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The over ruling necessity for man is to have the Word of God abiding in him and this
is done by faith in God's messengers whom He has sent them--Moses, the prophets, the
apostles and here the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God:
"And ye have not His Word abiding in you: for Whom He hath sent, Him ye believe
not" (5: 38).
Even as it is true that without Christ, the Living Word, we cannot know the Father, so
it is true that without the written Word, the canon of Scripture, that God has preserved for
us, we can have no adequate knowledge of God and His purposes for us.
In the service of God in this life each one will vary from others in sphere and function.
God has a purpose for every believer. God foresaw our response and we are children
of His in His family. Age, environment, health, infirmities, finance, spiritual maturity
will all play their part as to how God can use us. May we do as Paul enjoined Timothy
"stir up (rekindle) the gift of God . . . . . for He has given us . . . . . the spirit of power, and
of love, and of a sound mind" (II Tim. 1: 6, 7). As we use these gifts let us entirely forget
ourselves--our pride or position and `seek the honour that cometh from God' only
(John 5: 44).
Before leaving this chapter, one verse requires mention:
"If I bear witness of Myself, My witness is not true" (5: 31).
Mr. Welch in his excellent book Life Through His Name, page 172, shows why we
cannot accept the Authorized Version's translation and puts forward sound reasons for
the better rendering:
"Though I bear witness of Myself, is not My witness true?".
Blessed be God, we know this is so:
"He that hath received His testimony hath set to his seal that God is true" (John 3: 33).
May we, with the impotent man, having found the Lord Jesus, put away spiritual
slumbering and `walk in the Spirit' fulfilling our part in the work of the Father.