DAILY DEVOTIONALS: 4.23.22

God�s Greatest Pain - by Greg Laurie � www.harvest.org But he was pierced for our rebellion, crushed for our sins. He was beaten so we could be whole. He was whipped so we could be healed. �Isaiah 53:5 https://harvest.org/resources/devotion/gods-greatest-pain/- Listen Can you recall the moment in your life when you experienced the most pain? Maybe it was physical pain when you broke your arm or your leg or something else. We�ve all experiencedmoments of physical pain. But then there�s the emotional pain we can experience when someone has hurt us. For instance, there�s the pain of rejection, betrayal, or abandonment when a husband saysto his wife, �I�ve been unfaithful,� or when a wife says to her husband, �I want a divorce.� There�s emotional pain when a child says to a parent, �I don�t want to live the Christian life.� And one of the worst kinds of pain you can experience is when someone you care about, someone whom you thought was a loyal friend, has betrayed you. So when do you think Jesus experienced His most painful moment? Do you think it�s when the soldiers placed the crown of thorns on His head or when they beat Him with a Romanwhip, most likely a cat-o�-nine tails? Do you think it�s when they placed Him on the cross and drove nails through His hands and His feet? As horrible and horrific as all those things were, I don�t think any of them were Jesus�s most painful moment. His most painful moment was when He bore all the sins of theworld upon Himself. That�s because Jesus never sinned. He never had even one thought out of harmony with God the Father. But as He hung on the cross bearing the sins of the world, Jesus andthe Father were, in effect, separated. Jesus was forsaken of God so that we could be forgiven. He entered the darkness so that we might walk in the light. He endured sorrow and suffering for a time so that wemight enjoy His presence forever. --------------- Yeor Thee “But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Fatherwhich is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.” (Matthew6:6) In perhaps His primary teaching on giving, prayer, and fasting, Christ used an interesting blend of singular (thee, thou) and plural (you, ye) pronouns. Since even pronouns as recorded in Scripture are inspired and profitable, there must be a lesson to be learnedfrom them. Although Christ begins the passage using the plural pronoun—“Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them” (v. 1), evidently addressing the large group assembled—He switches and speaks in the singular. In the verses dealing with giving(vv. 2-4), with praying (vv. 5-6), and with fasting (vv. 17-18), He uses the singular pronoun and singular verbs over 30 times, but each teaching is balanced by a comparison, in the plural, to those who practice these deeds wrongly (vv. 1, 5, 16). Evidently, our Lord is stressing the need to do these things privately, as opposed to publicly. Public giving and public fasting are often done to gain the praise of men and to appear overly spiritual. “They have their reward” (v. 5). Public prayer is certainlynot improper, and indeed Christ uses the occasion to teach on public prayer by giving what has come to be called the Lord’s Prayer (vv. 9-13), again in contrast to improper public prayer (v. 7). But public prayer can never totally substitute for private prayer,for there is a continuing need for the intimately personal “closet” time with our God. “But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret” (v. 6). In each case, “thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly” (vv. 4, 6, 18). JDM --------------------------- Tell it, Lord! by Shawn McEvoy He saw a man, called Matthew, sitting in the tax office; and He said to him, "Follow me!" Matthew9:9 In the margin of my Bible next to Matthew 7:11 is a notation dated 9/1/90. It says: "I love verses with exclamation points!" That particular verse, in case you were wondering, says, "If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more shall your Father who is in heaven give what is good to those who ask Him!" I wonder why editors chose an exclamation point there, and not a question mark. I also wish I knew the inspiration or emotion that prompted me to make the notation. All I know is that it would have been made during the first or second week of my sophomoreyear of college, and at the time I was a Youth Ministry major. And that the sentiment has continued. Coming across that notation again recently prompted me to look up more verses in which Jesus is credited with having expressed some extra "oomph." Of course, the original manuscripts were not inscribed with modern punctuation marks. Those have been leftup to various translators through the years. In my New American Standard Version of Matthew's Gospel, however, the emphasis has been added to several statements the Lord made, and some of those may be categorized as follows: Rebuke of Temptation Matthew 4:10-11: Then Jesus said to him, "Begone, Satan! For it is written, 'You shall worship theLord your God, and serve Him only.'" Then the devil left Him... Matthew 16:23: But He turned and said to Peter, "Get behind Me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to Me; for you are not setting yourmind on God's interests, but man's." Rebuke of Hypocrisy Matthew 23:23-39: "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!... You blind guides, who strainout a gnat and swallow a camel! Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!... Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!... Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!... O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those who are sentto her!... Behold, your house is being left to you desolate! For I say to you, from now on you shall not see Me until you say, "Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!" Matthew 11:18-19: "For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, 'He has a demon!' TheSon of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, 'Behold, a gluttonous man and a drunkard, a friend of tax-gatherers and sinners!' Yet wisdom is vindicated by her deeds." Matthew 12:12: "Of how much more value then is a man than a sheep! So then, it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath." Stern Warning Matthew 9:30: "And their eyes were opened. And Jesus sternly warned them, saying, "See here, let no one know about this!" Matthew 6:23: "But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness,how great is the darkness!" Regarding Spiritual Warfare Matthew 8:32: And he said to them, "Begone!" And they came out, and went into the swine..." Matthew 10:24-25: "A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a slave above his master. It is enoughfor the disciple that he become as his teacher, and the slave as his master. If they have called the head of the house Beelzebul, how much more the members of the house!" Stirring to Faith in Action Matthew 12:13: Then He said to the man, "Stretch out your hand!" And he stretched it out, and it was restored to normal, like theother. Matthew 14:16: But Jesus said to them, "They do not need to go away; you give them something to eat!" Matthew 14:29: And He said, "Come!" And Peter got out of the boat, and walked on the water and came toward Jesus. Matthew 9:9: He saw a man, called Matthew, sitting in the tax office; and He said to him, "Follow me!" Remembering the Father's Provision "If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more shall your Father who is in heaven give what is good to those who ask Him!" Making a Radical Point Matthew 12:49-50: "And stretching out His hand toward His disciples, He said, "Behold, My motherand My brothers! For whoever does the will of My Father who is in heaven, he is My brother and sister and mother." Sadness Matthew 26:24, 46: "The Son of Man is to go, just as it is written of Him; but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed!...Arise, let us be going; behold, the one who betrays me is at hand!" Matthew 18:7: "Woe to the world because of its stumbling blocks! For it is inevitable that stumbling blocks come; but woe to that manthrough whom the stumbling block comes!" Regarding the End Times Matthew 24:19: "But woe to those who are with child and to those who nurse babes in those days!" The Father's Confirmation of His Son Matthew 17:5: Behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them; and behold, a voice out of the cloud, saying, "This is My beloved Son, withwhom I am well-pleased; listen to Him!" Listen to Him indeed. What is He saying? How emphatically is he saying it? Don't mess around when temptation comes. Don't disregard the spiritual realm and the forces that oppose you. Be stirred to action. Recognize once and for all that God has provided for you like the loving Father He is, so that you are free to do His will without worry. Following Christ is a radical road, but those that betray the Way and put stumbling blocks in the road will be left to God's judgment. Dangerous days are coming. But in the end, your belief is in the Son of Almighty God! Intersecting Faith & Life: Pick another one of the Gospels and study the points of emphasis you find the Lord saying there. -------------------------- The God Who Forgives Matthew 6:9-13 Jesus Christ gave His followers a pattern for prayer that includes seeking forgiveness daily. The invitation to regular repentance is not a means of renewing our salvation, but rather a maintenance plan for our fellowship with the Lord. When we trust Jesus as our Savior, our sins are forgiven forever. The stains from our past, present, and future wrongs are wiped from our record; however, we're a fallen people sowe do continue to commit sin. With the exception of Jesus Christ, no person is perfect. Sin is simply a fact of human life. The Lord's payment for our transgressions means that we can look forward to an eternity spent in God's presence instead of getting the punishment we deserve. Onthis side of heaven, though, we still have to contend with our tendency to do wrong--and we must also deal with the consequences. The Lord's admonition to seek daily forgiveness is a reminder to confess our sins and turn away from them because we are forgiven. God's grace is not a license to sin; instead, it's a reason to pursue righteousness. Bad attitudes, thoughtless actions, and unkind speech do not fit who we are as children of light. We're new creatures in Christ, bought for a price and set free to liveas partakers of His grace. Salvation makes a way for us to enter God's presence, while regular confession and repentance keep the pathway well maintained and free of obstruction (1John 1:9). The so-called "sinner's prayer" need be said only once, but a saint will tap into God's forgiveness every day of his or her life. ---------------------------- Be Instant “Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long suffering anddoctrine.” (2 Timothy 4:2) Paul’s “charge” to young Timothy, just before the great apostle’s martyrdom, was urgently needed by Christians in those early days of persecution and incipient apostasy, and his words are even more appropriate today. The admonition to “be instant” is worth special note. The Greek word ephistemi is translated in various ways (“be present,” “be at hand,” “come upon,” etc.). The main idea is simply to be there, doing what needs to be done at the time it is needed. In this particular context it is stressing the Christian’s responsibility to be therewith the right words from the Word of God—words of exhortation, of doctrine, of reproof if needed, yet words given patiently, even when rebuffed by the hearer. “Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answerevery man” (Colossians 4:6). Furthermore, the charge applies not only to those times when we are officially on duty, so to speak. It applies to off-hours as well as work time. Be instant out of season, as well as in season! The Christian must always be “on call” when God calls. Paul could rightly issue such a charge because he himself had set such an example. “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith:...thou hast fully known my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, charity, patience” (2 Timothy 4:7; 3:10). It is touching Paul could then use the same word (ephistemi) concerning his own coming death, when he said, “I am now readyto be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand” (2 Timothy 4:6). He was as ready to die as he had always been to speak, for the Lord! HMM ---------------------- TheResurrection and the Believer “And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that inall things he might have the preeminence.” (Colossians1:18) The resurrection of Christ is no less crucial to the gospel than the death of Christ. If He did not rise from the dead, then we who believe in Him “are of all men most miserable” (1Corinthians 15:19). Christ’s resurrection assures us, first of all, of our justification. Speaking of Abraham’s faith and the imputation of God’s righteousness to him, Paul writes, “For us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord fromthe dead; who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification” (Romans4:24-25). God imparts to us the power to serve Him effectively through the resurrection, “that [we] may know...what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, which he wrought in Christ, when he raisedhim from the dead” (Ephesians1:18-20). As the passage continues, Paul declares that through the resurrection Christ is now “the head over all things to the church, which is His body” (vv. 22-23 and also in our text). In His resurrected and glorified state, Christ continues His ministry to us. “Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens....Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace tohelp in time of need” (Hebrews4:14, 16). Finally, Christ’s resurrection assures us that we too will one day be resurrected, if we should die before He returns. “He which raised up the Lord Jesus shall raise up us also by Jesus” (2Corinthians 4:14). JDM ------------------------- If You've Ever Felt Betrayed: Jesus Understands By Debbie McDaniel “While they were reclining at the table eating, he said, "Truly I tell you, one of you will betray me--one who is eating with me." - Mark 14:18 Betrayal. Chances are, if we’ve lived long enough, we know very well what this feels like. To be betrayed or wronged by one who was trusted is a difficult hurdle to get over. It can sometimes leave us stuck right where it happened, we spin it over in ourminds a million different ways, asking all the why's, but there's usually no adequate answer to even satisfy. He knows. He understands. Judas Iscariot, one who walked with Jesus and knew him well, paid simple money to betray our Savior. 30 pieces of silver, given in exchange for His life. It seems almost incredible that he would fall for such a trap or be so wrapped in greed. Money can'tbe placed on any life. But on the very One who did so much for him, who offered such love and forgiveness? The ultimate betrayal of a friend. Yet Jesus knew it was part of a larger plan. And He still chose to say “yes” and walk that difficult road. Because He understood at the very core of it all, was our need to be set free. Our need for forgiveness. The crowd, who had just days before been praising His name as He rode into Jerusalem, suddenly changed. The tide had turned, things had shifted in the other direction. Jesus, once loved and followed by the multitudes, became the person the crowds turnedhatred and insults upon. His own disciples scattered, out of fear for their own lives. They ran. Away from him. In the darkest hours. Peter, one of his bravest, closest friends, even denied knowing him, 3 different times. The deep hurt Jesus must have endured, the pain, the loneliness, is hard to imagine. So often in this life when we are wronged, betrayed, offended, or treated unfairly, we want to rise up. To defend our rights and on our own point of view. Or we fight hard to get even. Or even stew in silence while nursing our wounds and getting more angry.It’s hard to extend the same grace and compassion that Christ Himself extended to others in the midst of his own pain. Yet He set the example, the way for us to walk. He knew the trap of betrayal and unforgiveness, he saw through its lies, the deep wounds of the soul that it could cause. He chose the better way, stepped over its grasp, and chose to love, to forgive. Unforgiveness, even towards ourselves, will keep us prisoner to the past, to the wrong, to the betrayal, to the offender. It will never allow us to move forward in the freedom of where God wants us to live. And even hidden resentments, the ones we thinkno one sees, or knows about, safely tucked away into a secret place in our souls, will weigh us down, trapping us in the very place we wish to let go of. But we don't have to live there. We can make the choice to move forward. Though forgiveness may never "feel" right, it will always "be" right. Because in it you will be set free. Choosing to forgive doesn't mean that the wrong never happened, it just means you refuse to allow it to control your life anymore. Christ forgave. Huge love covering all the wrong, all the sin, all the barriers that block our way to God. He whispered these words up to His Father, grace words, breathing out love, through the suffering and the pain. He spoke them out loud. For those thatpersecuted Him. For us. For the world. “Father, forgivethem…” And He forgives. Still. Grace. Amazing love. That covers a multitude of sin. Let go. Give it to Him. He carried all the hurt for you. He understands your pain. In Him, we are set free. Intersecting Faith & Life: As you read over these words and remember how our Savior was betrayed and rejected by so many, ask for God’s help in healing those places where you may have been deeply wounded. He knows our pain, He understands. By His own wounds,He promises healing and restoration. Take the first step today. Confess your need for His touch of grace, give to Him all that has caused you pain. He never intends for us to stay stuck in our hurt, but will bring us through to the other side. Further Reading: Isaiah 53:5 1 Peter 2:24 Ephesians 4:32 Matthew 18:21-22 ----------------------- The God Who Saves Ephesians2:8-9 Recently I was talking with a fellow about his spiritual life. When I asked, "Are you saved?" he answered, "No, but I'm working at it." When I pressed him, he explained that he was making some changes in his life. He had given up smoking and drinking, amongother things. I knew that I should help him understand a few important principles, as his only guarantee so far was better health. What this gentleman needed to realize was that what we do or what we give up for Jesus doesn't amount to much. The Lord isn't looking for people who change a few habits by sheer force of will; He's calling people to surrender themselves to Him. The onlyaction God expects of a "seeker" is to believe in Jesus--that He is who He says, He will do what He says, He has the authority to forgive, and He will equip His people to live a godly life. Because of those convictions, a new Christian is empowered to turnaway from his old life--in other words, to repent--and begin the process of becoming "a new creation" (2Cor. 5:17). ---------------------- BlessedAssurance “And the work of righteousness shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance forever.” (Isaiah32:17) As expressed in the old gospel hymn, the “blessed assurance, Jesus is mine” is a “foretaste of glory divine.” According to our text, this “assurance for ever,” together with true peace of soul and quietness of spirit, are products of the “work of righteousness.” The New Testament exposition of genuine righteousness makes it clear that we who have received Christ’s work of righteousness by faith have been “made the righteousness of God in him” (2Corinthians 5:21). “To him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness” (Romans4:5). Thus, salvation is the priceless possession of those to whom Christ’s work of righteousness has been imputed, through faith. On the other hand, the assurance of salvation, accompanied by quietness and peace of heart, is “experienced” only by saved believerswho practice the work of righteousness in their daily walk with the Lord. If we truly have salvation, then we ought to manifest the “things that accompany salvation....For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have showedtoward his name....And we desire that every one of you do show the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end” (Hebrews6:9-11). We can, indeed, know that we are saved simply through faith in His work and His Word (e.g., 1 John 5:13). Nevertheless, to know that one’s faith itself is genuine, God has given us this test of faith. “And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments” (1John 2:3). This is surely blessed assurance of salvation and a foretaste of glory divine! HMM ------------------ What Is Your True Purpose 1 Samuel 16:6-13 What do you live for each day? A pay raise? Retirement? Then perhaps you've discovered the reality that basing aspirations on getting ahead in this world typically ends in disappointment. People with a misguided sense of direction often wonder why they feelunfulfilled. Maybe you've already realized a goal of saving for the future or moving up the corporate ladder. You give to charity and volunteer at church, but somehow still feel a sense of insignificance or aimlessness. If so, there is a truth you need to hear: God giveseach of us life for a very specific reason: to serve Him. Nobody finds inner peace without reconciling this fact. Our society teaches us that pleasure, prosperity, position, and popularity will make us happy--but living in the service of self always leavesan emptiness no earthly reward can fill. Besides, worldly philosophy won't stand the test of time. Few of us are going to live even 100 years. So whatever we'll become in this life, we're in the process of becoming that right now. Consider David: he was anointed king long before actually assumingthe role (1 Sam. 16:12). He spent many years serving the purpose of God in insignificant places while developing into a great man.As his story shows, discovering God's purpose for your life is the surest path to success. Our heavenly Father's purpose for our lives comes from His heart of love--which is perfect. None of us can foretell the great things He has in store for us, but we can trust His plan completely. Surrender to Him today and say, "Not my will, Lord, but Yoursbe done." --------------------- Hintsof Redemption “And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thyhead, and thou shalt bruise his heel.” (Genesis3:15) When Adam and Eve rebelled against God in the Garden of Eden, God pronounced the dreadful curse on all of His creation, from mankind to the animal and plant kingdoms and even the earth itself (Genesis3:14-19). From that point on, everything began to die, but at the same time God predicted the coming Redeemer who would set things right. There are several hints of the coming Redeemer in these early chapters of Genesis. Dr. A. T. Pierson, a Bible scholar of the late 1800s and early 1900s, mentioned an unnamed Hebrew scholar, a Jewish rabbi, who held that the names of the 10 pre-Flood patriarchs(Adam to Noah) formed a redemptive sentence when read together. Keep in mind that certain meanings of some of these names are lost in antiquity, but the exercise is interesting, if not definitive. According to the rabbi, Adam means mankind; Seth is appointed;Enos, mortality; Cainan, wailing for the dead; Mahalaleel, God be praised; Jared, He shall descend; Enoch, a mortal man; Methuselah, dismissing death; Lamech, the weary; Noah, rest. Stringing the translations together yields the following sentence: “Mankindis appointed [to] mortality, wailing for the dead. God be praised. He shall descend, a mortal man, dismissing death, [bringing to] the weary rest.” Modern scholars prefer Enoch as dedicated man, Methuselah as when he dies, judgment, Lamech (uncertainly) as conqueror, and Cainan (very uncertainly) as humiliation. Our sentence now reads, “Mankind is appointed [to] mortality, [bringing] humiliation. God bepraised. He shall descend, a dedicated man. When He dies [as] judgment, [He will] conquer, [bringing] rest.” JDM ------------------ Faith over fear - Bill Wilson � www.dailyjot.com With the government showing its weakness in protecting the general welfare of its citizens in border security, disease control, Islamic infiltration, economic policy, privacy,and more, it is easy for many to develop fear and depression. Please be reminded that the government is not God. Socialists, progressives, communists, or whatever �ists� the current Administration calls itself, it is neither God nor a replacement for God.There is only one true God as Christ said in Mark 12:29, �The first of all the commandments is, �Hear O Israel; The LORD our GOD is ONE LORD.� The government shall rest upon the LORD�s shoulders, not man�s. Government is not God. Do not fear. Christ said in Matthew 10:28, �And fear not them who kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.� You see, with all the reports that this administration causing inflation at record levels, helping Iran get nuclear weapons, refusing to protect the borders, encouraging sexual exploitation of our children and more, you should be welled up with a righteousanger, but not full of fear. Even in those days leading up to the LORD�s return, Christ told us in Matthew 10:19, �But when they deliver you up, take no thought how or what ye shall speak: for it shall be given you in that same hour what ye shall speak.� Youhave God-given courage within you. You are a courageous person. Do not fear. The Apostle Paul wrote in 2 Timothy 1:7, �For God has not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.� Do you not believe that during thetime of Jesus and thereafter, his followers were highly persecuted? The government they were subjected to was far harsher than anything we have ever seen in America. Sure, we are concerned about the direction our country has taken, the betrayal of the foundationalprinciples of this nation by those we elect, the moral condition of Americans. But we need not fear it. We do need to pray and act without fear if we are to have any hope of turning it around. As Peter and the Apostles said in Acts 5:29, �We ought to obeyGod rather than men.� Do not fear. Ephesians 6:11-13 says, �Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but againstprincipalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all to stand.� As Peter wrote in 1 Peter 2:9, �But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that you should show forth the praises of him who has called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.� The night is far spent, theday is at hand. Put on your armor of light. Do not fear. ---------Work Out What God Has Worked In - by Greg Laurie � www.harvest.org Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for itis God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure. �Philippians 2:12�13 https://harvest.org/resources/devotion/work-out-what-god-has-worked-in/- Listen A New York woman who survived the Spanish flu in 1918 also survived the coronavirus at age 101. So what�s the secret to her longevity? Her family said she loves to eat Oreos. I don�t know about the health benefits of Oreos. But experts tell us there are health benefits from exercise. And just as we need to work out physically, we also need towork out spiritually, if you will. The apostle Paul wrote, �Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure� (Philippians 2:12�13NKJV). We need to work out what God has worked in. Notice that Paul didn�t say, �Work for your salvation� because salvation is a gift from God. Ephesians 2:8�9 tells us, �For bygrace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast� (NKJV). I know that God has forgiven my sin and that I will go to Heaven when I die because I believe His promises and have received His gift of eternal life. If you haven�t receivedthat gift yet, you can ask Jesus Christ to come into your life. He�s just a prayer away. So then, what does it mean to work out your own salvation? Remember, Paul was writing to Christians. In fact, he addressed them as �all the saints in Christ Jesus who arein Philippi� (Philippians 1:1 NKJV). From the original language, work out also could be translated, �work it out,� �carry it out completely,� or �bring it to full completion.� The Bible tells us that the Christian life is like running a race or being in a war. There�s effort involved. So work out and live out your own salvation. ----------------------- The Perfect Word - by Greg Laurie � www.harvest.org For �whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved.� �Romans 10:13 https://harvest.org/resources/devotion/the-perfect-word/- Listen I love the word saved. What a perfect word. When a firefighter goes into a building and rescues someone, a news article might say the person was �saved,� and indeed theywere. Saved is the perfect word to describe what God has done for us. He has saved us, He is saving us, and He will save us. God has saved us from judgment. Without Christ, wewere going to face eternal judgment and separation from God. But He saved us from that. And He is saving us. Every day we face temptation and difficulty and hardship, and Christ gets us through it. He is saving us, and ultimately, He will save us. One day we will come to the end of our lives and will pass into eternity. And because we have put our faith in Jesus, we have the promise of salvation, which, of course,is the hope of Heaven. When God saves someone, He forgives their sin. But He not only forgives it, He also forgets it. When God saves a person, He justifies them. In the Bible, justification is a word that speaks of something that God does for us. He places the righteousness of Christ intoour spiritual bank account, if you will. So when you�re saved, when you believe in Jesus, your sin is forgiven and your sin is forgotten. That is what God has done for you. The Bible describes it as �so great asalvation� (Hebrews 2:3 NKJV). In fact, in the same verse the writer of Hebrews asks, �How shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation?� No matter what you�re going through today, no matter what hardship you�re facing, I want you to know that if you put have your faith in Jesus Christ, then you are saved. --------------------------- Authentic Christianity - by Greg Laurie � www.harvest.org For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome �1 John 5:3 https://harvest.org/resources/devotion/authentic-christianity/Listen Can a Christian lose his or her salvation? When you put your faith in Jesus, you don�t have to worry about losing your salvation. God gives us this promise: �The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit thatwe are children of God� (Romans 8:16 NKJV). And 1 John 5:13 tells us, �These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continueto believe in the name of the Son of God� (NKJV). We can know this as a fact. But what about people who make an initial profession of faith, look as though God has really changed their lives, and then bail out a few weeks or months later? Were theysaved and then no longer are? The better question is this: Were they really Christians to begin with? It reminds me of what Jesus said in the parable of the sower. He talked about seed that a sower scattered, which landed in the gravel and didn�t take root. It shot up andthen quickly withered. Jesus explained, �The seed on the rocky soil represents those who hear the message and immediately receive it with joy. But since they don�t have deep roots, they don�tlast long. They fall away as soon as they have problems or are persecuted for believing God�s word� (Mark 4:16�17 NLT). If you really are a follower of Jesus Christ, then you will confess Him as Lord (see 1 John 4:15 KKJV). And if Christ lives inside of you, then you will obey God�s commands(see 1 John 5:3). Salvation is not simply having an emotional experience. Although we can�t earn it, we do need to live it out and continue in the commitment we�ve made to Jesus Christ. --------------------------- The Misery of Sin - by Greg Laurie � www.harvest.org Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and make me willing to obey you. �Psalm 51:12 https://harvest.org/resources/devotion/the-misery-of-sin/- Listen There�s a difference between sinning, knowing it, and being sorry for it and intentionally, habitually sinning again and again. If you�re a child of God, then you won�thabitually sin. You won�t be sinless, but you will sin less. If you really have accepted God�s gift of salvation, then you will be unhappy and miserable when you�ve sinned. The Bible tells us in 1 John 3:9, �Those who have been borninto God�s family do not make a practice of sinning, because God�s life is in them. So they can�t keep on sinning, because they are children of God� (NLT). This verse doesn�t say that if you�re a child of God, you won�t sin because everyone sins all the time. But if you�re a child of God, then you won�t be happy after you sin,and you�ll want to get right with God. There are sins of commission and sins of omission. A sin of commission is when you do what you should not do, while a sin of omission is not doing what you should do. TheBible says, �If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us� (1 John 1:8 NKJV). If you want to be unhappy, then have unconfessed sin in your life. Happiness does not come from sinning. Misery, guilt, and repercussions come from sinning. That is whythe Bible says, �Oh, what joy for those whose disobedience is forgiven, whose sin is put out of sight!� (Psalm 32:1 NLT). After David sinned against the Lord, he wrote, �Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and make me willing to obey you� (Psalm 51:12 NLT). Jesus said, �Apart from me you can do nothing� (John 15:5 NLT). It isn�t hard to be a Christian�it�s impossible . . . without the help and power of the Holy Spirit.