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Waggoner on the Gospel of John - Ellet J. Waggoner

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told <strong>the</strong>m <strong>of</strong> it repeatedly, in order that <strong>the</strong>y might<br />

be prepared for this very time, but <strong>the</strong>y had not<br />

comprehended His words. They had not counted<br />

<strong>the</strong> cost. They had been willing to accept Jesus as<br />

King, even though He was in poverty, and was<br />

hated and rejected by <strong>the</strong> priests and elders,<br />

because His power was visibly manifested before<br />

<strong>the</strong>m. But <strong>the</strong>y had not learned that God chooses<br />

things that are not to bring to naught things that<br />

are. So when Jesus seemed to have no power at all<br />

in <strong>the</strong> hands <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> mob and <strong>on</strong> <strong>the</strong> cross, <strong>the</strong>y<br />

failed.<br />

If we would not make <strong>the</strong> same failure, we<br />

must make provisi<strong>on</strong> for <strong>the</strong> cross in our lives. We<br />

must not expect that since to be a Christian is to<br />

have a name greater than that <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> kings <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />

earth, we shall <strong>the</strong>refore always be held in high<br />

esteem because <strong>of</strong> our pr<strong>of</strong>essi<strong>on</strong>. We must<br />

remember that <strong>the</strong> world is in deadly oppositi<strong>on</strong> to<br />

Christ, and that <strong>the</strong> world never becomes<br />

c<strong>on</strong>verted. "Whosoever, <strong>the</strong>refore, will be a friend<br />

<strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> world is <strong>the</strong> enemy <strong>of</strong> God." (James 4:4)<br />

There can, <strong>the</strong>refore, be no more positive denial <strong>of</strong><br />

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