The Strand Study Bible

JOHN JOHN 13:34 This “ new commandment ” that was given to the disciples was not new at all (Lev 19:18). It was just “new” to them who were about to put it into practice. This “ new commandment ” involved fellowshipping with Gentile believers. 14:1a There are a lot of things in life that are troubling. Health problems can be troubling, as can financial problems, marital problems, and sin problems. Yet in all of life’s troubles Jesus says, “ Let not your heart be troubled .” How can He say not to be troubled when we are troubled? Does Jesus know something we don’t? For example: *The ten lepers were troubled by their leprosy (Lk 17:11-14), but Jesus wasn’t. He just took them where they were, healed them, and sent them on their way. *Hagar was troubled by her and her son’s plight in the wilderness (Gen 21:9-20), but Jesus wasn’t. He ( ANGEL OF GOD ) met both her and her son in the wilderness and led them through it. *The woman at the well had just gone through five divorces and was troubled (Jn 4:5-26), but Jesus wasn’t. He just took her where she was, saved her, and told her to start fresh and anew. *David was troubled by uncertainty (II Sam 12:13-16). Would David’s ill-begotten son live or would God take him because of his sin with Bathsheba? David might have been troubled about the fate of his son, but God wasn’t. He just took David where he was, forgave him after he asked for forgiveness, and took the baby home to Heaven. He then told David to start fresh and anew. The reason Jesus can tell us not to be troubled by our troubles is because He really does know something we don’t – He knows God because He is God; He is part of the Triune Godhead ( Gen 1:1c ). Jesus understands His own sovereignty (Psa 103:19 & 135:5- 13 & 145:13 and Dan 2:44-45), thus He is able to comfort those of us who don’t seem to understand it. Of the 125 Christ-issued imperatives, 21 of them urge us to “not be afraid” (Mt 6:25 & 8:26 & 9:2 & 10:28,31 & 14:27 & 17:7 & 24:6, Lk 8:50 & 12:32 & 24:38 and Jn 14:1,3,27). Max Lucado in Fearless notes: The one statement he made more than any other was this: don’t be afraid. 1 There are seven benefits to understanding God’s sovereignty. Understanding what He understands means: 1. understanding that the greatest angel He ever created (Lucifer) has no power but the limited power given to him (Job 1:12 & 2:6) We can be assured that nothing can happen to us, not even through the activities of the Devil ( Rev 2: 8- 10 ), without passing through God’s permissive will. It’s all good (Rom 8:28). 2. understanding that the man He created has no power but the limited power given to him ( Jn 19 :1- 11 ) Joseph told his brethren in Genesis 50:19-20: Fear not: for am I in the place of God? But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive. The brothers of Joseph had no more power over Joseph but the limited power given to them by God. Thus, it was God who allowed Joseph’s brothers to sell him into Egypt. We can be assured that nothing can happen to us, not even through the activities of evil men (Rev 2:12-13), without passing through God’s permissive will (Job 34:21-24 and Psa 75:4-7). Question is: Why? Why does God allowmen limited power over other men? Answer: For the same reasons He allows the Devil 1755 3. understanding that men ( nations ) have no power but the power given to them (Dan 2:20-21 & 4:16-17, Job 12:18 and Jere 51:11) Not only does the individual man have no power but the limited power given to him (point #2), but neither does a group of men who decide to assemble themselves into nations ( Rev 14:14-20 & 19:17 - 19-21 ). Be it religions (Rev 17) or the United Nations (Rev 18) or even the men who have gathered themselves together to control the purse strings of the world (known as the Banksters – Prov 22:7 , Lk 18:8 – point #5 and Rev 13 :11- 17a ), in the end God controls it all (Isa 45:1-3). 4. understanding that history has no power but the power given to it ( Eph 1:11 ) Even the great “history changer,” Alexander the Great himself, didn’t control the outcome of history (Dan 8:3-8). God alone controls the outcome of history ( Isa 45:4 & 46 :9- 10 ). History may be a teacher, but God is the principal. NOTE – The Devil would love nothing more than to change history, but alas, even he cannot change the predicted history of mankind (Titus 1:2 and Gen 3:15a – point #2). 5. understanding that money has no power but the power given to it (Deut 8:11-18) The fifth benefit to understanding God’s sovereignty is that no one needs to fear money and/or the people who have it. Why? Because God controls it all ( Gen 12:16 – point #4). Remember: People who have money are very much like the money they have in that they both have a very short “shelf” life (Prov 23:4-5 and Jms 4:14-17). When it comes to money, you either control it or it controls you. If you want to control money so that it doesn’t control you, then: (1) give God what’s His (Deut 8:10-18 and I Chro 29:10-16); (2) give man what’s his (Prov 28:27 & 29:7 & 31:9); and (3) don’t hold it against people who owe you (Lk 6:30-35 and Deut 24:10-13). 6. understanding that suffering has no power but the power given to it ( Psa 39:3 , I Pet 1:7a , b and II Cor 12:7 ) According to Scripture suffering has a purpose, even if we don’t understand it (Jn 9:1-3 and Isa 45:7 ). Although God allows limited power over us ( Rev 2:10 ) –to try us in order that He may: * reward us ( but God meant it unto good – Gen 50:19-20 and I Pet 1:6-7) Real wealth comes from the furnace of adversity (Rev 3:14-18) * purify us ( I Pet 4:1 -2) * humble us (II Chro 33:9-13) * conform us ( Rom 8:28 -29) * mature us (I Pet 5:10) * chasten us (Hab 1:12) * reveal to us where the real power lies (II Ki 7)