Christ’s Blood :The Necessity

Read | Romans 3:21-26

Romans 3 communicates the very heart of Scripture. Apart from the cross of Christ and His atoning death, no one can be declared righteous.

In other words, there is only one way to become a child of God—through the blood of the Savior (John 14:6). Good works and right living will not earn the Lord’s favor, because every person inevitably sins, and a sinner cannot enter the presence of holy God. The shedding of Christ’s blood on the world’s behalf made it possible for anyone to be cleansed of sin and have a relationship with the Creator. The only requirement is trusting Jesus as Savior.

For God to be just, He must remain true to His own principles. His holiness dictated that “the soul who sins will die” (Ezek. 18:4). The penalty for sin—namely, death—had to be paid in a way that was acceptable to God. He explained through Moses why a blood sacrifice was required: “For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you on the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood by reason of the life that makes atonement” (Lev. 17:11). A life must be given for a life to be spared.

On that basis, the heavenly Father provided a perfectly sinless sacrifice for all mankind. The only way God’s justice could be satisfied and His holiness could be maintained was for Jesus Christ to take our guilt and sin upon Himself and die in our place.

When we say that there is only one way to the Father, we mean that a person must believe Jesus Christ died as a perfect sacrifice. To trust in anything else is to ignore God’s holiness and the admonition of His Word (Acts 4:12).

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Looking Beyond Disappointment

Read | John 11:3-6

When disappointments come your way in life, it is easy to blame yourself or others—or even both. Frequently it is difficult to know what to say or do because you cannot quite identify the real cause or purpose of the letdown.

Disappointment is often an emotional response to our own failure—or someone else’s—to achieve a desire, hope, dream, or goal. This can lead to losing faith in someone on whom we were depending—perhaps even a person we love.

The gospel of John tells us that Jesus loved Martha, her sister Mary, and their brother Lazarus. Because of this, they didn’t sense the need to tell the Lord anything more than “He whom You love is sick” (John 11:3). Their expectation was that as soon as Jesus heard this, He would come and heal their brother. But He didn’t set out for two more days.

When He arrived, Martha came out to meet Him and said, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died”(v. 21). She’d had the expectation that He would come right away, thereby saving Lazarus’s life. She didn’t see His purpose, which was to perform a greater miracle.

God has reasons for permitting us to experience disappointments. He could prevent them, but He wants to show us His purpose. His desire is that we will trust and believe—and let our circumstance bring glory to Him (vv. 4, 25).

When disappointments come, will you be stalled and derailed from God’s plans for your life? Or will you find yourself open to what He wants to show you and eager to understand His purpose and lesson in those situations? The right response is simply to trust Him.

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Because He Is Risen

 

Read | 1 Corinthians 15:20-23

Jesus is alive. He was resurrected from the dead and lives in heaven, interceding on our behalf. Because He is risen, we can have confidence that . . .

• Our sins are forgiven. Jesus came into this world to give His life as a ransom for many (Matt. 20:28). Through His death on the cross, the debt for our iniquities has been paid completely. We are a forgiven people.

• The Lord is actively involved in our lives. Jesus made many promises to His followers of all generations. He pledged that those who abide in Him and do His will would bear much fruit for God’s kingdom, enjoy spiritual blessings, and have guidance from the indwelling Holy Spirit, who is ever-present (Matt. 5:1-12; John 15:5).

Jesus spoke several times about the power of prayer for those who believe—we have assurance that our petitions will be heard and answered. When our requests are in accordance with the Lord’s will, we’ll receive what we have asked for (1 John 5:14-15).

Jesus gave His word that He would prepare a place for us in heaven and return one day to bring us to our everlasting home. Then we will live with Him forever. We can face each day secure in the knowledge of these truths. We can face each day secure in the knowledge of these truths.

Because Jesus has accomplished all this for us, He deserves our steadfast allegiance. Our worldview is to be framed by His life and words. We must stand firm and not compromise when the world tries to draw us away. Honor our risen Savior by following Him wholeheartedly (1 Cor. 15:58).

http://www.intouchministries.org

The Power Of Testimony

Mar 20, 2013

Read | John 9:1-38

Have you ever considered the sheer power in your simple testimony? John’s gospel tells a wonderful story of a blind man whom Jesus healed. If the story simply ended with the man opening his eyes and praising God, even that would surely be powerful. However, John takes the account further and shows us what happened next.

The Jewish authorities didn’t know what to make of this miraculous healing. They had all the facts—a man they knew was born blind, the crowd that overheard his interaction with Jesus, the proof of identity that his parents provided—and yet they refused to believe what was clear to so many. That is, they challenged the man’s testimony.

The religious authorities voiced their disbelief by calling Jesus a sinner (John 9:24), as if this untruth would somehow disqualify His miracle.

The man’s response in John 9:25 was brilliant in its simplicity: “Whether He is a sinner, I do not know; one thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see.”

No matter what else was said, the man knew the Pharisees could not refute the basic fact that he had been healed. Scripture
shows that the authorities lost their tempers because they could not argue their way around that fact.

People simply cannot argue against the truth of your experience with Jesus. Rejoice that the Lord has given you such a powerful weapon in the midst of so great a spiritual battle. In situations where you anticipate a confrontation about your faith, take the time to reread John 9 so God can encourage you.

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The Watchman On The Walls

Saint Elijah prophet (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

By David Wilkerson
[May 19, 1931 - April 27, 2011]

The Old Testament closes with this amazing prophecy of Malachi: “Behold, I will
send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of
the Lord: and he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the
heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a
curse” (Malachi 4:5-6).

This prophecy was fulfilled in great measure in the ministry of John the
Baptist. An angel appeared to John’s father and prophesied that his son would
turn many in Israel to the Lord and that “he shall go before him in the spirit
and power of Elias (Elijah), to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children,
and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared
for the Lord” (Luke 1:17).

Jesus, speaking to His disciples about John the Baptist, said: “And if ye will
receive it, this is Elias, which was for to come” (Matthew 11:14). He added,
“He that hath ears to hear, let him hear” (verse 15). I believe Jesus was
asking them to see the spiritual significance of John’s coming, as prophesied,
in the spirit and power of Elijah.

John was anointed with the same fearless Spirit and power which was upon
Elijah. He spoke openly about the sins of disobedient, pleasure-seeking people
of his day. Christ was soon to appear and this mighty man of truth suddenly
came on the scene to prepare a people for the Lord. This wilderness prophet was
sent to turn the hearts of the people (which is the truest definition of
repentance) to the Lord. John preached repentance, restitution, purity of
heart, justice, and a practical walk of holiness to correspond with an open
confession of sins.

I believe the prophet Malachi, as well as other Old Testament prophets, speaks
of a company of holy people who will be raised up just prior to Christ’s second
coming. They will minister under the very same Spirit and power that rested upon
Elijah and John the Baptist.

This last-day Elijah company of believers will heed the prophecy of Isaiah,
“Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and shew my people
their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins” (Isaiah 58:1). These
are the watchmen upon the walls, “which shall never hold their peace day nor
night . . . and give him no rest, till he establish, and till he make Jerusalem
a praise in the earth” (Isaiah 62:6-7).

Read this devotion online: http://www.worldchallenge.org/en/node/22108?src=devo-email

Religious But Lost

Read | John 3:1-6

English: Jesus and Nicodemus (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Nicodemus would probably be welcome at any church today. He seems like an ideal member—principled, knowledgeable, morally upstanding, courteous, and humble. However, Nicodemus had two big problems despite all of that outward religious appeal: first, he was blind to the truth, and second, he was spiritually dead.

The man was lost. That is, he did not have a relationship with God through Jesus Christ. As a Pharisee, Nicodemus adhered to strict Jewish codes and laws, so he was certainly religious. But the problem of the lost person is not attitudes, conduct, or even character. We can change and control those things through sheer determination, and many folks do. What people really need is a change of their basic nature. We come into this world with a natural “bent” away from God.

Jesus explained to the observant rabbi that all his outward goodness couldn’t erase, replace, or change his nature. Instead, every person who desires to serve God must be born again. The Lord promised that if Nicodemus received Him as Savior, then he would enter into a brand-new life. His old sinful nature would be transformed so that he could have a real relationship with God. Instead of appearing to be a religious man, Nicodemus would be a true believer.

No one gets into heaven on the strength of good works and kind behavior. When we stand before God, the only thing that will matter is whether our old sin nature has been replaced. We want to show Him the living Spirit we received when Jesus came into our life.

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Accepting Christ

Here’s Today’s Devotional from The Vine…

But as many as received him, to them he gave the right to become God’s children, to those who believe in his name: -John 1:12

 

The people who shut their doors on Christ always shut out great blessings; those who open to Him let all heaven’s love and joy into their lives. Some say it does not matter whether they receive Christ or not. They believe in God’s mercy and love, and do not see why they need to accept Christ. Here it is made very plain that the only way to receive God’s love and mercy is by receiving Christ. Only those who accept Him become God’s children. Christ is the only way to God, the only door into the Father’s house. To refuse Christ is to refuse adoption into the family of God.

Then we also learn another thing from this mornings text . Some people are puzzled to know how to become Christians. Here the way is surely made as plain as a pathway of light. Christ comes to us as the one Mediator, the Son of God, the divine Savior; and we have only to receive Him, to accept Him with our hearts, and commit ourselves to Him. “But there is that mystery of the new birth. I can’t understand that,” says someone. You have nothing whatever to do with that; for does not this verse say that if we receive Christ we become the children of God?

The same sentence goes on to say that those who thus receive Christ are born again; but it says expressly that this change is not their own act, not the act of any man, but is divinely wrought, they are born of God. All that belongs to us is simply to receive Christ. We have nothing whatever to do with the mystery of the new birth. That is God’s work, and He is able to effect it. Our part is the acceptance of Christ; God will change our hearts. If we accept God’s Son as our Savior, the new life will at once flow into our heart, and we shall become children of God, not by any fiction of name, but by the communication of divine life.

Rejecting Christ

 Today’s Devotional from The Vine..

He came to his own, and those who were his own didn’t receive him. - John 1:11

The picture represents Christ coming with infinite grace to those He loved, and to His own people, only to be rejected by them and turned away from their doors. This was one of the saddest things about the Savior’s mission to this world. He was the God of glory and of life. He came to bring heaven to earth, but when He stood at men’s doors and knocked, the doors were kept closed upon Him, and He had to turn and go away again, bearing back in His hands the precious gifts and blessings He had brought and wished to leave.

We say the Jews, “his own,” were very ungrateful to treat their Messiah in this way; and also that their rejection was a terrible wrong to themselves for they thrust away in Christ the most glorious things of heaven and eternity. But how is it with ourselves? Christ comes to us. He is continually coming. His hands are full of blessings. He has eternal life to bestow. Do we receive Him? Is it not true of us that He comes unto His own, and His own receive Him not?

Do we really take from the hand of Christ all that He offers to us? Do we not daily grieve Him and rob ourselves of blessings by declining what He brings? Especially do we reject Christ often when He comes to us in the garb of pain or sorrow. Many times the blessings He brings to us then are the very richest and the most precious in all His store. But how many of us receive Christ as gladly, and take the gifts from His hand as cheerfully and gratefully, when He comes in grief or suffering, as when He comes in the garb of joy or worldly prosperity? Why should we not do so? Can we not trust His love and wisdom? He never sends pain unless pain is best. He never chastens unless there is a blessing in chastening.

Focused Faith

By David Wilkerson
[May 19, 1931 - April 27, 2011]

Jesus prayed to the Father: “All mine are thine, and thine are mine; I am
glorified in them” (John 17:10). “The love wherewith thou hast loved me may be
in them, and I in them” (verse 26).

Jesus makes it very clear: When we are one with Him, we enjoy the very same
love of the Father that He enjoys. God delights in us as much as He does in His
own Son.

The Bible also tells us God is our Father, just as He is Christ‘s Father. Jesus
testified: “I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your
God” (John 20:17).

So, how hard are you striving to please God? Do you go through seasons in which
you feel you are delighting Him? And do you have “low” seasons when you feel you
are displeasing Him?

Beloved, you have to put facts ahead of your feelings. And the fact is, God’s
pleasure in you has nothing to do with your strivings, intensity, good
intentions or actions. No, it all has to do with your faith.

I believe God wants us to have what I call a “focused faith” that says, “All
your faith may be focused on the principle that if you wish to stand holy
before God, you must come to Him in Christ.”

The writer of Hebrews warns against having “. . . an evil heart of unbelief, in
departing from the living God” (Hebrews 3:12). This is an issue of faith! When
we move away from the foundational doctrine of being accepted by God through
Christ, we are turning back to the law, the flesh and spiritual bondage!

“We which have believed do enter into rest . . . For he that is entered into
his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his” (4:3,
10). Scripture makes it clear: The evidence of faith is rest.

The only way to bring your striving, sweating, troubled soul into peace is to
convince yourself, “I am in Christ and I am accepted by God. He delights in me,
regardless of whether I am up or down. No matter how I feel, I know my position
in Christ—that I am seated with Him in heavenly places!”

Read this devotion online: http://www.worldchallenge.org/en/node/20961?src=devo-email

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A Welcome For All

Here’s Today’s Devotional from The Vine.

All those who the Father gives me will come to me. Him who comes to me I will in no way throw out. - John 6:37

 

We don’t need to worry ourselves about trying to harmonize the two parts of this verse; we can believe them both, and find great comfort and joy in them. Together they bring every Christian a glorious and double confidence. Surely it is a blessing to know that God has thought about our salvation and planned for it, and then given us to Christ to be His.

If this is true, it is easy to understand the other part of this verse. Of course Christ will not “throw out” anyone who His Father gives to Him. They are His own. He knows them by name, and loves them, for He died for them. He will not ignore one of His own when He finds him lying by the wayside or among the thorns, wounded, bleeding, dying, but will take him up and bear him home in safety. We should not be anxious about the first part of this sentence; the last part is all that really concerns us. If we truly come to Christ, we are assured that He will in no way turn us away; but we must come. Then we shall find room enough, and a most loving welcome.