In my last post I quoted 2 Cor. 10:18 where Paul writes: “For not he who commends himself is approved, but whom the Lord commends.” As we have seen, this statement seems to nullify self-commendation altogether and throws a shadow on any commendation proceeding from a third party other than the Lord Himself.
Actually the apostle is simply restating what Jesus had declared a few decades earlier: “If I bear witness of Myself, My witness is not true” (John 5:31). And, “I do not receive testimony from man” (John 5:34). As I proceed I will assess the kinds of commendation Jesus considers reliable, i.e., the commendations He Himself used to validate His ministry.
Jesus, our example
“But I have a greater witness than John’s; for the works which the Father has given Me to finish—the very works that I do—bear witness of Me, that the Father has sent Me” (John 5:36). Here Jesus introduces the core of His commendation, namely, the very works He was doing. The reference was not linked to miracles only, but mainly to the quality of His daily works such as mercy, kindness, compassion, obedience, impartiality, truthfulness and so on, that is, to the works He refers to when He says:
Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven” (Mat. 5:16).
“You will know them by their fruits” (Matthew 7:16) is another version of the same truth. This is the surest commendation a Christian can present. The miracles might or might not be there, but the works of God must be present otherwise there is no valid commendation left. For instance, John the Baptist had no miracles to show; yet the works he did bore witness of him.
I am not insinuating miracles have ceased. I am only saying the lack of miracles does not necessarily nullify the validity of a ministry; but the lack of works reflecting God’s very character does. In fact, miracles per se cannot yield a reliable commendation (see Matt. 7:22,23). They need to be backed up by works of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ.
In this respect Jesus spoke loud and clear:
The works that I do in My Father’s name, they bear witness of Me” (John 10:25).
And again:
If I do not do the works of My Father, do not believe Me; but if I do, though you do not believe Me, believe the works, that you may know and believe that the Father is in Me, and I in Him” (John 10:37,38).
Here Jesus gives us a valuable counsel: “If I do not do the works of My Father, do not believe Me”. Unfortunately this counsel is often discarded and there we are, putting our trust in ministers coming short of the divine expectation in words and deeds. That such ministers demand our trust is not surprising, but that we give it to them is rather stupefying. I am not saying we should make a person an offender for a word, or lay a snare for him that reproves in the gate (Isaiah 29:21). I am only saying the general behavior of people should approve or disprove them. This should be the main criterion guiding our life as far as trust is concerned.
The Father’s written commendation
“And the Father Himself, who sent Me, has testified of Me. You have neither heard His voice at any time, nor seen His form” (John 5:37).
How did the Father testify of the Son of Man? The answer is found in John 14:10, “The words that I speak to you I do not speak on My own authority; but the Father who dwells in Me does the works.” Here we have it again. The letter of commendation Jesus presented, which was coming from the Father, was not written with ink on paper but rather with works and words in His very flesh.
The apostle John attests that this letter could be touched and observed in the warp and woof of Jesus’ daily life:
That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, concerning the Word of life” (1 John 1:1).
This was the commendation the Father gave concerning His Son, and it was absolutely trustworthy.
The manifestation of the Name
“I have come in My Father’s name, and you do not receive Me; if another comes in his own name, him you will receive” (John 5:43).
To come in the Father’s name entails the manifestation of that name, for how can anyone make such a claim if he has nothing to show? In this respect, as in all respects, Jesus had much to present: “He who has seen Me has seen the Father” (John 14:9), “For whatever the Father does, the Son also does in like manner” (John 5:19). As we all understand such behavior set forth a solid commendation.
What do people see when they look at us? Mainly those who have the opportunity to know us well? This is the real issue. To have a dozen letters of recommendation would do us little good if our life fails to manifest the Name we are supposed to declare.
The tragedy today, as in Jesus’ days, is that the person coming in the Father’s name is often rejected while the one coming in his own name is embraced and preferred. Could it be that the works of the Father are too exposing for our taste. The thought is worth considering. If they are, we will attempt—in all normality—to replace the Father’s commendation with something more convenient for us, namely, men’s commendation.
A revealing story
All this reminds me of the story of a young pastor who was dismissed from his office by the elders of the church. He was a God fearing man, uncompromising in his ways and faithful to the Scriptures. His sermons brought conviction and discomfort to the lukewarm churchgoers. At one point these seekers of ease began to leave the congregation. Shortly after, the most prominent elder—a rich businessman—managed to persuade the rest of the elders to discharge the young minister from his office before it be too late.
Several years later that influential elder was diagnosed with a lung cancer. When the elders of the church offered to pray for him he declined their proposal saying: “Please, find me the young minister we dismissed years ago. I believe God will hear him”.
Ultimately a true letter of commendation is always seen; even by them who turn it down for convenient reasons.
The witness of the Scripture
“You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me” (John 5:39).
Another commendation Jesus had was the very Scripture. Not only the messianic prophecies were witnessing in His favor, but the Scripture in general was also recommending Him, for they confirmed His works were righteous. He was not merely teaching the counsel of God; He was living, practicing, and manifesting it. His knowledge was not merely in His head. It was primarily in His flesh. This is what Luke affirms in Acts 1:1 “The former account I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach, …”. Jesus taught what He did and did what He believed.
This is another indispensable source of commendation. A person might be friendly and simpatico, but in itself it is not sufficient. Before depositing faith in anyone the question must be answered: Does the Scriptures back him up?
Conclusion
The beautiful thing about these divine letters of commendation is that they are always faithful to the truth. They are impartial, secure and authoritative. They never become old since they are always updated by the latest action, reaction, decision and verbal communication. And above all, they have the divine seal on them.
Attribution—photo by Waiting For The Word
If you think this post can help somebody else you can share it with the options presented bellow.
