Jehovah's Witnesses Straight Talk - Forum/Blog

John 5:1 After these things, there was a feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 5:2 Now in Jerusalem by the sheep gate, there is a pool, which is called in Hebrew, "Bethesda," having five porches. 5:3 In these lay a great multitude of those who were sick, blind, lame, or paralyzed, waiting for the moving of the water; 5:4 for an angel of the Lord went down at certain times into the pool, and stirred up the water. Whoever stepped in first after the stirring of the water was made whole of whatever disease he had. 5:5 A certain man was there, who had been sick for thirty-eight years. 5:6 When Jesus saw him lying there, and knew that he had been sick for a long time, he asked him, "Do you want to be made well?" 5:7 The sick man answered him, "Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up, but while I'm coming, another steps down before me." 5:8 Jesus said to him, "Arise, take up your mat, and walk." 5:9 Immediately, the man was made well, and took up his mat and walked. Now it was the Sabbath on that day.

Many over thousands of years have been confused with this powerful and graphic story of a sick man being healed by Christ, and the power of God's angel stirring up the waters of the pool of Bethesda? First, let us always keep in mind the transitioning of moving from law into Christ where the law of love is administered through Holy Spirit of God.

Ephesians 4:16 from whom all the body, being fitted and knit together through that which every joint supplies, according to the working in measure of each individual part, makes the body increase to the building up of itself in love.

This point is the key to understanding there is no competition in Christ, that is, his body members. The Spirit indwelling God's children is not one of being first or beating someone to take the best position. But here in this store there was a competition to be first in getting into the water, and sadly, a man not able to walk may never be healed, without someone to bully him into the water before others could reach it first, highly unlikely!

Galatians 5:14 For the whole law is fulfilled in one word, in this: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself."{Leviticus 19:18}

2 Corinthians 13:11 Finally, brothers, rejoice. Be perfected, be comforted, be of the same mind, live in peace, and the God of love and peace will be with you.

This same point of competing is often found in the Hebrew writings, but is absent in the Greek writings for those in Christ. The confusion for many Christian's is how much self-effort should they put forth for a blessing like the man at the pool, and the power of faith, in Christ? So many have ask and competed with others thinking such would be pleasing to God, that is, a proof of their devotion and loyalty thinking its greater than others, thus, God should than act upon their prayers.

1 Corinthians 4:7 For who makes you different? And what do you have that you didn't receive? But if you did receive it, why do you boast as if you had not received it?

Zeal or knowledge is not necessarily God's love given to us “freely”. The gifts of God are given freely, and one might be confused mixing fleshly actions into Spirit and truth missing the simplest of points in their faith. Love is not an act of our fallen flesh, its not a lust, or even a feeling when we are good or bad. Love of God is defined and made truth in the fruit of God's Spirit, which comes down too us from above freely, by his love, and our faith in God's love.

James 1:16 Don't be deceived, my beloved brothers.
1:17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom can be no variation, nor turning shadow. 1:18 Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of first fruits of his creatures. 1:19 So, then, my beloved brothers, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger; 1:20 for the anger of man doesn't produce the righteousness of God.

The love from above that Christ would bring to his disciples, and us, was a gift, not a work of our flesh. Moreover, it could not be gotten by our efforts of being first, that is why there can be no competition in love (Christ). There cannot be competition in our own body which works in harmony for the whole body. This is why we find an absent of competition after Christ resurrection and the out pouring of Holy Spirit, by acts of men climbing over the backs of other to get it first, a blessing, once the Holy Spirit was pour out!

Rom.12:1 Therefore I urge you, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service. 12:2 Don't be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what is the good, well-pleasing, and perfect will of God.
12:3 For I say, through the grace that was given me, to every man who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think reasonably, as God has apportioned to each person a measure of faith. 12:4 For even as we have many members in one body, and all the members don't have the same function,
12:5 so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. 12:6 Having gifts differing according to the grace that was given to us, if prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of our faith;

Now our having Christ indwell us we must separated self-survival of our fallen flesh from the truth, truth of what? The Spirit of God, We must understand what ever a body member does effects the whole body. We pray for Holy Spirit, we are not separated from the body, being smarter or better we are asking in love that the whole body increase in Holy Spirit (one body not many), we increase the members increase. Lets us remember the body of Christ is not politics, that is, false religion, and its yeast teachings to outshine other members of the body. Such is not found in Christ, if we live or if we died it is for the body, which we have been purchases for God's glory. Then in faith we are healed, not by a great crowd fighting for the best seats in a stadium, but healed spiritually by the humility of Christ working in our hearts with the power of God's love.

1 Corinthians 15:56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law.

2 Corinthians 4:7 But we have this treasure in clay vessels, that the exceeding greatness of the power may be of God, and not from ourselves.

Ephesians 1:19 and what is the exceeding greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to that working of the strength of his might.

Colossians 1:13 who delivered us out of the power of darkness, and translated us into the Kingdom of the Son of his love;

See also: www.nu-truth.com