A Daily Devotional

[Soldier4Christ]

Death by Sin
 
"Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned." (Romans 5:12)
 
This very important verse conveys several vital truths. First of all, death came into the world only when sin came into the world. Suffering and death of conscious life, whether animal or human, were not a part of God's "finished" and "very good" creation (Genesis 1:31 - 2:3). There was an abundance of food and all other provisions for both people and animals. There was certainly no "struggle for existence" or "survival of the fittest," for every creature was created "fit" for its own environment.
 
When Adam sinned, however, it became necessary for God to bring the curse of decay and death not only upon Adam, but also upon all his dominion (Genesis 3:17-20; see also Romans 8:20-22; 1 Corinthians 15:21-22).
 
Furthermore, there remains no warrant for the notion that "Adam" is simply a generic term representing the human race. He was "one man." In fact, he was "the first man" (1 Corinthians 15:45), and Eve was "the mother of all living" (Genesis 3:20). There was certainly no population of evolving hominids becoming "Adam." In fact, Christ Himself made it clear that Adam and Eve were there "from the beginning of the creation" (Mark 10:6, quoting Genesis 1:27).
 
The entire argument here in Romans 5:12-21 becomes irrelevant if the Genesis record of the creation and Fall of Adam did not happen precisely as recorded in Genesis 1-3, and this would mean that there is no reality in the saving work of Christ, either.
 
Such a rejection of the Christian faith is hardly warranted by the fragmentary fossils that have been alleged to support the notion of human evolution. No one should stake his eternal soul on such a will-o'-the-wisp as that! HMM

[Soldier4Christ]

Our Weekly Day of Rest and Worship
 
"And remember that thou wast a servant in the land of Egypt, and that the LORD thy God brought thee out thence through a mighty hand and by a stretched out arm: therefore the LORD thy God commanded thee to keep the sabbath day." (Deuteronomy 5:15)
 
It is significant that God's Ten Commandments are found twice in the Bible (Exodus 20:3-17 and Deuteronomy 5:6-21). In fact, "Deuteronomy" means "the Second Law." The two are worded identically, with a few exceptions.
 
The most significant of these changes is in connection with the reason given for obeying the fourth commandment, to "keep the sabbath day." In Exodus, the reason given is: "For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day" (Exodus 20:11). Here in "the second law," the reason given is that God saved Israel out of bondage in Egypt, and now was about to enter the Promised Land. In other words, when the Israelites observed each Sabbath day in rest and worship, they were acknowledging God as both their Creator and their Redeemer.
 
Christians also, as they devote every seventh day as a day of rest and worship, should be remembering God for His finished creation ("the heavens and the earth were finished"--Genesis 2:1) and His finished redemption ("It is finished" was Christ's victory cry on the cross--John 19:30).
 
The word "Sabbath" means "rest," of course--not "Saturday" or "Sunday" or even "seventh" (the word for "seventh" in Hebrew is similar, but distinctly different from that for "sabbath"). Most Christians now believe it is appropriate to honor the Lord Jesus (who is both their Creator and Redeemer) to take their seventh day of rest and worship on the first day of each week, thereby recognizing both His finished work of redemption and also His finished work of creation. HMM

[Soldier4Christ]

Present with the Lord
 
"We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord." (2 Corinthians 5:8)
 
This verse has proved of great comfort to many a sorrowing believer who has just lost a loved one. Especially if they know that the parent or child or friend was also a believer in the saving work and person of Christ, then--although they sorrow--they "sorrow not, even as others which have no hope" (1 Thessalonians 4:13).
 
For that loved one, though no longer in that old body which had perhaps been filled with pain, is now with the Lord. That is, he or she has been given a somewhat indescribable spiritual body in which to function in heaven until the coming resurrection day. Although that may not yet be the wonderful life that awaits them in their glorified, resurrection bodies in the ages to come, they will be "with Christ; which is far better" than this present life (Philippians 1:23).
 
There are a number of sincere believers who argue that dead Christians will simply "sleep" until He comes again to raise the dead. While a certain case can be developed for this "soulsleep" concept, it is hard to see how that could be "far better" than this present life. Paul said that he had a "desire to depart, and to be with Christ" and also that "to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain" (Philippians 1:23, 21). But what "gain" could there be for him in simply "sleeping" instead of continuing to live in Christ?
 
The Scriptures do not reveal much about that "intermediate state," as it has been called. But there is that intriguing verse about being "compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses" who perhaps are somehow watching us as we "run with patience the race that is set before us" here on earth (Hebrews 12:1). That possibility can be a real incentive to do just that. HMM

[Soldier4Christ]

Slaves, and Souls of Men
 
"And the merchants of the earth shall weep and mourn over her; for no man buyeth their merchandise any more: The merchandise of gold, and silver, and precious stones . . . and chariots, and slaves, and souls of men." (Revelation 18:11-13)
 
This day of mourning will follow the destruction of Babylon the great, a mighty commercial and political center which "shall be utterly burned with fire" because "her sins have reached unto heaven" (Revelation 18:8, 5).
 
And what are those sins? And is "Babylon the Great" a literal city, the capital city of the empire of the beast in the last days? Or is it a metaphor depicting the wickedness of all such cities throughout the ages? Perhaps it is both!
 
In any case, this Babylon harbors many forms of wickedness hated by God--fornications, sorceries, bloodshed, etc. But the chief characteristic of its wickedness is its devotion to commercialism above all else. "The merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies" (Revelation 18:3).
 
Note especially the burden of the mournful cry "no man buyeth their merchandise any more," for these weeping-and-wailing shipmasters and other captains of industry had been "made rich by her" (Revelation 18:15) but suddenly it will all be gone.
 
And note that merchandise! Not only "gold and silver" but also "slaves, and souls of men." In the last days when this awful judgment falls, these merchants will still be trading in "slaves, and souls of men."
 
Sad to say, involuntary slavery was really not abolished by Wilberforce, or Lincoln, or even Martin Luther King! It is still thriving today, especially in certain Muslim and other non-Christian strongholds. But it will end when Christ returns and then all His redeemed followers will gladly "serve him" forever (Revelation 22:3). HMM

[Soldier4Christ]

The Virtue of Having Enemies
 
"Woe unto you, when all men shall speak well of you! for so did their fathers to the false prophets." (Luke 6:26)
 
It is no compliment to say about a Christian that he has no enemies, for that is the same as saying he has accomplished nothing. The apostle Paul had many bitter enemies, and they finally got him executed. In fact, almost all of the great heroes of the faith, through all the centuries since Satan gained his victory over Adam and Eve, have had to overcome bitter opposition from that wicked one.
 
So instead of resenting our enemies, we should thank God for them, for they enable us to become more like our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ! Only through such experiences can we learn what it means to say, with Paul: "I am crucified with Christ" (Galatians 2:20). Only if we have enemies can we learn to obey Christ's difficult command to "love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you" (Matthew 5:44).
 
The Lord Jesus easily could have called on twelve legions of angels to rout His enemies (Matthew 26:53). Instead, He submitted to their vicious insults and cruel tortures, even praying in His agony on the cross, "Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do" (Luke 23:34). The enemies of Christ killed Him, but had they not done so, He would not have died for our sins, and we would be lost eternally. This is a mystery to ponder, and difficult to comprehend, yet, as the Bible promises, "Surely the wrath of man shall praise thee" (Psalm 76:10).
 
The enmity of men can thus be a channel of divine grace to the believer, for "tribulation worketh patience" (Romans 5:3), and "our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory" (2 Corinthians 4:17). HMM

[Soldier4Christ]

The Message of the Old Testament
 
"Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else." (Isaiah 45:22)
 
Ever since sin entered into God's created world, His message to all people of all ages has been the same. At the time of the curse, God prophesied that there soon would be a coming Redeemer--the seed of the woman who would crush the head of the serpent, although the Redeemer Himself would be made to suffer in order to do away with the effects of sin (Genesis 3:15). "For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul" (Leviticus 17:11).
 
God repeatedly warned the people of His hatred of sin and wickedness (see, for example, Psalm 5:4-6; Proverbs 6:16-19), but He recognized that humankind was totally incapable of measuring up to His standard of perfection.  That great statement of righteous requirements, the Ten Commandments, demonstrated the utter impossibility of complete compliance (Exodus 20; Psalm 14; etc.) Conversely, God repeatedly extended His invitation to be rescued from sin and its effects and its necessary judgment by confidence in His plan for mankind. In our text, we see that "all the ends of the earth" have the opportunity to be "saved." "Surely, shall one say, in the LORD have I righteousness and strength: even to him shall men come" (Isaiah 45:24).
 
This plan of God focuses on the promised Redeemer who would come to buy back humanity from its enslavement to sin. "A virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel" (Isaiah 7:14). "He was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: . . . and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all" (Isaiah 53:5-6). JDM

[Soldier4Christ]

Sowing and Sleeping
 
"So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption." (1 Corinthians 15:42)
 
When a believer's soul and spirit leave the body and return to the Lord, it is significant that the New Testament Scriptures speak of the body, not as dead, but as sleeping. For example, Jesus said, "Our friend Lazarus sleepeth; but I go, that I may awake him out of sleep" (John 11:11). This state is not "soul sleep" as some teach, for "to be absent from the body, |is| to be present with the Lord" (2 Corinthians 5:8). The body is sleeping--not the soul.
 
Similarly, when the believer's body is laid in a grave, Paul speaks of this act not as a burial, but as sowing! "But some man will say, How are the dead raised up? and with what body do they come? Thou fool, that which thou sowest is not quickened, except it die: And that which thou sowest, thou sowest not that body that shall be, but bare grain, it may chance of wheat, or of some other grain: But God giveth it a body as it hath pleased him, and to every seed his own body" (1 Corinthians 15:35-38).
 
Just as a buried grain of wheat brings forth a fruitful plant, so the old, sin-corrupted, aching body of human flesh, sown in the ground, will some day come forth "fashioned like unto his glorious body" (Philippians 3:21), in which "there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain" (Revelation 21:4).
 
"So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption: It is sown in dishonour; it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power: It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body" (1 Corinthians 15:42-44). When a believer's body is sown in the ground, God will soon reap from it a body of glory which will last for eternity. HMM

[Soldier4Christ]

Stories in Heaven
 
"It is he that buildeth his stories in the heaven, and hath founded his troop in the earth; he that calleth for the waters of the sea, and poureth them out upon the face of the earth: The LORD is his name." (Amos 9:6)
 
The text above is a rather remarkable description of God written by a simple "herdman, and a gatherer of sycomore fruit" (Amos 7:14), Amos, whom God called to prophesy against the sinning people of Israel. They needed, among other things, a better appreciation of the mighty works of the one true God who had called them as His special people.
 
Note, Amos says, "he that buildeth his stories in the heaven." The word for "stories" is usually translated "stairs," and the picture seems to be that of a great palace in heaven, with a giant stairway leading up to the very throne of God. Perhaps the "stories" are the heavens themselves (the Bible mentions at least three). Remember that, when the Lord Jesus went back up to be seated at the right hand of the Father, He "ascended up far above all heavens" (Ephesians 4:10). And, of course, it was God who built these stories!
 
He has also "founded his troop in the earth." The word for "troop" is rendered in various ways in various translations, but seems to mean a group of entities bound together to function as one. It is used to refer to a united band of soldiers, but also to a "bunch" of hyssop, for example. In the context here, it seems to refer to all God's marvelous creations on earth (lands, plants, animals, etc.) which unitedly testify to the wisdom and power of God.
 
Then note the remarkable pre-scientific insight about the amazing hydrologic cycle whereby God has arranged for "the waters of the sea" to be elevated to the skies, translated by the winds inland, where He then "poureth them out upon the face of the earth: The LORD is his name." HMM

[Soldier4Christ]

The Spiritual Rock
 
"And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ." (1 Corinthians 10:4)
 
One of the most amazing miracles recorded in the Bible occurred when Moses smote the rock on Mount Horeb and water came forth, sufficient to satisfy all the multitude there in the wilderness (Exodus 17:6). In describing this great event, the psalmist later sang: "He clave the rocks in the wilderness, and gave them drink as out of the great depths. He brought streams also out of the rock, and caused waters to run down like rivers" (Psalm 78:15-16).
 
In our text above, Paul indicates that the miracle had great symbolic significance as well. "That Rock was Christ." The Greek word used here for "rock" is petra, the same word used by Christ when He said that "upon this rock I will build my church" (Matthew 16:18). Christ is the one foundation upon which the church is built (1 Corinthians 3:11). He is also symbolized by the "living water," the "well of water springing up into everlasting life" (John 4:10, 14).
 
The actual rock from which the waters burst forth in the wilderness did not literally "follow them," of course, but "that spiritual Rock" did follow them, for Christ was there with them through all their years of wandering.
 
The literal water followed them too, keeping them alive for forty years. When Moses struck the rock, God opened a mighty spring "out of the great depths" (Psalm 78:15), evidently tapping a deep pressurized aquifer from which waters emerged to form "streams also out of the rock" (v. 16). These streams flowed continually in the desert for forty years, so the children of Israel could march and camp beside them as long as they were in the wilderness. Christ still today is our spiritual Rock, continually yielding the spiritual waters of everlasting life. HMM

[Soldier4Christ]

Fear of Fire
 
"And others save with fear; pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh." (Jude 23)
 
This exhortation refers both to attempting to "save" unbelievers by warning them of hell and to warning believers against the influence of apostates.
 
The ultimate hell (Greek gehenna) is not the same as the present hell (Greek hades), although eventually all those lost souls now in the latter will eventually be "cast into the lake of fire" (Revelation 20:15). Both are fearsome places of real fire. The inhabitants of Sodom, for example, have been "suffering the vengeance of eternal fire" (Jude 7) for thousands of years, though not yet in that ultimate hell. Also the rich man mentioned by Jesus was in Hades and yet was being "tormented in this flame" (Luke 16:23-24).
 
Both "hells" have literal fires, but it is hard to understand how material fires could torment non-material souls. There is a clue in James 3:6, which calls an unbridled human tongue "a fire, a world of iniquity: . . . set on fire of hell." Since the tongue is not literally on fire, but can be extremely destructive in human relationships, the implication is that hell itself is a "world of iniquity."
 
This aspect of hell makes it even more fearsome than literal fires could ever be. The existence there of billions of unredeemed souls, eternally separated from the holiness and love of God, where all who are "unjust" and "filthy" will continue forever to increase in their unrighteous and filthiness (Revelation 22:11), and in the constant presence also of the devil and his angels, is unspeakably appalling. Yet that was their choice when they rejected or ignored the infinite love of Christ.
 
No wonder that Jude urges us to warn them of such awful fire and seek to save them with fear if they won't respond to the compassionate love of Christ. HMM

[Soldier4Christ]

How Can Things Invisible Be Seen?
 
"For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse." (Romans 1:20)
 
This powerful verse introduces Paul's burning description of the descent of ancient human societies that once "knew God" (Romans 1:21) into evolutionary paganism, idolatry, and wickedness. This deterioration was willful and inexcusable, for they had abundant evidence of God's nature and power in the very creation which they had chosen to worship instead of the Creator (Romans 1:25).
 
Even though God Himself was invisible (being omnipresent), they could easily see the evidence of His existence and His grace in creating and sustaining all things, "for God hath shewed it unto them" (Romans 1:19). "The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament showeth his handiwork" (Psalm 19:1).
 
Since these things were "clearly seen" and "understood" by men "from the creation of the world" (that is, from the time the world was created), it is obvious that there have been men and women there to see and understand these things ever since the world was created. This assures us that the creation did not take place billions of years before men appeared on earth, as our theistic evolutionists and progressive creationists would like to believe. Men and women have been on earth ever since its very beginning (see also Mark 10:6; Acts 3:21), and all should have recognized and worshiped the true Creator God.
 
That being true, how much more inexcusable are our modern evolutionists--whether atheistic, pantheistic, or polytheistic--who not only reject the testimony of God in creation, but also His far more complete testimony in Scripture and in the person and work of Jesus Christ. HMM

[Soldier4Christ]

The God Who Saves
 
"The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower." (Psalm 18:2)
 
What a testimony given by David to his God! In this single verse, there is a sevenfold ascription of praise to the Lord for His great salvation. Each testimony can be appropriated also by all who trust Him.

         
        1. My Rock: The word used here does not mean a stone or even a boulder, but a mighty monolith, immovable and impregnable.
        2. My Fortress: This word refers to a great bulwark--a stronghold. The Hebrew word is essentially the same as Masada, the high butte where the Jews resisted the Roman armies after the destruction of Jerusalem.
        3. My Deliverer: "Our God is able to deliver," even from the fiery furnace, the den of lions, and from the armies of Saul.
        4. My Strength: This is another word often translated "rock," this time a rugged, craggy one, most appropriate as a symbol of great strength.
        5. My Buckler: The small, movable shield used to "quench all the fiery darts of the wicked" (Ephesians 6:16).
        6. The Horn of Salvation: This striking Old Testament symbol is even repeated in the New Testament (Luke 1:69) and applied to the coming Savior, referring either to the "horns of the altar" where fleeing sinners could cling for refuge, or to the fighting horns of a strong beast.
        7. My High Tower: Here the word is not for a man-made tower, but for a natural, high, topographic eminence, suitable both for watching and for defense.

 
The great promises of salvation and security in Christ are timeless. The words that brought such hope to David are still a comfort to believers today. He is still "the God of all grace" (1 Peter 5:10) to all who trust Him. HMM

[Soldier4Christ]

Instruction Contrary to Knowledge
 
"Cease, my son, to hear the instruction that causeth to err from the words of knowledge." (Proverbs 19:27)
 
One of the saddest realities in the modern world is that many of the leaders of evolutionary and humanistic thought were raised in Christian homes, where from an early age they were exposed to the truths of Scripture. Testimonies without number have been chronicled of Christian students going to universities where they were taught to doubt and then to disbelieve the faith of their parents. Perhaps all these students ever knew of Christianity was a set of rules; maybe they never understood the reasons their parents held certain views nor the basis for these beliefs. Certainly the foundational teaching of creation has been missing in many Christian homes and churches.
 
Our primary goal as parents should be to establish a godly heritage--to teach the truths of God in such a way as will be believed and cherished by our children, so that they will "keep that which is committed to [their] trust, avoiding profane and vain babblings, and oppositions of science falsely so called" (1 Timothy 6:20).
 
Certainly a more effective way of teaching is to continually point the child or student back to foundational principles, rather than to list a set of do's and don'ts. We must teach those under our influence to be grounded in the Word, so that they can make sound judgments when away from our watchful eyes. No greater aid to serious study, no better primer in careful reasoning exists than in Scripture. Using it and other supportive materials, a child can learn to think carefully and critically. Not only will they learn information, but here they can learn wisdom and knowledge and understanding. "For the Lord giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding" (Proverbs 2:6). JDM

[Soldier4Christ]

Privileged Suffering
 
"For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake." (Philippians 1:29)
 
Paul wrote in the previous verses that we are to conduct ourselves as though our only citizenship was worthy of the gospel message that we proclaim, and that in doing so we should be committed to a mindset held together by the Holy Spirit. Then, he encouraged us not to be "terrified by your adversaries" (Philippians 1:28).
 
Such adversaries--from the devil himself (1 Peter 5:8) to business (Matthew 5:25) and family problems (Luke 12:13)--are part and parcel to those who would "live godly in Christ Jesus" (2 Timothy 3:12). We should not be surprised when such challenges come; rather, we should be alarmed if all men "speak well of you" (Luke 6:26).
 
Curiously, Paul wrote that we are "gifted" (Greek verb charizomai, same idea as the related noun charis) with this privilege, in the interests of our Lord Jesus, to "suffer for his sake." The apostles understood this paradox as they left the Sanhedrin in Jerusalem "rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name" (Acts 5:41).
 
Peter wrote that we should follow the example set for us by the Lord Jesus, "Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously" (1 Peter 2:23). In fact, we should "rejoice" when asked to share in the same kind of sufferings that our Lord endured, and whenever we are "reproached for the name of Christ" we should be happy, "for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you" (1 Peter 4:14).
 
Privileged suffering indeed! James wrote that we should "count it all joy" (James 1:2) when we are tested. Those times increase our faith and allow us to demonstrate our allegiance to Christ. HMM III

[Soldier4Christ]

Never Too Late
 
"And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom. And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, Today shalt thou be with me in paradise." (Luke 23:42-43)
 
One of the two thieves on the cross continued in unbelief right up until the time he died (Luke 23:39), but the second repented and believed unto salvation. The one assures us that no one need despair, since it is always possible to accept Christ at any time before death. The other warns us, on the other hand, that no one should presume. Long-continued rebellion against God is likely to become so fixed in one's character that sincere repentance may become impossible.
 
The repentant thief, beholding Christ and hearing the first of the seven so-called "words from the cross" (Luke 23:34), came to believe that Jesus truly was Lord and that He could, indeed, grant forgiveness and salvation.
 
The penitent thief had no opportunity to be baptized, to change his lifestyle, or to do anything whatever except repent, believe on Christ, and confess his faith (Romans 10:9-10). And that was sufficient!
 
Both thieves would die that day, and the soul of the unrepentant thief would soon descend into Hades, there to await condemnation at the future judgment day. The other, because of his trust in Christ, would go with Him to paradise.
 
The tragedy is that far too many people, assuring themselves that it is never too late, keep waiting until it becomes forever too late! "Boast not thyself of to morrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth" (Proverbs 27:1). The overwhelming majority of people who come to trust in Christ for salvation do so when they are young. Very few come to the Lord when they are old or about to die. "Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation" (2 Corinthians 6:2). HMM