Walk Assured
Luke 19:1-10:Then Jesus entered and passed through Jericho. Now behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus who was a chief tax collector, and he was rich. And he sought to see who Jesus was, but could not because of the crowd, for he was of short stature. So he ran ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see Him, for He was going to pass that way. And when Jesus came to the place, He looked up and saw him, and said to him, “Zacchaeus, make haste and come down, for today I must stay at your house.” So he made haste and came down, and received Him joyfully. But when they saw it, they all complained, saying, “He has gone to be a guest with a man who is a sinner.” Then Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord, I give half of my goods to the poor; and if I have taken anything from anyone by false accusation, I restore fourfold.” And Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because he also is a son of Abraham; for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.”
by Study-Leader @ 8:34 AM
1 Comments:
As we explored in yesterday's study, Jesus' very public acceptance of Zacchaeus, a social outcast, was a recognition of his desperation and humility. Jesus knew his heart's genuine repentance and showed him great grace by being a guest in his home.
Jesus' communication of assurance is so solid and personal, conveying Zacchaeus represents his mission in seeking and saving the lost. Those who can hear His voice and follow Him, as John 10:27 tells us, are His sheep. 10:28 tells us we who are in that category will never perish because of his power and perseverance, not ours.
That's the objective part of assurance: we can be sure because of the character and power of Jesus. The subjective part is our feeling of "assuredness," which can vary according to our "walk in the light" (1 John 1:7). If we don't walk in fellowship with Him we will not feel assured. But He is always there, 1 John 1:9, awaiting our return with forgiveness. As we are consistent in our relationship with Him, we will feel more assured.
Our feelings have no bearing on the facts, though: Jesus said, "All that the Father gives Me shall come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out." (John 6:37, italics added)
Use your assurance of a place in His family as a base of strength in your life to reach others this week with the message they, too, can have peace with God!
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