A Daily Devotional

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Whom I Serve

“And he saith unto them, Whose is this image and superscription? They say unto him, Caesar’s. Then saith He unto them, Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar’s; and unto God the things that are God’s” (Matthew 22:20,21).

In this episode, Jesus was confronted by a group of Pharisees who stood for theocracy, and another of Herodians who wanted the dynasty of Herod to be re-established in the place of the Roman procuratorship. If Jesus concluded that it was lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, then the people would be angry; if Jesus sided with the Pharisees, He would be charged with sedition by the Romans. What a predicament!

Jesus’ answer was to render tribute based on ownership. If taxes were based on money, and that system was Roman, then we should obey the constraints of citizenship and pay the tax. On the other hand, whatever is due to God, because of ownership, should be paid to Him.

Interestingly, the marks of ownership were the “image” and the “superscription” of the object under question. The image of God was a special gift of God to man at the creation (Genesis 1:26). We are warned against making graven images of God or of any creature, because there will almost inevitably develop a desire to worship that image as a “god.” The true God is invisible-not body, but spirit.

Regarding titles of ownership, we decide how we shall be labeled. If we have decided to follow Christ, we gain the superscription “Christian.” Paul put it simply when he was in the midst of the storm at sea: “For there stood by me this night the angel of God, whose I am, and whom I serve” (Acts 27:23). Even though he was shortly to be imprisoned by Caesar (v.24), and was in no way advocating rebellion against Caesar’s authority, there is no doubt as to where his true allegiance lay.

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Like a Wave of the Sea

"If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally. . . . But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed" (James 1:5-6).

A contrast is set up in these verses between faith and doubt. Jesus taught that "If ye have faith, and doubt |same word as `waver' in our text| not . . . ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; it shall be done. And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive" (Matthew 21:21-22).

James explains that a doubter can be compared to ocean waves. Waves (in contrast to the tides which are caused by the gravitational attraction of the moon and sun) are caused by wind which imparts energy to the ocean water which scarcely attenuates until the wave crashes onto the shoreline, perhaps many miles from its original source of energy. A wave cannot stay in one place. It surges onto the shore and recedes backward. It rises up and sinks down. It contains much froth, as well as great energy, which cannot efficiently be harnessed for good, but has the potential to cause great damage.

What an elegant picture of the doubting, half-believing soul. Willingly receiving onward and upward impulses, he cannot sustain them, quickly sinking to former depths, only to rise again, in an endless cycle, until ultimately dissipating all energy on some rocky shoreline of life. "A double minded man is unstable in all his ways" (James 1:.

In much the same way, Paul urges that we "be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into Him in all things, which is the head, even Christ" (Ephesians 4:14-15).

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Lazarus and the Rich Man

"And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried" (Luke 16:22).

Many scholars believe that the episode reported in Luke 16:19-31 actually happened; that it is a true story. If it is a parable, it is not identified as such, and it is the only one in which the name of a participant is given. Christ related the story as if it were true. But whether history or parable, we can learn much from the contrast between these two dramatically different men, their deaths and destinies.

The rich man, of course, surrounded himself with luxury (v.19) while Lazarus struggled each day just to survive until the next poverty-filled and pain-wracked day (vv.20-21).

No one can escape the grave, however, and in the passage of time, both died. But, rather than reducing those two different individuals to the commonality of death, their differences actually are heightened. The rich man, "being in torments" (v.23), was aware of the comfort of Lazarus in "Abraham's bosom" (v.22). The interchange between the rich man and Abraham, and the timeless instruction Christ gave, are well known.

Note also the contrast between "carried" and "buried" in our text. The beggar's body was no doubt unceremoniously dumped into a pauper's grave, while the rich man's corpse was placed in a costly sepulcher, and his funeral attended by many friends and mourners. But look beyond the earthly spectrum. While the rich man begs for mercy and relief from torment, the poor man's eternal spirit is "carried" (literally, "carried off" or "borne away") by a convoy of angelic beings into the presence of God, where "now he is comforted" (v.25). For Lazarus, and indeed for all who die in the Lord, "Death is swallowed up in victory" (I Corinthians 15:54).

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Assembling Together

"Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching" (Hebrews 10:25).

This verse is often cited as an incentive to regular church attendance, but it can also relate just as well to any gathering of two or more believers in Christ's name. The Lord Jesus said: "For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them" (Matthew 18:20).

It is fascinating to note that the Greek word translated "assembling together" in this verse is used only one other time in the New Testament, and there it is translated "gathering together." "Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto Him" (II Thessalonians 2:1).

In this verse, Paul was reminding the Thessalonians of his previous letter to them, in which he had written about the return of Christ and the gathering together of all believers to meet Him in the air (I Thessalonians 4:15-17). Perhaps the writer of our text verse, since he was using the same unique terminology, was referring to the same event.

That is, whenever there is an assembling together of believers, it is in a sense a little preview of that great gathering in the skies when Christ returns, as we exhort one another to "look for Him" (Hebrews 9:28), and so much the more, as we see the day approaching.

Since our text verse does not actually mention the church by name, it seems to apply to any assembling of believers. However, there is one very significant use of "church" in Hebrews, and it refers specifically to the coming meeting in the air, where we shall all gather at "the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect" (Hebrews 12:23).

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Lineage of the Savior

"And Jacob begat Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ" (Matthew 1:16).

The lineage of Jesus Christ was remarkably prophesied, stage by stage, from the beginning of history. When sin first entered the world through Adam, the Lord promised a coming Savior, the "seed of the woman" (Genesis 3:15). Adam and Eve had "sons and daughters" (Genesis 5:4); but it was only the line leading from Seth to Noah that would lead to Christ, for it was prophesied concerning Noah that he would "comfort us . . . because of the ground which the Lord hath cursed" (Genesis 5:29).

Of the three sons of Noah, God prophesied: "Blessed be the Lord God of Shem" (Genesis 9:26). In the line from Shem, God chose Abram, to whom He promised: "In thee shall all families of the earth be blessed" (Genesis 12:3). Abraham had eight sons, but it was to Isaac that God renewed the promise, and then He also renewed it to Jacob, instead of Esau (Genesis 26:4; 28:4; 35:9-12).

On his death bed, Jacob blessed his twelve sons, but it was to Judah he gave the Messianic promise: "The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto Him shall the gathering of the people be" (Genesis 49:10). Then, out of the great tribe of Judah, God prophesied concerning David: "I will set up thy seed after thee . . . and I will establish His kingdom" (II Samuel 7:12). Much later, He predicted concerning the descendants of David in Bethlehem: "Though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall He come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting" (Micah 5:2).

At the proper time, the one who was prophesied from of old did come forth to be our Savior, fulfilling these and hosts of other marvelous prophecies.

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Hereby Know

"Hereby know we that we dwell in Him, and He in us, because He hath given us of His Spirit" (I John 4:13).

It is surprising to note that this phrase, "hereby know," occurs eight times in the little epistle of I John. Each of these listed below is given as a means of both testing the genuineness of our professed faith in Christ and then of giving assurance and comfort to the true believer.

"And hereby we do know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments" (I John 2:3).

"But whoso keepeth His word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in Him" (I John 2:5).

"Hereby perceive |same Greek word as `know'| we the love of God, because He laid down His life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren" (I John 3:16).

"My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth. And hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before Him" (I John 3:18-19).

"And he that keepeth His commandments dwelleth in Him, and He in him. And hereby we know that He abideth in us, by the Spirit which He hath given us" (I John 3:24).

"Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God" (I John 4:2).

"We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error" (I John 4:6).

The eighth and last such reference is our text for the day. Note that the common thread running through all is the importance of the indwelling Spirit of truth, leading those who know the Lord into lives of doctrinal purity, obedience to God's Word, and love toward the brethren.

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The Witness Of Conscience (#19920313)
by Henry Morris, Ph.D.

“And they which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last: and Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst” (John 8:9).

This is the first of 32 occurrences of the word “conscience” in the New Testament. Through this pricking of their consciences, Jesus had prevented a mob from stoning a woman charged with adultery, for through it, the accusers recognized their own unworthiness to judge another.

A conscience can be a reliable guide, however, only if it is a good conscience. The Scriptures, on the other hand, speak of some who have a “weak conscience” (I Corinthians 8:7,10,12), which may become a “defiled conscience” (Titus 1:15) and eventually a “seared conscience” (I Timothy 4:2) or even an “evil conscience” (Hebrews 10:22).

If used properly, however, the conscience is a blessing. God has given us a conscience to help guide us. The question is, what makes a conscience “good?” There are two references in Scripture to a “pure conscience” (I Timothy 3:9; II Timothy 1:3) and six to a “good conscience” (Acts 23:1; I Timothy 1:5,19; Hebrews 13:18; I Peter 3:16,21), but none of these tell how such a conscience is acquired.

The answer to this vital question appears to be found in the Apostle Paul’s testimony before Felix: “And herein do I exercise myself, to have always a conscience void of offense toward God, and toward men” (Acts 24:16). The “exercise” (literally ‘training’) which had produced such a conscience in Paul, he said, was this: “So worship I the God of my fathers, believing all things which are written in the law and in the prophets” (Acts 24:14). A lifelong study of the Scriptures, accompanied by absolute faith in their veracity and authority, had produced in Paul a strong, pure, good, reliable conscience, and it will do the same for us. HMM

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Let Them Pray (#19920314)
by Henry Morris, Ph.D.

“Is any among you afflicted? let him pray. . . . Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord: And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him” (James 5:13–15).

This familiar passage is a difficult one. Many suffering Christians have tried in all sincerity to follow the instructions given here, yet have not been healed. This may be because the promise has a specific, rather than general, application.

First, “is anyone afflicted?” This word means “troubled,” referring especially to persecution or deprivation. For such a person, the admonition is: “Let him pray.” Assuming that he is right with God, and is praying in His will (I John 5:14,15), he can expect either the needed relief or the needed grace.

Secondly: “Is any sick?” Here the Greek word actually refers to physical illness. However, the context shows that this particular sickness has come specifically “since (the true connotation of ‘if’) he have committed sins.” The remedy is for such a person to call for the church elders (not the reverse), and “let them pray” (after he has first openly confessed and repented of his sins) in faith, anointing him with oil. Then the promise is that, if the elders themselves have faith and are right with God, the Lord will forgive his sins and raise him up.

Furthermore, their prayer of faith will “save the sick.” The Greek word in this case means “wearied,” rather than “ill,” and it tells us that the sinner has been delivered from the heavy burden of guilt which had wearied his soul, as well as the illness which had weakened his body. There are other reasons for illness besides unrepented sin, but this is a wonderful promise of both spiritual and physical healing when sin is the problem. HMM

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Ashamed Of The Lord (#19920315)
by Henry Morris, Ph.D.

--��Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me His prisoner, but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God--�? (II Timothy 1:.

This exhortation of Paul follows immediately upon his assertion that --��God hath not given us the spirit of fear--�? (II Timothy 1:7). Thus, any Christian who is afraid to give a clear testimony for the Lord, or who is unwilling to support those who may be suffering because of their testimony (Paul was in a Roman dungeon when he wrote these words), did not receive such a spirit of fear from God.

A courageous, uncompromising stand for the truth, even in the face of ridicule and persecution, characterized the early Christians, who rejoiced --��that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for His name--�? (Acts 5:41). On the other hand, pride is such a besetting sin of human nature, and peer pressure so intimidating, that most Christians today-whether Christian intellectuals on the campus being pressured to compromise with evolution, or Christian laborers confronted with dishonesty and vile language on the job, or Christian teen-agers being urged to partake of drugs and sex-either yield to the pressure or retreat in silence.

We need to remember the words of Christ: --��Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when He cometh in the glory of His Father with the holy angels--�? (Mark 8:38).

The Apostle Paul, suffering in prison and soon to be executed, still could say: --��Nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed--�? (II Timothy 1:12). God gives us --��power and love and a sound mind--�?-not the spirit of fear! Therefore, we can well afford to be partakers of the gospel--��s afflictions, by the power of God. HMM

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Does God Dwell In Temples? (#19920316)
by John Morris, Ph.D.
“But Solomon built Him an house. Howbeit the most High dwelleth not in temples made with hands” (Acts 7:47,48).

Scripture teaches that the Creator God could not be confined to a man-made temple, but it is also true that the temple in Jerusalem was indeed the house of God. God, Himself, had even stated that “For now have I chosen and sanctified this house, that my name may be there for ever: and mine eyes and mine heart shall be there perpetually” (II Chronicles 7:16). Of course, there is no real conflict. God implies that this place would enjoy His special attention, favor, and Name, but He never claimed it as a dwelling place.

Solomon even recognized this. He said, “Who is able to build Him an house, seeing the heaven and heaven of heavens cannot contain Him?” (II Chronicles 2:6).

Today, God dwells in many temples, but they are not made with hands either. “Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? . . . the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are” (I Corinthians 3:16,17). Likewise, “What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost?” (I Corinthians 6:19), and “ye are the temple of the living God” (II Corinthians 6:16).

Not only is each individual believer the temple of God, but the corporate body of believers, the church, enjoys the same standing. Speaking of the melding of Jewish and Gentile believers into one body, Paul teaches that each believer is a stone in “the building fitly framed together (which) groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord” (Ephesians 2:21). As individual building stones, we are “fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of God; And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief corner stone” (Ephesians 2:19,20).

The sanctuary of the living God is not a temple or a church auditorium, but hearts yielded to Him. JDM

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Grace And The Law (#19920317)
by Henry Morris, Ph.D.
“For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ” (John 1:17).

Some have argued that the Old Testament God was rigid and legalistic, whereas the God of the New Testament is a God of grace and love. But “Jesus Christ (is) the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever” (Hebrews 13:.

The word for “grace” (Hebrew chen) occurs at least 68 times in the Old Testament, and “gracious” and “graciously” some 98 times. The related attributes of “mercy” and “lovingkindness” (Hebrew chesed) are mentioned over 200 times. The Old Testament is abundantly supplied with references to these supposedly New Testament concepts.

It is significant that the first mentions of “grace” and “graciously” in the Bible refer to the grace of God, rather than to any human grace. In the first instance, it is said that even in a world of universal wickedness, “Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD” (Genesis 6:, and God saved him and his family through the terrible judgment of the Flood. Then Jacob, the father of the children of Israel (to whom God eventually revealed the law through Moses), spoke of his children as gifts of God’s grace, testifying to his brother Esau of “the children which God hath graciously given thy servant” (Genesis 33:5).

Even the law was given in grace and truth to the people whom God had chosen in grace, as the psalmist indicated when he prayed: “Grant me thy law graciously. I have chosen the way of truth” (Psalm 119:29,30).

It is significant that the last reference to “grace” in the Old Testament refers to the salvation of all the children of Israel, when they see finally Jesus as He really is. “I will pour upon the house of David, . . . the Spirit of grace. . . : and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for Him. . .” (Zechariah 12:10). HMM

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Strength And Grace And Glory (#19920318)
by Henry Morris, Ph.D.
“They go from strength to strength, every one of them in Zion appeareth before God” (Psalm 84:7).

The Christian life should never be a stagnant life, satisfied with the spiritual status quo. It should be a life of continued growth and progress, day by day. The believer has an infinite supply of resources available, and thus is expected to continue to increase in spiritual strength and grace and glory all his life.

First, “blessed is the man whose strength is in thee.” With such strength, the believer can, when “passing through the valley of Baca (‘weeping’) make it a well” (Psalm 84:5,6). Next, as seen in our text, “They go from strength to strength”—that is, from one level of strength to another, as they appropriate the strength of the Lord Himself.

But strength is more than just spiritual power. “Be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus” (II Timothy 2:1). We are saved by grace, and God’s grace should be increasingly evident in our lives. “Of His fullness have all we received, and grace for grace” (John 1:16). His grace is endless and inexhaustible, and we can receive (literally) “grace upon grace,” as we “grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (II Peter 3:18).

Then, as we go from strength to strength, and receive grace upon grace, “we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory” (II Corinthians 3:18). The “glass” in which we behold the Lord’s image, in context, is the reading of the Scriptures. His glory shines through its open pages and becomes reflected in the very character of the believer.

This is how the Christian’s spiritual life should progress from day to day. Receiving first of all His strength and His grace, and His glory, we “may grow up into Him in all things, which is the head, even Christ” (Ephesians 4:15). HMM

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The Angel Of Redemption (#19920319)
by Henry Morris, Ph.D.
“The Angel which redeemed me from all evil, bless the lads; and let my name be named on them, and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac; and let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth” (Genesis 48:16).

In this verse is the first use in the Bible of the beautiful word “redeem” (Hebrew goel). Its basic meaning is “buy back”—that is, to avenge and restore one who has been wronged, or to set free one who has been enslaved. The right and duty of redemption, in Biblical times, was commonly understood to belong to the next of kin, and the word is the usual Hebrew word for “kinsman.”

In this use of this word, Jacob noted that his redeemer had been the mighty Angel of the Lord—the one who had been his only kinsman (after all, his parents were powerless to help him and his brother and uncle were his enemies). Jacob had learned that the God of His fathers was the only one able and willing to deliver him from all evil, and therefore he could also call on Him to deliver and bless his seed.

Job also could speak of Him: “I know that my redeemer liveth” (Job 19:25). So could David: “O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer” (Psalm 19:14). Isaiah wrote frequently of Him. For example: “Thou, O LORD, art our father, our redeemer: thy name is from everlasting” (Isaiah 63:16).

Jacob’s “Angel” of redemption was none other than the second Person of the Godhead, before He became incarnate as Son of Man, in the person of Jesus Christ. He is now, indeed, our brother, our kinsman, for He was “made like unto His brethren” (Hebrews 2:17) and then paid the awful price to deliver us from sin’s bondage, thereby obtaining “eternal redemption for us” (Hebrews 9:12). “Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, . . . but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot” (I Peter 1:18,19). HMM

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Chosen Vessels (#19920320)
by Henry Morris, Ph.D.

“But the Lord said unto him, Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel” (Acts 9:15).

The Lord here was speaking to Ananias concerning the Apostle Paul, calling him a “vessel,” that was to be filled with spiritual treasures for the nations. We may not be chosen for such a great work as that of Paul, but each of us is a chosen vessel to carry the message to someone.

First, however, we have to be prepared as vessels by the great Potter, “that He might make known the riches of His glory on the vessels of mercy, which He had afore prepared unto glory” (Romans 9:23). This verse speaks of God’s mercy, for He must also endure “with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction” (Romans 9:22).

We are only earthen vessels, at least to begin with, but God does entrust a portion of His heavenly treasures to us, especially “the light of the glorious gospel of Christ” shining in our hearts. “But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us” (II Corinthians 4:4,7).

If we are faithful in the small things, He may one day entrust us with greater treasures. “In a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honor, and some to dishonor. If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honor, sanctified, and meet for the master’s use, and prepared unto every good work” (II Timothy 2:20,21).

Each one is a vessel in the Master’s hand. Some are vessels of wrath, suited only for destruction; some vessels in His house are of wood and dirt, vessels of dishonor. May God help us, however, to be beautiful vessels of great value, sanctified to the Master’s use, and to every good work. HMM

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Saving Faith (#19920321)
by Henry Morris, Ph.D.

“What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? Can faith save him?” (James 2:14).

The well-known apparent “conflict” between James and Paul focuses especially on this verse. The Apostle Paul says emphatically: “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast” (Ephesians 2:8,9). Yet James, also an apostle, insists: “But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?” (James 2:20).

But no real conflict exists. In our text, there is a definite article before the word “faith.” James’ question is, literally, “Can that faith save him?” This is obviously intended as a rhetorical question, with a negative answer. In the context, James teaches that a “profession of faith” is not enough to produce salvation, if that faith “have not works.”

Since that kind of faith does not save, then what kind of faith does save? The answer is given by Paul, in the very verses quoted above. “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that-i.e., that faith (which is the inference in the original)-is not of yourselves: it is the gift of God.” In other words, true saving faith is not a man-generated faith of some kind, it is a supernatural gift of God! And that faith does save, because it is part of the new nature implanted by the Holy Spirit when a new believer is born again. Furthermore, this faith does inevitably produce good works, for the verse following says that “we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them” (Ephesians 2:10).

Faith must be faith in something, and true saving faith must be centered in the saving gospel of Jesus Christ as revealed in His inerrant Word. Such faith will inevitably result in a changed life and good works. That is the faith that saves. HMM