John 5:31-47, Jews did not believe Jesus, Do Christians believe Christ?

God forgives past sins, turns us from future sins

Our study is John 5:31-47. We may call the topic as "Jews did not believe Jesus, Do Christians believe Christ?" Jesus Christ is God. However, Jesus is the name given to the Man Jesus. Matthew 1:21 says, "... she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins." He sacrificed himself on the cross, became the author of salvation, forgave the past sins of his people, and saved them. Christ means the Son of God. God the Father raised him from death and declared him as his Son. Acts 2:36 says, "Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ." The Lord Jesus Christ saves his people from sins by turning them away from sins. It is in Acts 3:26. It says, "Unto you first God, having raised up his Son Jesus, sent him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his iniquities." So, if we receive Jesus as our lord, who is the master of our life, Jesus Christ will turn us away from our future sins, forgive our past sins, and thus he will save us. The Jews did not receive the man Jesus. We Christians receive the man Jesus because he died for us on the cross. But, do we receive him as Christ and Lord in our life? If not, please receive him as our Lord and Christ.

Saved is that We Escape Hell and inherit Heaven

In verses 31-34, Jesus tells about his witnesses, mainly about John the Baptist. Verse 34 says, "I receive not testimony from man: but these things I say, that ye might be saved." So, Jesus doesn't require testimonies, but his purpose is to save people. Common salvation is to escape hell. Then we may go to paradise or even become the bride of Christ. First, how can we get to paradise? Take just two steps. 1, Love the true God, but not just any god, who is another Jesus, false Christ, god of yoga, or such other, but the resurrected Lord Jesus Christ, who is God Almighty, who is in the omnipotent Spirit. He is not a venerated, or elevated man Jesus. The hero-worship of the elevated man Jesus is not worshipping God. God Jesus Christ is invisible in the Spirit, he does not have a man’s face anymore, and he is in the world with us now. If we love him, then we have fulfilled the #1 command. #2 is, Love your neighbor. Romans 13:10 says, "Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law." So, do no harm to anyone; mind your business; and take care of your own. That is, it. If you do these two simple things, you will be at least in paradise, according to scripture. It is guaranteed by God. This is salvation. Verse 35 is about John the Baptist. He was a shining light. That is, he had the manifestations of holy spirit in him.

Jesus finished all works given by God the Father

"36 But I have greater witness than that of John: for the works which the Father hath given me to finish, the same works that I do, bear witness of me, that the Father hath sent me." John the Baptist was his witness and it was true witness. However, Jesus Christ says that the greater witness was, the very works that he was doing. Since the works were given him by God, it makes God the Father as his witness. The Father tells him what to do, including how he should die on the cross. Please notice what he tells; "the works which the Father hath given me to finish." Then, John 19:30 says, "When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost." At the cross Jesus has announced that he has finished all the works that God gave him to do. He was always mindful to finish the works. "37 And the Father himself, which hath sent me, hath borne witness of me. ..." So, the Father himself was his witness, through his works.

Nobody can see God, and just a few can hear God.

Further, one more important truth in this verse is this. "Ye have neither heard his voice at any time, nor seen his shape." His shape fills the universe. He does not have a face of a man for us to look. His Spirit penetrates all things. But our preachers make God cheap in order to show themselves great. They often say that they have seen God, they talk to God, they are in touch with God in a regular basis, and so many other lies. Christians are taken by these lies, admire them, respect them, and reword them for their lies. Such stories appeal to them and so they imitate them. So, we hear stories that so many people have seen God and God talked to them, and so on. This verse says: "Ye have neither heard his voice at any time, nor seen his shape." Nobody can see God. Only people like Moses have heard his voice. Now, Jesus Christ is also God. So, no one can see Jesus Christ. He is in the omnipotent Spirit, invisible. But they may see another Jesus, who is counterfeit. Look at the Bible and find how many times apostles Peter, John, James, Paul, or any other, saw the Lord Jesus Christ, after he became God? Apostle Paul saw the brightness of Jesus and became blind. Apostle John saw the reflection of Jesus through his angel and fell as dead. These are the cases of his apostles. Now a days, any Tom, Dick, and Harry see God and have conferences with God and with his hosts. It is nonsense and it is cheap lies. Yet, Christians are convinced. It is because of their ignorance. 

'In the name of Jesus' is not magic chant or mantra

"39 says, Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me." Jesus told the Jews to look in the scriptures. Many of them were scribes. Their job is to study and teach scriptures. They proclaim that the scriptures are true. Yet they refused to accept the things that was written about Jesus in scripture. It is typical of religiosity. Christians do the same. They believe the stories of Jesus, but they will not accept the preaching of Jesus Christ. They accept that Jesus is resurrected, but they will not receive him to turn them away from their iniquities. It is sad. "42 But I know you, that ye have not the love of God in you." Jesus Christ says that they reject Jesus since they do not have the love of God in them. Do we Christians have the love of God in us? "43 I am come in my Father's name, and ye receive me not: if another shall come in his own name, him ye will receive." Jesus has come in the name of God the Father. What does that mean? He did all miracles in the name of God the Father. He spoke all his word, including the gospel, in the name of God the Father. That is, God the Father has authorized him to do all these things. Jesus did not do anything by himself. We have covered these in our previous studies. I like to add one more thing at this context. Jesus Christ tells his followers to pray to God the Father in his name. So, we pray in the name of Jesus Christ. He tells his servants to baptize and preach the gospel in his name. That is, using his name is to show that they are authorized to do those things. Jesus Christ has authorized his disciples and apostles to do miracles in his name. So, his disciples and apostles can use the name of Jesus Christ to do miracles and such things. But it is not to be used by sinners and by any stranger, because they are not authorized to use his name. Now, those who do not even know what baptism is, baptize babies using his name. It is fake baptism. Those who do not even know what the gospel is, preach the gospel in his name. They preach false gospel. Those who do not know Jesus Christ, do miracles in the name of Jesus Christ. Deceiving spirits are behind them or they may trick people to believe that these are miracles. They are not sent by Jesus Christ. They are sent by themselves and deceive people by using his name as magic chant or mantra. Christians accept them. It is very sad.

Jews as well as Christians are religious, but not godly

The Jews did not accept the man Jesus, even though the scriptures say about him. We may dismiss this as history. However, let us look at it now. God has sent the resurrected Lord Jesus Christ to us to turn us away from our sins. Christians may not even know this. Instead of accepting the resurrected Jesus Christ as God; we accept an elevated man Jesus, who is a kind of legend or a projection of man Jesus. Such an one does not exist. This Jesus is imaginary, religious, sentimental, traditional, and ceremonial. We might have venerated the man Jesus as God, who is not real. The man Jesus has died, God raised him from death, he is made Lord, Christ, and God. Now, he is in the omnipotent Spirit. He is not a visible God. We cannot see him. God Jesus will turn us away from our sins. But another Jesus and false Christs, will not turn us away from sins, but they will try to keep us in sins by false promises and deception. "44 How can ye believe, which receive honour one of another, and seek not the honour that cometh from God only?" Our preachers are good team players, they support each other well even though they know that they are wrong, they join in their doctrine and theology to lift each other, so that they all may be successful. So, this verse saying they honor one of another, will apply to them. "45 Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father: there is one that accuseth you, even Moses, in whom ye trust. 46 For had ye believed Moses, ye would have believed me: for he wrote of me. 47 But if ye believe not his writings, how shall ye believe my words?" It is evident that the Jews believed Moses, they believe the miracles and the manifestations done through his hands, but it is also evident that they did not believe what he wrote. Moses wrote about Jesus and scripture is full of prophesies about Jesus, but Jews did not accept Jesus when he came as a man to die for the sins of the world. Christians have accepted Jesus when he came to die on the cross, but they do not accept the preaching of Jesus, and they have not accepted the resurrected Lord Jesus Christ to turn them away from their sins. So, Jews and Christians are the same in this respect. We appear to be godly, but in our life, we have rejected God. It is religion. Christians are also like Jews. It must not be this way. We Christians should not follow a religion. If we are guided by the holy spirit, we will follow the word of God, but not preachers, denomination, or religion. We must inherit eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. We cannot inherit the kingdom of God through religion.

Take away Points

1, The Lord Jesus Christ is God. He saves his people by turning them away from future sins, and by forgiving their past sins. 2, Saved people will escape hell, and they will at least reach paradise. 3, What we do in life is our witness. 4, Nobody can see God, and just a few people can hear God. But preachers deceive people. 5, 'The name of Jesus' must not be a magic chant or a mantra. 6, Jews as well as Christians are religious. But you and I must inherit the kingdom of God through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Note: If any point needs explanation, OR, if you find an error according to scripture,
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