John 8:13-18 The Pharisees challenged him, “Here you are, appearing as your own witness; your testimony is not valid.”
Jesus answered, “Even if I testify on my own behalf, my testimony is valid, for I know where I came from and where I am going. But you have no idea where I come from or where I am going. You judge by human standards; I pass judgment on no one. But if I do judge, my decisions are true, because I am not alone. I stand with the Father, who sent me. In your own Law it is written that the testimony of two witnesses is true. I am one who testifies for myself; my other witness is the Father, who sent me.”
The testimony and decisions of Jesus were valid because he was not alone. God was his witness.
Before we act, decide, judge, or testify, we need to make sure we can say I am not alone. I stand with Jesus and the Father who sent him.
I AM NOT OF THIS WORLD
John 8:23 But he continued, “You are from below; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world.
We are sent INTO the world, but not of it.
Sometimes we are so focused on the world we are NOT OF that we lose sight of the world that we ARE OF.
Born From Above - to be interactively joined with a dynamic, unseen system of divine reality in the midst of which all of humanity moves about- whether it knows it or not.
The damage done to our practical faith in Christ and in his government at hand by confusing heaven with a space in distant or other space, or even beyond space, is incalculable. Of course God is there too. But instead of heaven and God also being always present with us, as Jesus shows them to be, we invariably take them to be located far away and, most likely, at a much later time- not here and not now. And we should then be surprised to feel ourselves alone?
- Willard
Romans 8:5-6 The carnal attitude sees no further than natural things. But the spiritual attitude reaches out after the things of the spirit. The former attitude means, bluntly, death: the latter means life and inward peace.
I AM NOT SEEKING GLORY FOR MYSELF
John 8:48-50 The Jews answered him, “Aren’t we right in saying that you are a Samaritan and demon-possessed?” “I am not possessed by a demon,” said Jesus, “but I honor my Father and you dishonor me. I am not seeking glory for myself; but there is one who seeks it, and he is the judge.
“I am not possessed by a demon,” said Jesus, “but I honor my Father and you dishonor me. I am not seeking glory for myself;
Jesus’ desire to honor God and his personal humility disproved any charge of demonic possession. Since those who have Satan as their spiritual parent will have some of the characteristics of Satan, they will have an evident pride and self-seeking – things that were and are absent in Jesus. - Guzik
Jesus didn’t have to seek his own glory because he knew that there is one that seeks it for him.
