The Joy of Forgiveness

October 29 (Romans 4:7-8)

“Oh, what joy for those

     whose disobedience is forgiven,

     whose sins are put out of sight.

Yes, what joy for those

     whose record the Lord has cleared of sin.”  (NLT)

Do you get that you are supposed to die?  Do you get it that all of the nice things you do for people do not amount to squat?  Friends, in the eyes of God, you and I deserve to die, and we don’t even have the right to be offended by that.  God does.  He created us to be the crowning glory of all His creations, but WE turned on HIM.  If anyone has a right to be angry at the state of human affairs, it is God.  That realization should put us in a pretty humble position.

But oh, what joy for those whose disobedience has been forgiven!  What joy for those whose sins have been put out of sight!  Do you also realize that the blood of Jesus has washed you so thoroughly of your sins and disobedience that God Himself does not see them anymore?  He looks at you and sees the glorious creature He intended.

King David originally wrote those words in Psalm 32:1-2, but Paul quoted them in his letter to the Romans.  David had some sense of God’s forgiveness, but after the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus, we have a greater understanding of the work of God’s grace.  Friends, take some time to let that sink in.  You deserve to die and be eternally separated from God, but that will not happen thanks to the work of Jesus Christ.

Lord, what a gracious and amazing gift You have given us!  Thank You for the blood of Jesus and what it brings, for the words of Scripture and Your servants that have taught me of Your forgiveness, and for the grace that has allowed me to accept it so that the Holy Spirit might dwell within me.  All praise and glory be to You, my Lord and my God!  Amen.

Copyright © 2017 by Steven R. Perkins

What Faith In Jesus Means

October 22 (Romans 3:22)

We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are.  (NLT)

Romans 1:5 says that we have the privilege and authority to tell people what God has done for us, and Romans 3:22 makes it perfectly clear what that is.  We are made right with God, not by following rituals or procedures or trying really hard to be good.  We are made right, justified, with God by putting our faith in Jesus.

So what does that mean?  People talk about it all the time, but what does it actually mean?  Just a few verses later in Romans 3:25 we get the answer.  “People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood.”  We must believe that Jesus Christ voluntarily sacrificed His life for us and that He shed His blood as a sacrifice to cover our sins and make us pure and holy in God’s sight.  That’s it.  That is what it means to place our faith in Him.  That is what it means to be made right with God.  That is what it means to accept the gift of eternal life.

And as the verse for today concludes, this is true for everyone.  It is true for Jews and Muslims.  It is true for people who live in the country and people who live in the city.  It is true for those who grew up in Christian homes but never really believed and for those who have not once heard the name of Christ.  The offer is there for every single person…either to accept or to reject.

Father, thank You for sending Your Son, Jesus Christ, to pay for my sins with His own life and blood.  There is nothing that could possibly repay such a gift, so may my life be a fulfillment of Jesus’s command to take this message everywhere.  In His holy name I pray.  Amen.

Copyright © 2017 by Steven R. Perkins

The Privilege and Authority To Witness

October 15 (Romans 1:5)

Through Christ, God has given us the privilege and authority as apostles to tell Gentiles everywhere what God has done for them, so that they will believe and obey him, bringing glory to his name.  (NLT)

Some friends and I were texting recently about the rapidly deteriorating state of culture and society, and I replied, “My friends, the world of man is coming apart at its weak and frayed seams.  We must go forth and know nothing among our brethren but Jesus Christ, and Him crucified.”  I was thinking of 1 Corinthians 2:2, but evangelism is more than just a good idea in troubled times.  It is what we have been called to.

It would be amazing news if scientists revealed tomorrow a cure for cancer, but it would not be greater than the Good News of what God has done for us through Jesus Christ.  Through Him God has made a way for us to avoid the punishment of eternal separation from Him through death.  This message and no other is the most important thing you and I will ever talk about with anyone.  It is our privilege to be called to the role of divine messengers of God’s grace, and we have the authority from God almighty to share it.

Does the work of Jesus make its way into your conversations?  Does what He has accomplished in your own life season your interactions with others?  When it does, those who need to know the true gift of God through Jesus, not the caricature of Christianity presented in social media, will come to believe and obey Him, and He will receive the glory.

Lord, open my lips and free my tongue to tell those in my life what You have done for them.  Cast out my hesitation, nervousness, and fear and make me bold in the Holy Spirit to speak on Your behalf.  May all that I do and say bring glory to my Savior, Jesus Christ.  Amen.

Copyright © 2017 by Steven R. Perkins

The Light Of God's Grace

October 8 (Romans 8:1)

There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.  (ESV)

The eighth chapter of Romans may be the most beautiful, encouraging, life-giving passage you will ever read, and it begins with one sentence that captures the sum total of the human story.  It explodes from the page with the declaration that there is now no condemnation, but for the word “now” to be necessary, there is the implication that condemnation once existed for us.  Let that sink in a moment.  You deserved condemnation by the Lord God of the universe.  I deserved condemnation.  Every human being who has ever drawn a breath has deserved the condemnation of God.   That is our heritage thanks to the sin of Adam and Eve and compounded by our own daily acts of rebellion.

Go back to that fantastic adverb “now.”  Now, in the era in which you live, that is no longer the case.  The condemnation is gone.  It is taken away.  Is that true for everyone?  Well, the opportunity for it to be true exists for everyone, but to take advantage of the incredible offer of the removal of God’s condemnation, we must have our life in Jesus Christ.  We must have surrendered to Him.  We must have confessed our sins and sinful nature, repented, and been baptized in Him.  We must have become new creatures, allowing His nature to become our own.

Now, if that describes you, then read the rest of Romans 8.  When you do, the light of God’s grace will stream through the window of your heart and illuminate your very soul.  And if you know you have not surrendered to Christ Jesus, despite what others may think based on your good deeds, read Romans 8 to get a picture of what the true, real, and genuine life in Him looks like.  You will find yourself on your knees, crying out to Him for such a life, and He will rejoice to give it to you.

O Lord, Your grace overwhelms me.  Nothing is as beautiful.  Nothing means more to me.  I love and praise You with all that I am!  May my life reflect to others the light of Your glory and grace.  In the name of Jesus Christ, Who has given His life for me and to me, amen.

Copyright © 2017 by Steven R. Perkins

Staying True To The Call

October 1 (Luke 12:35-36)

Stay dressed for action and keep your lamps burning, and be like men who are waiting for their master to come home from the wedding feast, so that they may open the door to him at once when he comes and knocks.  (ESV)

The class in the room next to the one in which I teach is a French classroom, and the teacher stands in the door each day during the passing periods holding vocabulary cards.  Her students must define one of the words before entering.  She was absent recently, and I was impressed with her students when I saw them taking her spot and doing what she always does.  They were holding the cards for their classmates to define as they came to class. 

I have no way of knowing whether Jesus will return while I am still alive, but if He does, I want Him to find me doing what He has called me to do.  I am glad for my call and want to fulfill it in ways that please Him.  I want Him to take joy that one of His servants has served Him well.

If He were to return tomorrow, where would He find you?  Would He find you using the gifts He has given you, developing them, and putting them to use in work for the kingdom of God?  If Jesus entered any aspect of your life, would He join you in what you were doing because He could recognize the work as His own?

Lord Jesus, I consecrate the work of my life to You.  In great works and in small, in my response to major callings and in my fulfillment of daily activities, may all I do, say, and think be to Your glory.  Amen.

Copyright © 2017 by Steven R. Perkins