JULY 11, 2024

“For none of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself. For whether we live, we live unto theLord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord: whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord’s.” (Romans 14:7-8)

Paul writes that no one lives or dies to himself. Christians are not meant to exist in a vacuum. We cannot wall ourselves off from the Lord or other believers. Whatever we do, we belong to the Lord. No Christian lives to gratify his or her inclinations or appetites. It is our great aim to do the will of God, to subordinate all his desires to our Law and Gospel.

To live to ourselves is to make our greatest desire to become prosperous or honored and indulge in the comfort and pleasures of life. This is what worldly people aim for, and in nothing else do Christians differ more from the world than in this.

In other words, we should not think that our decision about if we are involved in disputed issues is only about us. The Lord is always involved because we are His. That means that only God has the right to judge those issues, but it also means nobody has the right to make decisions on those topics without considering the will of God. Living to ourselves is evidence that we are strangers to God. If the great motive of our lives is to gratify the flesh, it is evidence that we know nothing of the power of the Gospel, which teaches us to deny ourselves and take up our cross daily.

Everything in our lives is done and suffered by God’s will. In our conduct, property, trials, and even death, we are His. We can be disposed of as He pleases because, ultimately, no one dies to himself.

Nobody who is in Christ lives and dies to him or herself. Born again, saved Christians no longer exist to serve their agendas. We cannot claim the right to follow our path to our goals. Instead, Christ redeemed us, meaning that He paid for us. We have been bought with a price. Or, as Paul puts it here, we live to the Lord and, eventually, die to the Lord. Whether living or dead, the Lord owns us.

The fact that we live to the Lord means that our choices must be made for His honor and in service of His agenda, which includes what we eat or the special days we observe. More than that, it should consist of all the choices we make in this life.

We also die to the Lord. This likely means not only that we die in God’s perfect timing but also that we will continue to belong to the Lord after we die and enter eternity. We will ever and always belong to the Lord. Understanding that should impact how we view every choice we make.

Paul’s teaching in this chapter firmly commands that “Christian liberty” is not a license to do whatever we want; however, we want. Our choices and freedom should still be guided by submission to God.

As long as we live, we live to do His will and promote His glory. This is the grand purpose of the life of the Christian. Other people live to gratify themselves, but true Christians should do what the Lord requires to honor our Savior. In all conditions, we are His, bound to do His will.

JULY 9, 2024

 “Return, thou backsliding Israel, saith the LORD.” “Turn, O backsliding children, saith the LORD.” “Return, ye backsliding children, and I will heal your backslidings.” (Jeremiah 3:12, 14, 22)

It is a fearful and senseless thing that a believer should backslide. Such mercy has been shown him; and such love has been enjoyed by him. The path that lies ahead only shines brighter and brighter unto the perfect day, while great comfort and joy are sacrificed by his backsliding. Backsliding is a wretched business for the man himself, since nothing is gained thereby, and everything is endangered. It is injurious to the whole church to which the backsliders belong, and it is also mischievous to the outside world. There is one immediate duty for the backslider, which is also the immediate remedy for his backsliding. One word sums it up, and it is God’s word, “Return!” This is God’s call to His backsliding children.

The call awakens wonder. There would seem to be many reasons why the Lord should not invite backsliders to return. The first reason, as seen in Verse 1 of this chapter, would be the usual jealousy of love. Note the terrible imagery – a wanton adulteress is allowed to return to her husband. Israel had“played the harlot with many lovers,” Her idolatries are so described. The Prophet Isaiah asked, “Why trimmest thou thy ways to seek love?” The Prophet Hosea reveals how Judah’s sister credited her lovers with giving her all the good things that God had lavished upon her. What amazing mercy that He would again extend his loving arms to this unfaithful wife and say, “Thou hast played the harlot with many lovers, yet return again to me.” Should any be of the opinion that backsliding is no big deal, you had best think again. When a believer forsakes the Lord for a rendezvous with his former idols, it is spiritually adultery. When the voice of an offended Bridegroom is heard calling out in love, “Return ye,” the repentance ought to be immediate, tearful, and resolute.

A second reason that God’s call to return is wonderful; is the abundance of their sin. “Thou hast polluted the land.” The very earth had felt the leprosy of the idolatry. This is a most grievous effect of backsliding. We are to be as salt and light, but if the salt loses its saltiness, and the light becomes darkness, our backsliding will have a polluting effect on the world around us. To God’s children, who are in such a condition, rather than remove them for bringing shame upon His name, He pleads with them to return.

In counting the reasons seen in this chapter alone as to why God’s appeal to His backslidden children is to be wondered at, we see a third reason in Verse 3. They were obstinate in their rebellion. Notwithstanding repeated and severe chastisements, they had withstood. “Thou refusest to be ashamed.” It is sometimes worrisome when we see God’s various methods of discipline resisted, knowing that in each of them God is calling His wayward child to return to his first love. Preaching is ignored; works of providence seem to have no effect. The Prophet says, “Thou hast a whore’s forehead, thou refusest to be ashamed.” To this refusal, we hear the Lord’s tender voice calling still, “Wilt thou not return unto Me?”

How gracious is this appeal. The sense in the original is, “Turn, ye turned away sons, and I will heal your turnings.” The Lord here exchanges threats for promises. He will “heal,” not simply receive His children, but heal their apostasies. Men repent of sin, but God cures it. We are to turn from evil, but God’s work is to destroy the evil. Sin is washed away, not by tears of repentance, but by the blood of Christ. God heals the apostasies themselves, not simply their painful effects.

“Yet sovereign mercy calls, “Return!”

Dear Lord, and may I come?

My vile ingratitude I mourn –

O take the wanderer home!” – Steele

JULY 4, 2024

 “…of his disciples, whom Jesus loved.” (John 13:23)

“…and the disciple standing by, whom he loved…” (John 19:26)

“…to the other disciple, whom Jesus loved…” (John 20:2)

“Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved saith unto Peter…” (John 21:7)

“…seeth the disciple whom Jesus loved following…” (John 21:20)

Here are the five instances in the Book of John where John refers to “the disciple that Jesus loved.” I’ve always found this phrasing interesting for many reasons, but mostly because it is unique within the Gospels (not used in Matthew, Mark, or Luke). So, who does it refer to, and why is it used?

Before we identify who it is, let’s be clear that when the author calls himself five times “the one whom Jesus loved,” he’s not saying that Jesus doesn’t love the others. It’s this very author who says in John 11:5 that Jesus loved Mary, Martha, and Lazarus as well as in John 15:9, he directly quotes Jesus (speaking to all of His disciples) as saying, “As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you.” In other words, this writer is not trying to claim that this disciple was the only one that Jesus loved.

But back to the question of whom we’re talking about. We should start by narrowing the field from twelve to three. Jesus had a strong relationship with every disciple, but we see in the other Gospels that Peter, James, and John were the closest associates of Him. For example, those three, and only those three, went up with Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration. Jesus had an extraordinary relationship with these three, so we’re likely talking about one of them.

It appears from the way this Gospel presents this unnamed disciple that he also had quite a close relationship with Peter. For example, on the morning of the resurrection, Mary Magdalene runs to report what she has seen and runs to Peter, who is with the disciple Jesus loved. So, there they are, apparently hanging out together.

So, you have this repeated close relationship between the disciple Jesus loved and Peter. And we know that Peter, James, and John had a very close relationship with each other and Jesus. And we know that John, one of the sons of Zebedee, was on the boat fishing when a disciple who is identified as the one whom Jesus loved was there. And we know that James had been killed by the time this Gospel was written (Acts 12:2), so he’s not an option for this very close relationship with Peter. That leaves us with the high probability that John, the apostle and writer of this book, is the disciple Jesus loved.

John used the phrase because he knew the Lord loved him. His confidence, seasoned with humility, can be felt in those words. In John, we see how a person can be changed by being in constant contact with Jesus. We observe that the sustained emersion in His presence and His words are transforming. The recipient becomes more of a human being than he ever was before. The love and devotion of each of the disciples for Jesus and their surrender to Him changed them into something new; they were born again. They each became something the world had never seen, a new kind of man indwelt by the Living Christ.

The “disciple that Jesus loved” became one of the most prolific writers of Scripture, second only to Paul in New Testament writings. As you progress through his Gospel account and letters, it is evident that this “Son of Thunder” has changed. The man who penned those writings was a man filled with immeasurable love.

Following Christ changed John completely; he no longer identified as “John” but became “the disciple that Jesus loved.” He measured himself based on his proximity to Jesus, the most essential thing in his life. John never wrote his book for personal glory; he’s barely even a character in his book. Jesus Christ is the protagonist of this story, and the only important thing about John is how Jesus felt about him, something he strives to make clear. To be able to tell others that we are “the disciple that Jesus loved (or loves)” is something every Christian should yearn for. We should all desire to have that kind of relationship with Him.

JULY 2, 2024

 “Ye that have escaped the sword, go away, stand not still: remember the LORD afar off, and let Jerusalem come into your mind.” (Jeremiah 51:50)

The captives in Babylon are charged to remember Jerusalem. Why? Because, for one thing, the temple of their God was there. Zephaniah tells us of the faithful, who, while in captivity were “sorrowful for the solemn assemblies.” Though God comforted them by promising to be to them “a little sanctuary,” (Ezek. 11:16), there was still within them a longing for the courts of the Lord. Is it so with us? When deprived of the sacred assemblies, do we remember them with fondness? Can we empathize with David, who being exiled in some cave with only tears for his meat day and night, sighs, “When I remember these things, I pour out my soul in me: for I had gone with the multitudes, I went with them to the house of God, with the voice of joy and praise, with a multitude that kept holy day.” (Ps. 42:4) It should be a matter of great sadness if we for any reason are unable to gather with the people of God.

Another reason why the Lord might encourage the captives to remember Jerusalem would be to keep them from settling down in Babylon. God had promised to deliver His people out of captivity and bring them home to Jerusalem. “Thus, saith the Lord, that after seventy years be accomplished at Babylon, I will visit you and perform my good word toward you in causing you to return from this place.” (Jer. 29:10) This world is not our home. Our Lord has ascended to heaven, to the New Jerusalem, “leading captivity captive.” Let us not drive down our stakes too deep in this life, for we shall soon be folding our tents and taking flight to the heavenly Jerusalem where we shall see our Lord and the heavenly throne. Matthew Henry commented that Christians ought to think much upon heaven and see that the subject occupies much of our conversation in this world; for it is there that we are already seated in heavenly places in Christ.

When the Lord said to His captive people, “remember Jerusalem,” He clearly desired that they should long for the holy city and keep themselves prepared to return to it. God knows that His people are prone to settle into their surroundings, get caught up in the current of the world, and forget their spiritual citizenship. May Paul’s confession in Philippians 3:20 be indeed true of us. In contrasting the superior state of believers with that of unbelievers, “who mind earthly things,” he says, “For our conversation (citizenship) is in heaven, from whence we look for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.”

There is a Jerusalem here below which should come into our minds. The Church of the Living God is our holy city, the city of the Great King, and it should be foremost in our thoughts. We should gladly unite with its citizens, joining with them in open profession of faith. We ought to be united in Christian love, mutual help, and holy service worship, and communion. We should pray for the prosperity of our Jerusalem, and this practice will assure that she occupies our thoughts. To remember Jerusalem means laboring for the advancement of her holy cause. It means being mindful of her with our financial support, and with employment of our time and talents. If we truly remember our church as we should, we will prefer its privileges above earthly things. It will have primary consideration in our choices respecting place of residence, occupation, etc. With many professors, these are very small matters, but if we are to properly remember Jerusalem, they won’t be. If we remember our church as we ought, we will lament her declensions and transgressions. We are aware of how Jesus wept over Jerusalem; and how Paul wept over enemies in the church. (Luke 19:41; Phil. 3:18) Oh, that all Christians took a deeper interest in the Church of God! It should be that in all our joys and sorrows the cause of Christ were interwoven. He is a poor patriot who forgets his country, and he is no Christian who does not bear the church upon his heart.