Devotion for September 22, 2008

Honest Before God

“Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward Him, and said of him, ‘Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom is no deceit!’ Nathanael said to Him, ‘How do You know me?’ Jesus answered and said to him, ‘Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.’ Nathanael answered and said to Him, ‘Rabbi, You are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!’” (John 1:47-49 NKJV)

Jesus knowing the heart of all men knew Nathanael as he sat under the fig tree. He knew him before the foundation of the world even, and you should notice the testimony Christ gives of him. He calls him a true Israelite, and Israelite indeed, in whom is no deceit or guile as the KJV renders it.

Nathaniel was different from the many Jews of his day. He did not pretend to know God. He did not go through the motions of his religion. He lived true to his God waiting patiently for the coming, promised Messiah. The Book of Romans tells us that not everyone who is born an Israelite is an Israelite.

“But it is not that the word of God has taken no effect. For they [are] not all Israel who [are] of Israel, nor [are they] all children because they are the seed of Abraham; but, "In Isaac your seed shall be called." That is, those who [are] the children of the flesh, these [are] not the children of God; but the children of the promise are counted as the seed.” (Romans 9:6-8 NKJV)

Nathaniel was honest in his relationship with God, and we must assume from Christ's testimony he was honest in his relationship with men. What testimony would Christ give of you? Would He say, “There goes a man after My own heart?”

My dear friends “Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, [and] to keep oneself unspotted from the world.” (James 1:27 NKJV) Take a moment today and ask the Father to show you what kind of testimony you have in heaven. Ask, “Is my religion pure and undefiled?”

Don’t be the least surprised to find areas of your life being exposed after your prayer. Also, don’t panic, but give yourself to repentance. One who never finds fault with his own life has not looked carefully at the Law of Christ, and the one who finds no solution has not looked carefully at Christ.