Virtual Devotions

“Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope.” – 1 Thessalonians 4:13

Dear Friends,

As many of you know, my uncle passed away last Thursday.  Uncle Joe was a man of faith, a loving husband of 57 years, and a father of eight children.  In his profession he was a successful homebuilder. 

27 years ago, Uncle Joe had a stroke.  For the last years of his life, Uncle Joe was confined to his bed.  In all those years, Aunt Bobbie lovingly cared for him.

While the stroke took away Uncle Joe’s health and career, it did not take away his faith.  In fact, it seemed to increase it.  Joe prayed continuously.  When the final days came, he told his family that he was not worried about passing on and in fact he looked forward to meeting his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Uncle Joe’s comfort with his own impending death was a reminder to me of what our faith really comes down to – where are you going to spend eternity?

The Apostle Paul encouraged the believers in Thessalonica by reminding them that they should not grieve at the passing of other believers because we who have repented and put our faith in Christ have hope for eternal life with Him.   We are not to grieve like those who do not believe and do not have hope.

In the same way, I offer to you as a testimony to this truth, the life and faith of my uncle Joe.  A man who could easily have turned his back on God for the misfortunes of his life, but instead chose to praise God in all things both good and bad.  For his faith, he has been rewarded with life eternal.

Praise be to the Lord Jesus Christ who gives us hope.

In Christ,

David

"If a man commits adultery with another man's wife—with the wife of his neighbor—both the adulterer and the adulteress must be put to death." – Leviticus 20:10

Dear Friends,

As the Lord would have it, I had to make a trip to Maryland this week for my uncle’s funeral. I arrived early and was waiting in the lobby area of the hotel for a room to be cleaned and prepared for me. As I was trying to get some work done, I over heard the two girls at the front desk discussing Scripture. I decided to find out what they were talking about.

One girl was a new Christian full of excitement for her salvation and wanting to share the Gospel with the other girl. The second girl was a former Catholic who had turned away from the faith because of issues she had with Biblical teaching. She was telling the other girl that God could not have inspired the Bible because it says we should kill people. She was specifically pointing out the verses in Leviticus.

I tried to explain to them that the laws of the Old Testament, specifically those found in Leviticus and Deuteronomy, were civil and ceremonial laws for Israel that applied at the time. Martin Luther called this the "first use of the law".

For us today, Luther said the law has two uses. First, to show us that we are sinners and that we deserve judgment. Those who are unrepentant sinners, adulterers for example, will find that their eternal punishment is far worse than the physical death called for in the law. So the law exposes our sinfulness making us aware of our need for a Savior. Luther called this the "second use of the law."

Once we have turned to the Savior in repentance and faith, the law now stands as a guide for moral living. We as believers don’t obey the law because we fear judgment, we obey the law because it honors God. This is the "third use of the law."

When the woman caught in adultery was brought to Jesus, He didn’t stone her as the first use of the law required. Instead, he used the opportunity to open the hearts of the accusers to their own sinfulness, the second use of the law. When people speculate what Jesus wrote in the dirt with His finger, I tend to believe he was writing the Ten Commandments as a reminder to the accussers of their own sins.

At the end, when there were no witnesses left to accuse her, Jesus let the woman go. Under the first use of the law, she could no longer be put to death for there were no witnesses to her sin. The story ends with Jesus telling her to go and sin no more – the third use of the law.

Sometimes, the Old Testament seems barbaric and we question why a loving God would require such severe penalties. But the severity of punishment is designed to open our eyes to the severity of sin. While we live on this earth, we have the opportunity to acknowledge our sinfulness and turn to the Savior in repentance and faith. That is the only way we will avoid the eternal punishment we deserve. Isaiah tells us that Christ was "pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed." The penalty for sin prescribed by the law was executed on Jesus Christ. He died in our place that through Him we may have eternal life.

In Christ,

David

“Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to be called children of God – children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.” – John 1:12-13

There are certain terms that tend to get under my skin when they are being used inappropriately and without proper understanding.  One of those terms is “children of God.”

Often I hear people say, “We are all God’s children.”  They normally use this phrase in the sense of universalism that all people are going to spend eternity with God because we are all his children.

The Bible tells us differently.  True, we are all God’s creation, but we are not all God’s children.  The apostle John teaches us that it is only through belief in Jesus Christ that we have the right to be called children of God.  The Greek word that John uses for “right” has a definite legal connotation.

The apostle Paul helps us to better understand the legal nature of this right.  Paul explains that God adopts us into his family.  This further emphasizes that we are not born into the family of God, but by his grace through faith he adopts us.

Jesus uses this truth in his argument with the Jews in John 8.  They claim that they are God’s children simply by virtue of being descendents of Abraham.  Jesus confronts their assumption and tells them that they are in fact children of the Devil.  He tells them that if they were children of God, they would love him.

Today, the people who are relying on salvation based on the assumption that they are God’s children by nature are as misguided as the Jews Jesus confronted in John 8.  We need to be willing to confront that assumption and correct their misunderstanding if we are to lead them to Christ.

There are two fathers, the father of lies, the Devil and the father of truth, God.  We will all spend eternity with one or the other.  This Father’s Day, make sure you and those you love know who the true Father is.

In Christ,

David

“What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church?  Are you not to judge those inside? – 1 Corinthians 5:12

Dear Friends,

“Judge not!” is the rallying cry of so many people both in and out of the church.  But why?  Why don’t they want us to judge?  Is there Scriptural backing for their claim?

To answer these questions, we need to first define what it means, “to judge.”  Are we talking about declaring someone to be worthy of eternal life in heaven or are we talking about determining if someone’s actions are appropriate or not?   Then, we need to separate those in the church, professing Christians, from those outside the church.

I believe Scripture is clear that we are not to pronounce judgment on someone’s eternal destination.   That day will come when Christ sits in the judgment seat.  Until then, while we are here on earth, we should be concerned for someone’s eternal destination and make every effort to tell him or her about the coming judgment and the only hope of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ.   This does require that we point out their sinfulness to them so that they will understand their need for Christ, not as a judgment, but as a warning.

Which leads us to the second meaning of judgment, judging someone’s actions in order to correct him or her.   Inside the church we absolutely are to judge one another’s actions.  If someone claiming to be a Christian is not acting in a Christ-like manner, it is your responsibility as a fellow Christian to correct him or her.  Of course, you are to do it in a Christ-like manner, firm, yet loving.  Refer to Matthew 18:15-20 for the proper way to do this.

Outside of the church, I do not believe we are to judge someone else’s actions.  Until they come to Christ, what good does it do?  How do you tell someone who doesn’t have faith in Christ to be more Christ-like?  True, we need to open the moral law of God to them to expose their need for Christ for eternal salvation, however, to try to get someone to change their mind and accept Christian values before becoming a Christian is foolish.

What business is it of mine to judge the actions of those outside of the church?  It’s not.  Leave the lawbreakers to the law.  That’s why God instituted governments.  Am I not to judge those inside?  Certainly I am.  If we inside the church don’t correct those inside the church, we may as well go back and join the world.

In Christ,

David

“For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.” – 1 Timothy 4:8

Dear Friends,

As I was out exercising yesterday, this verse came to mind.  Like many, as the summer is approaching I am trying to get back into an exercise routine to shed some of the winter weight that I have picked up.  It made me think about my spiritual health as well.

Seminary is out for the summer and though I worked hard for the past few months, it would be easy to let my studies slip and take off from God’s Word for the summer.  Yet if I did, I would be right where I am now physically, unfit from lack of exercise.

The same is true for all of us.  And don’t forget our children either.  Next week, my girls will be finishing the school year and they will have lots of time on their hands.  We hear so much how kids are out of shape because they don’t get enough physical exercise.  The truth is many are also spiritually unfit because they don’t get enough spiritual exercise either.

I encourage you to not let this summer be one where you let yourself go spiritually.  Instead, take advantage of the longer days to read and pray, the two basic spiritual exercises.  Like physical exercise, you will start out with good intentions, but then possibly lose steam.  Don’t let that happen.  Just a little bit every day adds up.  And similar to physical training, you will get more out of it if you have good form.  It’s better to read a little and have an understanding than it is to read a lot and gain nothing.

With just a little continuous spiritual exercise, you’ll feel good about putting on your spiritual bathing suit this summer and getting out onto the spiritual beach.  But remember, no kicking sand in an unbeliever’s face.  That wouldn’t be Christian.  Instead, let them see your spiritual muscles at work and maybe they will be moved to start a spiritual exercise program of their own.

In Christ,

David