2015.05.17_Walk On the Water

Empty Yourself and Receive the Word

God is alive. Nevertheless, He is invisible and thus we can only believe in God through His word. The whole world was created by His word (He 11:3), and by that word all things exist and have breath. This in turn demonstrates that the Word is reality. God’s word contains God’s will, eternal life, His blessings and wisdom. We believe God not by sight, but by hearing the word of God.

Having faith means we have received the word of God. Subsequently, we must let that word reign over us.  Even for Jesus Christ, the Son of God, once He became flesh, He received all of the Father’s words and thoroughly obeyed them. And for this reason, God raised Him from the dead.

The Word is what holds God’s blessing and life, miraculous signs and power, wisdom and will. Unless we receive in that Word, it is impossible for us to gain anything from God. Whoever desires to receive in the word of God must first surrender his own conviction, philosophy, arguments and knowledge. Contrary to parents’ expectations, children do not always perform well once they enter school. In fact there is another factor that influences academic performance more than the child’s intellectual abilities. Academically bright children are good at letting go of their own convictions and philosophy when presented with new knowledge.

When one believes Jesus Christ as the Son of God, he receives baptism. Baptism is the act of accepting faith and surrendering everything one used to have. Not only does one bury the original sin and his personal sin through baptism, he completely buries even his own passions and desires.

Some time ago, a bus crashed and fell into a dam. All the people struggled in the water to survive, but in the end, they all drowned and died. However there was one survivor. An innocent baby wrapped in a blanket was rescued after being found floating on the water. The reason the baby survived was he gave himself to the water instead of fighting against it. In the same way, those who completely deny themselves after baptism receive that which comes from God, whereas the stubborn ones who refuse to surrender themselves cannot receive all the good things God is giving.

Baptism – Denying Oneself, Living by the Word

When the whole world perished in the Flood, Noah’s eight family members survived. At that time there would have been many boats and ships throughout the world, all of which were destroyed during the forty days that the Flood continued. Noah’s ark was a huge vessel that measured around 142 metres, and what is more, it was made of wood, not steel. While even steel ships are often damaged in a typhoon, how did Noah’s ark weather through the Flood without breaking apart? It was because Noah built the ark according to God’s word as it says in Genesis 6:22, “Thus Noah did; according to all that God commanded him, so he did”.

It is written in 1 Peter 3:20-21, “Who formerly were disobedient, when once the Divine longsuffering waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight souls, were saved through water. There is also an antitype which now saves us—baptism (not the removal of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God), through the resurrection of Jesus Christ”. The eight members of Noah’s family came to survive while the rest of mankind all perished because they had abided by the word of God. This is the significance of baptism – to obey the word of God.

Baptism is about humbling ourselves before God, burying ourselves completely. Though Jesus is equal to the Father, He did not count equality with God something to be had, but gave up Himself humbly before God. When He obeyed the Father to the point of death, God raised Him to life and exalted Him. Jesus Himself demonstrated what our faith is about.

Through baptism, not only is our sin buried but the attributes of our flesh are also. Those that bury themselves entirely in this way, become humble before God. Galatians 5:24 says, “And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires”. If anyone is not humble he is unable to accept faith, and without faith, no miraculous signs will follow.

We must not try to lead ourselves with our own thinking, conviction, obstinacy, or emotions, but endeavor to live by God’s words. We need to accept the working of the Holy Spirit who helps us to understand God’s word and leads us to live by that word. We should not reject the guidance of the Holy Spirit with our own stubbornness, passions and convictions.

Receive God’s Word No Matter How Unreasonable It Is

The disciples were startled to see the Lord walking on the water because for man to walk on water is beyond reason. The disciples thought they had seen a ghost. But then Jesus said, “Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid.” Knowing that it was the Lord walking on the water, Peter answered, “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water” (Mt 14:22-28).

When we cry out to Jesus, “Lord!” we are confessing that we are His servants. A master has the right to manage and use his servant as he pleases, and the servant has the obligation to obey whatever the master commands him. Although it is logically and physically impossible for man to walk on the ater, Peter laid down all of his own thinking and ideas, and sought the Lord command saying, “Lord, command me to come to You on the water!” As soon as Jesus said, “Come!” he obeyed and began walking on the water. Our faith is about obeying the Lord’s commands. At times those commands may be unreasonable and make no sense. Nevertheless, we ought to obey the Lord’s commands saying, “If it is Your will God, I will obey”.

John 15:7 says, “If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.” If our prayers are not delivered and God’s signs do not follow, that is because God’s words find no place in us to dwell. By denying ourselves and humbly kneeling before God’s word, we must let God reign over us. Whatever we do, it is important that we receive the commandment through God’s word.

A number of people tend to pray fervently and strive to be godly, yet they disobey when it comes to the word of God. Disobedience to the word is defiance against God, and disobedience to the Holy Spirit. Jesus warned us saying, “Whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him, either in this age or in the age to come” (Mt 12:32). This not only implies that there will be no forgiveness for anyone that disobeys the Holy Spirit, but it means nothing will be accomplished for such a person.

No matter how hard a person tries to lead a pious life, it is not so easily achieved. One might have the desire to obey God’s word, however, unless he is able to properly and fully understand His word, an entirely different outcome may result. The help of the Holy Spirit is imperative if we want to wholly receive in the word of God and be governed by that word. The Holy Spirit helps us understand and be led by God’s word.

Unless we are ready to lay down our lives, it is impossible for us to ask, “Lord, command me come on the water!” As we seek the Lord’s command, we must be ready to give up our only life. Without the His command, we have no guarantee of fulfilling anything. By seeking God’s command, we must become spiritual people who succeed and triumph according to God’s will.