5 Minute Read

Prepare Your Heart

To the best of your ability, get rid of all distractions. Take a few minutes to breathe deeply and quiet yourself in the Lord’s presence. Then, ask the Lord to speak to you in this time. Let Him know that you will listen and make whatever adjustments He will reveal to you.

Read God’s Word

1 Kings 14:1-15:24
John 6:60-7:9

A Verse for Today

Slowly and reflectively read the following verse(s) and listen to what God will say to you through His written Word. Consider writing down any insights He reveals to you.

John 6:66-69 (CSB): “From that moment many of his disciples turned back and no longer accompanied him. So Jesus said to the Twelve, ‘You don’t want to go away too, do you?’ Simon Peter answered, ‘Lord, to whom will we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and know that you are the Holy One of God.'”

Reflecting on God’s Word

The number 666 is known the world over. Even people who claim no allegiance to the Lord Jesus might get a bit nervous if they make a purchase and the total comes to $6.66. People almost intuitively feel like it is a number to be avoided.

With that being the case, it’s interesting to read John 6:66. Listen again to what it says:

John 6:66 (CSB): “From that moment many of his (Jesus’) disciples turned back and no longer accompanied him.”

Seems kind of appropriate, doesn’t it? Those words and those numbers seem to fit well together.

We’ve all known people who started their journey with Jesus and then slipped away, never to return. They are the “rocky ground” (Matthew 13:5-6, 20-21) and ground that has thorns (Matthew 13:7, 22). Those people gave a superficial allegiance to Jesus that did not result in true salvation. Sure, they believed, but it was akin to the “belief” that demons have who are clearly not saved (James 2:19). The fact that they eventually wipe their hands of any ongoing relationship with Jesus demonstrates that they were never truly born again (1 John 2:19).

Then there are others who continue on with Jesus. They certainly make their share of mistakes and need to repent of sins more times than they care to admit. But they aren’t going to abandon Jesus, even when following Him brings difficulties into their lives. And if they do, it is typically short-lived (Peter denying Jesus before the crucifixion).

These are the folks that we read about in John 6:67-69.

John 6:67-69 (CSB): “So Jesus said to the Twelve, ‘You don’t want to go away too, do you?’ Simon Peter answered, ‘Lord, to whom will we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and know that you are the Holy One of God.'”

One of the clearest ways we can demonstrate our salvation is by continuing to follow and learn from Jesus even when it gets difficult. Peter’s words made it clear that he was being fed by Jesus’ words and was convinced that Jesus was the Messiah from God. Clearly, Peter was flawed, but he was saved.

So, my friend, which group best describes you? When being serious about your walk with Jesus makes life a bit tough, does your heart have a propensity to stray away from Him or draw nearer? And if you stray away, do you eventually come back to Him? Your answers to those questions say a lot about your current eternal standing with God.

One more thing. There was one person in that group who wasn’t saved. His name was Judas Iscariot. He continued on with Jesus, but the Bible makes clear that he wasn’t saved. Jesus said he wasn’t a believer (John 6:64) and was a devil (John 6:70-71). People like Judas are “holding to the form of godliness but denying its power” (2 Timothy 3:5). The rest of the verse says to “avoid such people.” Why? Because they are duplicitous: claiming to be one thing but are actually another. They claim to be followers of Jesus but are actually enemies of God.

A true believer doesn’t merely demonstrate outward godliness and religiosity. They also have a relationship with Jesus that causes them to serve Him from the depths of their heart. It’s not a show for them. It’s who they are.

Spend Time in Prayer

  • Ask God to help you assess whether you are genuinely trusting in Jesus to make you right in the Father’s eyes.
  • Ask God to help you rightly evaluate the fruit of your life, and whether or not your “godliness” is only skin-deep or is from the heart.
  • Ask God to help you enjoy Jesus so much that you follow Him, learn from Him, obey Him, and wouldn’t dare think of leaving Him.

Going Deeper

If you want to dig a little deeper into what it means to follow Jesus, consider reading the following GotQuestions article:

“What does it mean to truly follow Christ?”

Sharing

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Matt Ellis is the pastor of First Baptist Church in Polk City, Florida (fbcpolkcity.com)