“From the Heart” teaching by Drs. Rodney & Adonica Howard-Browne.
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.
There came a man who was sent from God; his name was John. He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all men might believe. He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light.
The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world. He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God–children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.
The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. John testifies concerning him. He cries out, saying, “This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.'” From the fullness of his grace we have all received one blessing after another. For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. John 1:1-17 NIV
Jesus is the Word of God who became flesh and made His dwelling among us here on earth. He was with God and He is God. He existed before time began. He is the beginning and the end. He was there when God made the heavens and the earth and they were made with Him and by Him. Nothing was created without Him or apart from Him. What an incredible sacrifice He made for us. He created the universe and yet He humbled Himself to come down to earth to regard our plight and put up with abuse and persecution to give Himself as an offering for us.
Jesus is the light of the world and the way, the truth and the life. God sent John the Baptist ahead of Jesus so that he could testify about Jesus and prepare everyone for His coming. John was not the light, but he came to tell everyone who would listen that Jesus was the light of the world. Even though Jesus created the world and everything in it, the people He created did not recognize nor acknowledge Him. He came to His own – the seed of Abraham and the nation He was physically born into (His people after the flesh) – but they did not receive Him. They rejected and crucified Him.
God offered His salvation to the Jew first and then to the Gentile. God is not a respecter of persons. To whoever believes in Jesus and recognizes Him as the Messiah, Savior and Redeemer, He gives the power – authority, liberty and right – to become the children of God. Children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God. The first time we were born of the flesh into a legacy of sin and death and lack – cut off from God. The second time we are born of the Spirit – made alive unto God with a legacy of life, liberty, divine health and the provision of God.
The Law came through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. You can worship the letter of the Law or you can worship the God of the Law. The letter kills, but the Spirit gives life (2 Corinthians 3:6). The Bible calls Jesus “the Word of God”. You can allow the Word to put you into bondage or you can allow it to set you free. 1 Corinthians 8:1-3, in the Amplified Bible, says that even if we have plenty of Bible knowledge, we don’t really understand it if we don’t understand the love of God. The law was given to give men guidelines to live righteously, but at the same time it made men aware that they needed a Savior – because it was not possible to keep the Law in the body of this flesh.
As we read the Word of God we must keep in mind God’s great love and grace and mercy and we will come into the freedom God intended for us and not into the bondage of religion. A religious spirit tries to keep you bound, but Jesus came to bring you into the liberty of righteousness, so that you can have boldness to come into the presence of God and you can also have boldness on the Day of Judgement. He gives you the freedom of a life washed in the blood of Jesus and forgiven of all sin and iniquity. Thank God that he sent the Word, Jesus, in the flesh to redeem us and bring us freely into His presence!
