A Daily Devotional

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Summing up Submission

"Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble" (I Peter 5:5).

Although this book was written to Christians during a time of horrible persecution, much of it is concerned with submission. Believers are to submit to the government (2:13-17); slaves to their masters (2:18-20); wives to their husbands (3:1-6); husbands to their wives (3:7); and each one to the other, as in our text, in just the same way Christ submitted to God's plan for His suffering and death (2:21-25).

A summary of this teaching is found in I Peter 3:8-12. "Be ye all of one mind" (v., Peter tells us, and live in harmony. Paul taught: "If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men" (Romans 12:18). There are exceptions to the rule (e.g., the primary doctrines of Scripture), but the Christian normally should not be the one to break the peace. He should do everything short of compromise to live in harmony.

Continuing (see I Peter 3:, we should have "compassion" for others (such as the rulers, employers, and spouses mentioned). We should "love as brethren" and choose to serve rather than be served. "Pitiful" is usually translated "tenderhearted," and "courteous" implies "humble in spirit."

We should return a blessing for a curse instead of replying in kind (I Peter 3:9). We should choose our words and use our speech carefully (v.10), and "eschew" (i.e., avoid) evil (v.11), actively replacing evil behavior with good. Peace must be consciously pursued.

There is great reward in such a lifestyle and attitude. In doing so we will "inherit a blessing" (v.9) and "see good days" (v.10). "For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and His ears are open unto their prayers: but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil" (v.12).

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Christ and the Four Thieves

"The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly" (John 10:10).

There were four thieves closely involved in the events surrounding the crucifixion of the Lord Jesus Christ. The first of these was one of His own disciples. "|Judas| was a thief, and had the bag, and bare what was put therein" (John 12:6). It was Judas, of course, who betrayed Christ, facilitating His arrest and conviction.

The second was not only a thief, but also a revolutionary and a murderer. "Barabbas . . . who had committed murder in the insurrection . . . was a robber" (Mark 15:7; John 18:40). This convicted criminal, appointed to death, was released and Jesus condemned in his stead. Thus, Barabbas benefited temporarily from Christ, receiving an unexpected and undeserved liberty because Christ was willing to go to the cross.

"Then were there two thieves crucified with Him" (Matthew 27:38). Their names are not given in the Bible, but their attitudes toward Christ, and therefore their ultimate destinies, were diametrically different. One of them berated Christ, saying, "If thou be Christ, save thyself and us" (Luke 23:39).

The fourth thief, on the other hand, believed Christ, and therefore heard His saving words: "To day shalt thou be with me in paradise" (Luke 23:43).

All were thieves, deserving punishment. One was a betrayer, ending his life in suicide; one was a beneficiary, though only for a time; one was a berater, destined for hell; but one was a believer, receiving salvation and eternal life. Jesus, who received the penalty for thievery, can save even the thief, for He came "that they might have life, and . . . have it more abundantly."

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The Invitations of Christ

"He saith unto them, Come and see. They came and saw where He dwelt, and abode with Him that day: for it was about the tenth hour" (John 1:39).

This is the first of the gracious invitations of the Lord Jesus to "come" to Him. On this occasion, right after His baptism by John, He invited two potential disciples to come with Him to His dwelling place. Very likely this was an outdoor mat somewhere, for He soon afterwards acknowledged that "the Son of man hath not where to lay His head" (Matthew 8:20). Nevertheless, one night of abiding with Jesus changed their lives. Soon afterwards He issued another invitation to them. "Come ye after me, and I will make you to become fishers of men" (Mark 1:17), and they never went home again. First He invites us to come to see and know Him, then to come with Him to win others.

There is also the wonderful invitation to come to Him for relief from our burdens and cares. "Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest" (Matthew 11:28). And note His promise to those who do accept His invitation: "Him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out" (John 6:37).

There were also personal invitations. To Zacchaeus, the seeking sinner glimpsing Jesus from a sycamore tree, He said, "come down; for to day I must abide at thy house" (Luke 19:5). To His friend Lazarus, dead and bound in a tomb, He cried, "Lazarus, come forth" (John 11:43), and not even the grave could prevent his accepting such a call.

There are other invitations from the Lord with gracious promises to those who come, but note especially the final invitation of the Bible: "And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely" (Revelation 22:17).

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Instant Creation

"Let them praise the name of the Lord: for He commanded, and they were created" (Psalm 148:5).

Certain Christian intellectuals today are promoting the concept of what they call "process creation," a euphemism for theistic evolution. This is a contradiction in terms, however, for creation by definition is supernatural and instantaneous. The Bible makes this plain.

Our text is in one of the beautiful "hallelujah" psalms in which the entire creation is exhorted to praise the Lord. The sun, moon, and all the heavens are included, and then the testimony of our text is given. As soon as God commanded, they were created, not over long ages, but immediately! God said "Let there be . . ." and it was so.

This is made especially emphatic in the 33rd Psalm: "By the word of the Lord were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of His mouth. . . . For He spake, and it was done; He commanded, and it stood fast" (Psalm 33:6,9). This is also the testimony in the great "faith" chapter, Hebrews 11. The very first object of faith is the following: "Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear" (Hebrews 11:3). That is, the things which are seen (sun, moon, stars, etc.) were not made out of preexisting materials (things which appear), but by the spoken word of God.

There is not any need at all to compromise either God's omnipotence or His inerrant Word by such devices as theistic evolution, progressive creation, or process creation, for no natural "process" could ever generate the complex and beautifully organized systems of the creation. Compromising evangelical scientists and theologians who are intimidated by the ungodly philosophy of evolution should be corrected, not accommodated.

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The Prodigal Father

"But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet: And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat, and be merry" (Luke 15:22-23).

As a number of commentators have noted, the familiar parable of the "prodigal son" is really about the "prodigal father," for the word "prodigal" does not mean wayward or rebellious, as many think, but rather lavishly generous. The central theme of the story is not that of the return of a lost son, but rather the undying love of a forgiving father.

The human father was intended by the Lord Jesus to be a picture of our heavenly Father, whose righteousness requires judgment on sin, but who is always ready to forgive and receive back into joyous fellowship any who return to Him in repentant faith. Even to rebellious Israel He could say, "Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee" (Jeremiah 31:3). It was the memory of his father's lovingkindness as much as anything else that finally gave the lost son courage to return home in repentance.

And when he returned, there were no recriminations from his father, but only love and then a prodigal outpouring of blessing, with the robe and ring and shoes all symbolizing his full restoration as the son of his father.

So it is with us. Though utterly undeserving of such honor, we are made "heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ" (Romans 8:17). "He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. . . . Like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear Him" (Psalm 103:10,13). "Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, . . . And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty" (II Corinthians 6:17-18).

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The Test of Expedience

"All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any" (I Corinthians 6:12).

Christians are saved by the grace of God, not by works of righteousness. Therefore, in a sense, they are free to do whatever they please. "All things are lawful unto me." The Christian, however, is under a higher law, the law of love and of seeking to please and honor his Savior and Lord.

Therefore, when a question arises as to whether a certain act is right or wrong, the decision should be based on how the act impacts the cause of Christ. Does it help or hinder in the winning of the lost, or in edifying the believer? Does it honor the Lord and His Word, or bring reproach against His truth? For example, Paul concluded he could not afford to "be brought under the power of any" practice (e.g., drinking, smoking, gambling) that might limit the power of God over his actions and decisions.

In a similar passage, Paul says: "All things are lawful for me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but all things edify not" (I Corinthians 10:23). Thus, nothing is expedient for the Christian that does not edify (that is, "build up") spiritually either himself or someone else.

In a similar vein, he said elsewhere that "there is nothing unclean of itself: but to him that esteemeth any thing to be unclean, to him it is unclean. . . . Let not then your good be evil spoken of: . . . Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another" (Romans 14:14,16,19).

This test of expediency, therefore, if applied sincerely by the believer in terms of advancing or hindering the purposes of God in Christ, can be of great help in decision making regarding doubtful issues.

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The Scarlet Hope

"Behold, when we come into the land, thou shalt bind this line of scarlet thread in the window which thou didst let us down by: and thou shalt bring thy father, and thy mother, and thy brethren, and all thy father's household, home unto thee" (Joshua 2:18).

These words were spoken to Rahab by Joshua's spies after she had protected them from discovery by the officials of Jericho. She had testified to the spies that "the Lord your God, He is God in heaven above, and in earth beneath" (Joshua 2:11). Therefore, "By faith the harlot Rahab perished not with them that believed not, when she had received the spies with peace" (Hebrews 11:31).

Rahab's spiritual salvation came because of her faith in the true God; she soon entered into the covenant family of Israel and eventually even became a member of the family line leading to Jesus Christ (Matthew 1:5). Her physical deliverance, on the other hand, and that of her family, depended on a "line of scarlet thread" suspended from her window, identifying her home as "under the blood," so to speak, when Jericho fell and all its other inhabitants perished.

This thin, blood-red line constituted a very slender hope for Rahab in the midst of such a scene of judgment and total destruction, but it sufficed. It is fascinating to note that the Hebrew word for "line" (occurring here for the first time in the Bible) is everywhere else translated by the key word "hope." Perhaps "line" soon came to mean "hope" because of this very experience, when a "scarlet hope" extended all the way from a repentant sinner to the very God of heaven! Note the same thought, with the same word: "For thou art my hope, O Lord God" (Psalm 71:5).

"And every man that hath this hope in Him purifieth himself, even as He is pure" (I John 3:3).

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Sudden Creation

"For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ" (II Corinthians 4:6).

Even a superficial reading of the account of creation in Genesis 1 and 2 impresses the reader with the idea of suddenness. God simply called the universe into existence from nothing and then quickly set about the rapid formation of certain features, interspersed with other direct creative acts. All of the events, whether creative or formative, seem to have happened over a brief period of time, such as the formation of the plants (Genesis 1:12), the animals (v.20), and the sun and stars (v.16).

Even aspects which were evidently formed by a process such as the continents and oceans (v.10) and humankind (2:7,22) seemingly took no great length of time.

This is especially true of the creation of light. "And God said, Let there be light: and there was light" (1:3). No slow and sporadic arrival of light from distant stars is mentioned, nor a gradual heating up of the sun as interstellar gas collapsed and fused. Some evangelical advocates of the old-earth concept hold that God slowly cleared the atmosphere of left-over interstellar dust which allowed the light from the sun and stars to penetrate to the earth.

But, if Scripture alone is our authority, then it happened suddenly and spectacularly. As discussed in our text, it happened just as suddenly and just as supernaturally as a new creature is created out of a dead creature at the moment of salvation. Sanctification may be a life-long matter, but "if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature" (II Corinthians 5:17), literally creation. No more time is required for the transformation than for darkness to turn into light at the Creator's command.

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The Unfailing Presence

"And, behold, I am with thee, and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest, and will bring thee again into this land; for I will not leave thee, until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of" (Genesis 28:15).

This is the first of many promises of God's unfailing presence with those who trust Him. The words of our text were spoken to Jacob on his flight from the unwarranted wrath of Esau. Those expositors who unjustifiably accuse Jacob of fraud when he secured the birthright promised to him by God before his birth (Genesis 25:23) should note that God never rebuked Jacob, but instead promised His perpetual protecting presence.

Note also God's promise to Joshua: "There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life: as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee" (Joshua 1:5).

There is also His promise to His chosen people, Israel: "For the Lord will not forsake His people for His great name's sake: because it hath pleased the Lord to make you His people" (I Samuel 12:22).

There are many other such assurances in the Scriptures. One that especially reveals God's heart is Isaiah 41:17: "When the poor and needy seek water, and there is none, and their tongue faileth for thirst, I the Lord will hear them, I the God of Israel will not forsake them."

The most precious of all, however, is the assurance to all New Testament believers that "I will never |literally `never, never, never'| leave thee, nor forsake thee" (Hebrews 13:5). Paul teaches after an exhausting list of possibilities that nothing "shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 8:39). "Lo, I am with you alway," Jesus said, "even unto the end of the world" (Matthew 28:20).

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Speak to the Rock

"And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, Take the rod, and gather thou the assembly together, thou, and Aaron thy brother, and speak ye unto the rock before their eyes; and it shall give forth his water" (Numbers 20:7-8).

Whenever the children of Israel faced a wilderness, "No Water" situation, their immediate reaction was to murmur and complain rather than trusting God to supply their need (Numbers 20:2-5). They failed to remember how God had previously taken care of their "No Water" problem (Exodus 17:1,6) when Moses struck the rock in Horeb, causing water to abundantly flow forth.

But now, many years later, Moses was not to strike the rock for water, but simply "speak to the rock." Instead, he, in his anger, struck the rock twice, completely disobeying God's command and was judged for it (Numbers 20:11-12).

The spiritual application for us is found in I Corinthians 10:4. The children of Israel "drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ." The same Rock who supplied physical water in the wilderness desires to supply refreshing grace and mercy to those who are in a "No Water" situation today. "Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need" (Hebrews 4:16). "When my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I" (Psalm 61:2).

David wrote, "The spirit of the Lord spake by me, and His word was in my tongue. The God of Israel said, the Rock of Israel spake to me" (II Samuel 23:2-3). Not only do we have the privilege of speaking to the Rock, Christ Jesus, but also having the Rock speak to us through His Word, the Bible.

"For who is God save the Lord? or who is a rock save our God?" (Psalm 18:31).

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Old Testament Love

"Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself: I am the Lord" (Leviticus 19:18).

Many people have mistakenly rejected or neglected the Old Testament on the basis that it speaks about a vindictive God of judgment in contrast to the New Testament God of love manifest in Jesus Christ. This perspective, however, is completely wrong.

One day a lawyer asked Jesus: "Master, which is the great commandment in the law? Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets" (Matthew 22:36-40).

Both of these commandments were recorded, of course, in the Old Testament. The first one in Deuteronomy 6:4-5 is perhaps the most revered of all passages to the Jews: "Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord: And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might." The second great commandment is the one in our text for the day. This law is buried deep in the Pentateuch, in the unlikely heart of the book of Leviticus. In the New Testament it is even called "the royal law" (James 2:.

Thus, the great underlying theme of the Old Testament is love -- love for God and love for others -- and this truth is stressed by Christ Himself in the New Testament. Even greater is God's eternal love which was ours from before the world and which will never end. "The Lord hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee" (Jeremiah 31:3).

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The Sinner's Prayer

"And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner" (Luke 18:13).

Evangelists have often urged lost men and women to pray this "sinner's prayer" if they desired to be saved. The account does say that this publican, after praying thus, "went down to his house justified" (v.14).

But there is more here than appears on the surface. It is not merely God's mercy that is needed, for He has already been merciful to let us continue to live at all. The word translated "merciful" is used only one other time in the New Testament and is there translated "make reconciliation for." Speaking of the saving work of Christ, it says that He came "to make reconciliation for the sins of the people" (Hebrews 2:17). It is also closely related to the words for "propitiation" and "mercy seat."

This parable of the Pharisee and the publican is set in the context of the Jewish temple worship, where sinners would bring their sacrificial offerings to cover their sins, knowing that "it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul" (Leviticus 17:11). Such sacrifices were completely worthless, however, if offered in a spirit of religious pride and/or self-righteousness, like that of the Pharisee. There must be repentance and faith in God's promise of forgiveness through the death of an innocent substitute, pre-figuring the true Lamb of God whose coming death would truly make eternal reconciliation for the sins of the people. The publican prayed in this vein, and he was saved.

In our day, on the other side of the cross, a sinner's saving prayer must say, in effect: "God, be propitiated to me on the basis of the death of Christ for my sins." Such a prayer, offered in sincere repentance and faith in God's promise, brings justification before God.

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The Divine Designer

"Who hath measured the waters in the hollow of His hand, and meted out heaven with the span, and comprehended the dust of the earth in a measure, and weighed the mountains in scales, and the hills in a balance?" (Isaiah 40:12).

The answer to this rhetorical question can only be God, the divine Designer of all the intricate interrelationships of His great creation. Four of the disciplines of natural science are implied here, and in each case a key principle of that science is anticipated.

The emphasis is on the precision of the divinely allocated quantities of each component. First, there is the precise balance of the waters of the earth between the oceans, rivers, groundwater, and atmospheric waters. Hydrology is the science of earth's waters, and life on earth is dependent on the fine tuning of the components of the hydrologic cycle. "He looketh to the ends of the earth. . . . To make the weight for the winds; and He weigheth the waters by measure" (Job 28:24-25).

The atmospheric heaven also has been carefully dimensioned in size and composition to make life possible, as formulated in the science of meteorology.

The "dust of the earth" is nothing less than the basic chemical elements out of which all things are made. The accuracy with which elements combine with each other is based on their valences, and all of this is involved in the study of chemistry. The principle of isostasy ("equal weights") is the fundamental principle of the science of geophysics, involving the weights of mountains and hills, continents, and ocean basins.

God does not deal in chance and caprice, even with inanimate physical systems such as mountains and waters. Not even a sparrow can "fall on the ground without your Father" (Matthew 10:29).

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The Definition of Faith

"Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen" (Hebrews 11:1).

The marvelous "faith chapter," Hebrews 11, is an amazing chapter. Here, faith is defined, not as some intangible wishfulness, but as "substance" and "evidence." Let us look closely.

First of all, faith must have a legitimate object, nothing less than the mighty Creator by whom "the worlds were framed" (v.3) out of nothing but His omnipotent Word.

Beyond this, faith is further defined, not by what it is, but by what it does! The man of faith comes to God by "a more excellent sacrifice," like that of Abel (v.4), typifying the sacrifice of Christ. Faith will, like Enoch, live to please God (v.5), and will, like Noah, prepare an Ark (i.e., do whatever necessary out of obedience to God) "to the saving of his house" (v.7).

True faith will, like Abraham, go out as God leads, "not knowing whither he went," even "dwelling in tabernacles" (literally "tents") (vv.8-9) if need be, as he looks for that city with sure "foundations, whose builder and maker is God" (v.10). Such faith will even, like Abraham, offer up to God the greatest love and joy of his life, knowing that God will keep His Word (vv.17-19).

Like Moses, the man of genuine faith will choose rather "to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season" (v.25). Faith is even willing to be "stoned . . . sawn asunder . . . slain with the sword," if need be, for the promises of God (vv.37,39).

We are saved by grace through faith, not of works (Ephesians 2:8-9), but since we are "created in Christ Jesus unto good works" (Ephesians 2:10), our faith should motivate us to action. "Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only" (James 2:24).

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An Acceptable Sacrifice

"Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ" (I Peter 2:5).

Our text instructs us that we, as a corporate church and as individuals, are designed for the purpose of offering up acceptable sacrifices to God. These are not animal sacrifices as before, but "spiritual" sacrifices, made "acceptable to God by Jesus Christ." What kinds of spiritual sacrifices are acceptable?

Prayer: An amazing scene is recorded for us in heaven, for an angel is seen at the altar offering up to God incense mingled with "the prayers of the saints" (Revelation 8:4, see also 5:. Our prayers are precious to Him.

Giving: The use of our financial resources for the furtherance of His kingdom becomes "an odor of a sweet smell, a sacrifice acceptable, wellpleasing to God" (Philippians 4:18).

Praise: In some way, not fully comprehended by us, we can "offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to His name" (Hebrews 13:15).

Good work and sharing: "But to do good and to communicate |share| forget not: for with such sacrifices God is well pleased" (Hebrews 13:16). Remember, we are saved entirely by God's grace, but also created specifically unto good works (Ephesians 2:8-10).

Ourselves: We have a distinct privilege in that we may "present |our| bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is |our| reasonable service" (Romans 12:1).

God is a magnificent God! He can be trusted with our prayers, our resources, our praise, our works, and our lives. His perfect sacrifice has made it possible for our sacrifices to be meaningful.