From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] daily devotional
Evening ...
Luke 15:18
Father, I have sinned.
It is quite certain that those whom Christ has washed in His precious blood
need not make a confession of sin, as culprits or criminals, before God the
Judge, for Christ has for ever taken away all their sins in a legal sense, so
that they no longer stand where they can be condemned, but are once for all
accepted in the Beloved; but having become children, and offending as children,
ought they not every day to go before their heavenly Father and confess their
sin, and acknowledge their iniquity in that character? Nature teaches that it
is the duty of erring children to make a confession to their earthly father,
and the grace of God in the heart teaches us that we, as Christians, owe the
same duty to our heavenly father. We daily offend, and ought not to rest
without daily pardon. For, supposing that my trespasses against my Father are
not at once taken to Him to be washed away by the cleansing power of the Lord
Jesus, what will be the consequence? If I have not sought forgiveness and been
washed from these offences against my Father, I shall feel at a distance from
Him; I shall doubt His love to me; I shall tremble at Him; I shall be afraid to
pray to Him: I shall grow like the prodigal, who, although still a child, was
yet far off from his father. But if, with a child's sorrow at offending so
gracious and loving a Parent, I go to Him and tell Him all, and rest not till I
realize that I am forgiven, then I shall feel a holy love to my Father, and
shall go through my Christian career, not only as saved, but as one enjoying
present peace in God through Jesus Christ my Lord. There is a wide distinction
between confessing sin as a culprit, and confessing sin as a child. The
Father's bosom is the place for penitent confessions. We have been cleansed
once for all, but our feet still need to be washed from the defilement of our
daily walk as children of God.
1 Timothy 4:4-5
(4) For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused,
if it be received with thanksgiving: (5) For it is sanctified by the word of
God and prayer.
This verse, quoted out of context, seems to state that all flesh
can now be eaten. The flaw with most people's understanding of this verse is
that they fail to read what it and the surrounding verses really say. They lift
verse 4 out of its context, not bothering to include relevant details from
adjacent verses.
The chapter begins with a prophetic warning from Paul against
false teachers and their teachings "in latter times." Their doctrines would be
those of demons, and one of them commands their followers "to abstain from
foods which God created to be received with thanksgiving . . ." (verse 3). Many
stop right there, but the rest of the verse is vital to understanding: ". . .
by those who believe and know the truth." These pesky details change the tenor
of what the apostle is saying.
Notice that the subject is foods or meats in general, not
necessarily unclean meats. This must be read into the passage. If we consider
only the word "foods," it is just as likely that Paul means that these false
teachers would preach against eating beef as against eating pork or shellfish.
However, the rest of the verse modifies the term. What "foods" did God create
to be received—eaten—with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth?
The list appears in Leviticus 11 and Deuteronomy 14! God has never given
mankind any other list of creatures that are divinely certified as "food."
Verses 4-5 must be taken together, as they are one thought. Paul
is telling Timothy not to worry about such prohibitions because God created
every creature as "good" (Genesis 1:21, 24-25, 31), and a Christian should
accept what he is offered to eat with thanksgiving. Does this mean that we
should not refuse skunk, badger, bear, tiger, snakes, slugs, snails, vultures,
rats, horses, eel, and oysters, as long as we give thanks for it? Of course
not! Again, this is not the end of the story.
I Timothy 4:5 adds important, modifying elements to what this
means: ". . . for it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer." Sanctify
means "to set apart for a specific use or purpose." The apostle is saying,
then, that certain "creatures" are sanctified or set apart as human food—by
what means?—by God's Word, the Bible! God reveals these "sanctified" meats to
us in Leviticus 11 and Deuteronomy 14.
Paul adds prayer to the setting apart of these foods because we
have Christ's example of asking God to bless the food before eating (see, for
instance, Luke 9:16; 24:30). This further sets apart the food we are about to
eat as approved and even enhanced by God, but in no way does it make unclean
meat clean. Besides, Scripture gives us no authority to make such a request of
God.
In summary, Paul is reiterating that 1) God has set certain foods
apart for His people to eat; and 2) we should not be fooled by false teachers
who claim either that anything and everything is good to eat or that certain
biblically approved foods should not be eaten.
John O. Reid
From Did God Change the Law of Clean and Unclean Meats
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daily devotional
Evening ...
John 1:41
He first findeth his own brother Simon.
This case is an excellent pattern of all cases where spiritual life is
vigorous. As soon as a man has found Christ, he begins to find others. I will
not believe that thou hast tasted of the honey of the gospel if thou canst eat
it all thyself. True grace puts an end to all spiritual monopoly. Andrew first
found his own brother Simon, and then others. Relationship has a very strong
demand upon our first individual efforts. Andrew, thou didst well to begin with
Simon. I doubt whether there are not some Christians giving away tracts at
other people's houses who would do well to give away a tract at their
own-whether there are not some engaged in works of usefulness abroad who are
neglecting their special sphere of usefulness at home. Thou mayst or thou mayst
not be called to evangelize the people in any particular locality, but
certainly thou art called to see after thine own servants, thine own kinsfolk
and acquaintance. Let thy religion begin at home. Many tradesmen export their
best commodities-the Christian should not. He should have all his conversation
everywhere of the best savour; but let him have a care to put forth the
sweetest fruit of spiritual life and testimony in his own family. When Andrew
went to find his brother, he little imagined how eminent Simon would become.
Simon Peter was worth ten Andrews so far as we can gather from sacred history,
and yet Andrew was instrumental in bringing him to Jesus. You may be very
deficient in talent yourself, and yet you may be the means of drawing to Christ
one who shall become eminent in grace and service. Ah! dear friend, you little
know the possibilities which are in you. You may but speak a word to a child,
and in that child there may be slumbering a noble heart which shall stir the
Christian church in years to come. Andrew has only two talents, but he finds
Peter. Go thou and do likewise.
Matthew 5:3
(3) Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
People who are economically poor are well aware of their need. It is very
likely that, if they pray at all, they pray for money, for prosperity. One does
not need to have a revelation from God to see that kind of need. But what
should the poor be praying for? They ought to be praying for the desire to
work, for the understanding of their responsibility to their families, for the
right kind of ambition that will motivate them, for the love that will make
them lay down their lives to support their dependents, and for the drive that
will energize them to find a job. These are the things God wants us to ask for
because they are qualities that He has. By nature, we like to short-circuit the
process and pray, "God, give me money. Give me a job." He would rather we ask
for these other things, and He is far more likely to respond to us when we do.
The poor in spirit are the best prayers of all. Their title, "poor of
spirit" or "poor in spirit," shows that they are people who properly evaluate
themselves against God. They see how rich God is in terms of love, generosity,
kindness, mercy, wisdom—all the good qualities—and they see how poor they are
in comparison. Wanting to be like God, they ask Him for the qualities He has.
Those are the kinds of prayers God responds to. In contrast, the proud will not
be good at praying because they are secure in themselves, unable to see their
need.
John W. Ritenbaugh
From Prayer and Fervency
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