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How Can You Believe?

"How can you believe, when you receive glory from one another and do not seek the glory that comes from the only God?"1

There were four witnesses to Jesus; John the Baptist, Scripture, Signs, and Moses or the Law. John was a voice crying in the wilderness to the coming of the Messiah, surely prophesied in the scriptures, and a witness to Jesus. Jesus had performed many miracles of healing,
deliverance, and even raising people from the dead, such signs were a witness to Him. The scriptures all prophesied and spoke of Jesus. But the people did not believe the witnesses. If they did abide in the scriptures they would have known Him, but they did not, they got hung up on the honor of man; traditions, doctrines of men, even Moses they honored before God. Jesus said, they did not believe because the scriptures did not abide in them, the Love of God did not abide in them, and they honored man above God.5 Jesus said eternal life is in Him alone.

Life is Not in scriptures. Life is in a person, Jesus, who is the Word of God. "You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me," Jesus is the Word of God, He created all things in the beginning, Jesus was always there in the scriptures, the prophets prophesied of Him, Moses wrote of Him, He was preached to Abraham, who believed. If the scripture did abide in them they would have known Jesus, as He is the Word the scriptures pointed to.

The Love of God is manifested in abiding, "but I know you. I know that you do not have the love of God in your hearts."6 The Love of God is manifested in the hearts of men who know Him, to know Him is to love Him, to love Him is to be obedient, to be obedient is to love your neighbor. If God is love and God is Spirit then Love is spirit. Love is fruit of the Spirit. Love is truly a feeling, though the enemy seeks to deceive us, for us to seek it in other things.

Life is Not in the Law, not in Moses. “Truly, truly, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but my Father gives you the true bread from heaven."6 Jesus said His words were Spirit and Truth, in the old they too had to abide in scripture, through the Law they entered His rest, they were to look into the serpent raised up, they ate manna from heaven, all this pointed to Jesus. In the new we are united with Jesus through faith and we have a helper, the Holy Spirit which indwells us, these are our teachers, but we too must abide in Him, the Word, for life, we must Eat bread from heaven.

Life is Not in men. "How can you believe, when you receive glory from one another and do not seek the glory that comes from the only God?"12 They relied on the witness of man, the Pharisees, teachers of the law, and even Moses they honored before God. In the new covenant, we know Jesus has all authority and honor, we are not to put our salvation in men, nor the teachings of men. To believe we must honor God before men. We must eat the Words of eternal life for ourselves. Many are called but few are chosen. 

Life is Not in earthly bread. Jesus is the true bread from heaven, "Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life,"6 They heard the witness of John, Jesus performs signs, and many are following Jesus. But for earthly reasons. He tells them they did not believe because the scriptures did not abide in them, the Love of God did not abide in them, and they honored man above God.5 Then He withdraws. Still a great multitude follows Jesus but He says they seek him for the signs, and as a witness he performs another Sign, a sign God gave through Moses, manna from heaven. Like the serpent lifted up He is lifted up for salvation. He knows their hearts, He withdraws, again. Jesus miraculously appears across the sea, the elect saw Him walk on water. But He said the people followed Him, now, not for signs but because their bellies had been filled.

Life is in the Bread from Heaven. How can you believe? they labored to follow Jesus to receive earthly bread. Jesus said they must labor for bread from heaven. "Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day."8 The Bible says a great multitude started following Jesus, but now we see just a few, and it is not called a crowd anymore but now they are called disciples. Eat his flesh, drink his blood, this is a hard teaching some of these disciples say, they do not follow Jesus anymore. They do not believe, they do not labor for eternal food. It makes one wonder, from these large crowds today, how many really follow Jesus to eat bread from heaven. "How can you believe, when you receive glory from one another and do not seek the glory that comes from the only God?"

This great multitude, following Jesus, they had heard the testimony of John, seen the signs, ate the manna from heaven, but Jesus says they will not receive eternal life unless they eat the true bread from heaven. They asked what work they must do, what signs Jesus would perform so they could believe, but they had been given all these things, the witnesses pointed to Him; Scripture, Moses, John the Baptist, Signs, manna from heaven... Now Jesus would be lifted up, all those who look upon Him will be saved. He is this Bread from Heaven. Believing is the Work of God, not found in Signs, Scripture, nor the teachings of man, but from the person Jesus the Word of God. "Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him."10 Believing is a relationship, it is in eating of the Word of God, by such the Love of God abides in us, this Word abides in you, who is Jesus, in Him is eternal life.

“Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.”9

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