A Daily Devotional

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Knowledge of Eternal Life

"These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God" (I John 5:13).

It is important that a believer have real assurance of eternal life, and our text indicates that this was John's very purpose in writing his epistle. It is dangerous, however, to use this verse as a "proof text" apart from the whole context of "these things" which John had written to give such assurance, because the question must be faced as to what constitutes real belief "on the name of the Son of God." Many professing Christians may well have a superficial assurance of salvation because of a superficial faith.

According to the apostle John, genuine belief in the Son of God can be tested by "these things" which he had written. Space here permits listing only a few of them, but all are important. "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). "Ye know that every one that doeth righteousness is born of Him" (2:29). "We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren" (3:14). "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" (3:24). "We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not" (5:18).

Such words of assurance do not require that the believer be sinless (note I John 1:8-10), for the Greek tenses imply only that he does not sin habitually. Nevertheless, Christians who are comfortable in a nominal profession of faith, with little outward evidence of that faith, would do well to examine their faith in light of John's "tests of faith," whereby we may "know that we have eternal life."

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So Send I You

"Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you" (John 20:21).

For approximately three years the disciples had followed Jesus in His travels, had listened to His teaching, and participated in His ministry. They had forsaken "all, and followed Him" (Luke 5:11). They had seen Him ridiculed, opposed, oppressed, suffer deprivation, and be rejected by the religious leaders of the day, as well as by most of the common folk. They had watched while Judas, a trusted friend, had betrayed Him and then had fled when the Jewish leaders and a Roman guard arrested Him. This beloved leader, for whom they had had such great hopes and in whom they had placed such great trust, had then been scourged, beaten, spit upon, lied about, and nailed to a cruel cross to die in agony and abject loneliness, even abandoned by His loving heavenly Father.

A few days later, the disciples had "assembled for fear of the Jews" (John 20:19), for perhaps the Jewish leaders were trying to stamp out all semblance of His following, and they feared for their own lives now that Jesus was dead. But suddenly, Jesus stood in their midst and showed unto them His hands and His side (v.20) as proof of His death. Yet He was alive. "Then were the disciples glad."

We are now prepared to fully appreciate the words of our text. It is as if Jesus said, as my Father has sent me, so I send you, and look what they've done to me. But even though suffering and hardship will follow, have no fear. My peace and my Holy Spirit will be with you to assure your ultimate victory (compare verses 21-22).

If we would be His disciples, sent out as He was sent out to accomplish His eternal work here on Earth in His physical absence, we must likewise expect persecution, peace, power, and victory.

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Justification

"Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ" (Romans 5:1).

The Biblical doctrine of justification is a vital and spiritual truth. It means "being declared righteous" by a qualified judge. Since no one but God is wholly righteous, only He can do this. The wonderful truth is that even though "all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God," we can be "justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus" (Romans 3:23-24).

We are justified freely, but the price God has paid for our free justification was great indeed! "While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us," and we are "now justified by His blood" (Romans 5:8-9). He paid the supreme penalty for our sins, and we have been given "the gift of righteousness...by one, Jesus Christ" (Romans 5:17). Although we are justified freely by His grace, however, this gift must be accepted on faith. Then, "being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ" (Romans 5:1).

The implications are profound. "Ye are washed,...sanctified,...justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God" (I Corinthians 6:11). No matter how great may have been our sins, "by Him all that believe are justified from all things" (Acts 13:39) in the eyes of God. After all, "Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth" (Romans 8:33).

The ability of God to carry out such an amazing transaction is made certain by His defeat of death itself. Christ "was delivered for our offenses, and was raised again for our justification" (Romans 4:25).

Finally, the reality of our certain justification in the eyes of God is vouchsafed by our resulting righteous lives, for "by works a man is justified" (James 2:24) in the eyes of man.

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A Colony of Heaven

"For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ" (Philippians 3:20).

The term "conversation" in this verse is from a Greek word (politeuma) used only this once in the New Testament. It is related to the word for "city" (polis) and has to do with the proper behavior of a good citizen. Consequently, some translations render the word as "citizenship," stressing the fact that our true home is not in any earthly city, but in heaven.

Since we are now stationed here in a foreign land, as it were, one particularly picturesque rendering calls us "a colony of heaven." We are pioneering settlers, attempting to establish a beachhead for our homeland in a distant, dangerous country. The Lord Jesus prayed to His Father: "As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world" (John 17:18). "Go ye into all the world" was His commission, "and preach the gospel to every creature" (Mark 16:15).

A similar figure is used in II Corinthians 5:20: "We are ambassadors for Christ." As such, it is vitally important that our "conversation" (i.e., "lifestyle") be one which honors the heavenly kingdom and our great King.

Then, when our colonizing efforts succeed and new citizens are added to the heavenly kingdom, they can testify with us: "|The Father| hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of His dear Son" (Colossians 1:12-13).

As citizens, and colonists, and ambassadors from heaven, we are here only temporarily, of course. Our real home is with our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, and we are looking for Him to establish His eternal kingdom here on Earth, as it is in heaven.

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Can a Christian Not Sin?

"My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous" (I John 2:1).

If the question is asked: "Does a Christian not sin?" then the answer is, no. "If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us....If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us" (I John 1:8,10). Even the most godly Christian does sin occasionally -- in thought if not in deed, in omission if not in commission. The God-given antidote is I John 1:9: "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

But there is a danger if we use such verses as an excuse for sinning or for taking sin too lightly. If the question is asked: "Can a Christian not sin?" then the answer is, yes! God indeed, in Christ, has made every provision necessary for a believer never to commit sin, and we are without any legitimate excuse whenever we do.

This must be so for at least two reasons. In the first place, Jesus Christ in His humanity is our example, and He "was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin" (Hebrews 4:15). He accomplished this, not because of His deity, but solely in His humanity.

Secondly, God has commanded us not to sin, and He would never command us to do the impossible. For every temptation, there is a way of escape (I Corinthians 10:13), and we have no excuse if we fail to take it. Our only recourse is to repent and confess the sin.

Our text commands us to sin not! But then, it also reminds us that Christ is our great advocate before the Father. He is righteous and has already taken our sins away as our propitiatory sacrifice, so "the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin" (I John 1:7).

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The Law of Christ

"Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ" (Galatians 6:2).

Although Christ has set the believer free from legalistic bondage, he is now under a still higher law -- the law of Christ. It is also called "the law of the Spirit of life" which has made us "free from the law of sin and death" (Romans 8:2).

The law of Christ does not consist of many detailed ordinances which we are duty bound to obey. It is a law which we want to obey out of love for Christ. "Therefore love is the fulfilling of the law" (Romans 13:10). Paul says that "the end of the commandment is charity |that is, Christian love| out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned" (I Timothy 1:5). James calls it "the royal law," defining it simply as: "Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself" (James 2:.

Instead of a law bringing us into bondage, it is "the perfect law of liberty" (James 1:25), setting us free from slavery to sin. It not only gives us the desire to please the Lord, but also the will and the ability to do so.

It is not as though we are now without law and thereby free to indulge our carnal appetites. Paul explains his own new nature thus: "For though I be free from all men, yet have I made myself servant unto all, that I might gain the more...(being not without law to God, but under the law to Christ)" (I Corinthians 9:19,21).

In Christ, "the righteousness of God without the law is manifested," and He is "the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth" (Romans 3:21; 10:4). But though we "have been called unto liberty," Paul commands us to "use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another" (Galatians 5:13). Thus, to believe in Christ is also to obey Him.

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The Fourfold Witness to Christ

"One witness shall not rise up against a man for any iniquity, or for any sin, in any sin that he sinneth: at the mouth of two witnesses, or at the mouth of three witnesses, shall the matter be established" (Deuteronomy 19:15).

In the Mosaic law, at least two reliable witnesses were required to convict a man of a crime. Jesus Christ was charged with blasphemy, claiming to be the unique Son of God. Not only was there the required double witness, but actually a fourfold witness to the "crime." The witnesses not only agreed that the claim was made, but also that the claim was true!

The first was John the Baptist, who said "I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God" (John 1:34). To so testify was John's very reason for being, for he "was sent to bear witness of that Light. That was the true Light" (John 1:8-9).

There was also a second, more potent witness. "I have greater witness than that of John," Jesus said, "for the works which the Father hath given me to finish, the same works that I do, bear witness of me, that the Father hath sent me" (John 5:36). The great teacher, Nicodemus, had to acknowledge: "No man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with Him" (John 3:2).

Furthermore, there was the direct testimony of God from heaven. "The Father Himself, which hath sent me, hath borne witness of me" (John 5:37). "There came such a voice to Him from the excellent glory, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased" (II Peter 1:17).

Most importantly, there is the testimony of the Bible. "Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me" (John 5:39).

We no longer have such direct testimony, but we will always have the Holy Scriptures, eternally proclaiming the deity of our Lord Jesus Christ.

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Righteous Judgment to Come

"And He shall judge the world in righteousness, He shall minister judgment to the people in uprightness" (Psalm 9:.

Judgment is coming for every person, "as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment" (Hebrews 9:27). Many people don't believe it, and still more don't seem to care, but judgment is coming! Be certain of this. We must all meet God our Maker someday.

Furthermore, "He shall judge the world in righteousness," for He is "of purer eyes than to behold evil, and canst not look on iniquity" (Habakkuk 1:13). "He shall judge the world with righteousness, and the people with His truth" (Psalm 96:13; also note Psalm 96:10; 98:9).

All is lost if God judges righteously, however, for "There is none righteous, no, not one" (Romans 3:10), and "Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them" (Galatians 3:10).

But "God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto Himself, . . . hath made Him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him" (II Corinthians 5:19,21). The Lord Jesus, the Son of God, our Creator/Redeemer, has taken our judgment on Himself, and "There is therefore now no |judgment| to them which are in Christ Jesus" (Romans 8:1).

Consequently, "the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son" (John 5:22). God can both judge righteously and yet graciously save all who receive Christ by faith: "Because He hath appointed a day, in the which He will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom He hath ordained; whereof He hath given assurance unto all men, in that He hath raised Him from the dead" (Acts 17:31). Jesus Christ is not only our Creator and righteous Judge, but also our Redeemer, Mediator, Advocate, and Savior!

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Life -- Light -- Love

"All things were made by Him; and without Him was not any thing made that was made. In Him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not" (John 1:3-5).

The apostle John, designated as "the other disciple, whom Jesus loved" (John 20:2), used the concept of agape love more than any other New Testament writer, even teaching that "God is love" (I John 4:.

Likewise, John tells us that "God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all" (I John 1:5), and he uses the concept of light (phos) more than any other writer.

In just the same way he uses the primary word for life (zoe) more than any other writer and discusses "That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life" (I John 1:1), identifying Christ as life and the Fountain of life.

Christ, of course, has existed "from the beginning" and is the Creator of physical life on Earth (Colossians 1:16; Acts 17:28). But in a special way, He is "the life" (John 14:6), and, as we see in our text, "in Him was life," denoting salvation and eternal life based on His own atonement for sin.

Concerning light, Christ not only created physical light (Genesis 1:3) and later light sources (Genesis 1:14), but He is light, referring to revelation of the things of God to men, for His "life was the light of men."

But most of all, "God is love." The first time John mentions agape love, we are told that "God so loved the world," and that His free and undeserved love drove Him to give "His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life" (John 3:16). "Herein is love . . . that He loved us, and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins" (I John 4:10).

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The River of God

"Thou visitest the earth, and waterest it: thou greatly enrichest it with the river of God, which is full of water: thou preparest them corn, when thou hast so provided for it" (Psalm 65:9).

The inexhaustible river of God, watering the whole Earth, is nothing less than the refreshing rains coming down from the heavens, "visit|ing|" the earth on its amazing journey to the oceans, whence it flows back up to the skies again. This river incorporates all the rivers of Earth, yet it is like no other river, for once it reaches the ocean, it rises into the heavens, there to flow back over the thirsty ground and finally descend once more on its endless journey.

What a wonderful provision is this river of God! Without it, all life on Earth would soon die. Far more valuable than gold, it continually "enrich|es|" the earth on its regular visitations "To satisfy the desolate and waste ground; and to cause the bud of the tender herb to spring forth" (Job 38:27).

Thereby does God also prepare corn to feed man and beast. The word "corn" in this and other passages probably refers generically to any of the cereal grains which provide the basic foodstuffs for people and animals all over the world. This is implied in the creation passage itself. "And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth. . . . And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to every thing that creepeth upon the earth, wherein there is life, I have given every green herb for meat" (Genesis 1:29-30).

This is God's wonderful life-giving river. "He watereth the hills from His chambers: the earth is satisfied with the fruit of thy works. He causeth the grass to grow for the cattle, and herb for the service of man: that he may bring forth food out of the earth" (Psalm 104:13-14). The Creator is also the Sustainer (Colossians 1:16-17).

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Preaching against False Teachers

"But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea" (Matthew 18:6).

Jude, an earthly brother of our Lord, had become a leader in the early church by the time he wrote his epistle. He had intended "to write unto you of the common salvation," but instead was compelled by God's Spirit to write and "exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith" (v.3) against the onslaught of false teachers. He writes "to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him" (v.15).

Few categories of people are so summarily denounced in Scripture as false teachers, those who teach error from within. Nearly every Biblical writer echoes God's hatred of them and their work. Here, Jude refers to Enoch's ancient teaching to demonstrate the fact that God has always hated false teachers and has warned them of their doom. Unfortunately, many of today's pulpits and "Christian" airwaves are filled with false teachers and their teaching leading many astray.

But this is also a lesson to be learned by any who would teach, even born-again, God-gifted teachers. Error is a serious thing in God's eyes, and a Bible teacher must continually submit to God's Word and Spirit to discern and teach only truth. Evidently it would be better for those teachers, seminarians, and others who espouse errors such as humanism, evolution, and other false concepts, that a millstone were hanged about their necks, and that they were drowned in the depth of the sea than to lead astray those "little ones" in their influence.

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How to Respond to Defamation

"Even unto this present hour we both hunger, and thirst, and are naked, and are buffeted, and have no certain dwellingplace; And labor, working with our own hands: being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we suffer it: Being defamed, we entreat: we are made as the filth of the world, and are the offscouring of all things unto this day" (I Corinthians 4:11-13).

Bible-believing Christians today, especially creationists, have become the object of intense vilification by the news media and by self-appointed spokesmen for the scientific and educational establishments. The natural reaction is to respond in kind.

But this is not the spiritual reaction. "Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow His steps: Who did no sin, neither was guile found in His mouth: Who, when He was reviled, reviled not again; when He suffered, He threatened not; but committed Himself to Him that judgeth righteously" (I Peter 2:21-23).

We not only have Christ's example before us, but also His direct commandment. "Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. . . . Love your enemies, bless them that curse you" (Matthew 5:11,44).

The apostles endured far more insults and opprobrium for Christ's sake than any of us shall ever have to suffer. Yet Paul, speaking for them all, could say in effect "Being reviled, we bless; being defamed, we entreat, even though they call us the filth of the world!"

We can trust the Lord to take care of our reputations, for He is more concerned even than we, and His Word tells us: "Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord" (Romans 12:19).

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The Father Testifies of the Son

"Father, glorify thy name. Then came there a voice from heaven, saying, I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again" (John 12:28).

This is the last of three remarkable occasions during the earthly ministry of Christ when God the Father spoke directly from heaven concerning His only begotten Son. The first was at His baptism. "And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased" (Matthew 3:17; also, Mark 1:11; Luke 3:22). This thrice-recorded testimony was given primarily to the forerunner, John the Baptist, who said: "And I knew Him not: but He that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on Him, the same is He which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost" (John 1:33).

The second was to three chosen disciples at the transfiguration. "Behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye Him" (Matthew 17:5). Years later Peter recalled: "This voice which came from heaven we heard, when we were with Him in the holy mount" (II Peter 1:18).

Finally, the Father spoke in the words of our text for the day, in direct response to the prayer of His Son, at the beginning of the final week before His crucifixion. The message was to His Son, but for the people. Jesus said: "This voice came not because of me, but for your sakes" (John 12:30), as He spoke of His imminent death on the cross.

When God spoke from heaven, the message was to assure and encourage His own dear ones: John, the disciples, and Jesus Himself. But it has also become an exhortation to all people for all time. Jesus Christ is God's Son, and God is glorified in Him. Hear Him!

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The Last Adam

"And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit" (I Corinthians 15:45).

In the great "resurrection chapter," Paul is quoting from Genesis 2:7: "and man became a living soul." He also makes it clear that, contrary to the opinion of many liberal theologians, "Adam" was not merely a generic term for humanity in general, specifically indicating that Adam was "the first man." This also refutes the notion that there were any "pre-Adamite men," despite the claims of some who would compromise with evolutionary anthropology.

Just as there was a first Adam, so Jesus Christ was the last Adam. He was not the last man to be born, of course, but He was the second and last man whose body would be directly formed by God, as asserted in the same verse (Genesis 2:7) here cited by Paul. "That holy thing" (Luke 1:35) which Mary received in her womb was conceived altogether miraculously. "Wherefore when He cometh into the world, He saith, . . . a body hast thou prepared me" (Hebrews 10:5). "The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven" (I Corinthians 15:47).

Thus, with neither genetic mutations nor inherent sin in His perfect human body, this last Adam could become "the Lamb of God," whose body was "without blemish and without spot," able therefore to redeem lost men with His "precious blood," and thus to take "away the sin of the world" (John 1:29; I Peter 1:19).

But that is not all. He was also "made a quickening |that is, resurrecting | spirit." He was "put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit" (I Peter 3:18) and can now give eternal life to all who receive His life. "For as the Father raiseth up the dead . . . even so the Son quickeneth whom He will" (John 5:21).

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The Three Appearings of Christ

"When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with Him in glory" (Colossians 3:4).

The wonderful promise of this text actually refers to the third appearing of Christ. The New Testament speaks of His past appearing, His present appearing, and His future appearing. These three appearings are all set forth in one fascinating passage of Scripture, Hebrews 9:24-28, where three different Greek words are used in reference to the three appearings.

    1. His past appearing. ". . . now once in the end of the world hath He appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself" (Hebrews 9:26). Here the Greek word is phaneroo , meaning, "become apparent after being hidden." His appearing had been prophesied since the beginning of the world (Luke 1:67-70), and finally He had come.

    2. His present appearing. "For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us" (Hebrews 9:24). The Greek word here is emphanizo , which means, "manifest or declare openly." He is now our "advocate with the Father" (I John 2:1), where He "also maketh intercession for us" (Romans 8:34).

    3. His future appearing. ". . . unto them that look for Him shall He appear the second time without sin unto salvation" (Hebrews 9:28). The Greek in this case is optomai , meaning, "gaze at face-to-face."

Our text (Colossians 3:4) speaks of His future appearing at the Second Coming. However, here the Greek for "appear" is again phaneroo , the same as used for His past appearing in Hebrews 9:26, as discussed above. This usage assures us that His future appearing will be just as real to us as His past appearing was to His first disciples. And when He shall appear, we shall appear with Him in glory!