LifeLink Devotional

Wednesday, February 10, 2021

Today’s devotional is going to be short. I have my reasons. I do not want to argue. I do not want to negotiate. I certainly do not want to present anything but the simple truth. The potential is that what I am about to teach will become divisive and argumentative. I understand if it happens, because it happened in its original context.

Read the statement of the Apostle John as he relates to us the conversation between the spiritual leadership of his day following the resurrection of Jesus from the dead.

John 11:47-48   So the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered the council and said, “What are we to do? For this man performs many signs. If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation.”

John tells us that the spiritual leadership of the Jews  made the choice to guard their system of religion at the expense of accepting the truth. National identity became more important than spiritual purity. Protecting themselves from extinction was more important than embracing the one who came to give them eternal life. Avoiding conflict resulted in political correctness rather than theological accuracy.

Please ponder the condition of the spiritual leadership of Jesus’ day. Then carefully evaluate your own position concerning spiritual truth, and the church’s relationship to government. Is there a chance that we have moved away from the truth because we place too high of a value on avoiding conflict? Is it possible that we are willing to minimize our stand on certain issues to keep the peace with our culture? Could it be that the redemptive purpose of Christ has less priority than pleasing people?

Please consider these things.

Pastor John