by 3 weeks but it took me more than two months. Thanks be to God for giving me grace to continue pressing on this goal, I could not quote it perfectly yet but time will come.
One good thing that I realized now that I am halfway of John, memorizing them gives me insights on things that I do not understand in the past, scriptures just makes more sense to me now. I know I am young in faith and this verse below reminds me that even Jesus didn't immediately became full of wisdom, he grew or increased in wisdom. The Greek used here is translated to "increased" also means "make progress", "advanced".
Luke 2:52
And Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and man.
Today on my daily reading, Hebrews 4-10, the insights in John 6 "I am the bread of Life". I was compelled to repent for my dead works. When I read this verse (Hebrews 6:1 Therefore let us leave the elementary doctrine of Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God,) at first I did not know what dead works was. Oh how young I am in the faith, this is elementary doctrine and I am not proficient. Therefore I researched and grasped that these are the religious works we do to gain merit to God using our own efforts or when we glorify ourselves instead of abiding in our Lord. This link helped me to understand dead works:
http://www.sermonindex.net/modules/articles/index.php?view=article&aid=2708
An example of dead works are those in Matthew 7:22-23 22 On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ 23 And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’
If we look on this verse, we could easily say outwardly that "prophesy" and "casting out demons" are good works, but in the case of Matthew 7:22-23, the Lord said He never knew them thus those good deeds are dead works for them. They are not abiding in the Lord, it is possible to prophesy or use the name of the Lord in casting out demon in Jesus's name but not to glorify the Lord but for self-seeking motives. In John 15:5 says "...apart from Him we can do nothing". This verse (Matthew 7:22-23) also proves that the enemy can only see the outward but not the heart, only the Lord knows our heart, since they cast out demons although the Lord did not acknowledge them as under His flock.
I hope I had defined well what are dead works. Surprisingly we are commanded to repent from dead works in Hebrews 6:1, repentance here from Greek word "metanoia" means "change of mind". In my humble opinion, we should take part in good works but we have to "change our mind" if our motive is self-seeking or if our heart is not right with the Lord so that it won't be categorized as dead works. The other coin of good works are works or we can easily see as sins that we not only need to repent but also take no part at all as said in Ephesians 5:10 Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them.
Now to apply in my memorization work, it is possible that this good work could be categorized as a dead work if my motive is wrong, or if I seek my own glory instead of for kingdom's purpose. I also noticed that when I rely on my own "will power", I felt exhausted, but when I pray to the Lord and set my heart right, reminding myself that whatever I do should be to glorify God and that His grace is sufficient to sustain me, then it is like a life-giving thing, like a healthy food, that I didn't feel any feelings of being exhausted, but rather energized and well fed and full of life. John 6:63, it says the words of Jesus are spirit and they are life.
Isaiah 51:10
Create in me a clean heart, O God,
and renew a right spirit within me.
Now going back why I thought the insights in John 6 is intertwined in Hebrews 6? The Jews who were seeking Jesus after they were fed with bread, they were seeking Jesus not because of the sign or believed in Jesus but because Jesus gave them food to eat.
Then I felt like I was like one of those Jews at some point. Let me be sure that I believe God can do signs and wonders (like we believe and practice divine healing), so did the devil believes there is one God and shudder (James 2:19). I've got to ask myself why do I follow our Lord, is it because of the signs and benefits? had I really surrendered everything for His Lordship? So did the devil believes God has great power but they refuse to accept God's rule over them.
Oh how I need the Lord to renew and teach me daily to grow up in the faith.
2 Corinthians 3:16
And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.
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