No Condemnation

 

JUNE 11 No Condemnation

There he broke the flashing arrows, the shield, the sword, and the weapons of war. Psalm 76:3

Our Redeemer’s glorious cry of “It is finished” was the death-knell of all the adversaries of His people, the breaking of “the weapons of war.” Behold the hero of Golgotha using His cross as an anvil, and His wounds as a hammer, dashing to pieces bundle after bundle of our sins, those poisoned “flashing arrows,” trampling on every indictment and destroying every accusation. What glorious blows the mighty Breaker gives with a hammer far more powerful than the fabled weapon of Thor! How the diabolical darts break in pieces, and the infernal swords are broken like old clay pots! Consider how He draws from its sheath of hellish workmanship the dreadful sword of satanic power! He snaps it across His knee as a man breaks dry sticks and throws it into the fire. Beloved, no sin of a believer can now be an arrow bringing death, no condemnation can now be a sword to kill him, for the punishment of our sin was borne by Christ, and a full atonement was made for all our iniquities by our blessed Substitute and Surety. Who now accuses? Who now condemns? Christ has died, yes, has risen again. Jesus has removed the weapons of hell, has quenched every fiery dart, and has broken the head off every arrow of wrath; the ground is covered with the splinters and relics of the weapons of hell’s warfare, which are only visible to us to remind us of our former danger and of our great deliverance. Sin no longer has dominion over us. Jesus has made an end of it and put it away forever. Our enemy’s destructions have come to a perpetual end. Declare all the wonderful works of the Lord, all you who make mention of His name; do not be silent, neither by day, nor when the sun goes down. Bless the Lord, O my soul. Because of Jesus, Ted

Christ at the Center

 

JUNE 10 Christ at the Center

It is they that bear witness about me. John 5:39

Jesus Christ is the Alpha and Omega of the Bible. He is the constant theme of its sacred pages; from beginning to end they bear witness to Him. At the creation we immediately recognize Him as one of the sacred Trinity; we catch a glimpse of Him in the promise of the woman’s seed; we see Him pictured in the ark of Noah; we walk with Abraham as He sees Messiah’s day; we live in the tents of Isaac and Jacob, feeding upon the gracious promise; and in the numerous types of the law, we find the Redeemer abundantly foreshadowed. Prophets and kings, priests and preachers all look one way—they all stand as the cherubs did over the ark, desiring to look within and to read the mystery of God’s great propitiation. Even more obvious in the New Testament we discover that Jesus is the one pervading subject. It is not that He is mentioned every so often or that we can find Him in the shadows; no, the whole substance of the New Testament is Jesus crucified, and even its closing sentence sparkles with the Redeemer’s name. We should always read Scripture in this light; we should consider the Word to be like a mirror into which Christ looks down from heaven; and then we, looking into it, see His face reflected—darkly, it is true, but still in such a way as to be a blessed preparation for one day seeing Him face to face. The New Testament contains Jesus Christ’s letters to us, which are perfumed by His love. These pages are like the garments of our King, and they all bear His fragrance. Scripture is the royal chariot in which Jesus rides, and it is paved with love for the daughters of Jerusalem. The Scriptures are like the swaddling clothes of the holy child Jesus; unroll them, and there you find your Savior. The essence of the Word of God is Christ. Because of Jesus, Ted

Hunt For Truth

 

JUNE 9 Hunt for Truth

Search the Scriptures. John 5:39

The Greek word translated search signifies a strict, close, diligent, curious search, the kind men make when they are seeking gold, or hunters when they are in pursuit of game. We must not be content with giving a superficial glance to one or two chapters, but with the candle of the Spirit we must deliberately seek out the meaning of the Word. Holy Scripture requires searching—much of it can only be learned by careful study. There is milk for babies, but also meat for strong men. The rabbis wisely say that a mountain of matter hangs upon every word, indeed, upon every title of Scripture. Tertullian declared, “I adore the fullness of the Scriptures.” The person who merely skims the Book of God will not profit from it; we must dig and mine until we obtain the treasure. The door of the Word only opens to the key of diligence. The Scriptures demand to be searched. They are the writings of God, bearing the divine stamp and imprimatur—who shall dare to treat them casually? To despise them is to despise the God who wrote them. God forbid that any of us should allow our Bibles to become witnesses against us in the great day of account. The Word of God will repay searching. God does not ask us to sift through a mountain of chaff with only here and there a grain of wheat in it, but the Bible is sifted corn—we have only to open the granary door and find it. Scripture grows upon the student. It is full of surprises. Under the teaching of the Holy Spirit, to the searching eye, it glows with splendor of revelation, like a vast temple paved with gold and roofed with rubies, emeralds, and all manner of gems. There is no merchandise like the merchandise of scriptural truth. Finally, the Scriptures reveal Jesus: “They that bear witness about me.” No more powerful motive can be urged upon Bible readers than this: He who finds Jesus finds life, heaven, and all things. Happy are they who, in searching the Bible, discover their Savior. Because of Jesus, Ted

From My Pastor

 Ray Pritchard

Keep Believing Ministries
Shawnee, Kansas
 A Life Given, Not Taken
John 18:1-11
 It is now late on Thursday evening.

Jesus has met in the Upper Room with his disciples. There he celebrated Passover, instituted the Lord’s Supper, and announced that one of them would betray him.
 
After giving final instructions, he prayed for his men.
 
Now the pace of events quickens.
The river of God’s purpose flows swiftly.
 
They left the Upper Room, went down into the Kidron Valley, crossed the dry stream bed, then went up the Mount of Olives to a place called Gethsemane.

Jesus had been there many times. It was his favorite place to rest and pray.
 
The word Gethsemane means oil-press. It was the place where the olives were crushed to produce olive oil. It is still there today on the Mount of Olives. If you walk among the ancient olive trees, you can imagine the scene on that fateful night 2000 years ago.
 
Jesus wrestled with his fate while his disciples slept. After deep agony of soul, he said, “Not my will, but yours be done” (Luke 22:42).
 
About midnight, you could make out the flickering lamps of a large group coming from the city along the same path Jesus and the disciples had followed earlier.
 
These were the Roman soldiers plus the Jewish priests, with Judas acting as their guide. He knew where to go because he knew Jesus very well. In the darkness of this night, Judas knew where to find him.
 
The chief priests told him, “Lead us to Jesus, and we’ll do the rest.” For 30 pieces of silver, he agreed to the deal.
 
Peter, James and John and the rest have no idea what is about to happen. But none of this surprised our Lord.
 
John 18:1-11 tells the story of the arrest of Jesus. This midnight encounter sets in motion the events that will lead to the cross on Friday morning.
 
If you look at this passage from one perspective, you might conclude events have now spun out of control.
 
But you would be wrong.
 
This passage shows us that Jesus is in full control. No one can touch him, much less arrest him, apart from his permission.
 
It is the story of a life given, not taken. In the greatest crisis of his life, Jesus is in charge. We see that in four ways in this passage.
 

#1: In Charge of the Circumstances (vv. 1-3).

 
He chose the time and place.
 
¹When he had finished praying,
      Jesus left with his disciples
      and crossed the Kidron Valley.
On the other side there was a garden, 
      and he and his disciples went into it.
 
² Now Judas, who betrayed him, knew the place,
      because Jesus had often met there with his disciples.
 
³ So Judas came to the garden, guiding a
      detachment of soldiers and some officials
      from the chief priests and the Pharisees. 
They were carrying torches,
      lanterns and weapons (vv. 1-3).
 
When John says Judas came leading a “detachment” of soldiers, he used a word that means a Roman cohort, which could mean 200-600 soldiers.
 
Let’s take the smaller number.
 
Think about that. The chief priests sent 200 armed soldiers to arrest one man--Jesus of Nazareth.
 
What were they afraid of?
A riot? A full-on battle?
 
On one side you have Jesus plus 11 disciples. Even if they were all armed, which they weren’t, what could those 11 men do against 200 trained Roman soldiers?
 
It’s not a fair fight.
It would be over in a few seconds.
 
Our Lord knew this.
Peter didn’t understand what was happening
He was ready to fight.
 
We’ll get to that in a moment.
 
Here come the soldiers and the priests. Judas leads the way through the darkness. Verse 3 adds an important detail: “They were carrying torches, lanterns and weapons.” They were armed and ready for a fight.

When the soldiers show up, they think they are tracking Jesus down. It’s the other way around.

Jesus is leading them in.
He didn’t run from this place.
He boldly walked to it.
 
The Jews thought Jesus and his men might turn Gethsemane into an ancient Alamo where every man went down fighting.
 
But they were wrong.
 
Verse 4 tells us that “Jesus knew everything that was to happen to him.”
 
James didn’t know.
Matthew didn’t know.
Thomas didn’t know.
 
Jesus knew!
And he was not afraid.
 
He did not flinch.
He did not hide.
He did not run away.
 
Jesus chose the time and place of his arrest. He went to Gethsemane to make it easy for Judas to find him.
 
You say, “It wasn’t a surprise?”
No, it was planned before the world began.
 
Whatever else you say about Jesus, don’t call him a helpless victim.
 
In the end, the soldiers were powerless, though they did not know it. They could not arrest Jesus unless he wanted to be arrested. Judas could not betray him unless he was willing to be betrayed.
 
Jesus voluntarily laid down his life.
 

#2: In Charge of His Captors (vv. 4-7).

 
They bow before his glory.
 
⁴ Jesus, knowing all that was going to happen
      to him, went out and asked them, 
“Who is it you want?”
 
⁵ “Jesus of Nazareth,” they replied.
“I am he,” Jesus said.
 
(And Judas the traitor was standing there with them.) 
 
⁶ When Jesus said, “I am he,” 
      they drew back and fell to the ground.
 
⁷ Again he asked them, “Who is it you want?”
      “Jesus of Nazareth,” they said (vv. 4-7).
 
His captors come for him, but he is in charge of them. As the soldiers approached, Jesus stepped out to meet them.
 
Think about that for a second. A man who is afraid runs away. But Jesus steps toward the soldiers, not away from them.

Write over this story these words:
No fear.
No doubt.
No retreat.
 
He meets them before they meet him.
 
“Who are you looking for?” he asked.
“Jesus of Nazareth,” the soldiers replied.
 
“I am he,” comes the answer from our Lord. In Greek there is no word corresponding to “he.”
 
Jesus said, “I am.”
 
That wouldn’t mean anything to the Romans, but the Jewish priests knew exactly what he meant. To say “I am” goes back to Moses and the burning bush in Exodus 3. On that occasion, God revealed his name to be “I AM that I AM.” He told Moses to tell the Jews, “I AM has sent me to you” (Exodus 3:14).
 
But what does the phrase “I AM” mean when applied to God? It means he is the personal, eternal, self-existent God of the universe.
 
He always was, he always is, he always will be.

He is above all things, beneath all things, behind all things, and in front of all things.
 
What does that mean for you and me? It means God is sufficient for whatever we need:
 
I am your strength.    
I am your courage.       
I am your health.         
I am your hope.           
I am your supply.          
I am your defender.      
I am your deliverer.     
I am your forgiveness.  
I am your joy.                
I am your future.

God is saying to you and me, “I am whatever you need  whenever you need it."
 
He is the all-sufficient God for every crisis.
 
Jesus had power that was not of this world. That’s why his power knocked them to the ground.
 
J. Vernon McGee comments on the significance of the soldiers falling backward, not forward. You fall forward to worship, but you fall backward in fear.
 
It is a fulfillment of Psalm 40:14,
 
“Let them be ashamed
      and brought to confusion
who seek to destroy my life;
      Let them be driven backward
And brought to dishonor
      Who wish me evil!”
 
Jesus could have escaped when they fell down, and they could not have stopped him.
 
But he would run from nothing.
His hour had finally come.
 
Don’t miss the deeper meaning here.
Jesus died of his own free will.
He did not die because he could not help it.
He did not suffer because he could not escape.
 
Before we go on, note one other detail. When the soldiers came to arrest Jesus, Judas stood among them.
 
Few people knew Jesus as well as Judas. If we start at the beginning, we find a remarkable series of facts about Judas:
 

• He was personally chosen to be an apostle by Jesus Christ.
• He spent 3 1/2 years traveling the length and breadth of Israel with Christ.
• He saw all the miracles of Christ in person.
• He heard Christ give all his famous sermons.
• He watched as Christ healed the sick, raised the dead and cast out demons.
• Along with the other apostles, he was sent out to preach the gospel.
• He was one of the leaders of the apostolic band.
• No one ever suspected him of treason.

 
Tonight he stands on the other side.
 
It shows how far a religious person can fall. Two hours earlier, he was with Jesus in the Upper Room. At midnight he stands with the soldiers. He has betrayed the Son of God for 30 pieces of silver—the price of a slave.
 
Judas was an insider, and he used his insider’s knowledge to lead the soldiers to Jesus. It is a short step from cheering Jesus as he feeds the 5000 to standing with his enemies.
 
Let me remind you of what J. C. Ryle said:
 
“We may know all doctrinal truth and be able to teach others, and yet prove rotten at heart, and go down to the pit with Judas.”
 

#3: In Charge of His Companions (vv. 8-9).

 
He protects them from danger.
 
⁸ Jesus answered, 
      “I told you that I am he.
If you are looking for me,
      then let these men go.” 
 
⁹ This happened so that the words he had
      spoken would be fulfilled: 
“I have not lost one of those you gave me” (vv. 8-9).
 
He is not only in charge of the circumstances and of his captors. He is also in charge of his companions.
 
His only concern is for them.
He knew they were not ready to face what he must face.

Mark 14:50 says that after his arrest, all the disciples fled. But they got away because Jesus gave himself up.
 
He took care of his men in the moment of crisis.
 
In this early scene of the crucifixion story, Christ takes the punishment for his people. While the soldiers lead him away, his friends go free.
 

#4: In Charge of the Chaos (vv. 10-11).

 
He willingly drinks the cup.
 
¹⁰ Then Simon Peter, who had a sword,
      drew it and struck the high priest’s servant,
      cutting off his right ear.
 
(The servant’s name was Malchus.)
 
¹¹ Jesus commanded Peter, 
      “Put your sword away!
Shall I not drink the cup the Father
      has given me?” (vv. 10-11).
 
It would be easy to criticize Peter, but we must not. He and he alone was ready to fight and die. He’s the only one who drew his sword.
 
Peter knows he has to do something to protect his Master. Grabbing his sword, he takes a wild swing, aiming at no one in particular. The sword finds its mark, but not as Peter intended.
 
If he hoped to scare off the soldiers, it didn’t work. If he hoped to inspire the other disciples, that might have worked had not Jesus stepped in.
 
He lopped off the ear of the high priest’s servant, an unfortunate target. Later that night, his rash act will lead to his identification around the fire in Caiaphas’ courtyard (John 18:26).
 
No doubt Malchus fell to the ground, screaming in pain. Blood must have come spurting out of the hole where his ear had been. The soldiers would have drawn their swords, ready to kill Peter.
 
But before things get out of hand, Jesus touches the servant’s ear, healing it instantly (Luke 22:51).
 
And just like that, the crisis is over.
 
Say this much for Peter. If he misunderstood Jesus that night, at least he knew which side he was on. If they were going to kill Jesus, they would have to go through Peter to get to him.
 
He was ready to charge hundreds of men to protect his Master. Give him all his due. Peter would soon deny Christ, but right now he is ready to die for him.
 
I don’t blame Peter for what he did.
 
It’s after midnight, and he is tired, distraught, confused, angry, worn out, upset, and in his despair, he wants to do something, anything, that will rescue Jesus.
 
But Jesus doesn’t need his help.
He doesn’t want to be rescued.
 
Jesus can take care of himself.
 
What seems to be the cluttered rush of events turns out to be the plan of God unfolding to bring salvation to the world. When evil seems to be winning, Christ calmly submits, knowing that God’s will must be done in the end.
 

That Bitter Cup, Love Drank It Up

 
That brings us to the final words of Jesus before he was arrested. 
 
“Put your sword away!
Shall I not drink the cup the Father has given me?” (v. 11)
 
Jesus was always in charge, even in the garden, in the midnight darkness, surrounded by the soldiers who came to take him away.
 
He came to drink the cup of suffering, and drink it he must.
 
In 1876 Anne Ross Cousin wrote a poem that became a famous hymn we hardly ever sing nowadays. It perfectly captures what it meant for Christ to drink the cup of suffering.
 
O Christ, what burdens bowed Thy Head!
     Our load was laid on Thee;
Thou stoodest in the sinner’s stead–
     Didst bear all ill for me:
A victim led, Thy blood was shed!
     Now there’s no load for me.
 
Death and the curse were in our cup–
     O Christ, ’twas full for Thee!
But Thou hast drain’d the last dark drop:
     ’Tis empty now for me.
That bitter cup, love drank it up,
     Now blessings flow for me.
 
As we come to the end of our story, Jesus is in complete control. Out of the chaos, God’s plan is moving forward.
 
He is the great I AM. No one will stop him—not the soldiers or the priests or even over-eager Peter. All things work together—even in crisis.

Jesus embraces his destiny.
He is the victor who wins by seeming to lose.
 
He refuses to use violence to achieve his goal. He willingly goes with the soldiers, even though he knows what is ahead.
 
This story shows two things in bright relief:
The sinfulness of men.
The submission of the Savior.
 
They come with evil intent.
He submits to gain their salvation.
 
The great I AM is now led away like a sheep to the slaughter. Every detail is under divine control. Out of the darkness of this hour, God’s will is done.
 
Judas is now exposed as a traitor.
Jesus stands as the Supreme Savior.
Peter does wrong but from an honest heart.
 
Evildoers are satisfied because they have their man.
The disciples scatter into the darkness.
His hands bound, King Jesus is taken away.
 
All unfolds as the Father planned.
 

The Verdict Is In Before The Trial Begins

 
Jesus is now under arrest. He will endure six trials before sunrise. The outcome has been foreordained.
 
Before Herod can put on his robes,
Before Caiaphas questions Jesus,
Before Pilate can wash his hands,
Before the mob chooses Barabbas,
Before the devil entered Judas,
Before the Upper Room,
Before the Triumphal Entry,
Before Christ was born in Bethlehem,
Before Isaiah prophesied of Messiah’s death,
Before Abraham saw a ram in the thicket,
Before Adam’s sin in the garden,
Before the earth was created,
 
In eternity past,
The verdict was in before the trial began.
Jesus will die for the sins of the world.
 
It seems violent and random. That night the disciples ran away in terror. Evil seems to have won the day.
 
The Jews gloat.
The Roman soldiers have their man.
Judas wonders what he has done.
Peter follows afar off.
 
All is silent in Gethsemane.
Silent and empty.
The excitement is over.
 
As the passage closes, we see the soldiers taking Jesus to stand before Annas. Before this night is over, he will be beaten, mocked, scourged, and falsely accused.
 
Later he will wear a crown of thorns and carry his cross until he can carry it no more.
 
When Friday comes to an end, his body will lie in the Garden Tomb.
 
He takes the cup and drinks it down to the very last drop.
 
When evil men do their worst, God does his best.
When the world mocks, Jesus cries out,
“Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing” (Luke 23:34).
 
The rope that binds his hands cannot hold him.
The rope has no power against the Son of God.
 

He Could Have Called 10,000 Angels

He who could walk on water and raise the dead could easily defeat 10,000 Roman soldiers. He had but to say the word and legions of angels would come to his aid.
 
Yet here he is, bound like a common criminal, walking in the darkness, surrounded by the soldiers, on his way to the cross.
 
Do not miss one final point.
 
In his last words before his arrest,
Jesus remembers his disciples.
 
"Take me, but let these go free."
 
The whole gospel is in that statement.
 
Jesus is taken that we might go free.
He dies that we might live.
He bears the cross that we might be forgiven.
He suffers that we might have eternal life.
 
“He was wounded for our transgressions.
      He was bruised for our iniquities;
The chastisement for our peace 
      was upon Him,
And by His stripes we are healed” (Isaiah 53:5).
 
These words from the hymn O Sacred Head, Now Wounded are attributed to Bernard of Clairvaux:
 
What thou, my Lord, hast suffered
     was all for sinners’ gain.
Mine, mine was the transgression,
     but thine the deadly pain.
Lo, here I fall, my Savior!
     ’Tis I deserve thy place.
Look on me with thy favor,
     and grant to me thy grace.
 
In this story we see how Jesus treats his enemies. When they come for him, he does not resist. When they are hurt, he heals them.
 
He receives their attacks and then is led away to die for the very men who are putting him to death. He will not use his divine power to escape their clutches.
 

Do You Know Him?

 
On him was laid the sin of us all. If we are not saved, we cannot blame Jesus. The fault is all our own.
 
Do you know him?
This is the question of the ages.
 
When you stand at the gate of heaven and God says, “Why should I let you in?” what answer will you give?

"I was a member of Village Bible Church." That's not good enough.
  
“I was an elder at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church.” That's wonderful, but it won't save you.
 
“My father built the church.” That’s good, but it’s not the right answer.
 
“I lived a good life.” We’re happy for you, but you weren’t good enough.
 
“I gave to feed the orphans in Namibia.” That’s truly wonderful, but that won’t open the doors of heaven.
 
“I was baptized by Father O’Reilly.” I’m sure he was a good man, but that’s not enough.
 
If you want to go to heaven, you must trust in Jesus Christ and him alone. You must go “all in” on the Son of God who loved you and died for you.
 
Do you know him?
 
I’m not asking if you are Catholic, Baptist, Presbyterian, Methodist, Charismatic, Brethren, Lutheran, Bible church, Church of Christ, or Episcopalian.
 
Do you know him?
He died that you might go free.

Do you know him?
That is the one question you must answer.
 
We have a Savior who was far more willing to save us than we are willing to be saved.
 
Come to Jesus.
Run to the Cross.
 
He was arrested—for you!
He was tried—for you!
He was treated like a criminal—for you!
He died on the cross—for you!
 
Do you know him?
 
What a Christ!
What a salvation he brings!
Glory to his name forever. Amen.

Look to the Creator

 

JUNE 8 Look to the Creator

Now you shall see whether my word will come true for you or not. Numbers 11:23

God had made a positive promise to Moses that for the space of a whole month He would feed the vast company in the wilderness with meat. Moses is then overtaken by a fit of unbelief, looks to the outward means, and is at a loss to know how the promise can be fulfilled. He looked to the creature instead of the Creator. But does the Creator expect the creature to fulfill His promise for Him? No; He who makes the promise always fulfills it by His own unaided omnipotence. If He speaks, it is done—done by Himself. His promises do not depend for their fulfillment upon the cooperation of the puny strength of man. We can immediately see the mistake that Moses made. And yet how routinely we do the same! God has promised to supply our needs, and we look to the creature to do what God has promised to do; and then, because we perceive the creature to be weak and feeble, we indulge in unbelief. Why do we look in that direction at all? Will you look to the North Pole to gather fruits ripened in the sun? You would be acting no more foolishly in doing this than when you look to the weak for strength, and to the creature to do the Creator’s work. Let us, then, put the question on the right footing. The ground of faith is not the sufficiency of the visible means for the performance of the promise, but the all-sufficiency of the invisible God, who will definitely do what He has said. If after clearly seeing that the onus lies with the Lord and not with the creature we dare to indulge in mistrust, the question of God comes home forcefully to us: “Is the LORD’s hand shortened?” May it also be that in His mercy the question will be accompanied by this blessed declaration: “Now you shall see whether my word will come true for you or not.” Because Of Jesus, Ted

Be Filled With Zeal

 

JUNE 7 Be Filled with Zeal

Be zealous. Revelation 3:19

If you want to see souls converted, if you want to hear the cry that “the kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord,”1 if you want to place crowns upon the head of the Savior and see His throne lifted high, then be filled with zeal. For under God, the way the world will be converted is by the zeal of the church. Every element of grace will do its work, but zeal will be first; prudence, knowledge, patience, and courage will follow in their places, but zeal must lead the charge. It is not the extent of your knowledge, though that is useful, it is not the extent of your talent, though that is not to be despised, it is your zeal that will do great exploits. This zeal is the fruit of the Holy Spirit: It draws its vital force from the continued operations of the Holy Spirit in the soul. If our inner life dwindles, if our heart beats slowly before God, we will not know zeal; but if everything inside is strong and vigorous, then we cannot but feel a loving urgency to see Christ’s kingdom come, and His will done on earth, even as it is in heaven. A deep sense of gratitude will nourish Christian zeal. When we reflect on the miry pit from which we were lifted, we find plenty of reason for spending ourselves for God. And zeal is also stimulated by the thought of the eternal future. It looks with tearful eyes down to the flames of hell, and it cannot sleep: It looks up with anxious gaze to the glories of heaven, and it cannot stay still. It feels that time is short compared with the work to be done, and therefore it devotes all that it has to the cause of its Lord. And it is continually strengthened by remembering Christ’s example. He was clothed with zeal as with a cloak. How swift the chariot-wheels of duty went with Him! He never loitered on the way. Let us prove that we are His disciples by displaying the same spirit of zeal.

Revelation 11:15 Because Of Jesus, Ted

Justified and Accepted

 

JUNE 6 Justified and Accepted

Are they Israelites? So  2 Corinthians 11:22

We have here a personal claim, and one that needs proof. The apostle knew that his claim was indisputable, but there are many people who have no right to the title yet still claim to belong to the Israel of God. If we are confidently declaring, “I am also an Israelite,” let us only say it after we have searched our hearts as in the presence of God. But if we can give proof that we are following Jesus, if we can say from the heart, “I trust Him wholly, trust Him only, trust Him simply, trust Him now, and trust Him ever,” then the position that the saints of God hold also belongs to us. All their enjoyments are our possessions; we may be the very least in Israel, “least of all saints,” but since the mercies of God belong to the saints as saints, and not as advanced saints or well-taught saints, we may put in our plea and say, “Are they Israelites? So am I. The promises are mine, grace is mine, and glory will be mine.” The claim, rightfully made, is one that will yield untold comfort. When God’s people are rejoicing that they are His, what a happiness to be able to say, “So am I!” When they speak of being pardoned and justified and accepted in the Beloved, how joyful to respond, “Through the grace of God, so am I.” But this claim not only has its enjoyments and privileges, but also its conditions and duties. We must share with God’s people in cloud as well as in sunshine. When we hear them spoken of with contempt and ridicule for being Christians, we must come boldly forward and say, “So am I.” When we see them working for Christ, giving their time, their talent, their whole heart to Jesus, we must be able to say, “So do I.” Let us then prove our gratitude by our devotion and live as those who, having claimed a privilege, are willing to take the responsibility connected with it. Because of Jesus, Ted