+DEV+ When They Don't Get It

Date: March 29, 2011 10:28 PM
Topic: +DEV+ When They Don't Get It

When They Don't Get It

"But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it - he will be blessed" (James 1:25).
Scripture Focus: Mark 8:14-21

If I tell a lot of jokes, it brings humor, captures attention. But a problem arises when I say something absolutely true and they think I'm joking again. Getting them to believe me then is hard work!

Jesus' disciples must have been elated while they were with Him. Imagine seeing His miracles, listening to Him teach, watching Him outsmart the Pharisees. Yet when Jesus said that He would be crucified, Peter could hardly grasp that it was true. All of them "did not understand what he meant and were afraid to ask him about it" (Mark 9:31).

There are many parts of the Bible that we readily embrace. We easily see the do's and don'ts, happily soak in the words of comfort, cling to the principles for godly living. Yet it is often the simple truth of Jesus dying for us and freely giving us salvation that we can hardly grasp. Sometimes we just don't get it: our freedom has been purchased for us. Not anything that we have done or will do can save us; He has already done it all!

Insight: Every Christian has a lot to learn from Jesus, most importantly that it is by His grace, through faith, that we have been saved.