Praise Who

DEVOTION

THE GOSPEL OF JOHN

PRAISE WHO

John 5:41-47

41 "I do not accept praise from men, 42 but I know you. I know that you do not have the love of God in your hearts. 43 I have come in my Father's name, and you do not accept me; but if someone else comes in his own name, you will accept him. 44 How can you believe if you accept praise from one another, yet make no effort to obtain the praise that comes from the only God? 45 "But do not think I will accuse you before the Father. Your accuser is Moses, on whom your hopes are set. 46 If you believed Moses, you would believe me, for he wrote about me. 47 But since you do not believe what he wrote, how are you going to believe what I say?" 

NIV

Jesus continues his discourse aimed at the Jews, the Pharisees, teachers of the Law, perhaps members of the Sanhedrin. Certainly, in all their pomp and piety they give praise to each other. They praise each other for their positions, their holiness, they're abiding by the Law of Moses. They garb themselves in praise for their religious rites they observe. “Oh, look how holy we are!” Jesus says he does not accept praise from men. How can that be? We are supposed to praise the name of Jesus. Maybe this is not exactly what he is talking about, but rather he is specifically speaking about their form of praise for they do not have the love of God in their hearts, they simply have the love of self in their hearts. This idea about not accepting Jesus because he comes in the name of his Father’s name, but they will accept someone who comes in their own name resembles what still might happen today. We lift up men and women who have made a name for themselves. They have a multitude of books, videos, selling their brand. People flock to their seminars or buy all their material because they are famous, supposed great teachers of Christianity. But are they coming to us in the name of the Father, or in their own name? Do they accept the praise of their followers? Do we praise or lift them up as wonderful people, great spiritual giants? “Oh, you have to read his book” “You should see her video teaching on….” “She is great”. “He is just the best”. Can we see it, we are just like those Jesus was talking to unless we understand and give no praise to them at all. All our praise is for God, for the name of Jesus. Sure there are people who may have good things to say, and some are good teachers, but let us not lift them up, let us lift up the name of Jesus. Let us not quote them, but let us quote God. Their words do not contain life, the word of God contains life, it flows with life, eternal life. If we believe what men have to say, how can we believe what God has to say? They all have something different to say about what they think God says, so then who do we believe? Which one do we choose to believe and who do we choose to not believe? It is like the age-old discussion over believing either John Wesley or John Calvin. Why do we have to choose whom to believe, if we have the scriptures giving us real living water? What reason is the Spirit dwelling within us to reveal the truth, to witness to the truth of God, if all we have to do is agree with someone else’s idea of the truth? As it is we have already divided ourselves up into various camps, denominations who have already determined the truth for us. Just as those Jesus was talking too will be judged by the Law of Moses. We might be judged by the denominational bias we have established for ourselves. Yet the fact remains we all agree that Jesus is the Son of God, and he is the Savior of the world, well some believe he is the Savior of just the elected, see there we go agree, getting into camps we should not be. Let us believe in Jesus. Let us believe the Word of God. Let us allow the Spirit to reveal the truth to us. Always being in an attitude of praise to God. He is the one who saved us. He is the one who gives us life, life eternal. Forget about the praise for men, let us just praise the Lord.