"But you do not have His word abiding in you, because whom He sent, Him you do not believe" (John 5:38).
Jesus told the Pharisees of two more witnesses who testified concerning Him: God the Father and the Scriptures. The Father testified of Jesus on the day of His baptism when the heavens parted, the Holy Spirit descended upon Him like a dove, and God said, “You are My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”
John the Baptist heard this proclamation, thus hearing God’s voice and seeing His “form.” But the Pharisees who were present at Jesus’ baptism evidently did not hear this voice or see His form because they did not have the Word abiding in them. They did not have faith.
Even the testimony of the Scriptures left them unenlightened because the Word was not alive and active within their hearts and minds. The veil of unbelief that Jesus came to remove from so many covered their eyes and prohibited them from accepting the truth concerning the Messiah. Only Christ can remove that veil, but only for those who have faith in Him. Without faith, no one will believe the testimony of God and the Scriptures. No matter how diligently they might search the Scriptures, no matter how many doctrinal dissertations they might read, if they do not have faith in Christ, they will not be changed. They will not hear or understand the true nature of God’s grace and their dependence on Christ for salvation.
Knowing a lot of Scripture, memorizing lengthy passages, expounding on deep doctrines, possessing a lot of practical wisdom—all these are good, but none guarantee salvation. It is sad, but true, that many people know a great deal about religion, but they never come to saving faith.
This should serve as a warning to all Christians. Don’t assume you are saved just because you know a lot of doctrine and study the Scriptures. If all you have is a lot of knowledge about Christianity with no personal relationship with Christ then you are deluding yourself just as the Pharisees did. Is your religion just the accumulation of knowledge or does it consist of a personal relationship with Jesus Christ that is growing deeper every year?
Remembering today’s passage, examine your own relationship with Jesus. Spend some time in prayer, asking God to guard your heart against “dead orthodoxy.” Confess to Him those times when you have made study of the Scriptures an end in itself instead of a means to lead you to Christ.
