◄ What Does John 2:24 Mean? ►

The Lord Jesus Christ is the exact image of the invisible God, Who existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation. Although Christ laid aside His glory for a season, in order to be born into the human race and become our Redeemer, His deity was not lessened, and His divine attributes and character were undiminished.

One of God's supernatural characteristics is His omniscience. God is all-knowing, all-wise and all-seeing. God reads the thoughts of man's heart and He even knows the motive behind our thinking. God knows that the thoughts in the mind of men are only evil continually - for that there is none that are good.. not even one. And Jesus in His humanity Jesus knew what was in men's hearts, and did not entrust Himself to them - for He knew all men

Moses tells us that God sees the thoughts which are moving in men's hearts and Solomon proclaims: the LORD searches all hearts, and understands all the imaginations of the thoughts of men. Isaiah declares how Israel acted falsely towards God, turning away from Him, with words that were uncontrolled, and hearts that were filled with deceit, while Paul reminds us that there are none that are righteous and none that seek after the Lord. All men have turned aside from what is good and true and there is none who does good.. not even one - for all have sinned and all fall short of the glory and goodness of God.

Although Jesus chose to live and work and say and do only those things that He heard from the Father.. He was still omniscient and knew the content of men's hearts. Jesus knew what men were thinking and He would not commit Himself to any of them, since He knew all about them - for He knew all men.

Oh, the crowds were following Him around the streets of Jerusalem and they became excited when they saw the miracles He did. They started to believe in Him, but not for Who He was.. only for what they could get from Him. They saw the many signs and miracles that Jesus did, and most followed Him for the wrong reason. But Christ knew their hearts. He knows their thoughts. He knew their motives. Jesus knew whether their professed faith was from a genuine heart of real repentance towards God and a desire to live godly, or if it was simply a counterfeit faith, that was following after Him for selfish motives.

We may look with surprise or even critical eyes upon those that followed Christ for the wrong reason.. but we should never forget that we are included in God's assessment of all men.. for we are all labelled as sinners. We have all failed His standard and we have all fallen short of the righteous requirement of the Law. Nor should we ever never forget that it is only by grace through faith in Christ that we are given a new opportunity.. a new life.. a new nature that reflects the perfect character of the Lord Jesus, in His humanity - as we grow in grace and mature in the faith.

Let us seek to take every thought captive to Christ, so that the words of our mouth and the meditation in our heart is acceptable and pleasing to the Lord.

Heavenly Father, it is a sobering thought to realise that every word I speak, every action I do and every thought that crosses the imagination of my mind is open and exposed before You. Thank You that my salvation is not based on my righteousness but is judged by the righteousness of Christ, Who died in my place so that I might become a new creation in Christ - by faith. Help me to take every thought captive to Christ so that my words and deeds, my thoughts and my motives may be pleasing to You and honouring to Your holy name, AMEN.