17.i. “Whom did you dread and fear, so that you lied, and did not remember me, did not lay it to heart?”

John 11:45  Many of the Jews therefore, who had come with Mary and had seen what he did, believed in him, but some of them went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done.

 John 2:23    Now when he was in Jerusalem at the Passover Feast, many believed in his name when they saw the signs that he was doing.

 John 12:42     Nevertheless, many even of the authorities believed in him, but for fear of the Pharisees they did not confess it, so that they would not be put out of the synagogue;

 Matthew 10:32    So everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven,

 Romans 10:10    For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.

 1 John 4:15    Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God.

 Isaiah 57:11   Whom did you dread and fear, so that you lied, and did not remember me, did not lay it to heart? Have I not held my peace, even for a long time, and you do not fear me?

John 3:18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light 

A nearsighted person can see things clearly that are close to them but not things that are far away. The opposite is someone who is farsighted.  As Christians, we are told to focus on Jesus Christ.  That means both the present and the future.  Now (in the present) we see him dimly but we will see Him clearly in the future.  Now as we see Him dimly we honor and glorify Him to the best we focus on Him, but in the future, in heaven, we will see Him in all of His glory and our honor and glory to Him will be so much more pure, holy, and complete.  

As Christians, we can lose sight of our present focus of Jesus due to many things, primarily though it is due to our love of this world and what it has to offer and our neglect of His Word.  Do you want to keep getting clearer and clearer pictures of Jesus Christ now?  Stay diligent in His Word.  Keep Him in your thoughts as you wake every morning and when you close your eye in the evening and every moment in between.  There is so much more than believing in Jesus Christ – LIVE FOR JESUS CHRIST.