14.9 How does the thief steal, kill and destroy?
Today, let us share another example to reinforce how we get robbed of our blessings. There is a famous verse which is often quoted – the Satan came to steal, kill and destroy.
(John 10:10)
10 The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.
But who was Jesus referring to? If we read the verse in its context, Jesus was actually referring to the Pharisees & teachers of the law who came before Jesus.
(John 10:7)
7 Then Jesus said to them again, “Most assuredly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. 8 All who ever came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them.
Jesus had just healed a blind man who did not deserve to be healed (it was by grace). The Pharisees were indignant the he has been healed on the Sabbath. Under the law, he should not have been healed. So they excommunicated him. They did not like the doctrine of Jesus that a sinner could be healed (grace). They said that they were Moses’ disciples (the law).
(John 9:28)
28 Then they reviled him and said, “You are His disciple, but we are Moses’ disciples. 29 We know that God spoke to Moses; as for this fellow, we do not know where He is from.”
So Jesus was saying that the teachers of the law were robbing the man of God’s blessings give through grace. When we revert to the law, we fall from grace. When we try to earn that which Jesus has given on the cross, we end up losing it. Israel did not attain to righteousness because they tried to earn it under the law, instead of receiving it as a gift from Jesus by faith. Paul said that they DID NOT HAVE KNOWLEDGE. Through their ignorance of the grace of God, they missed receiving the gift of righteousness.
(Romans 10:2)
2 For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to KNOWLEDGE. 3 For they being IGNORANT of God’s righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted to the righteousness of God.
All these verses reinforce the truth that in the New Covenant, God WANTS US TO KNOW in order to RECEIVE by faith.
(John 10:10)
10 The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.
But who was Jesus referring to? If we read the verse in its context, Jesus was actually referring to the Pharisees & teachers of the law who came before Jesus.
(John 10:7)
7 Then Jesus said to them again, “Most assuredly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. 8 All who ever came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them.
Jesus had just healed a blind man who did not deserve to be healed (it was by grace). The Pharisees were indignant the he has been healed on the Sabbath. Under the law, he should not have been healed. So they excommunicated him. They did not like the doctrine of Jesus that a sinner could be healed (grace). They said that they were Moses’ disciples (the law).
(John 9:28)
28 Then they reviled him and said, “You are His disciple, but we are Moses’ disciples. 29 We know that God spoke to Moses; as for this fellow, we do not know where He is from.”
So Jesus was saying that the teachers of the law were robbing the man of God’s blessings give through grace. When we revert to the law, we fall from grace. When we try to earn that which Jesus has given on the cross, we end up losing it. Israel did not attain to righteousness because they tried to earn it under the law, instead of receiving it as a gift from Jesus by faith. Paul said that they DID NOT HAVE KNOWLEDGE. Through their ignorance of the grace of God, they missed receiving the gift of righteousness.
(Romans 10:2)
2 For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to KNOWLEDGE. 3 For they being IGNORANT of God’s righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted to the righteousness of God.
All these verses reinforce the truth that in the New Covenant, God WANTS US TO KNOW in order to RECEIVE by faith.
posted by Joshua Lye @ 1:20 AM
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