A Blessed Walk (Psalm 119:1)
Psalm 119:1, Blessed are the undefiled in the way, who walk in the law of the LORD. Can we know if and when God is pleased with how we are living our lives? Eric Liddell, Scottish missionary and athlete of the 1924 Olympics stated, “In the dust of defeat as well as the laurels of victory there is glory to be found if one has done his best”. Another statement he made was, “And when I run, I feel His pleasure”. Liddell lived a life that honored the Lord on and off the field. He gave God all the praise and glory. Proverbs 3:5-6, Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. This blessed psalm begins with blessing. One condition for God’s blessing is being “undefiled in the way of life.” The word undefiled has the sense of being without ‘blemish’ or ‘upright.’ The greater thought is that those who keep themselves undefiled by sin in the pathway of life are blessed. Those who walk in the law of the Lord will in fact be undefiled. As we hide God’s Word in our hearts, we will not sin against Him. Living a life which is undefiled by sin is a blessing in and of itself. Sin brings nothing but trouble, loss, destruction, and misery. The Word of God is crucial in developing a life undefiled by sin. Psalm 119:133, Order my steps in thy word: and let not any iniquity have dominion over me. God has given us His precepts and laws. He has pathed the way on which we are to follow on our journey. We have assurance that we can walk according to His will and avoid unrighteousness if we purposely choose to accept His instructions and diligently follow them. If we are devoted to this commitment, this will result in a life that is blessed, happy, and content. This requires seeking Him with all our heart, observing the Lord’s testimonies and promises, walking in the way of integrity, living a life that honors Him. Psalm 16:11, Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; It is pleasing to be able to read God's commandments and expectations and not be ashamed. We can only worship and praise the Lord if our heart is upright, obedient, and faithful, for He has blessed us in revealing His way to guide us. He will not forsake those who are careful about following His statutes.
Prayer: Heavenly Father, I sincerely desire the fullness of Your blessings and want to keep my life pure and blameless. Give me a heart to seek You above all else so that sin, worldly determination, and self-gain have no attraction for me. Help me treasure Your Word in my heart, make Your law and Your statutes the foundation of my convictions and life values, give heed to Your testimonies, and find joy and delight in following them. In Jesus name, Amen. If this post has blessed you in any way, please share this website and its articles with others: www.fellowshipbaptistcarrabelle.com
0 Comments
Our Appointment with the Lord (Romans 14:11)
Romans 14:11, For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God. One day Jesus Christ will return to this earth. His presence and prominence will bring all of us to our knees. Every knee will bow. I’m not sure when it will happen, but I am certain it will happen. We are reminded in Philippians 2:9-11 that Christ is exalted above all others. His name is above every name! Every knee will bow before His Lordship! Every tongue will confess His worthiness! None are left out in the completeness of the process. The blaspheming tongue, the cursing tongue, the lying tongue, the vicious tongue, the boastful tongue. Every tongue will one day confess Christ’s Lordship “to the glory of God.” Christ is exalted! And God will be glorified! Every name! Every knee! Every tongue! Many people have avoided God all their life. But one day very person will bow their knee before Him and say these words: “Jesus Christ is Lord.” Even if you have never believed or have never taken church seriously. Life is about one thing, it’s about entering into a relationship with God through Christ. Who’s really in charge? It’s not Washington, or Hollywood, or Wall Street, or athletes, or entertainers, and it’s not you and me. It’s Jesus Christ, the Lord. No matter what a person accomplishes in this world, a hundred years from today, if they didn’t get this figured out here, they will spend eternity in the lake of fire. What answers would you fill into these following blanks? If I were in charge, I would do ________________ with my life. But Jesus is Lord, so I choose His plan for my life. If I were in charge, I would do ________________ with my finances. But Jesus is Lord, so I choose to give, save, and spend according to His priorities. If I were in charge, I would do ________________ right now in my marriage, but I’m not in charge. He is Lord, and I will do what His Word says. Everybody serves somebody. Everybody has somebody in charge of their life. Forget the excuses—you choose who you serve. You don’t fall into servitude. It’s not an accident. You can’t blame your environment or your past. You choose who you serve. Your parents don’t choose for you. Your pastor can’t choose for you. As much as someone might love you, they can’t choose for you. Even God, who loves you perfectly, will not choose for you. There are simply some crucial decisions you have to make for yourself. Prayer, Father, thank You for going as far as You had to go to find me. For the journey from eternity to the cross that Jesus took for me, and then for meeting me in the road I was taking to hell. Thank You for breaking through my half-hearted and misguided efforts to find You by effectively finding me when I was completely lost! I rejoice over the fact, that I will spend eternity with You and in joyous effort telling You how grateful I am. In Jesus’ name, Amen. If this post in any way, has blessed you, please share this website and its articles with others: www.fellowshipbaptistcarrabelle.com Prayer Prevails (I Chronicles 5:18-22)
I Chronicles 5:18-22, The sons of Reuben, and the Gadites, and half the tribe of Manasseh, of valiant men, men able to bear buckler and sword, and to shoot with bow, and skilful in war, were four and forty thousand seven hundred and threescore, that went out to the war. And they made war with the Hagarites, with Jetur, and Nephish, and Nodab. And they were helped against them, and the Hagarites were delivered into their hand, and all that were with them: for they cried to God in the battle, and he was intreated of them; because they put their trust in him. And they took away their cattle; of their camels fifty thousand, and of sheep two hundred and fifty thousand, and of asses two thousand, and of men an hundred thousand. For there fell down many slain, because the war was of God. And they dwelt in their steads until the captivity. Their Skill (I Chronicles 5:18) Sons of Reuben, Gad and half the tribe of Manasseh numbering 44,760 had ability in three particular areas. They use shield and sword, shot with bows, and displayed skill in fighting. For any battle, the believer needs the Lord's power. We are not told that Jesus ever taught His disciples how to preach, but He taught them how to pray. He wanted them to have power with God; then He knew they would have power with man—Dwight L. Moody. Their Success (I Chronicles 5:19-22) Victory is evident in that the Israelite soldiers were "helped" and the enemies "given into their hand." One might estimate the weight of the world, tell the size of the celestial city, count the stars of heaven, measure the speed of lightning, and tell the time of the rising and the setting of the sun—but you cannot estimate prayer-power. Prayer is as vast as God because He is behind it. Prayer is as mighty as God because He has committed Himself to answer it. Leonard Ravenhill Their Secret (I Chronicles 5:20-22) The soldiers "cried out to God in the battle." Prayer was the weapon for success rather than all their ability with shield, sword and bow. God "was entreated for them," answering prayer. God answered with victory "because they trusted in Him." They did not trust within themselves but in the Person who had all power. He lifted them above an army more than twice their size (I Chronicles 5:21). When God answers, trust He is being true to His word of promise. He had pledged overwhelming victory when the Israelites depended on Him. David would state the principle in (Psalm 20:7); some trust in horses, some in chariots, but believers like him remember the name of the Lord. The believer's prayer secrets for battle today are spoken in (II Corinthians 6:7; 10:4-5; Ephesians 6:10-20; II Timothy 2:1-4). Prayer is the key that unlocks all the storehouses of God's infinite grace and power. All that God is, and all that God has, is at the disposal of prayer. R. A. Torrey God gives us abilities today, but He wants us to remember always that success is not in the abilities of our own right, but in His power (Proverbs 3:5-6; II Corinthians 3:5). David frequently prayed (II Chronicles 14:10, 14) as we should be disciplined in praying without ceasing (I Thessalonians 5:17). Prayer should always be with trust as God sets a high importance on faith (Hebrews 11:1-6). He also makes it clear that prayer is always to be with thanksgiving (Philippians 4:6-7; I Thessalonians 5:18). No matter what odds are stacked against those who pray in faith, God is able to win. PRAYER: Father, I praise You that I can at anytime, anywhere, and under any circumstance come to You in prayer. My desire is to keep walking continually with You, so that my prayer may be the natural expression of my life with You. In Jesus name, AMEN. If this post in any way, has blessed you, please share this website and its articles with others: www.fellowshipbaptistcarrabelle.com His Life For Mine (Romans 5:8)
Romans 5:8, But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. The following are a few of the numerous Scriptures regarding Christ giving His life for us (John 3:16; 11:50; Matthew 20:28; Romans 5:17-19). The deepest, most profound, and most edifying subject in all the Word of God is found in II Corinthians 5:21, ‘He hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him! ’ He died in our place, so that when we die, we will never spend eternity in Hell separated from the LORD. There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:1). For the believer, there is no possibility of condemnation! The most marvelous thing that ever took place upon the earth was Jesus Christ, God the eternal Son, was made sin for us, that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him! Jesus Christ not only died in our place. But He also has taken our punishment and our charges (Romans 3:21-26), and there is no sin in Him (II Corinthians 5:21; Hebrews 9:14; I Peter 2:22; I John 3:5). Substitution is the core doctrine of Christianity. This is the rock upon which our hopes are built. This is the only hope of the sinner and the only true joy of all saints. These two things, Christ being made sin and us being made righteousness, could only be accomplished by substitution. There was no possible way for the Lord of glory to be made sin, except by imputation. And there is no way by which any man can be made righteousness, except by imputation. It is a legal matter. At Calvary, Christ became sin for us and we became righteousness in Him. As surely as Christ was made sin, all of those for whom He died are made righteous. Impute means to put on someone's account; To charge something to another’s account. We had a debt we owed that we could never pay (Romans 5:12). Jesus is the payer of our sin debt. It means that Jesus places His righteousness upon our record when we trust upon Him for salvation. Imputation is the act of God whereby our sins are put on Christ’s account and His righteousness is put on our account. It means that Jesus took our sins upon His record and then placed His righteousness upon our record. What a wonderful truth! To think that Jesus would bare our sins upon His own body and suffer the crucifixion for us. Jesus would place all His righteousness upon our record so that we might be viewed upon by God as having the righteousness of Christ. Now that is a loving God! If we take it for what it means it can affect our lives in understanding how much the Lord Jesus Christ loves us. We can never understand the depths of wisdom and grace revealed in the substitutionary death of Christ. But we who have seen Him dying in our stead should never cease to worship, adore, love, and trust our merciful Redeemer. Jesus earnestly wants to impute your sin to His record and impute His righteousness to your record. If you will receive Christ’s righteousness He will impute His righteousness to your account, that when you stand before God, you will stand before Him as though you have never sinned; not because you’re sinless, but because your account has been settled. If you would like to accept Him as your Lord and Saviour, it all begins when you say yes to Jesus and let Him become your Saviour. All you must do to be saved is admit your guilty condition before God for violating His holy Law (Romans 3:19), and then trust Jesus to wash away your sins with His shed blood. PRAYER: Father I thank You for Jesus who paid the sin debt that I owed and could never repay. In Jesus name, AMEN! If this post has blessed you in any way, please share this website and its articles with others: www.fellowshipbaptistcarrabelle.com God is with You…Always (Hebrews 13:5)
Hebrews 13:5, Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. For many, when things begin to go wrong or unplanned it is easy to become discouraged. Especially when those positive people who seem to have it all organized and planned out simply allow themselves to be overwhelmed by a spirit of helplessness and hopelessness. And yes, men of God even need to be reminded that God is still in control. Martin Luther, was often discouraged. In fact, his wife thought the only way to help him was to shock him out of it. She put on a black dress and veil as if she was going to a funeral. When he asked her who had died, she said, “Martin, haven’t your heard? God has died.” He declared, “That is blasphemy!” His wife said, “Aye Husband, and it is blasphemy for you to be living as if God is dead.” Needless to say, Martin snapped out of it! If ever there was a time when circumstances seemed to be out of control, it was during the final week of the life of our Lord. Consider the unfair trial of the Man who was completely innocent. Think of the physical abuse of the One who had harmed no one. Remember the cruel and untimely death of the Person who was so involved in helping mankind. Out of control? Not at all. He was in control from start to finish! If ever everything seemed hopeless, it was on the day Jesus was crucified. The hopes and dreams of the disciples were shattered as they watched the Messiah die like a criminal on the cross. But three days later God intervened. He turned what looked like sure defeat into victory - the triumphant resurrection of Christ when He arose victoriously from the grave. Here is a word of promise from our great God. ‘I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.’ The Lord our God promises His perpetual presence and care to every believer forever. God hammers home the assurance that there are no circumstances, ever or anywhere, in which He abandons His children. Even when His saints go through horrible persecution or tortuous deaths, He is there with them and uses the trial to take them to be with Him in heaven for all eternity. The reality of that comforting truth enables us to be content in all circumstances. Our money, our health, or our loved ones may all be taken, but God Himself remains! Having God is all that we need for contentment!
He is in control of your circumstances. Even godly people get down at times. Circumstances may knock us flat. Trials take us by surprise. But the difference between people is not the intensity of the things that we go through, but how we choose to deal with those circumstances. Whatever circumstances you find yourself in, however despondent tomorrow may seem and despite all the problems that confront you, always remember that God is with you (Deuteronomy 31:6-8; Joshua 1:5; Psalm 23; Isaiah 41:10; Matthew 28:20 Hebrews 13:5). Place your faith and trust in Him and He will give you the victory. PRAYER: Father, thank You that You don’t ever give up on me. You pursue me even when I’m hiding and retreating from the circumstances in life. Help me to totally rely on You for the strength to handle any circumstances You allow into my life, no matter how tough. In Jesus’ name, Amen. If this post in any way, has blessed you, please share this website and its articles with others: www.fellowshipbaptistcarrabelle.com Faith That Pleases God (Hebrews 11:6)
Hebrews 11:6, But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. The importance of walking by faith in the Lord is a paramount principle of the Christian life. When the Lord saved us He also gave us a will or purpose for our lives. This is why it is so vital that we walk with the Lord every day. Often God asks us to take a step of faith before He shows us what He is up to. He did this with Abraham in Genesis 12. Abraham was just told to get up and get out and then God would reveal which direction he was to take. Galatians 3:11, But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith. Galatians 3:11 is actually a quote from Habakkuk 2:4. Habakkuk 2:4, Behold, his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him: but the just shall live by his faith. Paul also quoted Romans 1:17, For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith. The importance of this statement is revealed through its repetition. Hebrews 10:38, Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him. Faith is a fundamental of the Christian life. Galatians 3:11 makes it clear that living by faith is a righteous thing. God wants us to live by faith. Hebrews 11:6, But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. Hebrews 11:6 makes it clear that it is impossible to please God without faith. This verse points out two paramount principles of what faith is. First, faith is believing that God is—that He exists, and that He is who the Scriptures say He is. Second, faith is trusting that God rewards those who seek Him. When we understand this, we will want to involve Him in every area of our lives. Romans 14:23 shows us the flip side of faith. Romans 14:23, And he that doubteth is damned if he eat, because he eateth not of faith: for whatsoever is not of faith is sin. Whenever we fail to exercise our faith, the end always results in negativity. The outcome is loneliness, disobedience, worry, guilt, etc. Trusting in God brings blessing, while trusting in man brings curse. Sooner or later man will always disappoint us and let us down. God is not that way. Trusting in man is like being a bush in the desert—dependent on inconsistent rain to have our needs met. Trusting in God is like being a tree planted by a continual source of water. Psalm 1:3, And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper. POINT TO PONDER: If we are to experience the life God has for us, it will be only by faith and that means trusting Him step by step. QUESTION TO CONSIDER: In what areas of my life am I intentionally exercising the faith that pleases God? PRAYER: Father, thank You for the gift of faith that You give, that I can then use to trust You to do all the things that I could never do for myself, but need to have done! Guard me from thinking that anything in me could please You apart from faith. You even provide that! And thank You for Your amazing grace toward me, Lord. In Jesus’ name, Amen. If this post in any way, has blessed you, please share this website and its articles with others: www.fellowshipbaptistcarrabelle.com Our Heavenly Father Knows Best (Proverbs 1:8)
Proverbs 1:8, My son, hear the instruction of thy father, and forsake not the law of thy mother. An old farmer who was about to die, called his two sons to his bedside and said, "My boys, my farm and the fields are yours in equal shares. I leave you a little ready money but the bulk of my wealth is hidden somewhere in the ground, not more than eighteen inches from the surface. I regret that I've forgotten precisely where it lies." When the old man was dead and buried his two sons set to work to dig up every inch of ground in order to find the buried treasure. They failed to find it but as they'd gone to all the trouble of turning over the soil they thought they might as well sow a crop, which they did, reaping a good harvest. In autumn as soon as they had an opportunity, they dug for the treasure again but with no better results. As their fields were turned over more thoroughly than any others in the county they reaped better harvests than anyone else. Year after year their search continued. Only when they had grown much older and wiser did they realize what their father had meant. Real treasure comes as a result of hard work. Ephesians 6:5-6, Servants, be obedient to them that are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in singleness of your heart, as unto Christ; Not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart. Christian workers are to be loyal and obedient to their employers. We are to follow their instructions and put in a full day's work for a full day's pay. Laziness and shoddy workmanship are poor testimonies and clear signs a person is not filled with the Spirit. Singleness of heart means we have our minds focused, concentrated on our jobs, and work to the best of our ability. The role of the supervisor is to instruct the employee on what to do, not the other way around. One way we show respect is by not fussing, feuding, or fighting but by shining as lights. Colossians 3:23-24, Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the LORD, not for human masters, Knowing that of the LORD ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the LORD Christ. The Spirit filled worker is to work hard and to do their work for the Lord. This will make certain the quality of the work is admirable which is vital if one is to have a good testimony for God. What we do is ultimately to the Lord and not unto men. This certainly is true in the work place as referred to above, but also in any other venue of life. As our earthly supervisors give compensation for our labor, keep in mind, we will also receive compensation from the Lord. The reward is called an "inheritance" which means payday is coming soon. Reward: The wages are what God gives. Reaping is the work He sets in the providential field. Our everyday commandment is spoken by our conscience, and this text says that our reaping is rewarded in something more than that, virtue is its own reward, and that is to say that it pays to do right. Revelation 22:12, And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be. Eternity: Eternity is the quality of the moral harvest. Field-sowing is for time; but heart-sowing is for eternity. It is the long look ahead that enables us to see the reality of spiritual things, and the certainty of spiritual consequences. J. Oswald Sanders was nearing his ninetieth birthday when he died-working on his last book. Before he was 50 he was afflicted with arthritis so badly that he could hardly get out of bed. He could have taken a nice retirement. Instead he entered the most procreative years of his life. At age 50 he left a prosperous career as an attorney in New Zealand to lead the China Inland Mission. Remarkably, as he entered his second and third careers he was totally freed from arthritis. After several years of leading the mission, he retired, only to take on the directorship of a Christian college. Another step downward. Then he retired again. A widower twice, he certainly deserved a rest. But rather than taking it easy, he accelerated, spending his last 20 years speaking around the world over 300 times per year. His respect grew even though he never sought the limelight or tried to maintain his position. Prayer: Lord, thank You for the work You’ve given me to do. Remind me to work with all my heart as if I’m working directly for the Lord Jesus Christ. Help me to embrace the dignity of my work. I want to work hard, on everything, for Your glory. In Jesus' name. Amen. If this post in any way, has blessed you, please share this website and its articles with others: www.fellowshipbaptistcarrabelle.com Going All Out (Philippians 3:13-14)
Philippians 3:13-14, Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. It was a fog-shrouded morning, July 4, 1952, when a young woman named Florence Chadwick waded into the water off Catalina Island. She intended to swim the channel from the island to the California coast. Long-distance swimming was not new to her; she had been the first woman to swim the English Channel in both directions. The water was numbing cold that day. The fog was so thick she could hardly see the boats in her party. Several times sharks had to be driven away with rifle fire. She swam more than fifteen hours before she asked to be taken out of the water. Her trainer tried to encourage her to swim on since they were so close to land, but when Florence looked, all she saw was fog. So she quit... only one-half mile from her goal. Later she said, "I'm not excusing myself, but if I could have seen the land, I might have made it." It wasn't the cold or fear or exhaustion that caused Florence Chadwick to fail. It was the fog. “Obstacles are those frightful things you see when you take your eyes off the goal.” Hannah More. Many times we too fail, not because we're afraid, or because of the peer pressure, or because of anything other than the fact that we lose sight of the goal. Maybe that's why Paul said, "I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 3:14). Two months after her failure, Florence Chadwick walked off the same beach into the same channel and swam the distance, setting a new speed record, because she could see the land. May my heart continue to be determined, driven, and directed to make it my purpose to please Him in all I do (II Corinthians 5:9). There are several goals I want to achieve for the Lord, but here are four that are a priority. 1. I Want to Comprehend Christ (Philippians 3:10). God has revealed His grace and glory to me in the person of His Son. Still, I want a growing, spiritual, experimental knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. I want to know all that he has done for me. I want to know him, to know him fully. 2. I Want to Be Totally Committed to Christ (Galatians 2:20). I want to lose my life totally to Christ and in Christ, so that I can truthfully say with the apostle Paul, ‘For to me to live is Christ.’ I want to be committed to Christ as He was to the Father, so that my heart says to Him in all things, ‘Not my will, but thine, be done.’ It is my constant prayer that God will give me a heart committed to the Lord Jesus Christ, committed to His will, His gospel, His people and to the cause of His glory in this world. 3. I Want to Be Conformed to the Image of Christ (Romans 8:29). My heart hungers to be more like Him, conformed to Him; to be like Him in love, tenderness, and thoughtfulness; in zeal, dedication, and devotion; in purity, holiness, and righteousness. 4. I Want to Live in Communion with Christ (I John 1:3, 7). Contrary to what many contemporary sermons suggest, as Christians, life’s journey is not going to come without obstacles and adversities. We cannot pursue the acceptance of the world and at the same time expect to be pleasing to Him. Although it costs to follow in the footsteps of Christ, it will be worth to hear Him confess us before the Father and say, “Well done!” Prayer: Father, I know these goals are not achievable in this life. These are the things for which my soul craves and I refuse be satisfied with less. Help me to press toward these every day. In Jesus’ name, Amen. If this post in any way, has blessed you, please share this website and its articles with others: www.fellowshipbaptistcarrabelle.com Oh, How He Loves You and Me! (John 11:36)
John 11:36, Then said the Jews, Behold how he loved him! Oh, how He loves you and me, Oh how He loves you and me. He gave His life, what more could He give? Oh, how He loves you; Oh, how He loves me; Oh, how He loves you and me. Jesus to Calvary did go, His love for sinners to show. What He did there brought hope from despair. Oh, how He loves you; Oh, how He loves me; Oh, how He loves you and me. It is said that one of the most distinguished statesmen of the times of the American Revolution was once a hopeless drunkard. He had been engaged to a beautiful girl, but his debauchery had compelled her to break the engagement and sever herself from his influence, which was dragging her down. She had not ceased to love him, or to pray for him. One day she was passing along a road. She saw him lying intoxicated by the sidewalk, his face exposed to the blistering sun, and swollen with drink and exposure. Her tender heart was moved, and, as she passed by, she took her handkerchief and gently spread it over his face. An few hours later he awoke and saw the handkerchief and her name stiched on the corner of it. He arose to his feet, and a cheerful thrill of hope and courage came to his heart. "She loves me still," he said, "all is not yet lost. For her sake I will redeem my life." And he did.... Oh how much more power there is in the love of Christ to save lost men from despair, if they can only believe that He loves them! He left us the Bible, His lover letter to us. 1. Jesus Loves You Eternally. There never was a time when He did not love you. His love for His own is without beginning and without end. It is eternal. 2. Jesus Loves You Perseveringly. Though we sinned in Adam, were born in sin and lived in sin by deliberate choice, His love for us was never broken. Though we sin still, after experiencing His grace, His love does not cease or grow cold. His love is patient, longsuffering, lasting and enduring. God will never cease to love those whom He has always loved. His love is immutable. 3. Jesus Loves You Sacrificially. ‘Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us.’ I know that God is good and kind to all men. His compassion reaches to all people. He will not stand idly by and allow one soul whom He loves to perish when He has the power to save that soul! He so loved us that He voluntarily laid down His life in our place! So mighty is His love that when He knew the price of our souls was His own precious blood, He willingly poured out His life’s blood to redeem us! 4. Jesus Loves You Satisfyingly. His love will be satisfied. He will never lose the object of His love. He will give us all that we can need or desire for all of eternity. He will withhold no good thing from His own. In that great day which is yet to come, God’s creation will stand back in awe and wonder and say, concerning His redeemed people, ‘Behold how he loved them!' Jesus suffered to pay for the sins of mankind. I John 4:10, Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. It wasn’t enough for Him to die. Jesus had to pay a debt. The payment was necessary. Jesus suffered to satisfy the demands of God’s wrath. As much as God loves you, He hates your sin with a holy, burning hatred that we cannot comprehend. The only way that He could embrace you was to get someone else—someone perfect, to pay for it. Romans 5:1, Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: Jesus suffered to purchase the opportunity for our sins to be forgiven. No longer do we have to carry our sin around. We can be forgiven. God laid all of our sinfulness upon Jesus as He willingly suffered and died upon the cross. The debt was paid, opening the door to our forgiveness. Jesus suffered to provide the way to eternal life. To get a gift, you must receive it (Romans 6:23). Have you? Do you know that Jesus is the gift of eternal life? His suffering has made that gift possible. PRAYER: Lord thank You for loving me unconditionally with a supernatural love. May my love for You be shown in my love for those You have given me. In Jesus name, AMEN! If this post has blessed you in any way please share this website and its articles with others: www.fellowshipbaptistcarrabelle.com |
AuthorDr. Blackman is passionate about helping others grow in the grace of the Lord. His devotions are centered on how to grow closer to the Lord through a personal relationship with Christ. Archives
March 2024
Categories |