It is wise that if Jesus speaks, one ought listen with the greatest intent and consideration. Even more so to that point when Jesus delivers the word verily, meaning assuredly, twice in succession, for the Lord is about to deliver an extraordinarily important truth by which one should heed with the greatest vigor.
And as with any word that comes direct from the tongue of Christ, it is not merely enough to marvel at such a magnificent revelation you are about to behold, but we are indeed called to make it the utmost quest to “observe all things whatsoever (he) have commanded you,” and in this sense, the word observe is by no means defined as an onlooker but indeed a command to obey. Of course here, we are referring to none other than The Great Commission, which is here referenced.
THE GREAT COMMISSION – Matthew 28:16-20
- 16Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, into a mountain where Jesus had appointed them.
- 17And when they saw him, they worshipped him: but some doubted.
- 18And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.
- 19Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
- 20Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
So, as I scanned through the Bible as a boy and later a teenager, in an environment that was most certainly astray from Biblical principles, marveling but not yet grasping and even defying the concept of Christ’s church and even the great calling to observe, meaning to obey, I nevertheless realized what the great love and fulfillment the Lord was about to deliver a lonely warrior, as He segued into the words, “verily, verily.”
The following study arrives my way through the youth Bible studies I am engaged in through StudentLife.com. The key passage of scripture spans John 12:23-33, as seen below.
John 12:23-33 – http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John 12:23-33;&version=9;
- 23And Jesus answered them, saying, The hour is come, that the Son of man should be glorified.
- 24Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.
- 25He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal.
- 26If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be: if any man serve me, him will my Father honour.
- 27Now is my soul troubled; and what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour: but for this cause came I unto this hour.
- 28Father, glorify thy name. Then came there a voice from heaven, saying, I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again.
- 29The people therefore, that stood by, and heard it, said that it thundered: others said, An angel spake to him.
- 30Jesus answered and said, This voice came not because of me, but for your sakes.
- 31Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out.
- 32And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.
- 33This he said, signifying what death he should die.
As you can well see, there is an enormous amount to consider here within the abundance of truth bound within these verses. The focus of my study pays particular attention to verses 24 and 25. I urge you to spend at least 15 minutes considering these two verses in great depth, for there is extraordinary glory held within its message, and with great consideration, you and yours may be exceedingly blessed with its extraordinary wisdom.
While it is evident by examining these verses that we are called to surrender in our sacrificial service to the Lord, this by no means subjects us to a life of passivism unto the world. Such teaching is completely false and predominant among us. Yet, to suggest so is completely foolish.
Furthermore, such a concept of Christ as a passivist is simply foolish and an utter assault on truth. Commonly, it is used against self-proclaimed followers of Christ who have not a rock solid foundation in study, consideration and obedience to His Word, for Christ was assuredly the ultimate warrior, the ultimate revolutionary, the ultimate tactician and the ultimate strategist. His word testifies to this truth and is denied by fools.
I despise such a concept Christ. And as a man, I despise such a defiling description of man.
No, we are indeed called to be warriors of great honor and courage. Surrendering to that which is greater in our sacrificial service to the Lord. And should you consider such an oath of sacrifice to be the endeavor of a passivist, look no further than one of the most readily sacrificial oaths one can take in the service of his or her country, the oath of enlistment to the United States Military.
Surely, such an oath for such an occupation, whereby you surrender your rights and comforts as a citizen, is by no means the actions of a passivist, as one might suggest submission to Christ The Lord be. It is not the act of a passivist. Yet it is indeed submission.
First, let us reflect back upon verses 24 and 25.
- 24Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.
- 25He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal.
Now, be not mistaken, The Word Of God is eternally applicable to our lives in either the micro or the macro, where it be in a place of worship or upon the battlefield. Truth holds no bounds, just as the light overcomes dark but yet dark does not overcome light. So, since we have made reference to warriors and more specifically the military, let’s take a look at the macro.
Great wars are won by the principles bound in the Bible. What use would an army be if it were fashioned from selfish men who thought only of their own well being, their own survival? Such an army of cowardly individuals would only be of use to its enemy, for the extent of each individual’s fight would never go beyond his own safety, security or even his meager comfort. And despite this cowardly quest for self preservation, the result would be a battlefield flowing with the blood of selfish cowards. Inevitably, the homeland from which those selfish cowards had come and attempted to frantically flee to would gush with the blood of its women and children.
This is the lesson of hesitation and inaction. This is the lesson of the coward. This is ultimately the lesson of disobedience. Consider.
Matthew 3:13-17 – http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew 3:13-17;&version=9;
- 13Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him.
- 14But John forbad him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me?
- 15And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness. Then he suffered him.
- 16And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him:
- 17And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.
Understand, Jesus arrived before the waters of the Jordan that he be baptized by John. But John forbad him. Indeed in the instant of this act John was not obedient to the Lord. He focused not upon the Lord but instead upon his own inadequacies. Through the Lord all things great cometh. John focused not upon the Lord but upon his own idea of what was to transpire. He focused upon his own his own anticipation and not the Lord before him who spoke. He slipped ever so slightly in his focus and fell to disobedience by mere hesitation and submission to his own understanding and not first to the Lord. This is the lesson of obedience.
Costly wars are diverted from ever taking place by the principles bound in the Bible. When a warrior, through his wisdom, is called to act, he acts without hesitation and without regard to self. Only through such valiant and unwavering dedication can his comrades or even his nation be saved. Only through such dedication can he himself be saved. And so it goes for his soul before the Lord.
Now, consider the great paradox of God’s word, particularly by comparing the parallels bound in the virtues of surrender, submission, sacrifice and service to that which is right in the Lord. And dutifully study this last statement, which is mine, but not because it is mine, but because it is a warning of the utmost.
UNITED STATES ARMY HISTORY – http://www.history.army.mil/faq/oaths.htm
OATH OF ENLISTMENT
“I, _____, do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; and that I will obey the orders of the President of the United States and the orders of the officers appointed over me, according to regulations and the Uniform Code of Military Justice. So help me God.” (Title 10, US Code; Act of 5 May 1960 replacing the wording first adopted in 1789, with amendment effective 5 October 1962).
OATH FOR COMMISSIONED OFFICERS
“I, _____ (SSAN), having been appointed an officer in the Army of the United States, as indicated above in the grade of _____ do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign or domestic, that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservations or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office upon which I am about to enter; So help me God.” (DA Form 71, 1 August 1959, for officers.)
Anyhow, this evening as I was reading, cross referencing verses against keywords and concepts, analyzing and contemplating, I finally extended my studies beyond the confines of my King James Study Bible and BibleGateway.com and into the World Wide Web, here are some of the links and reference material I happened upon.
THE 25 VERILY, VERILIES OF CHRIST FROM THE BOOK OF JOHN –
http://www.geocities.com/landmarkbiblebaptist/Doctrine/25Verilies.html
I. The verily, verilies of the Trinity:
1. John 3:11:
“Verily, verily, I say unto thee, We speak that we do know, and testify that we have seen; and ye receive not our witness.”
2. John 5:19:
“…Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Fatherdo: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise.”
II. The verily, veriliesof the Deity of Christ:
3. John 8:58:
“…Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.”
4. John 1:51:
“…Verily, verily, I say unto you, Hereafter ye shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man.”
III. The verily, verilies of the Holy Spirit and those He empowers:
5. John 13:16:
“Verily, verily, I say unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord; neither he that is sent greater than he that sent him
6. John 13:20:
“Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that receiveth whomsoever I send receiveth me; and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me.”
7. John 14:12:
“Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.”
IV. The verily, verily of wrong motives:
8. John 6:26:
“…Verily, verily, I say unto you, Ye seek me, not because ye saw the miracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves, and were filled.” (Christ’s miracles spoke of His Deity, but many people think only of their stomachs)
V. The verily, verilies of the new birth:
9. John 3:3:
“…Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
10. John 3:5:
“…Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.”
VI. The verily, verilies of salvation:
11. John 8:34 (Sin Is The Problem):
“…Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin.”
12. John 5:25 (Repentance And Faith Are The Solution):
“Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live.”
13. John 12:24 (Repentance And Faith Are The Solution):
“Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.”
14. John 10:1 (Christ Is The Only Way):
“Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber.”
15. John 10:7 (Christ Is The Only Way):
“…Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep.”
16. John 6:32 (Receive Christ):
“…Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven.”
17. John 6:53 (Receive Christ):
“…Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you.”
VII. The verily, verilies of everlasting life (security of the believer):
18. John 5:24:
“Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.”
19. John 6:47:
“Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life.”
20. John 8:51:
“Verily, verily, I say unto you, If a man keep my saying, he shall never see death.”
VIII. The verily, verily of Christian failure:
21. John 13:38:
“…Verily, verily, I say unto thee, The cock shall not crow, till thou hast denied me thrice.”
IX. The verily, verilies of the Christian’s troubles in this world:
22. John 16:20:
“Verily, verily, I say unto you, That ye shall weep and lament, but the world shall rejoice: and ye shall be sorrowful, but your sorrow shall be turned into joy.”
23. John 21:18:
“Verily, verily, I say unto thee, When thou wast young, thou girdedst thyself, and walkedst whither thou wouldest: but when thou shalt be old, thou shalt stretch forth thy hands, and another shall gird thee, and carry thee whither thou wouldest not.”
X. The verily, verily of Christian prayer:
24. John 16:23:
“…Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you.”
XI. The verily, verily of fake Christians:
25. John 13:21:
“…Verily, verily, I say unto you, that one of you shall betray me.”
VERILY VERILY – http://verilyverily.org/
BIBLE DOCTRINE – http://doctrine.landmarkbiblebaptist.net/
LANDMARK BIBLE BAPTIST - http://www.geocities.com/landmarkbiblebaptist/Doctrine/25Verilies.html
