Pull of the Spirit of God

“And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me. This he said, signifying what death he should die.” John 12:32-33

We know Simon Peter as the Apostle of Hope, Paul as the Apostle of Faith, and John we know as the Apostle of Love. Together, these three penned the great majority of New Testament writings.

Burns

It is accepted that John wrote very late in life and it is from the beautiful position of age, experience and a sort of ‘grandfatherly’ tone that “The Elder” gives us the closing words of the first-century 12 Apostles. His three epistles and one gospel are almost a summary or synopsis of the first century Christian journey.

By the time John finds his pen, Christianity has moved from Jerusalem, all Judea, Samaria and was now on Its westward march into all the world (Acts 1:8) as Jesus had expected. The Jewish and Gentile integration had created a multi-cultural Christianity.

As the second century was about to open, the Holy Spirit moves John to pen inspired words, filtered through the lens of Love, to a generation that was being very influenced by agnostic infiltrators. John set out to prove that Jesus was not an historic apparition but was truly both the Son of God and son of man; fully the Only, Very God manifested in full and complete humanity. John proved Paul’s point (Colossians 2:9) that Jesus Christ is not in the Godhead, rather, the Godhead is in Jesus Christ. It seems this is the Spirit’s primary intention in stirring John to penmanship.

John wrote during a unique time when agnostics and imposters (called antichrists) had infiltrated Christianity, sown their seeds of idol worship (1 John 5:20), and were now making their exit (1 John 2:19). The Apostle of Love would write words that would very likely be considered ‘hate literature’ by this post-postmodern society.

Like preceding penmen, John would take his audience back to the Cross as an ultimate proof of the reality of Jesus Christ. The crucifixion of Jesus and the uniqueness of that Passover on which he died, became the public record of both Roman and Jewish history.

It was by, in, and through the death of Jesus on the cross that the magnetizing love of God was released into the world. Jesus said He, through the experience of death on the cross, would ‘draw’ every person to Himself. Do you sense a fresh pull of the Spirit of God on your heart? It is the Love of God being released on your life?

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Stephen Burns serves as senior pastor of Cornerstone Tabernacle United Pentecostal Church in Poplar Bluff. He and his wife, Melody’s ministry journey began in January 1988 in Tulsa, Okla. and they have served in congregations in Tennessee, Oklahoma and Mississippi before coming to Poplar Bluff. Their ministry has included Christian Education, Student Ministry, Pastoral Associates, Senior Pastor and Evangelistic work.