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APRIL 30

“Be not anxious for the morrow . . . Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.” Matthew 6:34

Jesus recognized the evil in the world; He had enough personal encounters with the devil and his children to know that out there in the tomorrow there would be even more evil awaiting Him. But He didn’t worry about it. There was too much to tend to today. Why draw on the possibilities of evil which might crop up tomorrow and expend precious energy and thought power on worry when there are already foes and problems to occupy our minds? What Jesus is saying is that we must confront today’s evil today, and tomorrow’s when it comes. But if we try to fight today’s and tomorrow’s battles all at the same time we will go down in defeat. Dr. James G. Hurst had a way of taking things one day at a time, and used this method to help people overcome evil habits. To an alcoholic who thought that to give up alcohol for the rest of his life was too big an order, Dr. Hurst said, “Look, we can’t solve this problem today. I want to see you in the morning. Is that okay?” The man agreed. "Then we’ll discuss it more tomorrow,” the minister said. "But please don’t drink anything today. That’s not too much to ask, is it?” “No,” the alcoholic replied. “I guess I can go one day without it.” And each day for a month Dr. Hurst had this man coming to his office, promising to go just until the next meeting without a drink. Finally he said to him, “You, see, there’s no permanent cure against alcohol or any other evil. You can’t stop yourself from drinking next year or next month or even tomorrow. But you can stop from drinking today. That’s all any of us have, and whatever we do that is good has to be done today.” Anxiety and worry is simply trying to fight tomorrow’s evil today. If you really want to guarantee victory for tomorrow, then take care of today’s evil. That is sufficient.

PRAYER: Father, help me to face my problems and solve them, to resist today’s evil and overcome it with good. I trust my future in Your hands, through the grace and power of Jesus, my Lord. Amen.

APRIL 29

“and His commandments are not grievous.” I John 5:3

Aren’t they though? All my life I’ve heard people, Christian people, complain about how hard it is to keep God’s commandments. The result is that I believed it myself, before I had even set my heart to try it. We have come to look upon God’s commandments as if He were only trying to see how difficult He could make it for us, as George Wilkins, a Church of England minister declared: “They (God’s commandments) are very largely responsible for giving young people the idea that the church is a wet blanket . . .” It is obvious that men have so far rebelled against the authority of God that they now look upon His commandments as "grievous." This attitude has gone so far that society no longer frowns on the corruption of pornography, but rises in wrath against those who would burn their filthy books. The courts do not seek to punish the criminal, but to protect him. The one who upholds God’s law against adultery is seen as the grievous one, not the one who commits it. Youth are being told that it is too much for society to expect them to remain chaste—this is a grievous commandment to the unbeliever. But the opposite is true. There is no joy in breaking a commandment that is not soon erased and replaced by sorrow that far outweighs the joy. No one ever grieved for having kept God’s commands. No one ever wept tears of remorse for having followed His will. There is no such thing as repentance from keeping His commandments. Why, then, do they seem “grievous”? Is it not because one fails to see the end purpose for which the commandments are given? Is it not because we set our own goals, contrary to God’s, and thus find that His commandments keep us from realizing them? You see, then, that it is not His commandments that cause the grief, but our own idolatry. Set your mind on God and His purpose, and His commandments become treasured pearls, and valued stepping stones to reaching the heart’s desire.

PRAYER: Father, thank you for Jesus, Who kept all the commandments and paid the penalty for the ones that I have broken. Give me daily help that I may follow His example, and obey Your will. I ask this in Jesus’ name. Amen.

APRIL 28

“Hereby we know that ye love the children of God, when we love God and do His commandments.” I John 5:2

Are the commandments of God relevant today? This is the question being probed by millions of people, and many theologians are answering in the negative. Joseph F. Fletcher, according to The National Observer of April 24, 1967, “has spelled out a controversial manifesto of individual freedom and responsibility, based on an ethic of brotherly love, which he says should free modern man from rigid, archaic rules and codes like the ‘Ten Commandments’.” On the face of it this sounds like a “good Christian” idea, because love is certainly basic to Christianity. But the question that then arises is: how are we to define love? Here is where Fletcher’s theology breaks down, along with all the others who are advocating the abandonment of God’s commandments. Love is not a mere sentiment. True love is not measured merely by the way one feels. There is only one way to test our love, and know when we have the proper feeling toward a brother, and that is the test of the commandments. How do you know that you really love the child of God? When you treat Him like God tells you to! It is true that love is at the root of our actions, but according to John the inspired, it is a love for God. First we love God, then from there we base all actions on God’s desire. We discipline our children and punish the criminal first of all because it is God’s commandment to do so, and therefore we know that such discipline is an act of love. The lawlessness which is the cause of so much heartache and unhappiness in our world today is due to the lack of a love of God. When men have no love for Him, they have no concern for keeping His commandments, and with no respect for the commandments, there is no basis for proper treatment of one another. If you want to know that you have the right kind of love, check it out with the commandments of God!

PRAYER: Father, accept my praise and thanksgiving for your commandments, for they are just and true. Help me to manifest my love for you and my brethren by walking in them. In Jesus’ name, I pray, Amen.

APRIL 27

“I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself.” Genesis 3:10

Through the ages the sin of Adam and Eve and its consequences has been called the “fall.” Paul wrote that through Adam’s death, death entered the race of man. (Romans 5:12). It is too bad that children are given the impression that this sin merely caused them to feel shame, and for the first time realized that they were without clothing! They had been created perfect with great intelligence. They could see very well before the sin, for Eve “saw that the tree . . . was a delight to the eyes” before she sinned. Their nakedness became apparent to them after the sin because that’s when they became naked! What Adam and Eve lost in their rebellion was more than modesty. Before the sin they were deathless creatures, but after the sin they were mortal, dying, under the penalty of sin, destined to return to dust. (Genesis 3:19). Plainly something happened to man’s body in “the fall,” and seeing this in themselves they sought to remedy it by making aprons of fig leaves and hiding from the Creator. But their own efforts were futile. God found them anyway, and their fig-leaf aprons were inadequate to satisfy Him. Hence He killed animals to make clothing that would pass His inspection. Certainly they had not been created “naked” or such nakedness would still be considered good, as God called them “good” at the beginning. But the skins, the clothing, does not change the mortality. Not until the resurrection will we be fully clothed with the intended glory, “for this mortal must put on immortality.”

“I was afraid,” said Adam. So are we all afraid until God clothes us in the covering of the sacrifice of Christ, typified by the skins of slain animals. In Him our sins are covered, we can fellowship with God and we have no fear of death, for He guarantees the final clothing of immortality, which was forfeited in the Garden, but will be restored in God’s own time.

PRAYER: O God, keep me from sin and quench my doubts, that I may not fear, but come boldly to Your throne and enjoy Your fellowship through Jesus, Who bore my sins in His body upon the tree. In His name, I pray, Amen.

APRIL 26

“He abideth faithful.” 2 Timothy 2:13

One of the saddest stories I ever read involved a young man who fell in love with, wooed and won a beautiful girl. On a certain night he was to come for her and they would be married. He said to her, “Now remember . . . don’t forget.” For weeks she thought of nothing else. She didn’t forget for a moment. She sewed, planned, saved and worked toward nothing else but that hour. Finally it came. Through the long hours of the evening she waited, but the man never showed up. He had forgotten all about it and was off having a ball with his friends!

So one day a man walked down the aisle of the church and confessed his faith in Jesus. He made a promise against the day of Christ’s coming. He said, “Lord remember me when you come in your Kingdom. Don’t forget, I belong to you.” And God is faithful; He never forgot. His mind is filled with only one thought. He has only one work to do. He is not concerned with all the multitudes of things that occupy men’s minds. He has appointed a day! All hinges upon that day. He doesn’t forget but is preoccupied with the one purpose, that this man be ready for that day.

Then what happened? The man forgot. He became concerned about other things: his family, a bigger and better house for them; his business, it seemed to take more and more of his time; his pleasure, a man must have some pleasure. . . . He forgot that he belonged to God. But God is faithful and doesn’t forget. He never forgets one of His children. We can always be sure that “God is there” when we pray and when we ask His help. Also, we can be sure that God will not forget that day of judgment, nor the price that He paid for our pardon. We need not worry about His forgetting; He is faithful.

PRAYER: Loving Father, let me not forget for a moment that the goal of my life is to please you and one day dwell with you. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

APRIL 25

“My yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:30

When I spoke these words of Jesus to a woman under a great burden, she burst into tears and said, “But my burden is heavy.” It is easy enough to say to the suffering Christian, “Cast your burden upon the Lord . . .” But even afterwards, he suffers as much. How then is the burden light? Simply in this way. It is easier to bear. Christ does not take away all our burdens. When you become a Christian Jesus removes the burden of sin and guilt, but He does not remove all difficulties, problems and sorrows. There is still a living to be made. There still may be sickness and physical pain, even dreadful diseases. There still may be marital problems and a multitude of other burdens. Often when a person becomes a Christian there is added the burden of criticism and ridicule of loved ones who remain outside the fellowship of Christ. But the burden, while it may remain the same burden, is now borne for a different purpose. It is now borne by one destined for the image of God, and it becomes a part of the stuff God uses to accomplish that very purpose. Before it was only a hindrance, an ugly hated thing bowing one down to the grave. But in Christ it becomes an exercise of godliness lifting one up to God. When a youngster is forced by the parent to work in the yard, to mow the grass, he receives the task as a burden and may gripe and complain about the effort and work to be done. But when the same youngster goes to the playing field for a game of football, he may expend ten times the amount of energy required to mow the lawn, and never think for a moment that it is a burden. So when we bear our burdens in Christ they become lighter for they are also His burdens, and we bear them as part of the Eternal Purpose. It is trust in Him, hope in Him, the knowledge that all is done for Him, in and through Him, that lightens burdens.

PRAYER: Thank You, Father, for making my burdens easier to bear, through Jesus Who has taken all the burden of sin. Amen.

APRIL 24

“My yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:30

It certainly does not appear that the way Jesus walked was an easy one, nor was the cross that He bore light. How then can we understand that it is easy and light for us to walk the same way. It is by way of contrast. Either we are yoked together with Christ or with the god of this world. Either we bear the burden Christ gives us, or we bear the burden of the world. When you are yoked with Satan you may rest assured that that fiend will make you carry all the load. Christ, however, entered the stream of humanity for the purpose of lifting the load of sin and the penalty of death. He continues to answer prayers to help us in the daily pull and grind of life. He said of the Pharisees that “they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne and lay them on men’s shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers.” Matt. 23:4. But Jesus “came not to be ministered unto but to minister”. He did not come to lay more burdens upon us, but to help us bear them. It is in the world, outside the fellowship of Jesus, that burdens are acquired. Leo Tolstoi wrote, “Let any sincere man pass his life in review, and he will perceive that never, not once, has he suffered through practicing the doctrine of Jesus; the chief part of the miseries of his life have proceeded solely from his following, contrary to his inclination, the spell of the doctrine of the world”. There is no escaping burdens, of course. But to have faith in Jesus is to believe that He will make the burden lighter, and will lay no heavy burden upon us. If anyone doubts this, let him lay his whole life before God, accepting the entire purpose of God, and trusting God totally with life, and he will find that God lifts him, and the burden as well, so that the yoke is easy, and his burden, although not necessarily removed, becomes light.

PRAYER: Father, I thank you for the love manifested in the daily sharing of my burdens, through Jesus the Lord. Amen.

APRIL 23

“For he that giveth him greeting partaketh in his evil works.” II John 1:11

This stern command to have nothing to do with false teachers, not even to give them greetings, is given by the apostle John who is generally known as the apostle of love. His is the example that genuine love does not prompt a blanket acceptance of everyone and everything. Polycarp, who was a disciple of John, is reported to have told the story that the apostle John once refused to enter the bath house upon learning that the heretic Cerinthus was within.

We may often feel that in order to express Christian love we are to receive and be friendly to every person including those who deny the truth and corrupt the gospel. We must not forget, however, that love is first of all expressed by our love of God, and whatever is in disobedience to Him cannot be said to be love. Besides this, we do not demonstrate genuine love to another person by encouraging him in his error. Jesus was demonstrating the working of love when He drove the money-changers from the Temple. He was first of all demonstrating love to the Father and the Father’s house. He would not see God insulted and His house desecrated. Secondly, He demonstrated love for the people who were being cheated and deceived. When the deceitful false leaders of our day go unchallenged it indicates that the ministry, like the hireling shepherd, has no genuine love for the children of God. Third, He demonstrated a kind of love for the money-changers themselves, for only as they were driven from the fellowship of the true people of God could they be made to see that there was any reality and truth in God’s house. Part of Satan’s deception is to convince the Christian that he cannot discriminate among men and reject the deceivers. But in order to live positively for Christ, we must take an equally negative view of all that opposes Him.

PRAYER: Father, give me discernment, that I may know Satan’s work, and give me courage to withstand his ministers, even when all the world may sing their praise. In the name of Jesus, Amen.

APRIL 22

“For I delight in the law of God after the inward man.” Romans 22:1

The emphasis is on two words: delight and law. The law of God is the rule of perfection, “for through the law cometh the knowledge of sin.” It was just this, the fulfilling of the law, obeying it in every detail, that made Jesus perfect and able to be the spotless and sinless sacrifice. Of course, this does not include for us the ceremonial cleansings and animal sacrifices under the special covenant given through Moses, for these were for a civil government which no longer exists. But the commandments of God still stand, for God’s purpose has not changed. The laws He has given are the laws by which a man knows whether or not he is pleasing to God. “So the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and righteous, and good.” Rom. 7:12. The law of God is that which, from the beginning, tells man that he must not commit murder, adultery nor theft, that he must not lie nor be idolatrous. It is a terrible error for modern evangelists to say that man cannot keep the law, that it doesn’t apply today. That idea has opened the door for all kinds of lawlessness committed by those who claim to be Christians. It is true that we are not saved by the law. “For if there had been a law given which could have given life, verily righteousness should have been the law.” It is Christ alone who wipes out our sins by His death and justifies us so that we may have life. Nevertheless, God’s law still reveals what it is God desires, and if we are God’s children, that is just what we desire. The unbeliever may not commit murder, but delights in viewing it on T.V. He may not commit adultery, but delights in thinking about it and reading about it. You cannot have the desire to be in the image of God, and at the same time delight in the things that He abhors! To despise His law is to despise His goal, but to desire to be like Christ is to delight in God’s law.

PRAYER: O Lord, guard me from evil thoughts, and keep me from breaking the least of Your commandments. I give thanks for Jesus Who took the punishment for my sin that I might be forgiven. Help me to walk as He walked, always doing your will. In His dear name I pray. Amen.

APRIL 21

“Satisfy us in the morning with thy loving kindness, that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.” Psalm 90:14

There is an old hymn that says, “Take your burden to the Lord and leave it there.” Often I have commented on the fact that the weight of the message is that we should leave the burden with the Lord, not take it to Him, then carry it away with us again. Something like this happens to people who go to bed with all the worry of the day, and instead of refreshing themselves in sleep, they continue to worry about all those problems. Awakening to a new day, they bring the old day with them, so that after awhile they have piled up all the troubles and sorrowful days of the past until it is hard for them to find any joy and gladness in life. Well, how can we help it? The answer is in this psalm. Satisfaction in the morning comes from the lovingkindness of God. Even if you didn’t sleep well, even if the old problems still confront you, it is obvious that you still have the lovingkindness of God. In His lovingkindness He gives another day, another chance to set your mind on Him and do better. He will be with you today, hearing and answering prayer, guarding you and sustaining you. If you have sinned, it is His lovingkindness, through the death of Jesus on the cross, that cleanses you from sin. And moreover, whatever the day may bring, you know that “to them that love God all things work together for good, even to them that are called according to His purpose”. (Rom. 8:28). Shouldn’t this satisfy you? Isn’t it enough to know that God has called you through the Gospel to be one of those who are going to be glorified and given the new world of such resplendent beauty that it cannot be described? And today, “in the morning,” He is working through you toward this purpose! Such is His lovingkindness. It is enough to make you rejoice and be glad all day long. Yesterday is past. Leave it behind. God’s lovingkindness, through Jesus the Lord, is yours today, and it is more than enough to satisfy those, who are committed to His purpose.

PRAYER: Father, I thank you for taking away the past and giving me a new life, new purpose and a new hope. Thank you for your loving kindness, made manifest each day. Keep me conscious of your eternal plan, that I may rejoice and be glad each day. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

APRIL 20

“Knew ye not that I must be about my Father’s business?” Luke 2:49

These are the first recorded words of Jesus, uttered when He was only twelve years old. It is significant that they should direct attention to the central purpose of His life, and what should be the central purpose in every life: the Father’s business. But Joseph and Mary “understood not the saying which he spake unto them.” This, too, is significant. What does it take to make men see that the focal point of all life, all activity, all creation is the Father’s business? It is usually at the age of twelve that youth begin to inquire into life, to find out what it is about, to try it out, test it and experiment. They are ready for the business of living, but seldom are they aware of the Father’s business. The communist “Red Guard” of China is said to be made of youth from the age of 12 through 17. These youth are about their father’s business, but it is Satan’s business, not God’s. Throughout the world there are lawless millions, both youth and adults, who live as if they had never heard about God and His purpose. But to everyone God commands, “Go, work today in my vineyard.” However varied the work, whether one is a carpenter or a physician, a merchant or an engineer, he is called to the Father’s business. And what is that business? To make man in His image, through faith in and obedience to the Lord, Jesus Christ. We are born into a world that was created by the Father, that is owned by the Father and over which the Father has sovereign power. At the last we shall be called to account for the work we have done, for the “deeds done in the flesh”. The rich man described in Luke the twelfth chapter had been diligent about his business all his lifetime. But at the end, he was called a “fool”, because he had not been involved in God’s work. Think, then, Christian, as you plan the activities of the day, of how your work is measured by the Father, and so direct your efforts that you may hope to hear Him say, “Well done, good and faithful servant, enter thou into the joy of thy Lord.”

PRAYER: Father, help me to do the work You have given me to do. May all my activities bring me closer to the goal of the high calling of Christ, and make me more like Him. Amen.

APRIL 19

“No man cometh unto the Father but by me.” John 14:6

Speaking before a great audience at the commencement exercises for thousands of youth, a clergyman spoke of different religions with conflicting beliefs, then said, “Follow your god on out . . . ” Such popular teaching is diametrically opposed to that of Jesus, Who said that there is no other way to God but through Him. This fact the world chooses to disregard. It sees Christianity as a nice way of life. Jesus had some great ideas; the world would be better off if we all followed the golden rule. So the world gives the superficial impression that it accepts God by giving lip-service to the Son’s teaching. But it has failed to examine what the Son said. He claimed an exclusiveness which the world actually hates. He claimed that He is the only means of salvation, that He will be man’s judge and that the judgment will be based on the absolute righteousness which comes only through obedience to the Gospel. Let a man preach the message Jesus preached and the world’s tolerance and good-will are turned to intolerance and criticism. Jesus had a great following after the Sermon on the Mount. “Practical religion” is generally acceptable, even if it steps on toes. But when He began to discuss the life and death issue, that He was the bread of life and that no one would have eternal life except those who are saved by His death (John 6) they “went back and walked no more with him”. Man hasn’t changed. He likes to chant, “one faith is as good as another, we’re all going to the same place . . . and etc.” And I’m afraid that we Christians condone the attitude, for as long as men are fairly decent citizens we do not get very excited about them being excluded from God’s fold. Men are not lost because of their attitude toward the Sermon on the Mount, but because they do not submit to the total Lordship of Jesus and trust His atoning death for salvation. As His witnesses, ours is the responsibility to publish this truth.

PRAYER: Father, forgive me for being silent when I should have spoken. Give me boldness to uphold the name of Jesus before all men, that they may know the way to You. In His name, I pray, Amen.

APRIL 18

“In the world ye have tribulation, but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.” John 16:33

Martin Luther, on trial before the Diet of Augsburg in 1530, wrote, “Why should we then fear a conquered world as if it were the conqueror?” Since then the world has seen even greater powers harnessed and equipped for the purpose of destroying the work of God. Millions live in mortal fear of the “things coming upon the earth”. The anti-christ marches unchecked to take control of the news media, the school room, the government and even the church. On every hand we face the overwhelming forces of secularism, communism, scientism, atheism and corruption of religion in every form. Almost daily we hear of new depths to which men have degraded themselves in sex and violence. But in viewing this great army of worldly power, if we look upon it in its true state, we see a conquered and defeated foe, enraged by his wounds, displaying a vain all-out effort to hold off the final crushing blow as long as possible. The first crippling blow fell in the Garden, with the curse upon the serpent and the earth. The second was struck in the days of Noah, through the flood. The third and mortal wound was dealt at Calvary. Jesus, standing before the rulers just before they were to nail him to the tree, declared, “Henceforth shall ye see the Son of Man sitting on the right hand of power and coming in the clouds of heaven.” There He sits today, and His coming seems not far off. He will come with vengeance upon the enemy, destroying the world and the ungodly. Therefore, the world, deceived by Satan, is desperate. It is only natural that we, the enemies of the conquered, should be treated to tribulation at its hands, until the Conquerer comes. “Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father”. We are like war prisoners who have heard the good news that their nation has won the victory. Be of good cheer, Christian. You have nothing to fear from a conquered foe!

PRAYER: O Lord, make me strong in the face of the enemy, that I might give a clear witness to the fact of Christ’s victory. Help me not to fear the world, but to overcome it, as did Jesus, in Whose name I pray, Amen.

APRIL 17

“If in this life only we have hope in Christ we are of all men most miserable.” I Corinthians 15:19

A national magazine published a picture which showed a crowd of people gazing in the same direction with facial expressions indicating that they were witnessing a horrible spectacle. The fact was that they were merely standing on a city street at the evening rush hour, waiting for the signal to change! The misery written on most of the faces is typical of those who have hope only in this life. Even a great number of clergymen are spreading the lie that the purpose of Christ was limited to improving the earthly lot of man and that the Gospel is embraced in the idea of Socialism. Men will grow more despondent and miserable as they listen to these false prophets. Writing on this trend, G. L. K. Smith said, “There is no expression of unbelief more blasphemous than for a human being to declare himself separate and independent of the mind and will of his Creator, God almighty. There is nothing more blasphemous than for him to proclaim a code of conduct above and beyond the need of a personal Saviour who indeed is Jesus Christ. This life, in itself, is virtually an enemy of mankind . . . Man being a human soul with a superior wisdom has the capacity to become more evil, more dangerous, more destructive and more perverted than the beasts of the field . . . A perverted soul given over to a denial of the existence of God or given over to a disobedience to God’s will can make a human being a creature too dangerous, too evil and too perverted to even define or describe”. But, thank God, our hope is not in this world at all. “Now hath Christ been raised from the dead so also in Christ shall all be made alive.” (I Cor. 15;20,22). Such a fact, such a hope, such a prospect turns our gaze from the deadening routine of the world to the exciting purpose of God. The social gospel is like fool’s gold, leading only to disappointment and deeper misery, while the Gospel of salvation lifts us above the misery of the world’s gloom and doom by the victory already won by Christ and now held out for us to reach, to touch, and finally to grasp as our very own in the New Heavens and New Earth.

PRAYER: Accept my praise and thanksgiving, O Father, for the marvelous hope You have given through the Living Christ. Fill me with the joy of this hope, and give me power to share it with others, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

APRIL 16

“And this is the will of him that sent me, that I should lose nothing, but should raise it up at the last day.” John 6:39

This simple declaration speaks great peace and joy to our hearts. Even though God is the owner of all things, yet it is His will to lose nothing, neither life nor anything else that falls within the realm of His Kingdom. Think how much useless fretting and worrying we might avoid by believing His words. Nothing will be lost, nothing wasted. If we give time we shall reap eternity. If we give money we shall inherit the world. If we give our lives, we shall be resurrected and given life that is immortal! Every act in doing His will, no matter how small in detail and every word spoken to His glory, even every meditation upon His word, shall have eternal significance. All that is done in and for Him is treasure laid up where it cannot be stolen nor erode away. God’s will cannot be thwarted! He intends to lose nothing, and certainly not the very ones who are committed to His care and who are purchased by the blood of Jesus. It is His express intention to raise man up even from the dust that he might be saved whole—not merely a spooky thing unlike the soul originally created from the earth, but as a body-spirit creature; not less than man is in this world, but all that he is and more. The “it” also refers to the whole of nature, for in the final order of things there is to be a “new earth wherein dwelleth righteousness.” It is no wonder, then, that we are told by Jesus that it is useless to be anxious about the present temporal things. By His miracles He proved that He is able to restore life and to supply material needs. By dying our death he removed the punishment of death, and by His resurrection He has given us an understanding of life from the dead. Such is the will of God, and such is the power of the Son in whom He has vested the power to carry it out. Where, then, is there room in life for fear and worry when we believe in the will of God?

PRAYER: Forgive me, God, for ever withholding anything from You out of doubt and fear. Teach me to give, and to spend myself more freely in your service, in the name of Jesus Who gave all for me, Amen.

APRIL 15

“And Jehovah said, Shall I hide from Abraham that which I do?” Genesis 18:17

It is a tender scene, one of the rare occasions on which we are allowed to listen to a monologue of God. In His wrath He was about to destroy the wicked cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, “because their sin is very grievous”. In one of those cities dwelt Abraham’s pious but wayward nephew, Lot. God knew of Abraham’s love for his nephew whom he had brought out of the heathen East to live in a new country in faith. Lot had greedily and foolishly chosen to affiliate himself with the worst of the heathen in the city of Sodom, yet Abraham loved him and felt a great responsibility for him. It is this concern of Abraham that concerns God. Would it not be well for Him to tell Abraham of His plans? Abraham had trusted God, and was destined to be the heir of the world. Since he had such a connection with God, and was in fact a part of the very purpose for which God was working, should He not confide in Him? We are accustomed to thinking of the confidence we may have in God. But here the situation is reversed, and we are shown that God puts his confidence in his faithful believer. Jesus reminds us of this fact, in telling His disciples, “I have called you friends, for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.” Such is the intimate fellowship desired by God. He lays His whole heart out open before us. He has nothing to hide. He is not afraid of being hurt by our betraying such confidence. His is a perfect love which casteth out fear! He reveals not only the future to His faithful ones, but bares His “soul” as a true friend, even though He knows our weakness and errors, our blindness and fickleness. Such is God’s confidence in you, for you, as a Christian are also one destined to receive the inheritance promised to Abraham. Surely if He has such confidence in us, we should not hesitate to confide in Him totally.

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, thank you for showing me such love and such a glorious plan. I ask for understanding, that I may have a closer walk with you, that I may confide in you perfectly through Jesus Who is my Mediator. Amen.

APRIL 14

“The law of Jehovah is perfect, restoring the soul.” Psalm 19:7

The citizens of Texas are in the process of drawing up a new constitution. The old one, it is said, embraces laws that are no longer appropriate and no longer enforced. Modern religious leaders would also re-write the Bible on the basis that men no longer abide by its commandments and that is is not relevant to "modern man." This is not a new thought, however. The unbelieving have always objected to God’s laws and found fault with them. I know of nothing which so clearly defines the difference between the unbeliever and the Christian than the attitude toward God’s laws. The doubter can think of a thousand reasons why a commandment should NOT be kept. It is unreasonable, impractical, unpopular, out of style, and too difficult! The Christian admits that they may be hard to keep in the face of temptation and the world’s pressure. But he also knows that they are the only means to perfection. He believes that God’s law is perfect because God is perfect. He knows the machine—man, body and mind—and the means of bringing it all to fulfillment because He made it. As the Psalmist goes on to say, “the testimony of Jehovah is sure . . . the precepts of Jehovah are right . . . the commandment of Jehovah is pure.” The believer does not flee the commandments of God nor seek to rationalize them away. Rather he studies to know them and bends every fibre of his being in order to comply with them. He can then relax in the faith that he is under God’s control. Are you fighting some commandment because it goes against your own judgment? Remember that it is God Who made you, and you are not going to be what He wants until His commandments have full control. The “making” process is still going on and the tool God uses is none other than His commandments!

PRAYER: O Lord, give me faith to keep your commandments and forgive me when I fail. Remind me of them when I am forgetful and give me strength and wisdom to apply them in my daily life. I pray in the name of Jesus my Saviour. Amen.

APRIL 13

“Always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labor is not vain in the Lord.” I Corinthians 15:58

A deadly attitude to be shunned like the plague is the one: “What’s the use?” It is the common expression of those who see no purpose in life and one by means of which they think to escape all responsibility. Indeed, the attitude is meaningful for the unbeliever, for there is no use in all his efforts, if in the end he is to meet with doom and destruction. His ambition, labors, patience and fortitude all go for nought unless they are directed to eternity.

A juvenile delinquent was found on the street, covered with cigarette burns, lacerations on his flesh and other signs of torture. The police discovered that he had been tortured by a rival gang intent upon learning certain secrets of his group’s activities. The boy withstood horrible pain to prove his bravery and fortitude, but for what purpose? Such is the picture of man in the brave new society that labors for better schools, better gadgets, more income, more leisure time. He suffers the growing pains of strife and revolution, violence and death, and—for what? By contrast, those who work for the Lord labor for the reward to be received from Him at the resurrection. Such labor requires patience and sacrifice. It often means isolation and grief because of Satan’s intense efforts to thwart God’s work. The worker may go unnoticed and unappreciated by his associates. Many times his efforts will seem worthless and like the misguided worldling, he may be tempted to say, “What’s the use?” But none of his work is in vain in the Lord. Every deed is written indelibly in His memory. What appears as wasted and futile when measured by results will appear as highly successful when measured by His desire. Work for the Lord; your labor is not in vain.

PRAYER: Lord, I look forward to your coming again. I pray for help in the work you have given me to do, that I may be found faithful and receive your reward, Amen.

APRIL 12

“Marvel not, brethren, if the world hateth you.” I John 3:13

What is more astonishing to the child of God than to discover that for all his earnest devotion he reaps the reward of the world’s hatred? Surely if the world hates a man it must be because the man lacks virtue, character or qualities of goodness. But no, it is just because he possesses these that he incurs hatred. It is the general feeling that a “true Christian” is a person liked by all, one who has no enemies because he is a “good” man. But the world hated Jesus, the best of men and He said, “If the world hateth you, ye know that it hath hated me before it hated you.” (John 15:18). Why is this so? John explains it in the example of Cain who murdered his brother Abel. “And why did he slay him? Because his works were evil, and his brother’s righteous.” (I John 3:12). Hence the more like God one may become, the more the world may despise him. The natural impulse is for us to feel that we should be loved by the world and the result is that we grow fearful of displeasing it. It is a subtle temptation. A man says he will be true to Christ, but nice to the world also. The compromise is made without a ripple in his ordinary deportment. The world says, “There is a fine Christian, a good man . . . doesn’t let his religion turn him into a holy fanatic . . .” Which is to say that he doesn’t really take God 100% seriously so as to put His Kingdom and purpose absolutely first. Let the man begin to do this very thing and then the neighbors say, "That fellow has gotten to be a regular nut on religion; in fact a nuisance. We would be better off if we were rid of all radicals like him." So God warns us beforehand: Do not be surprised at the attitude the world takes, for we are citizens of another Kingdom, under a different constitution and might expect to be treated as enemies on foreign soil. We are to follow Christ’s example, not because of the world, but in spite of it.

PRAYER: Father in Heaven, erase from my heart all longing for the world’s favor and every desire for worldly recognition, that I may concentrate on pleasing you and receiving your approval, through Jesus my King and my Redeemer. Amen.

APRIL 11

“By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain.” Hebrews 11:4

Abel’s offering was an animal sacrifice, requiring the shedding of blood, while Cain’s was the fruit of the ground and did not involve blood and death. It has been asked if Cain was squeamish about the unsophisticated act of spilling blood, the blood of an animal that was required. If so, he has many brethren today, who are glad to “nod to God” and condescend to worship Him, only if they can do so without the unsophisticated action of confession, repentance and baptism. But if he was squeamish about the bloody business of killing a lamb, he was not so fastidious when it came to his brother, whom he slew. So when we run from the demands of God because they go against our inclinations we run right into the clutches of human nature which in the end is far harder and always ends in disaster.

Abel worshipped in faith, believing that he was to make the offering that God demanded and that in doing so he would have “witness borne to him that he was righteous, God bearing witness in respect of his gifts.” We can safely assume that God had given some instructions for the sacrifice. The killing of the animal is a token of the forfeiture of the life of man because of his sin, and is a type of the sacrifice made by Jesus when He gave His life on Calvary. The merit of his act was not in the worth of the animal, as being more valuable than the fruit of the land, but in the faith that he was acting under God’s orders and was thus pleasing to God. Cain worshipped on his own terms, and God “had no respect” for his offering. This, then, is the basis of our relationship to God, that we live by faith in what He desires rather than our own designs. Christian, are you offering the living sacrifice of your whole life to God “which is your reasonable service”? Faith is of value only when it is directed to God’s purpose, and produces obedience to Him.

PRAYER: O God, keep me from walking in my own willful way, and guide me in the way You have marked. Strengthen my faith and help me this day to give my life in living service to You, through Jesus Who gave His life for me, Amen.

APRIL 10

“Behold what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called children of God; and such we are.” I John 3:1

The prodigal son, under conviction of sin, confessed, “I am no longer worthy to be called thy son.” (Luke 15:19). Nobody argued with him. No one said, as do false teachers today, “There is no sin. Your guilt feelings are products of a Victorian idea of morality which is no longer valid. Adjust to modern society; be broadminded and uninhibited; it is all right to exploit your desires as long as you have a feeling of love . . .” He knew that he was unworthy and so did the Father. The Father’s acceptance of him was not because of his worthiness, but because of the Father’s grace. It is so with each of us. We are unworthy because of sin. God owes us nothing. Were we to receive what we deserve it would be swift condemnation and death in the day of judgment, hence we would have nothing but fear and doom for which to live. But the Father has loved us, and called us His children in spite of our sin. More than that, He is the One who removes the guilt and punishment for sin by the death of His own Son, Who took our sin and punishment at the cross. The rebel sinner who comes to God must confess that he is unworthy. It is just this honesty, this humble contrite facing of the reality of what we are that brings us to the Father’s doorway. Then we see the Father’s love, such love that He doesn’t give us the punishment we deserve, but instead bestows on us such a blessing that we are henceforth “children of God.” “And if children then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ . . .” Can you see it? Can you fathom such love? Can you realize WHO you are? A child of God, an heir of God, a joint-heir with Christ! Are the plans of your life in harmony with the One Who is your joint-heir? It is the challenge of your heavenly heritage. Live no more as the off-spring of the world and tied to its doom, but as the child of God, destined for His eternal glory!

PRAYER: Merciful Father, thank you for making me your son, though I am totally unworthy. Teach me and discipline me as a son, that I may grow to be obedient and faithful and fit to dwell in Your house forever. I ask this in the name of Jesus. Amen.

APRIL 9

“. . . prepare your hearts unto the Lord, and serve him only . . .” I Samuel 7:3

The story has often been told of how President James A. Garfield astonished the members of his cabinet by refusing to attend a meeting on Sunday. He pointed out that he already had an appointment with the Lord at the communion table and that this ranked above the important cabinet business. It is a sad commentary upon our national leaders that so often they conduct state business on Sunday and haven’t time for worship. However, some of the blame for this may be laid at the door of the church. Many years ago G. M. Landis gave the following commentary which is even more appropriate to churches of our day. He said, “At present the demand seems to be for activity, not adoration; booster bands, not Bible study; committees, not communion; machinery, not meditation; ‘pep,’ not prayer; service, not solitude; utility, not unction; work, not worship. Occupation with Christ is considered by some to be a waste of time and energy. What would be thought of the carpenter, however, who was too busy building to sharpen his tools, or the farmer who would not waste his time in whetting his scythe, or the motorist who was in too great a rush to stop for gas and oil? Is the Christian less foolish who can find no time to sharpen his spiritual tools by prayer, Bible study, communion, and worship?” There is no point in going out to serve the Lord when one hardly knows what the Lord is trying to do. We can share only that which we ourselves possess. If we would serve the Lord, we must first prepare our hearts! What a challenge is given to each Christian: sharpen your tools; study the Bible, and meditate on its truths; pray! All of this is easily within the reach of every Christian it only he does not allow the world’s affairs to come first. In what direction are YOUR preparations? For serving the world, or the Lord?

PRAYER: Father, may I place no value on anything except that which is in harmony with Your Kingdom. Purge from my heart all that is contrary to your purpose, that I may be prepared for your service, and the coming of Jesus my Lord, in whose name I pray. Amen.

APRIL 8

“. . . But one thing I do, forgetting the things which are behind, and stretching forward to the things which are before . . .” Philemon 3:13

A famous artist was heard to declare that if ever the Devil got him into his clutches, he would set him to copy his own pictures. The continual dwelling on the past, rehashing inferior and imperfect work, would be sheer misery to one with worthy aspirations. Yet an untold amount of progress and happiness is denied to most of us by our insistence upon the failures and sins of the past. There are failures which cannot be erased from the record and sins which no amount of sorrow and repentance will undo. “How can I go on?” the remorseful will cry. The answer is: concentration. Whatever the past, there is still this “one thing.” It does not lie in the past, whether the record is one of success or failure. It stretches forward, and will be accomplished only by putting one’s mind to it. One cannot, by thinking on the past, forget the past. But neither can he dwell on the past when concentrating on the goal that stretches ahead. Were I to forget the one thing that lies ahead, there are enough sins and failures strewn along the trail behind me to afford thinking material for an average lifetime. But, thank God, they are behind, blotted out by the death of Jesus, and my mind does not reach back at the same time it reaches forward, so I keep it stretched far out ahead to the eternal goal of Jesus Christ, so that the past may be left behind where it belongs.

The text not only applies to past sins, but to past successes. Paul had sacrificed much in order to be an apostle. But he did not dwell on what he might have been in the eyes of the world. Christ offers so much more and God’s purpose is so superior, all other things are insignificant. Only one thing is worth it all: the goal of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

PRAYER: Father, help me to concentrate upon Your calling and Your ultimate goal. I know I have a long way to go; give me strength to press on toward the example of Jesus, in Whom I pray, Amen.

APRIL 7

“Thy hands have made me and fashioned me: Give me understanding, that I may learn thy commandments.” Psalm 119:73

Visiting in the home of a tool and die maker, my eyes fell upon a newly sanded piece of wood of a very peculiar shape. I could think of nothing for which it might be used, yet the workman had spent weeks fashioning and finishing it. Finally he explained that it was the pattern for a certain part in a complicated piece of machinery. He knew exactly how the machine operated, and the precise function of each part. He was the maker of the whole machine. This is the message of the Psalmist. It is God that has designed—“fashioned”—humanity, hence He knows exactly how the human machine works and the part man is to play in the scheme of things. Many supposedly intelligent people are running about today saying, “There is no purpose for life; we must re-fashion society to our own purpose.” Accepting this atheistic idea, many resort to drugs and drink because they see no meaning to life. But they need to listen to the Maker. His commandments are the “instructions” for operating the machine, and in them is seen the purpose of life. By purpose I do not mean the kind of work one does for a living, but the purpose for living. God does not give commandments detailing the type of labor by which we earn our bread. But He certainly reveals the kind of person we are to be, and why. The question is: do we seek to accomplish the purpose for which He made us, or have we some purpose of our own to which we cannot apply His instructions? If God’s commandments cannot be applied to your labor, to your work and plans in life, then it is because you are trying to reach a goal contrary to what you are fashioned for. His purpose is attained by our being obedient to His commands, and by His laws He is shaping us to fit into His eternal scheme.

PRAYER: Loving Father, I thank You for the great purpose toward which I may labor through Jesus, who brought that purpose to light in the world. Help me to give up all that would hinder my obedience to your will, that You may fashion me as You will. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.

APRIL 6

“for the Lord giveth wisdom.” Proverbs 2:6

In his book, “The Mythology of Science,” Rousas Rushdoony writes: “When the first edition of Charles Darwin’s ‘On the Origin of Species’ was published...all 1,250 copies sold out on the day of publication. The world was waiting for a theory with scientific prestige to render the Bible and God obsolete, and men immediately jumped on the bandwagon of Darwinism. George Bernard Shaw described the relief of men at being rid of God and declared, ‘The world jumped at Darwin’.” Today, over 100 years since Darwin’s book, men are still jumping at new theories which ignore God’s revelation. Such an effort to establish an idea, not for the sake of truth, but in order to escape God, is called “scientism”. The danger is that Christians may be caught up in this confusion between true science and scientism, and lose their faith in the shuffle. Solomon gave us this truth that “the Lord giveth wisdom”. James wrote that “If any of you lacketh wisdom, let him ask of God.” (James 1:5) To seek God’s wisdom is to seek the source of all truth, including all science. But it is also to seek a way that leads to God’s law. Often our failure to arrive at His wisdom is due to our desire to go our own course, as it was with Shaw and those who keep trying to establish evolution as a scientific fact. Wisdom from God includes the wisdom to follow His truth, wherever it may lead. Of course, we know that it ultimately leads to Him. Hence the foolishness of God is said to be wiser than men. Jesus said that the person who hears His words, and does them is like the wise man who built his house on the rock. The Lord gives wisdom, not mere technical knowledge. Are you hesitating to act upon some God-given principle? Ask God for wisdom, and the question will easily be settled. He not only gives the right way, but wisdom for us to choose it! This is wisdom indeed.

PRAYER: Father, I ask not for fame or for wealth, but for wisdom, that I may know Your way, and be wise to follow it, in the name of Jesus the author of grace and truth. Amen.

APRIL 5

“For the creation was subjected to vanity, not of its own will, but by reason of him who subjected it.” Romans 8:20

The world speaks to us a two-fold revelation from God. We see enough beauty to demonstrate the glory of the mind of the Creator and the possibility of a Paradise, and we see enough of death and decay to remind us of the ultimate destruction of things. The word “vanity” refers to the frailty of the earth, the fact that it is perishing. Such a state is the result of man himself. When Adam denied his own lordship of God over himself, he also at the same time denied his own lordship over the creation. Since all the world had been put under his dominion, the world was subjected to frailty at the same time Adam was, after he sinned. Thus we see how involved is the earth and the entire creation with the state of man. Man, being created from the dust of the earth, was tempted by the fruit of the earth, the tempter being an animal of the earth. Thus the whole system was subjected to vanity through man’s sin. The violence in the streets, and the erosion of principles and morale is matched by the violence of the earth itself in earthquakes, volcanoes and storms. What we see about us in the turbulence of man and nature serves to keep us aware of the reality of God’s plan and promises. To the world, the signs of the times are an omen of destruction, to be consummated at the day of judgment. But to the believer these same signs are the guarantee of glory, for they prove the fulfillment of His word from the beginning, working to a final completion which will include the salvation of the saints and the restoration of Paradise in the new heavens and new earth. Knowing this, the vanity that surrounds us is not a cause for despair, but the ground of our hope.

PRAYER: Almighty God, and Creator of all things, keep my feet from slipping into the perishing morass of the world. Guide me in the narrow way that leads to life in Christ, through whom I pray. Amen.

APRIL 4

“But now hath Christ been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of them that are asleep.” I Corinthians 15:20

If the “firstfruits”, then the whole harvest! It is to give life to all those who fall asleep under the old curse of death that Jesus died and rose again. The fifteenth chapter of First Corinthians was written NOT to argue for the resurrection of Jesus, but to establish our conviction in the resurrection of the redeemed. It refutes the pagan concept of the immortality of spirit, stating that if there is not a resurrection, the dead have perished. (Verse 18) But, of course, there is a resurrection, for Christ has been raised, the firstfruits of them that are asleep. Since Christ arose in the flesh, we know that all who are redeemed from the curse of sin will also rise in the flesh. The “soul” which we desire to save is not some unseen portion of man, but the total man, restored to life in a body that will not be plagued with disease, deformity nor aging. The resurrected saint will know neither weariness nor fatigue, nor hunger, nor thirst. Since Jesus is the firstfruits, we may expect that all the rest of the “fruits”—all the rest who are given immortality—to be the same. John writes that we “shall be like Him.” We can conclude that we shall be raised with incorruptible bodies, that we shall be glorified as Jesus is, for at His coming He "shall fashion anew the body of our humiliation, that it may be conformed to the body of His glory." (Phil. 3:21) Paul writes that we who are redeemed from sin now wait for one thing, “to wit, the redemption of our body.”

It is the knowledge of our future immortality that motivates us in this present world. The fact that we are to be people in that new creation is the reason we are now being taught and trained how godly people should live. Ours is not a trek through uncharted territory to an unknown destination, and an indefinite reward. We know what the fruit is which we seek. Keep your mind set on the risen Christ, the One who has already received immortality, for here is focused the purpose of God for YOU, that you should also be raised to immortality.

PRAYER: Loving Father, help me to grow in the likeness of Christ and to share the great good news of the resurrection with all who know it not. Keep me from wavering in this hope, I pray in the name of Jesus my Lord. Amen.

APRIL 3

“. . . he is risen, even as he said. . .” Matthew 28:6

Had he not said it many times? “I lay down my life, that I may take it again.” “The Son of man must . . . be killed, and the third day be raised up.” He said that He should come forth from the earth as Jonah had come from the belly of the fish, that if they destroyed the tabernacle he would raise it up in three days. He had exhausted the language in trying to make them see that after death He would be raised up again. So now they come to the tomb, in spite of all he had said, and expect to find Him dead! Instead they found an angel, who was ready to show them the empty tomb, and to marvel at their unbelief. He is not here; for He is risen, risen from the dead just as He said He would. Did you think He was telling a fairy tale when He talked about the resurrection? Did you not understand that He was explaining the basis of Man’s hope, that he may live again after death? Or did you think He meant life in some unknown mystical realm, something pagans believe, something unlike human life? Could you not believe in a literal physical resurrection, a resurrection of the body? Well, that’s what He said; that he would lay life down in death and then take that life up again! Look at the place where He lay. See! He is not there. The body is not there. He is risen from the dead and goes ahead of you into Galilee. Go and see for yourself!

The same unbelief still prevails among would-be disciples. They still think of the resurrection in spiritual terms and deny the reality of the body. To them Christ only lives as a force and spirit in men’s minds. But He truly lives in the body and will so return, with myriads of His angels, and will resurrect all the dead either for eternal life or for judgment and eternal death. Man finds it hard to believe. Nevertheless, bodies will be raised “even as He said.” Unbelief will not diminish His power to call forth the dead! Let not your faith be weakened by the magnitude of the promise. Our hope is real! Christ is coming to fashion anew our mortal bodies and give us immortality, even as He said!

PRAYER: O Lord, Who raised up Jesus from the dead, help me to walk in that new life of righteousness, that I may follow him and be ready to meet Him, and to be made immortal like Him. This I ask in His name and for His sake. Amen.

APRIL 2

“He shall see the travail of his soul and shalt be satisfied.” Isaiah 53:11

At the creation God pronounced the work of His hands as “good” and was therefore satisfied. But after Adam’s sin there was nothing that could be pronounced “good” in the absolute sense until Jesus came into the world. From beginning to end, His earthly mission proved satisfactory to the Father. “This is my Son in whom I am well pleased,” He said. But the complete satisfaction of God could not be realized until this final moment on the cross when the life of Jesus was poured out, “because he poured out his soul unto death.” Not only was this the final proof of the obedience of the Son, by which He satisfied the demand for a man in perfect accord and harmony with the Creator’s will, but it satisfied the perfect justice of God which demands that the penalty of death be paid for sin. To this moment in history all acts of worship had pointed, from the clothing of Adam and Eve in skins which were given up by animals in their death, to the slaying of the passover lamb the day before Jesus died. It continues to be the focal point of worship as men are baptized into Christ’s death, and commemorate that death in the communion.

The death of Jesus is the pivotal point of history. Through it the justice of God is satisfied in regard to every soul that is saved so that in eternity every creature that inhabits the new creation will be found satisfactory to Him. Christ’s death was not defeat. It was not surrender. It was the severest agony but it was the greatest triumph. It is gross error to speak of His death as defeat that is overcome by the resurrection. The death itself was victory! Through it God is just and the justifier of all that have faith in it now and for eternity. I used to sing a song that said, “I am satisfied with Jesus . . . is the Master satisfied with me?” Thank God, Jesus has wrought satisfaction for me. All our labors are inadequate, imperfect, but we labor in the knowledge that God is satisfied because of the death of Jesus. Rejoice in His death; Glory in the cross and be satisfied even as God Almighty is satisfied forever.

PRAYER: O God, help me to see the worth of a soul and the horror of sin that should demand the life of Your only Son. May I have fellowship with Him, both in dying to this world, and in living forever with Him. I pray in His name, Amen.

APRIL 1

“Who among them considered that he was cut off . . . for the transgression of my people to whom the stroke was due?” Isaiah 53:8

Here in precise terms is the theology of Christ’s death, the scriptural explanation of the atonement.

He was cut off out of the land of the living. Death, by the shedding of blood! “Since then the children are sharers in flesh and blood, he also himself in like manner partook of the same;” Hebrews 2:14. The power of the atonement is not in some mysterious quality of the blood of Jesus, but in the plain fact of it being shed and His life being thus cut off! The wages of sin is death.

For the transgression of my people. Christ died for God’s people; for all who by faith are the sons of Abraham and therefore the true Israel, the people of God.

To whom the stroke was due! Did Jesus deserve to die? Only the totally corrupt, the children of the devil, could view his life without being impressed by its purity. As a youth He was obedient to his parents; as a man he did “always the things that are pleasing to the Father.” He was tempted in all points and yet without sin. Yet He was cut off by death, the cruel and shameful death of a criminal’s cross. He suffered the stroke of death which was not His due, but which was ours. We are the ones who have transgressed God’s law. We have followed after that which is pleasing to man rather than that which is pleasing to God, to obey the dictates of our own wills rather than the voice of God. We are the ones to whom the stroke was due. I am the one! Death is due me for sin; but Jesus died for me; my sin, my death! Now I will not have to die for my own sin! This is the simple theology of the Gospel! Men have done their best to complicate it so that a person hardly knows what happened and what it means. But the prophet knew. And you can know, if you will only believe that Jesus suffered the stroke of death for you to whom it is due. Either we accept Him as the substitute, who died our death, or we must die for our own sin in the Day of Judgment. Did He die for you?

PRAYER: Father, thank You for providing the Lamb to receive the stroke of death in my place. Cleanse me and give me strength to bring honor and glory to the worthy name of Jesus. Amen.