OCTOBER 26, 2023

 “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.” (Romans 5:8-9)

This is one of the most loved passages in the Bible (Vs. 8 being my favorite Bible verse), and it is also the high point of a lengthier discussion. In previous verses in the book, Paul clearly showed that salvation is based on faith, not works (Rom. 3:21-26). That justification, a declaration of His righteousness, brings us peace with God instead of wrath. This is available only to those who have expressed saving faith, exemplified by men like Abraham.

Given that hope, suffering in the life of a Christian believer can be meaningful. We are safe to hope in God because He loves us. Paul’s point is that we don’t have to take God’s word alone that He loves us. We can look at the evidence: Christ died for us while we were still sinners.

What does it mean that Christ died for us? It means that He died in our place. Because of our sins, we deserve to suffer God’s angry judgment. We deserved death. Christ took that judgment for our sin on Himself on the cross. He suffered and died in our place. Paul insists that we should take that act as evidence of God’s great love for us, especially since God went first. Jesus died in our place before we knew we would want Him to do that. He died for us before we did anything to deserve such love, as it takes love to die willingly for someone else, even if they’re a “good” person. But we, those who have been saved, were still sinners and thus enemies with God, who would not improve on our own. In truth, we had no hope of avoiding God’s judgment before Jesus took it for us.

Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross is an essential Christian doctrine to understand; it is vital to know and never forget what was accomplished by the shed blood of our Savior. Ephesians 1:7 says, “…redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace.” Paul refers to Christ’s death on the cross as the sufficient payment for the sins of all who believe in Him. This redemption paid to release us from the eternal penalty and the earthly power of our sins. This freedom, of course, did not come “at no cost” since Christ’s death pays for it; it cost Him everything.

This is grace in the truest sense: the ability to become a child of God because God provided a free way to know Him by faith even though we were enemies. God’s grace is of tremendous value. It is what is required to make people sons and daughters of God. All have sinned and fallen short of His glory. It is only through Jesus that we have a way to have salvation.

OCTOBER 24, 2023

 “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me…” (Psalm 23:4)

“Between that part of Christ’s flock which is on earth and that part which is gone to heaven, death lies, like a deep valley that must be passed in going from one to the other.” -Thomas Scott

In reality, we have been walking all our lives under the shadow of death. We all have an appointment that we must keep with death, and since we do not know when we will face our last enemy, we are constantly under his shadow. David said, “There is but a step between me and death.” Even so, we can say with the Psalmist, “I will fear no evil: for Thou art with me.” Not only has our great Savior taken the sting out of death for His people, He promises to be with us in that hour.

The Psalmist David, in a very real way, walked in the shadow of death. He was often surrounded by“enemies” who were seeking to take his life. He said, in the next verse, that the Lord had prepared a table for him in the presence of his enemies. It matters little in what period of his life he penned these glorious words, it seems that death was always near. In his youth, it was either slay or be slain by a lion and a bear. Because of these victories, he was emboldened to face Goliath, who was more than twice his size. As God anointed, his life was ever in danger until Saul was removed and he was made King of Israel. As a mighty warrior and commander of armies, the shadow was ever over him, yet he feared no evil.

How is it with you and me? How will it be when we come to the chilly waters of Jordan?

“When the darkness appears,

And the night draws near;

And the day is past and gone,

At the river I stand,

Guide my feet, hold my hand;

Take my hand, Precious Lord,

Lead me home.”

“Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for Thou art with me…“ Charles Spurgeon wrote, “Trembling brother, you would feel perfectly safe if you had your eyes opened to see the companies of angels that surround you; you would rejoice in your security if you saw horses of fire, and chariots of fire encompassing you. But such defenses are as nothing compared with those which are always around you. God is better than myriads of chariots or thousands of angels; He is among them.”

The Psalmist has presented us with a scenario personifying death as a gigantic form that casts a shadow which in essence represents the form but not the substance of death for Christ’s sheep. The shadow owes its existence not only to the object shadowed but to the light behind it. Death as the substance of the shadow is not the subject here for it has been removed. What remains is only the shadow as we pass through this deep valley over which it is cast. Here, death is represented as standing by the side of the valley through which we must walk, while the light of glory casts death’s shadow over our path. There are celestial lights where the walker is headed. As the traveler passes through this valley of the shadow of death there is nothing for him to fear, for the Lord (His Lord) is with him.

Though it is true that you must walk this darksome valley, and nobody else can walk it for you, it is not true that you must walk it by yourself. God Himself will accompany you and guide you safely through to the Celestial City and to the lights of glory.

The valley is not an abiding place, it is a passageway. Christ has conquered death, removing the substance, leaving only the shadow.

OCTOBER 19, 2023

“So there was a division among the people because of him.” (John 7:43)

There never lived anyone who has moved so deeply the hearts of men as Jesus Christ. The greatest of the world’s political leaders that ever held office, the greatest military leaders and warriors who ever took to the field of battle, and the most ingenious masters of art, science, or literature, all together have not affected so many, and that to so great an extent, as Jesus of Nazareth. His coming changed the world’s history, making its state of being almost inconceivably different from what it would have been had He not come into it. His teachings were destined to make disciples in every nation of the earth from the greatest to the least. Just as there is no speech nor language where the voice of the glorious creation is not heard, His line (words) goes out to the end of the world. Multiplied millions around the world call themselves of His Name. He occupies the highest place of esteem in the hearts of multitudes. For His sake, men and women have lived as living sacrifices, and for His sake, countless ones have given their lives, dying most horribly rather than to deny Him.

But, in proportion to the faith and veneration and adoration with which Christ is regarded by a large portion of mankind at any given time, you have at the same time the unbelief, contempt, and hatred which others display toward Him. The poles of the earth are not more widely separate than the opinions and sentiments of human beings respecting Christ. There is nothing about which they are more completely at variance. That Name which is so lovely and sweet to believers is cursed by infidels.

But, as our verse reveals, not all unbelievers are the same in their opinions about Christ. Thus there is a division among non-disciples, “because of him.” As Jesus was here preaching, He made a loving appeal, “If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink.” Some said, “Of a truth this is the Prophet.” Others who heard him said that He was an imposter and a fraud. Some officers said, “Never man spake as this man.” But the Pharisees responded by angrily asking, “Are ye also deceived?” While some hear Christ’s message only to have their hatred stirred, others hearing the same words are moved emotionally, and may even acknowledge that both Christ and His message are true. It’s not unusual for unbelievers to admire the message of the Gospel, and even to acknowledge that Christ is the Son of God and the Savior of the World, while remaining in their unbelief. “So there was a division among them.” And sadly, those whose faith was nothing more than head knowledge and admiration were, nonetheless, in the same condemnation as those wicked Pharisees who continued to plot Christ’s death. Though true saving faith is most certainly based in truth, and though it does indeed involve feelings, let us be sure that our faith is something more than merely intellectual or emotional faith.

“Because of him,” there is a division of believers from non-believers. This is a great and wide difference, and the more clearly the division is seen the better. Presently there is the necessary division that exists between righteousness and unrighteousness. There is a vast difference of opinion between Christians and non-Christians, especially as to the Lord Jesus Christ. To the world, He has no beauty but to us, He is altogether lovely, the fairest of ten thousand to our souls. Because of him, we have differing trusts, differing pleasures, differing loves, and differing character. Thus, there is great disagreement between the temple of God and an idolatrous world.

The “division…because of him” will end in eternal separation, as we come to our final destination.“When the Son of man shall come in his glory,…then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory:…and he shall separate…as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on his left. Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.” (Matt. 25:31-33)“Then shall he say unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels.” (Matt. 25:41)

The division “because of him” will end in this final separation, and nothing shall ever bridge the great gulf that forever separates the believer and the non-believer. (Luke 16:26) On which side of this gulf you will be, whether with the cursed in hell, or with the blessed in heaven, depends upon what you do with Jesus, Who is called the Christ, for the division is “because of him.”

OCTOBER 17, 2023

 “But I have trusted in thy mercy; my heart shall rejoice in thy salvation. I will sing unto the LORD, because he hath dealt bountifully with me.” (Psalm 13:5-6)

This is yet another Psalm of David, but, like the last one I covered, we have yet to determine the time it was written or the circumstances under which it was composed. It would seem to have been written during a time of great persecution, and it would be most natural to assume those were persecutions David suffered from Saul. The Psalm, though undoubtedly composed concerning the various trials of the author, always contains sentiments applicable to believers and may be regarded as exemplifying how they should express themselves in such endeavors.

It is not a rarity for some to endure such circumstances as in the Psalm. It is of great and permanent value because it illustrates that even good people might sometimes feel desolate and forsaken as if God had left them. But even so, they will, in such times, cry earnestly to God for His interposition.

Today’s verses highlight the cheerful confidence that children of God can have. They can hold onto the hope that He will grant them this favor and interpose on their behalf. God’s people can trust in His mercy and promises; they only find their confidence in God, not themselves. David still maintained this confidence, and now, as a result, he began to delight in the conviction that he would be safe. His idea here is, “I have trusted in the mercy of God, I trust now, and I will trust forever.”

The “salvation” referred to in Vs.5 does not refer to salvation in the future (accomplished by Christ) but to deliverance from David’s present troubles and condition of safety. He was confident that God would intervene, and there would yet be cause to rejoice in the salvation as accomplished. He now calls on his heart to rejoice in the assurance that it would be his. So it should be with us as well. There will not only be rejoicing in salvation when accomplished, but there may, and should be, in the firm conviction that it will be ours.

David writes that he will sing unto the Lord because God had shown him kindness, thus laying the foundation for gratitude and praise. The Psalm closes with expressions of joy, thankfulness, and triumph. Though it begins from a place of depression, it ends with joy. This is often an observable trend in the Psalms, often from the author feeling overwhelmed with sorrow and earnestly pleading with God. The clouds disperse; the darkness disappears. New views of the goodness and mercy of God are imparted; an assurance of His favor is brought to the soul; confidence in His mercy springs up in the heart; and the Psalm that began with sorrowful complaining ends with the language of praise and joy. So, too, it is in our own experience. Afflicted, depressed, and sad, we go to God.

Our souls take hold of the promises of God, and though we came to the throne sad and discouraged, we can rise from our devotions filled with praise and joy. We can be submissive to the trials that made us so sad before and rejoice in the belief that all things will work together for our good.