Opinions.

 Meditation John 5:10-18

1. The Jews asked the man who was healed, why he was taking his bed and walking on a Sabbath day as it was not lawful. ( V10)
2. He said the person who made him whole told him to take his bed and walk. (V11)
3. Then the Jews asked him who healed him , but he knew not as JESUS conveyed himself away. ( V12,13)
4. Then later Jesus meets him in the temple and deals with his sin. (V14)
5. The man and testified to the Jews that it was Jesus that made him whole.  ( V15)
6. They started persecuting Jesus because he healed on a Sabbath day. ( V16)
7. Jesus said he should work where his father works. (V17)
8. They hated him evermore as he not only broke the Sabbath, but also made him equal to God the father. (v18)

LIFE APPLICATION:

Dealing with Opinions of People:

Jesus was every time aware of the intentions of people. It is very easy for any man to judge others and the law facilitates it. (V10)

And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.
Genesis:6:5

It is from the hearts  of man that evil things arises.

But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man.
Matthew:15:18

For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies:
Matthew:15:19

God never wants us to hold a judgemental spirit as there will be a day when we stand before the judgement seat of God.

But why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at nought thy brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ.
Romans:14:10

This is what CHRIST says,

Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven:
Luke:6:37

Here I would like to take you all into a deeper understanding of law and Grace.

A. Law makes us guilty of our sins:

Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.
Romans:3:19

Christ fulfilled law in the flesh: (grace)
For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:
Romans:8:3

B. Law makes sin come alive.

The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law.
1 Corinthians:15:56

But we have victory over the strength of sin and death that comes through the law through JESUS CHRIST.

But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
1 Corinthians:15:57

C. Law breeds self-righteousness but Grace bears the righteousness of CHRIST.

And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:
Philippians:3:9

Jesus was more concerned of the welfare of people than their traditions. I would request you to kindly meditate Mark 7 to know more.

Jesus came to fulfil the law.. through Grace.

Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.
Matthew:5:17

Christ has summed up the fulfilment of the Law as Love.

Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
Matthew:22:37

This is the first and great commandment.
Matthew:22:38

And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
Matthew:22:39


On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.
Matthew:22:40

Christ emphasises more on love than law. Dear Child of God, we are made free from the condemnation of the law, by the righteousness of CHRIST.  Law puts us under bondage. But Grace liberates us to walk in freedom.

For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.
John:1:17

Hence, we do not need to fear nor are we condemned if we walk according to the spirit.

For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.
Romans:8:15

There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
Romans:8:1

LIFE APPLICATION 2:

REVELATION OF CHRIST:

I have shared beforehand, that a man who had an encounter with God can never be the same.

A. The first encounter:
The first time the man met Christ his body was healed. (V9)
B. the second encounter:
The second time this man met CHRIST, his sins were dealt with, and he was made whole inwardly.
Here I would like to go a little deeper about sin and it's consequences.

A. What is sin?

Sin is the transgression of the Law.

Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.
1 John:3:4

All unrighteousness is sin: and there is a sin not unto death.
1 John:5:17

If we know what is right and don't do it.
Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.
James:4:17

B. How do we know when we sin?
1. Our conscience convicts us.

And they which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last: and Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst.
John:8:9

The WORD of GOD says that we are sinners who need forgiveness.

If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
1 John:1:8

C. What happens when we sin?
1. Our spirit man becomes dead and death begins to reign in us.

But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.
Genesis:2:17

2. The sin lies at our doorsteps when to devour us.

If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him.
Genesis:4:7

3. When sin is fulfilled in our mortal bodies, it breeds death.

For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Romans:6:23

This is the sequence. Lust conceives sin and sin brings curse and death.

Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.
James:1:15

So the consequences of sin is terrible.  If you are knowingly playing with sin, it is time to come back to God.

Christ has borne all our sins and curses at the cross.

But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.
Isaiah:53:5

The WORD of GOD says,

There is no peace, saith my God, to the wicked.
Isaiah:57:21

So let us come back to Christ and he will give us his peace.

When his soul man was healed, he went about testifying what CHRIST has done to everyone. (V15)

So will God do the same with us when we have an encounter with God.

May the Spirit of God minister unto your souls.