‘“That you may know’ -  Battling the flesh”

The bible says, “These things I have written…that you may know you have eternal life…”, 1 John 5:13

I find myself having a lose for words these days. Life doesn’t make since at times.  We all at times, whether spoken or unspoken, wonder where God is in certain situations and events of life.  Humanly speaking the suffering Christ had to endure for our salvation doesn’t make since - seems there could have been a different way?  But the Bible says there was no other way or plan.  By faith, I chose to believe God at His word.  This thing of faith is a battle of the flesh and mind.  God has given us His Word and Spirit but we still battle the flesh.  That is why Jesus reminds us that “the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak.”  There are recorded over 300 prophesies in the Bible that point to Jesus as the messiah - the savior of mankind.  The odds of one person fulfilling just 8 of those prophesies are 1 in 10,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 (10 to the 28th power)!

Jesus fulfilled all 300 plus! - leaving no doubt that Jesus was the one sent by God to save mankind!  Yes Jesus was fully divine, but He was fully human too, meaning He battled with the flesh just like you and I except He was without sin - that is what the Bible says, and I chose by faith to go with the Bible (the odds are in its favor)!  I am sure those that were at the cross, eyewitness’ of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ were at a lose for words and were battling the flesh of doubt - “how can this be happening?” - although Jesus Himself foretold them of these events.  Jesus Himself echoed from the cross in those last moments “My God, My God why has Thou forsaken Me” and “I thirst.”  Although these words of Jesus were 2 of the 300 plus prophesies fulfilled, we can so ‘over spiritualize’ these events that we miss the human element.  Jesus was fully human - like you and me.  He came in the flesh not only to save us from our sins but so that He could identify with you and me. He fully knew pain, suffering, hardache, disappointment, loneliness, hunger, thirst, abandonment…

What a Savior we have in Jesus Christ!  “These thing I have written…that you may know!”   You can trust Him with your present and eternity!

Pastor Rodney

Ecclesiastes 12:9-14