I know you

I know you
Words of Faith 10-12-16
Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy © 2016
Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com
Faith Fellowship Church - Melbourne, FL
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John 5
[41] "I do not accept praise from men, [42] but I know you. I know that you do not have the love of God in your hearts.

What? Jesus does not accept praise? Then what am I doing every Sunday singing my heart out to Him? Ah. But that is not what Jesus was talking about. Jesus was dealing with religious leaders in Jerusalem who were rejecting Him. His point was that He did not need or require their “praise” or endorsement to legitimize what the Father had sent Him to do. They could have as easily come with flattery and religious fanfare but the condition of the heart was the point. His most piercing words are these: “I know you.”
Do you hear the power of those words? I know you. You can’t hide. There is nothing that I do not see. Your religious masks and prudent deliberations are all just more religious stuff. I see right through it to the heart and your hearts do not belong to God. Jesus knew their hearts and the reason for their unbelief; they did not have love for God. The great command is that we should love God (Ex. 20:4; Deut. 6:5). The great sin is when we reject Him and love and serve “created things” (Rom. 1:25).
Of course, this was not the first time the Lord had called for something beyond the façade of religion.
Hosea 6:6 - For I desire mercy, not sacrifice, and acknowledgment of God rather than burnt offerings.
Micah 6:6-8 - With what shall I come before the Lord and bow down before the exalted God? Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old? Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousand rivers of oil? Shall I offer my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.
To us, Jesus might say something similar. “I know you. I don’t need your praise. I want your heart. Your endorsements are meaningless. Your words can be empty. What I really what is you.”

Lord, You know my heart. There is nothing I can hide from You. You know my desires and thoughts. You know my religious games. So just between You and me, I really need You. Help me to know the joy of losing my life in You that I may find Life in You. In Jesus’ Name.

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© Jeffrey D. Hoy 2002, 2016
Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy - Faith Fellowship Church (EFCA)
2820 Business Center Blvd.
Melbourne, Florida 32940 (321)-259-7200
Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com
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The Words of Faith devotion is published five days a week by E-mail excluding Federal holidays. Please feel free to forward this devotion to a friend who might be blessed by this devotion. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture is quoted from the New International Version (R) of The Holy Bible. Copyright (c) 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved. Words of Faith (c) 1997, 2010 Jeffrey D. Hoy. All rights reserved. Permission is granted to forward this copyrighted material or use portions of it with appropriate notation of the source for non-profit purposes.