Jesus states he is eternal
John 8:48-59Intro Questions
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"Glory to God…or to Me?"
“I am not seeking glory for Myself; but there is one who seeks it, and He is the judge.” (John 8:50)
The Christian life is the opposite paradigm to the worldly life. As a Christian, you seek glory for God; in the world, you seek glory for yourself. Recognition, wealth, vocation, accomplishment, success, and relationships with the well-known are common benchmarks for measuring the worth of individuals.
In John 5:41, Jesus redefines the world’s benchmarks when He said, "I do not accept praise from men.” John 6:15 takes this lifestyle further by showing how Jesus actually had to flee adulation: “Jesus, knowing that they intended to come and make Him king by force, withdrew again to a mountain by Himself.” Being a superstar as a Christian can be lonely!
Most Christians understand that seeking the praise of others is counter to the way of life God has called us and the way Jesus lived. But it is difficult to remain in the background, serve those who can offer nothing in return, and live humbly.
Most learn more easily by being around success, wanting to invest time in those things that benefit us directly, and associating with beautiful, popular, and successful people. At some point, each Christian must decide for whom he or she lives. In John 12:42-43, Jesus probably thought He was making progress until verse 43: “Yet at the same time many even among the leaders believed in Him. But because of the Pharisees they would not confess their faith for fear they would be put out of the synagogue; for they loved praise from men more than praise from God.”
Loving God more than self and the world is the dividing line between true faith and experiencing God in all joy and fullness. John 7:18 defines this truth: “He who speaks on his own does so to gain honor for himself, but he who works for the honor of the One who sent him is a man of truth; there is nothing false about him.”
Trying to live totally for God’s glory and also glory for yourself is a poor human attempt to have everything. If you want God’s full measure of life and joy, you must find glory and satisfaction only in Christ living in and through you.
John 8:54 “Jesus replied, ‘If I glorify Myself, My glory means nothing. My Father, whom you claim as your God, is the One who glorifies Me.’”
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