SEASONS OF FAITH

There are different seasons of faith in the church of Christ. The season of spring is when the believers are sprouting in faith, where growth happens. The Summer season is when the believers are in the hot season, they are on fire for Christ. However, there is also a winter season when His beloved believers are very cold. These are the times when fire runs out, hearts are hardened. The worst one is the fall season, this is the time when leaves are falling from trees. They are not attached to the vine anymore. We would know the sign for this season when a lot of the believers in the church turn away from their faith in the Lord Jesus. 

66 After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him. 67 So Jesus said to the twelve, “Do you want to go away as well?” 

As we meditate John 6, verses 66-71 we can feel the pain of the Lord when he asked this question. When the people He cared and used to follow Him turned back from Him. There were only twelve of them who were left. Up until now, these words are alive. It is still the struggle of the people who claimed to be believers but eventually turned back and abandoned their faith. 

 “As John phrases our Lord’s question in Greek, he implies that it was not asked in a mood of despair; the use of the Greek negative me in a question indicates that the answer ‘No’ is expected. ‘You don’t want to go away too, do you?’” (Bruce)

Right now, if God asks you the same question,  “Do you want to go away as well?” 

What would be your answer?

    We know that the Lord is a forgiving God. We may backslide many times but every time we do, it hurts the Lord. The reason for our backsliding is what hurts God for we know that nothing should be higher than Him in our lives, not even our own selfish and wrong motives. When we turn back from Him, there might be something greater than Him in our lives. What might that be?

The spiritual reason why many walked away

    Verse 64 But there are some of you who do not believe.” (For Jesus knew from the beginning who those were who did not believe, and who it was who would betray him.)

 

    His so-called disciples followed Him wherever He went. They were fed, healed, and freed from demonic attacks. They knew how powerful his name is but Jesus knew that they are just with Him because they have earthly motives of following Him.  ‘’But Jesus on his part did not entrust himself to them, because he knew all people 25 and needed no one to bear witness about man, for he himself knew what was in man’’  John 2:24-25. 

    Jesus' point was, if they did not seek Him by the Spirit instead of seeking Him for food and a kingdom, then they had not come to Him at all. Perhaps they followed Him halfway around the Sea of Galilee, but they did not truly come to Jesus until they came in the sense of believing in Him, trusting Him, loving Him (John 6:35).

Check your Motives

What was your reason for staying with the Lord? 

    The 12 disciples who are left and chose to stay with Jesus set a very good example of their willingness to be with Him. When we are being asked whether to turn or stay with Jesus, we should answer like Simon Peter. 

68 Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, 69 and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.”

    When we found the treasure (Jesus), let us hide it at the bottom of our heart where no one can steal (Matthew 13:44). Whatever is the reason for our turning away from God, let us remember that we can never find a God like Him. No one is like Him and nothing compares to His beauty and love for us. 

    There may be 4 seasons on earth but in Faith let’s persevere the seasons of spring (growing) and keep the season of summer where we are on fire for Christ. Let the Holy Spirit set us on fire whenever we feel cold. We may experience the fall season when we backslide or when we didn’t know Him yet, but once is enough. Now that we are back, let’s keep it.

    The worst decision that we can ever make is to turn away from Him. The fire is in Him. His name is on fire. AMEN!

- MP