John 1:38-39 (New Living Translation)
38 “Jesus looked around and saw them following. "What do you want?" he asked them.
They replied, "Rabbi" (which means Teacher), "where are you staying?"
39"Come and see," he said. It was about four o'clock in the afternoon when they went with him to the place, and they stayed there the rest of the day.”
Oswald Chambers had a wonderful way of provoking his readers. I think it’s one of the signs of a prophetic temperament. Read the following from his “Devotions for Morning and Evening” and I believe you’ll see that I’m right.
While you’re at it, test your own attitudes and spiritual temperament against what he had to say.
“Getting There”
“Master, where dwellest Thou?...Come and see. Come with Me.” (John 1:39)
“Where the self-interest sleeps and the real interest awakens. “They abode with Him that day.” That is about all some of us ever do, then we wake up to actualities, self-interest arises and the abiding is passed. There is no condition of life in which we cannot abide with Jesus.”
“Thou art Simon, thou shalt be called Cephas.” God writes the new name on those places only in our lives where He has erased the pride and self-sufficiency and self-interest. Some of us have the new name in spots only, like spiritual measles. In sections we look all right. When we have our best spiritual mood on, you would think we were very high-toned saints; but don’t look at us when we are not in that mood. The disciple is one who has the new name written all over him; self-interest and pride and self-sufficiency have been completely erased.”
38 “Jesus looked around and saw them following. "What do you want?" he asked them.
They replied, "Rabbi" (which means Teacher), "where are you staying?"
39"Come and see," he said. It was about four o'clock in the afternoon when they went with him to the place, and they stayed there the rest of the day.”
Oswald Chambers had a wonderful way of provoking his readers. I think it’s one of the signs of a prophetic temperament. Read the following from his “Devotions for Morning and Evening” and I believe you’ll see that I’m right.
While you’re at it, test your own attitudes and spiritual temperament against what he had to say.
“Getting There”
“Master, where dwellest Thou?...Come and see. Come with Me.” (John 1:39)
“Where the self-interest sleeps and the real interest awakens. “They abode with Him that day.” That is about all some of us ever do, then we wake up to actualities, self-interest arises and the abiding is passed. There is no condition of life in which we cannot abide with Jesus.”
“Thou art Simon, thou shalt be called Cephas.” God writes the new name on those places only in our lives where He has erased the pride and self-sufficiency and self-interest. Some of us have the new name in spots only, like spiritual measles. In sections we look all right. When we have our best spiritual mood on, you would think we were very high-toned saints; but don’t look at us when we are not in that mood. The disciple is one who has the new name written all over him; self-interest and pride and self-sufficiency have been completely erased.”
Pride is the deification of self, and this to-day in some of us is not of the order of the Pharisee, but of the publican. To say, “Oh, I’m no saint,” is acceptable to human pride, but it is unconscious blasphemy to God. It literally means that you defy God to make you a saint, “I am much too weal and hopeless. I am outside the reach of the atonement.” Humility before men may be unconscious blasphemy before God. Why are you not a saint? It is either that you do not want to be a saint, or that you do not believe that God can make you one. That is just what he will do! “We will come unto him, and make our abode with him.” Make no conditions, let Jesus be everything, and He will take you home with Him not only for a day, but for ever.”
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