A Daily Devotional

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Everlasting Contempt

"And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt" (Daniel 12:2).

Some claim that the Old Testament knows nothing of a resurrection, but this promise of God clearly refutes such a notion. Not only will some be raised to everlasting life, but some to everlasting shame and contempt!

What a bitter end this will be for those who now look with contempt upon the Bible. The Hebrew word translated "contempt" is used only one other time, in the very last verse of Isaiah, but is there translated "abhorring." "And they shall go forth, and look upon the carcass of the men that have transgressed against me: for their worm shall not die, neither shall their fire be quenched; and they shall be an abhorring unto all flesh" (Isaiah 66:24).

There is probably no doctrine of the Bible more hated by unbelievers than the doctrine of everlasting punishment. It was this teaching (not the imaginary evidence for evolution) that turned Charles Darwin away from God. Nevertheless, it was verified by Christ Himself. "It is better for thee to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye, than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire: Where . . . the fire is not quenched" (Mark 9:47-48). Christ will say to the "goats" on His left hand, "Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: . . . these shall go away into everlasting punishment" (Matthew 25:41,46). Paul also warned that those who "obey not the gospel . . . shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord" (II Thessalonians 1:8-9). Everlasting contempt, everlasting fire, everlasting punishment, everlasting destruction--these await all who reject God and His saving word, through Christ. How much better to "awake to everlasting life!"

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Incorruptible Things

"Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers" (I Peter 1:18).

Not all the wealth of the world can redeem a single soul, for gold and silver are merely corruptible elements in a world under "the bondage of corruption" (Romans 8:21). Everything in the physical creation is decaying and dying. In fact, one day all these "elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up" (II Peter 3:10). Even the very seeds which transmit life are "corruptible seed" (I Peter 1:23), and all mankind is "corruptible man" (Romans 1:23). Modern science recognizes this universal principle of decay as one of its most basic laws--the law of increasing entropy.

Even in this corruptible world, however, some things are incorruptible. There is the "incorruptible . . . word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever" (I Peter 1:23). Even though "Heaven and earth shall pass away," the words of Christ "shall not pass away" (Matthew 24:35).

We are redeemed, not by silver and gold, but "with the precious blood of Christ" (I Peter 1:19). God Himself is the "uncorruptible God" (Romans 1:23), and He has "begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away" (I Peter 1:3-4). We work, not as others "to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible" (I Corinthians 9:25).

Finally, these dying bodies will themselves be redeemed, "for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality" (I Corinthians 15:52-53).

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Cities of Refuge

"Ye shall give three cities on this side Jordan, and three cities shall ye give in the land of Canaan, which shall be cities of refuge" (Numbers 35:14).

When the Israelites entered the promised land, God told Joshua to provide six "cities of refuge" into which those who had slain someone could flee for refuge until a trial could ascertain the facts and render a proper verdict. As such, these cities are a type of Christ through whom "we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us" (Hebrews 6:18).

The names of the six cities are given in Joshua 20:7-8 as Kedesh, Shechem, Hebron, Bezer, Ramoth, and Golan. The meanings of these names seem planned especially to foreshadow this spiritual application.

Kedesh means "holy place," and Christ in the New Jerusalem is the ultimate refuge, for "the Lamb |is| the temple of it" (Revelation 21:22). Shechem means "strong shoulder" which answers to the "strong consolation" we have in Christ when we flee to Him for refuge.

Hebron means "fellowship," and we who have come to Christ have been "called unto the fellowship of His Son Jesus Christ our Lord" (I Corinthians 1:9). Bezer means "strong hiding place." The Scripture assures the believer that "your life is hid with Christ in God" (Colossians 3:3).

Ramoth means "high place," and when we are hidden in Christ, God also has "made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus" (Ephesians 2:6). Finally, Golan apparently means "enclosure for captives," and this would speak of our being set free from sin and death to become captive to Christ. "When He ascended up on high, He led captivity captive" (Ephesians 4:. Thus the cities are appropriately named, both for their immediate purpose, and as a picture of Christ as the Savior of sinners.

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Jesus and the Flood

"For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark, And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be" (Matthew 24:38-39).

The Lord Jesus Christ not only believed in the special, recent creation of all things by God (note Mark 10:6-8), but also in the worldwide Flood of Noah's day, including the special preservation of life on the Ark. The Flood in which He believed was obviously not a "local flood," for He compared it to the worldwide future impact of His Second Coming.

Neither was it a "tranquil flood," nor a "selective flood," for Jesus said, "the flood came, and destroyed them all" (Luke 17:27). It is clear that He was referring to--and that He believed--the Genesis record of the great Flood! There it says that the whole earth was "filled with violence" (Genesis 6:13), having first been filled with people, and that the resulting world-cleansig deluge was so cataclysmic that "every living substance was destroyed which was upon the face of the ground, both man, and cattle, and the creeping things, and the fowl of the heaven; and they were destroyed from the earth" (Genesis 7:23). Indeed, "the flood came, and took |literally `lifted'| them all away."

This is what Jesus said, and what He believed, and therefore, those who are truly His disciples must also believe this. The destructive effects of the Flood can still be seen today, not only in the Biblical record, but also in the abundant evidences of cataclysmic destruction in the rocks and fossil graveyards all over the world. To refuse this evidence, as do many modern intellectuals, can only be because they "willingly are ignorant," as Peter said in referring to this testimony (II Peter 3:5).

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God's Everlasting Covenants

"And I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee" (Genesis 17:7).

The phrase "everlasting covenant" (or "perpetual covenant") is used no less than 16 times in the Old Testament plus once in the New Testament. It always refers to a covenant promise of God to man, made in grace, for only He can make an everlasting promise.

The first everlasting covenant was made with Noah (Genesis 9:16), a promise never to send a worldwide Flood again, sealed with the sign of the rainbow.

The second is recorded in our text and was God's promise to Abraham and his descendants. The promise was to give them "the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession" (Genesis 17:, and the seal was to be the rite of circumcision.

Many of the "everlasting covenant" promises have to do with Israel. Some were stated unconditionally, but others were "broken" because of man's rebellion against God's covenant terms. One of the latter was the covenant of the Sabbath. "Wherefore the children of Israel shall keep the sabbath . . . for a perpetual covenant. It is a sign between me and the children of Israel for ever: for in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day He rested, and was refreshed" (Exodus 31:16-17).

The last reference is the most important of all: "Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, Make you perfect in every good work to do His will, working in you that which is well-pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen" (Hebrews 13:20-21).

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The Indwelling Christ

"And they glorified God in me" (Galatians 1:24).

One of the greatest doctrines of the Christian faith is the amazing truth that the Lord Jesus Christ indwells each believer, through His Holy Spirit. "Christ liveth in me," said the apostle Paul (Galatians 2:20) and, since that was true experientially as well as doctrinally, he could invite people to see Christ and hear Christ and follow Christ by seeing and hearing and following him. This might seem incredibly arrogant if it were not real.

He could say, for example, that "it pleased God, who separated me from my mother's womb, and called me by His grace, To reveal His Son in me" (Galatians 1:15-16). And he could say, as in our text, that those who heard him "glorified God in me." He also commanded: "Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you" (Philippians 4:9).

The Lord could say to His disciples: "He that hath seen me hath seen the Father" (John 14:9), and no one thinks it inappropriate, because He fully manifested the heavenly Father in word and deed. Similarly, Paul said that "the truth of Christ is in me" and referred to "Christ speaking in me" (II Corinthians 11:10; 13:3), noting that Christ was "mighty in me toward the Gentiles" (Galatians 2:.

This was not boasting, for Paul acknowledged that "in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing" (Romans 7:18). Still, he was bold to exhort: "Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ" (I Corinthians 11:1).

Now the same Spirit of Christ who dwelled in Paul also indwells all true Christians, for "if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of His" (Romans 8:9). We should be able to say with Paul, in practice as well as theory, that "Christ liveth in me."

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Wrong on Two Counts

"Jesus answered and said unto them, Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God" (Matthew 22:29).

When the Sadducees, who were the theological, philosophical, and scientific elite of the day, came to Jesus with a trick question in an attempt to discredit Him, He responded with the stinging rebuke in our text. While His response dealt specifically with the fact of resurrection and the nature of the after-life, His two-fold evaluation of self-reliant scholars still fits today, particularly in regard to evolutionary speculations.

By the time Darwin had published his book, Origin of Species, attributing evolutionary progression to natural selection, he had probably become an atheist and so set about to ascribe creation to natural causes. He attributed to nature, abilities which clearly belong to God alone. He knew something of the Scriptures, but his memoirs show that he had little understanding of basic Biblical teaching. He felt that if there was a God, He had little power or had not been involved in the affairs of this earth. Most atheistic evolutionists today follow Darwin's intellectual footsteps.

But what of Christian intellectuals, theistic evolutionists, progressive creationists, or advocates of the framework hypothesis, who claim to know God but yet deny His awesome power in creation? They too reject the clear teaching of Scripture regarding creation, relegating God to the mundane task of overseeing the evolutionary process, reducing His power to something potentially accomplishable by man. Peter aptly describes this attitude when he calls it willful ignorance (II Peter 3:5).

It has been suggested by some that all human error can be traced to one or both of these categories: not knowing (and/or believing) the Scriptures and underestimating the power of God.

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Holy Conversation

"Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness" (II Peter 3:11).

The picturesque phrase, "holy conversation," occurs only twice in the New Testament, both in Peter's epistles, one in his very first chapter, I Peter 1:15; the other in our text for the day. The other is, "But as He which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation." This distinctive King James rendering does not really mean "clean speech," but assumes the older, more precise meaning of "conversation," namely "behavior," especially behavior which involves other people. The Greek word translated "holy" primarily implies "dedicated to God." Thus, holy conversation simply means living in such a way that our entire manner of life is oriented to honor God and to influence other people to honor Him.

These two exhortations of Peter tell us why we should live this way. The first incentive is simply the holiness of God Himself: "Be ye holy; for I am holy" (I Peter 1:16). We have become children of God through faith in Christ, and we should therefore behave "As obedient children, not fashioning |ourselves| according to the former lusts in |our| ignorance" (I Peter 1:14).

The second incentive given just before the words of our text is the ever-imminent return of Christ, following which, eventually, "the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat" (II Peter 3:10). Incentives, both past and future, are thus given for holy living in the present!

Eight of the thirteen occurrences of "conversation" (Greek, anastrophe) are in Peter's epistles, stressing his vital concern that Christians ought to demonstrate "all holy conversation and godliness" in their lives.

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The Togetherness of Believers

"Can two walk together, except they be agreed?" (Amos 3:3).

The unity of believers is a spiritual ideal which ought to be a beautiful reality, but is seldom achieved in practice. Christians disagree with each other on doctrines, on methods, on standards, on all sorts of things, and it is indeed difficult to walk together when we disagree so much on how to get where we want to go.

Nevertheless, the ideal of "togetherness" in the Christian walk is surely the Christian norm. This is indicated among other ways by the many things we are exhorted in Scripture to do "together." We are first said to be "together in the likeness of His death" (Romans 6:5), we were "quickened together," "raised up together," and then even made to "sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus" (Ephesians 2:5-6). Furthermore, when Christ returns we shall "be also glorified together" (Romans 8:17).

Since all true Christians begin together and end up together in their Christian sojourn, it would seem they ought also to walk together, at least in spiritual agreement and oneness as in our text.

This would be especially true of Christian husbands and wives. "What therefore God hath joined together," said the Creator of families, "let not man put asunder" (Matthew 19:6). Henceforth they are to be "heirs together of the grace of life" (I Peter 3:7).

This unity should also be true of the whole Christian family. Our hearts should be "knit together in love" (Colossians 2:2), and we should "stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel" (Philippians 1:27). Finally, as "workers together with Him" (II Corinthians 6:1), we should also be "helping together by prayer" (II Corinthians 1:11).

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Those Whom God Calls Fools

"Do ye thus requite the Lord, O foolish people and unwise? is not He thy father that hath bought thee? hath He not made thee, and established thee?" (Deuteronomy 32:6).

This rebuke was by Moses, as he warned the people of God just before their entrance into the Promised Land. It contains the first use of the Hebrew nabal (translated "fool" or "foolish") in the Bible. Here it is applied to God's chosen people after they had been redeemed out of Egyptian slavery by God. This implies that the most foolish of all people are those who have known about God and His great salvation and yet have turned away from His Word.

Paul writes in similar scathing terms of those who had known of God's great deliverance of their fathers from the evil world before the Flood, and yet then abandoned Him for idolatry. "When they knew God, . . . their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools" (Romans 1:21-22).

David used the same word about those who decide they can explain things without God, just as do so many intellectuals in modern America. "The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. . . . Have the workers of iniquity no knowledge? who eat up my people as they eat bread: they have not called upon God" (Psalm 53:1,4).

Even prophets and preachers can become fools if they follow their own wisdom instead of God's Word. "Thus saith the Lord God; Woe unto the foolish prophets, that follow their own spirit, and have seen nothing!" (Ezekiel 13:3).

Jesus similarly rebuked even those He dearly loved, because they were surprised and discouraged when He was crucified. "O fools," He said, because they had been "slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken" (Luke 24:25). God help us to maintain believing hearts, not foolish hearts, as we serve Him!

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Tithes and Offerings

"Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it" (Malachi 3:10).

Today there is much talk of financial security. The Biblical formula in our text, given to Israel, but applied to all, begins with a scathing indictment. "Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings" (v.. What a terrible thing, to rob God. The result of their thievery, in God's eyes: "Ye are cursed with a curse" (v.9), such that their financial state was much worse than it would have been had they been obedient. This teaching and promise has not been rescinded (Luke 6:38; I Corinthians 16:2; etc.).

God's charge to us as given in our text is in three steps. First, we are told to obey; i.e., "bring ye." This cannot be considered an option. Secondly, God proposes a test. "Prove me," He says, give and see if He lives up to His promises. Thirdly, trust His promise to meet our needs.

Note that His promise is also threefold. It abundantly covers present needs, for He promises to "pour you out a blessing" unmeasurable in quality or quantity. Likewise it covers the threat of future loss. "And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the field" (v.11). Most precious is His promise to reward obedience and trust with a special relationship: "All nations shall call you blessed: for ye shall be a delightsome land" (v.12).

Thus we see that with less than 100% of our income at our disposal, we will have greater financial security than if we had kept it all to ourselves, thereby robbing God.

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Hating Knowledge

"How long, ye simple ones, will ye love simplicity? and the scorners delight in their scorning, and fools hate knowledge?" (Proverbs 1:22).

This ancient question by the wise man, Solomon, was posed almost 3000 years ago and is still relevant today. "How long?" he asked. How long will men continue to scoff at true knowledge? "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction" (Proverbs 1:7).

The answer to your question, Solomon, would have been 3000 years at least! Peter prophesied "that there shall come in the last days scoffers . . . saying, Where is the promise of His coming?" (II Peter 3:3-4); and Paul said "that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be . . . boasters, proud, blasphemers. . . . Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth" (II Timothy 3:1,2,7).

Throughout history men have scorned the true knowledge of God and His creation. Peter says they "willingly are ignorant," and Paul says they are "without excuse" (II Peter 3:5; Romans 1:20), but they "delight in their scorning" nonetheless.

It is remarkable that their hatred of God's true knowledge is cloaked in a robe of scientism and evolutionary pseudo-knowledge that even deceives many professing Christians. "Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools" (Romans 1:22), despising the true wisdom and instruction of God's Word.

"To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them" (Isaiah 8:20). Those who scorn God's Word have no light of their own, despite their scientific pretensions. "Wise men lay up knowledge: but the mouth of the foolish is near destruction" (Proverbs 10:14).

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The "I Will's" of Christ

"And Jesus, moved with compassion, put forth His hand, and touched him, and saith unto him, I will; be thou clean" (Mark 1:41).

When the Lord Jesus makes a promise, that promise is sure to be fulfilled. When He made the above promise to the leper, "immediately the leprosy departed from him" (Mark 1:42). The promise may not always be carried out as rapidly as this, but it will come.

Look at some of the wonderful "I will's" of Christ. "Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men" (Matthew 4:19) is His promise to all His true disciples (that is, those who follow Him). But first they must come to Him, and to those who come He promises: "Him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out" (John 6:37).

Another gracious promise to all who come: "Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest" (Matthew 11:28). He also promises special love to those who obey Him. "He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, . . . shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him" (John 14:21).

There is a tremendous promise in John 14:13: "And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son." He even emphasized it in the next verse: "If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it" (John 14:14).

He has also promised to come back again, and we can be certain He will do as He said: "And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also" (John 14:3). But probably the greatest of all His promises was given in His intercessory prayer: "Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory" (John 17:24).

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Greetings from Peter

"Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ, to them that have obtained like precious faith with us through the righteousness of God and our Savior Jesus Christ: Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord" (II Peter 1:1-2).

All too often we skip over the introductory verses of greeting in a Bible book, but many times these verses contain rich information. Such is the case in today's text.

We first notice the strange paradox in Peter's identification of himself. He is both the authoritative "apostle," the officially commissioned ambassador of Jesus Christ, as well as His "servant," or bond-slave. Historically, we know that Peter was one of the inner circle of disciples in whom Christ placed great responsibility, but he was also the one who denied Christ at His trial. Christ had bought him with His blood as a slave would be bought, forgiven him much, and had sent him out on a life-long mission.

The letter is written to those "that have obtained like precious faith," i.e., the same kind of precious faith possessed by the apostles, implying equal standing and privilege before God, obtained through His righteousness.

Peter uses two descriptive names for Christ, calling Him both "God and our Savior," referring to His dual divine/human nature and role. Peter's prayer for us (possessors of like precious faith) is moving. He desires the sanctifying and sustaining grace of God for us, the peace of God which brings joy even in the face of adversity, and that both would be multiplied. These traits would come "through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus, our Lord" (text). Much of the rest of the book deals with false teachers and false knowledge, but Peter would have us grow into "full knowledge" (literal translation; see also vv.3,8) of God, through the walk of grace and peace.

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A Divine Controversy

"Hear ye, O mountains, the Lord's controversy, and ye strong foundations of the earth: for the Lord hath a controversy with His people, and He will plead with Israel" (Micah 6:2).

It might not occur to average Christians that God is interested in presenting them with His arguments. They might not think it possible that they are in a state of controversy with God. Certainly the Jewish nation at the time of the prophets needed to be alerted to this fact. God challenged them further: "O my people, what have I done unto thee? and wherein have I wearied thee? testify against me" (v.3). God wanted to have a candid debate with his people.

The prophet Hosea similarly challenged the people about this divine controversy. "Hear the word of the Lord, ye children of Israel: for the Lord hath a controversy with the inhabitants of the land, because there is no truth, nor mercy, nor knowledge of God in the land" (Hosea 4:1).

The religious activity of the people in those days had become mere rote rituals without any emotional relationship. The prophet asked them, "Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, or with ten thousands of rivers of oil?" (Micah 6:7). God's primary desire is for our lives to be in conformity to His will, not for us to give Him a formalistic, token religious devotion. "He hath showed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?" (v..

Still today God carries this same desire for a frank, honest dialogue about our spiritual condition. Jeremiah 25:31 states, "for the Lord hath a controversy with the nations, He will plead with all flesh." We need to regularly pause, reassess our relationship with God, and prepare for a frank discussion.