(John 14:10 NIV) Don’t you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you I do not speak on my own authority. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work.
This morning we continue our series “Grace that is Simply Amazing” by continuing to teach on “Minimizing Your Humanity and Maximizing Your Divinity.” We have already looked at passages in John chapters 5, 6, 8, and 12. For the next few days we will look at a passage in John 14.
Even though Jesus had unashamedly claimed to be ONE with the Father, and He made this claim over and over, one of His own disciples, Philip, said, “Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us.” Jesus answered: “Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? Don’t you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you I do not speak on my own authority. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work.”
So what does this mean to you today? A few things.
1. The goal is to be ONE with the Father. Jesus told His followers that by seeing Him, they had seen the Father. Jesus established His identity in His relationship with the Father. Jesus is a our example and He modeled how we are supposed to live. As a Born-Again believer God wants you to:
a. Establish your identity in Him.
b. Become one with Him, so that He can flow through you and impact the world.
c. Develop confidence in the fact that He is ON you, IN you, WITH you, and FOR you.
d. Give up the life you thought you wanted, for the life He planned for you to have. Believe me, anything you give up for God is going to be worth it.
2. The Father provided the words Jesus spoke. Jesus said, “The words I say to you I do not speak on my own authority.” Jesus was not the originator of the words He spoke, He simply provided His mouth and God filled it. Similarly, back in the Old Testament, after telling Jeremiah that He had ordained him to be a prophet before he was formed in his mother’s womb, God told a young Jeremiah that He would put His words in prophet’s mouth. God did it for Jeremiah, He did it for Jesus, and He will do it for you. You provide the mouth and the Father will provide the words. You provide the voice and the Father will provide the content. And when God’s words flow through your lips, you will experience the Supernatural because His words will also come with His authority. See, God is not obligated to back up your words, but He will surely back up His own words, even when they flow from your lips!
3. The Father did the work Jesus performed. Jesus said, “It is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work.” Jesus provided the body, and He provided the willingness, God did the rest. The Father provided the words, and the Father provided the work. And I am glad it happened this way. Because if God had allowed Jesus to perform the Supernatural out of His perfection, then none of us would have hope. None of us are perfect. However, Jesus did not operate in His perfect humanity. Jesus simply provided the human conduit through which the Supernatural flowed. Why did He do it this way? The answer is simple: so we can do the same. You provide the body and you provide the willingness, God will provide the words and He will do the work. Not because you are worthy, but because of His grace!
Closing Confession: Father, Jesus become ONE with You and my goal is to do the same. When I came to You, I came with a heart full of desires, hopes, dreams and aspirations. But honestly, not all of those came from you. There were many things in my heart that were birthed from me and not You. The more I grow in You, the more You lead me to die to self, and to lay my selfishness at the altar. I release my old life, in order to fully embrace the life You destined me to have, before the foundations of the world. As I die to self, I live for You. I now provide You my body and I become a conduit of Your grace and power. I give you my mouth and You fill it with Your words. Your words, that flow from my lips, have the same authority as they had when Jesus spoke. I give You my body and my willingness, You give me Your Words and You perform the work. The Supernatural becomes natural for me, as I die to self, and as I freely allow You to flow through me and to leave an indelible mark in the world. I believe souls will be saved, burdens will be removed, lived will be changed, and dead organizations will be turned around, because You live in and through me. I am in the earth for a purpose and that purpose is to bring heaven to the earth daily! I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper.
