23 No one who denies the Son has the Father; whoever acknowledges the Son has the Father also.
The reality of the three-in-one nature of God is shown in this short verse. If there are not separate persons in the Godhead, then this verse is nonsense. If Father and Son are the same person, why the contrast here? The separateness of the Son from the Father is important. Some say that Jesus was not God-in-the-flesh, but that he was just a great prophet. But this verse connects Father and Son in a vital union. To say “no” to the Son is equivalent to saying “no” the Father. You can’t accept the reality of the eternal being of the Father without accepting the reality of the eternal being of the Son. As I talk with many Jesus-followers today, their knowledge of some of the most basic elements of their faith seems lacking. This has been studied and confirmed by the Barna Research Group. In this country, the depth of knowledge is becoming increasingly shallow. As you prepare for the New Year, and think about your spiritual life and growth, what are you going to do differently in the coming year to close the gap? I know that I am not where I want to be. Parts of my spiritual life have improved. This Blog is part of the ramping up of my spiritual discipline, but I have more room to grow. I need to add back into my daily mix some “survey” reading of the Scriptures, reading that is aimed at keeping the content of the whole Scriptures fresh in my mind and heart. That of course means that I need to drop something else from my life. That is the challenge for me. What do I need least in order to stay healthy spiritually, relationally, physically and mentally? What can I cut out? It won’t take a large adjustment to make a big difference in my devotional life. The question is whether I am willing to make that adjustment as a long-term change. If I want to practice what I preach, or Blog in my instance, then I had better make the changes permanent. How about you? What are you going to change to add value to your devotional life? Maybe you will read through the Bible in a year (Bible Reading Plan). Or add some consistent ministry volunteering. Or maybe more time set aside to listen to the Lord. My challenge to myself and to you is to do something extra in the coming year to deepen our spiritual lives, our experience of God in the here and now.
The Arnold Journey 