Raising the Expectancy

John 5:5-18

5 And a certain man was there, which had an infirmity thirty and eight years.

6 When Jesus saw him lie, and knew that he had been now a long time in that case, he saith unto him, Wilt thou be made whole?

7 The impotent man answered him, Sir, I have no man, when the water is troubled, to put me into the pool: but while I am coming, another steppeth down before me.

8 Jesus saith unto him, Rise, take up thy bed, and walk.

9 And immediately the man was made whole, and took up his bed, and walked: and on the same day was the Sabbath.

10 The Jews therefore said unto him that was cured, It is the sabbath day: it is not lawful for thee to carry thy bed.

11 He answered them, He that made me whole, the same said unto me, Take up thy bed, and walk.

12 Then asked they him, What man is that which said unto thee, Take up thy bed, and walk?

13 And he that was healed wist not who it was: for Jesus had conveyed himself away, a multitude being in that place.

14 Afterward Jesus findeth him in the temple, and said unto him, Behold, thou art made whole: sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee.

15 The man departed, and told the Jews that it was Jesus, which had made him whole.

16 And therefore did the Jews persecute Jesus, and sought to slay him, because he had done these things on the sabbath day.

17 But Jesus answered them, My Father worketh hitherto, and I work.

18 Therefore the Jews sought the more to kill him, because he not only had broken the sabbath, but said also that God was his Father, making himself equal with God.

Now let us be mindful of the era that Jesus lived in. Before Jesus came on the scene, God would send an angel down once a year to trouble the water in the pool and whoever stepped into the pool first would be healed of whatever ailment they had. The Jews were used to God working that way, so they did not accept Jesus daring to say that He was sent from God. Here is Jesus not only healing, but healing on the Sabbath, the holy day of rest commanded by God. So why would someone who was sent by God, work His work on a day that He commanded for rest? How could Jesus disrespect God on HIS holy day? And then after Jesus defiled the Sabbath, why would He dare to say God is His Father, and it was God who did the work through Him? How dare He make Himself equal with God!

John 5:19

Then answered Jesus and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise.

This one simple statement sums up Jesus’ entire ministry on earth, and it is very important that we grasp it in our hearts. Jesus knew that He could not do anything that the Father did not instruct Him to do. But this was not just a thought in Jesus’ mind, it was His heart. He did not have to go from situation to situation and decide whether or not He wanted to please God in each one. It was already His mindset that He would only do those things that He was instructed to do. He was in TOTAL agreement with the will of God.

This is where we have to go as Sons of God. We have to get to the place where we can become consistent in our walk with God. We cannot simply go day to day and decide how we will deal as situations arise. It must be decided in our hearts to please God, no matter what comes our way.

Jesus had the mind that it was His purpose on this earth to glorify the Father, and He walked in that mind every day. Knowing that His purpose was to please the Father, He was mindful of everything He said and did, being God on the scene at all times.

With that in mind, let us examine ourselves. Do people really see Christ in us at all times? Are we even living a life that would make them expect to see Him? Are we conscious of all that we say and do, ensuring that He is on display? Now just imagine Jesus walking through the door right now and assuming that we knew, without a doubt, it was Jesus. We would not expect Him to do or say anything other than what God commands Him to say or do, just because He is Jesus. But do we have that reputation with men?

When we come into a room, or anywhere for that matter, are those around expecting to hear from God? Do they expect you to be holy, or do they just expect to see you? This is very serious because there should be no difference between us and Jesus. God never intended for Jesus to be unique. We cannot actually think that we can walk in the Spirit of Christ and not have His attributes.

Let us go even further . . . do we expect to be just as Christ? We can talk about expecting Christ of others, but do we expect to manifest Christ ourselves? Have we become satisfied with the improvements that we have made to our personalities or the sins that we no longer commit, or do we actually want to manifest Christ through our lives? Do we want to be Christ in our schools or on our jobs?

We have to want to be Christ on the scene at all times. All of us who are born of the Spirit have been equipped with the power to walk just as Christ. We no longer have to merely know the Word in our heads, but we can now walk in the Word, and God expects that from us. Not only does God expect that from us, so does the world. It may seem like the world is not looking for God but Romans 8 tells us different.

Romans 8:19-22

19 For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God.

20 For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope,

21 Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.

22 For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.

The world is waiting, expecting to see Christ once again walk the earth, through us. The world is waiting for us and the Spirit has given us the power to be perfect, but if we choose not to use it then we rob the world of seeing God and we rob God of the chance to be glorified through us. If we would just walk in the power that God has given us, then we would be able to say in confidence just as Jesus did in John 5:17

that the Father is the one who is working through us and everything we do is led by Him.

But we will not be able to say that if we do not have fellowship with God. And the only thing that would keep us from having fellowship with God is darkness in our hearts.

1 John 1:5-7

5 This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.

6 If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:

7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.

Once we purge our hearts from darkness then we can have fellowship with God. Once we have fellowship with God, then we can be perfect. When we consistently walk in perfection, then it becomes expected of us. It sounds simple because it is. God never planned for our lives in Him to be complex.

THE QUICKEST WAY TO PERFECTION; DO NOTHING OF YOURSELF!

If we follow a perfect God and only do what we are instructed, what else can we be but perfect.

John 15:1-5

1 I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman.

2 Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.

3 Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.

4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.

5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.

If Jesus decided not to submit to God’s will for His life, and walk outside of what was instructed, the simple fact that He was Jesus would not have moved God to work through Him. If Jesus knew that He could do nothing without God, then how is it that we can expect to make it without Him? If we do not take on the mindset that Jesus had, God will not be moved to work through us. Jesus submitted His whole mind over to serving the Father. He knew that if His mind was not given over to God then He would not be acceptable to Him. It was Paul who said with the mind we serve God (Romans 7:25).

Even though some have the Spirit of God, we still have to commit our minds to pleasing Him. Jesus was totally committed to pleasing the Father; mind, body, soul and spirit and that is the standard that has been set in order to please God. If we do not live up to that standard, then we will not be acceptable to God. We must bring our minds into total agreement with what God has set for our lives. The Word has to become a part of us, not just what we hear and know of God; it must be the blue print for our lives.