Based on John 11:17-44 (New King James Version)
“So when Jesus came, He found that he had already been in the tomb four days. Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, about two miles away. And many of the Jews had joined the women around Martha and Mary, to comfort them concerning their brother. Then Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met Him, but Mary was sitting in the house. Now Martha said to Jesus, ‘Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that whatever You ask of God, God will give You.’ Jesus said to her, ‘Your brother will rise again.’ Martha said to Him, ‘I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.’ Jesus said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?’ She said to Him, ‘Yes, Lord, I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God, who is to come into the world.’ And when she had said these things, she went her way and secretly called Mary her sister, saying, ‘The Teacher has come and is calling for you.’ As soon as she heard that, she arose quickly and came to Him. Now Jesus had not yet come into the town, but was in the place where Martha met Him. Then the Jews who were with her in the house, and comforting her, when they saw that Mary rose up quickly and went out, followed her, saying, ‘She is going to the tomb to weep there.’ Then, when Mary came where Jesus was, and saw Him, she fell down at His feet, saying to Him, ‘Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.’ Therefore, when Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her weeping, He groaned in the spirit and was troubled. And He said, ‘Where have you laid him?’ They said to Him, ‘Lord, come and see.’ Jesus wept. Then the Jews said, ‘See how He loved him!’ And some of them said, ‘Could not this Man, who opened the eyes of the blind, also have kept this man from dying?’ Then Jesus, again groaning in Himself, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone lay against it. Jesus said, ‘Take away the stone.’ Martha, the sister of him who was dead, said to Him, ‘Lord, by this time there is a stench, for he has been dead four days.’ Jesus said to her, ‘Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?’ Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead man was lying. And Jesus lifted up His eyes and said, ‘Father, I thank You that You have heard Me. And I know that You always hear Me, but because of the people who are standing by I said this, that they may believe that You sent Me.’ Now when He had said these things, He cried with a loud voice, ‘Lazarus, come forth!’ And he who had died came out bound hand and foot with graveclothes, and his face was wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, ‘Loose him, and let him go.’”
Much can be learned through what happened with Lazarus, and the Holy Spirit always wants to reveal much through this work, and also, this shows us that something is missing today within the people of God that we will see later. To start, the answer to everything in our lives must be Christ. He is the resurrection and the life, just as He said it, not because He had illusions of grandeur, but because it simply was (and still is) a great reality. And if we do not hold fast to that faith properly, as the Scriptures teach, we will never attain eternal life. We will not be able to live the new life that God wants us to live.
Sound doctrine consists of three very fundamental things that must be fulfilled in the life of every believer so that they can attain salvation and fulfill God's purpose for their life. And these three are centered on faith in Christ: A person must repent and convert from all his sins, a person must not only believe but also make the Lord Jesus Christ the literal Lord of their life, and a person must follow the Lord not only for moments in their life, but for the rest of their life, until they get to their carnal end. These three make up sound doctrine, what is necessary to be able to genuinely obtain eternal life. Based on the Word of God, if one of the three is missing, it is impossible for you to obtain eternal life.
And this brings us to the main topic we will discuss today, according to what the Holy Spirit dictates. One of the things that is most lacking today among God's people is the practicality of following Christ, because faith in Christ does not consist of metaphors or theoretical things, but of very practical things, which involves what God has given us as part of His creation: a will and reasoning. When we come to the Lord, we cannot forget the fundamental elements of our life, but on the contrary, submit them to faith in the Lord. People may come to repentance (although this is also very lacking today). People may come to believe in Christ, and even confess Him as their Lord. But the vast majority fail today because they simply do not follow through. Something as practical as obedience is missing, and even more so, the conscious submission within oneself that if a person confesses a faith, they must live that faith. We live in a world of lazy people, or irresponsible people, or I don't know what else to say, but that's what we see in general. Many do not seek the Word of God. Many are not looking to change their lifestyle. The vast majority want God to continue accepting their way of life, and like that, give them eternal life, reward, blessings, and of course, even answer their prayers. How is a person going to change if they do not seek to do the will of God? How can God transform your life if you want to continue living in your sins? How will you know how to live this life according to God's purpose if you reject the instructions, the Word of God? This is what His Word says: “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I also will reject you from being priest for Me; because you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children.” Hosea 4:6. Notice that it says, “My people.” And also notice that it says: “…you have forgotten the law of your God.” If God's people dismiss Godly knowledge, and forget the Word of God, will they find favor with their God? No. The Word also says this: “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.” Matthew 7:21.
What can we see in Lazarus? God the Son commanded that he be untied and let go. What does that imply? Lazarus had been resurrected, but if the bonds and everything that wrapped him which was contaminated and even filthy (because he was truly dead in the tomb for four days) were not removed, he would have died again. This is what the Word says: “What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? Certainly not! Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one’s slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness? But God be thanked that though you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered. And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness. I speak in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh. For just as you presented your members as slaves of uncleanness, and of lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves of righteousness for holiness.” Romans 6:15-19. Therefore, search the Word of God and apply what It teaches. Leave sin behind and stop doing your will. Sanctify yourself so that you can serve Him. And persist in this until the end, just as the Word says: “But he who endures to the end shall be saved.” Matthew 24:13. So, are you still tied and wrapped up with your past life, thus dying again, and missing the opportunity that Christ gives? Lord bless! John. God bless Israel!