Today’s passage: “Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying: ‘Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?’ Then I said, ‘Here am I! Send me.’ ” Isaiah 6:8
Isaiah has always impressed me with his willingness to speak God’s Word and to stand up for the truth. Readiness to spread the gospel wherever I go is something I desire to exemplify. Some Christians seem to have a natural talent to know just what to say and have no fear of being rejected; yet I find it difficult sometimes to know just what to say. I pray that this study helps me overcome my fear and that you will find it helpful as well.
In John chapter 1, we read of two examples of Jesus’ disciples telling their friends that they had found the Messiah. “One of the two who heard John speak, and followed Him, was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. He first found his own brother Simon, and said to him, ‘We have found the Messiah’”. John 1:40-41. Andrew hurriedly ran to tell his brother Peter about Jesus. Peter’s life would have been very different if Andrew had not shared with him that the Christ had come. Additionally, a close friend of Jesus and a devout follower would have possibly missed his opportunity to become an apostle and a great preacher of the Word.
Later in John 1, we learn that, “The following day Jesus wanted to go to Galilee, and He found Philip and said to him, ‘Follow Me.’ Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. Philip found Nathanael and said to him, ‘We have found Him of whom Moses in the law, and also the prophets, wrote—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.’ John 1:43-45. It is very good that Philip took Nathanael to meet Jesus because Jesus said of Nathanael, “Here is a true Israelite, in whom there is nothing false." Nevertheless, he did not know that Christ had come until Philip took him to meet Jesus.
God wants everyone to be saved (I Timothy 2:3-4) but if we fail to teach others the gospel, we may be denying our families, friends or others with whom we have contact the opportunity to know God’s Word and His will for their lives. They may be lost because we did not take the time to share the gospel with them.
Jesus came to this earth to do His Father’s will. He also served as an example for us that we should imitate Him. The slogan, “What Would Jesus Do?” is a good one to remember when we face decisions; yet it also should be considered in everything that we think, do and say. After washing their feet, Jesus told His disciples, “If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you. Most assuredly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master; nor is he who is sent greater than he who sent him.” John 13:14-16.
Let us consider Jesus’ great example in Matthew 9:35-38: “Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people. But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd. Then He said to His disciples, ‘The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.’ Matthew 9:35-38. Jesus spent His time teaching and preaching to others. What was His motivation? Compassion. Why was He moved with compassion for them? Because they were weary and scattered, having no shepherd. What did he want his followers to do? “Pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.”
Who are these laborers that were sent of the Lord? If we love God like Isaiah did, we will answer: “…I heard the voice of the Lord, saying: ‘Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?” Then I said, “Here am I! Send me.” Isaiah 6:8. God sent us to be laborers in His service, but what if we will not work?
Let us consider what our Savior told His disciples: "Jesus said to them, 'My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to finish His work. Do you not say, ‘There are still four months and then comes the harvest’? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest! And he who reaps receives wages, and gathers fruit for eternal life, that both he who sows and he who reaps may rejoice together.” John 4:34-36. If we reap the Lord’s great blessings, should we not also sow that others will be blessed as well?
An old song refrain has been running through my head while considering this devotional. After looking up the lyrics in a songbook, I am even more impressed by this song’s impact. The beautiful words truly capture the idea of the lesson. Yet, let us not miss the last verse because there is sadness contained within the plea. We must warn our brothers and sisters while we still have time and not wait until it is too late like the rich man in Luke 16 who wanted to tell his brothers about the terrible place in which he found himself after death. “Then he said, ‘I beg you therefore, father, that you would send him to my father’s house, for I have five brothers, that he may testify to them, lest they also come to this place of torment.’ Abraham said to him, ‘They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.’ And he said, ‘No, father Abraham; but if one goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’ But he said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead.’” Luke 16: 27-31.
What a tragedy to be told, “It is too late.” Let us make the most of today while it is still today.
There Is Much to Do
M.W. Spencer
There is much to do, there’s work on ev’ry hand
Hark! the cry for help comes ringing thru the land
Jesus calls for reapers, I must active be,
What wilt Thou, O Master? Here am I, send me.
There’s the plaintive cry of mourning souls distressed
And the sigh of hearts who seek but find no rest
These should have my love and tender sympathy
Ready at Thy bidding, here am I, send me.
There are hung’ring souls who cry aloud for bread
With the bread of life they’re longing to be fed
Shall they starve and famish while a feast is free?
I must be more faithful, here am I, send me.
There are souls who linger on the brink of woe
Lord, I must not, cannot bear to let them go
Let me go and tell them, brother, turn and flee
Master, I would save them, here am I, send me.
Refrain:
Here am I… Lord, send me
Here am I… Ready at thy bidding, Lord send me
Lord willing, I plan for our next lesson to focus on what we should teach others in order to offer them the hope of salvation that God provides for all who obey. We must sow the seed wherever we are, as God expects of us.
May the Lord bless you today and every day. Our God is so good!
Friday, February 19, 2010
Monday, February 15, 2010
Drawing Closer to our Father
Today’s Passage: “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” I Thessalonians 5:16-18.
In 2009, one of our studies was entitled, “Ere you left your room this morning, did you think to pray?” in which the commitment to prayer was discussed. This study will relate to the immeasurable blessing of prayer.
For several months, our ladies have studied the subject of prayer on Wednesday nights. The study of the Scriptures regarding prayer has taught me much about drawing closer to our heavenly Father and the benefits, honor and blessing of prayer with Him. Examples of prayer can be found throughout the Bible, including Abraham in Genesis 20:17, Moses in Numbers 11:2, Hannah in I Samuel 1 and 2, Solomon in I Kings 8 and 9, Nehemiah in Nehemiah 1, Job in Job 17, David throughout the Psalms, Daniel in Daniel 9:1-4, Jesus in Luke 11 and throughout the gospels, Paul throughout his letters as well as many other examples.
Prayer is one of the most discussed subjects in the Bible. Would something found so often in the Scriptures be unimportant? Certainly not. Further, we are commanded to pray as in I Thessalonians 5:16-18: “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” It is worth stating again: God through Jesus has willed that we pray continually.
Jesus serves as an example of continual prayer to God. Jesus’ purpose was to do God’s will as He mentioned in His teaching on how we should pray in Matthew 6:10 and as He demonstrated in His prayer to God in the garden of Gethsemane in Matthew 26:42. Paul also prayed continually as written in Romans 1:9 and 2 Timothy 1:3.
A wonderful passage regarding our unique blessing as Christians is found in Hebrews 6:13-Hebrews 10:39. In the past, only the high priest could enter the Most Holy Place to approach God (Hebrews 9:6-8) yet now, after Christ’s sacrifice:
“This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which enters the Presence behind the veil, where the forerunner has entered for us, even Jesus, having become High Priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek” Hebrews 6:19-20.
What does that mean for us today? Sinful man could not enter God’s presence. Animal sacrifices could not take away sin permanently but had to be reoffered by the priests; yet Christ is our sacrifice for all times: prior to His death and resurrection and following them. Christ is our Mediator between sinful man and God. His blood washes us clean and allows us to approach God in prayer.
The veil that separated God from sinful man in the temple was torn (Matthew 27:51, Mark 15:38, Luke 23:45), symbolizing the fact that God is now accessible to us through Christ’s blood if we are saved and continue to follow Him. Because of Jesus our Savior, we can now approach God’s throne of grace.
How can we neglect such a gift as this? To enter the presence of our Lord in prayer is an awesome blessing. We draw closer to God by speaking to Him through Christ: “And not only that, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation.” Romans 5:11. As Christians, the Holy Spirit also helps us in our prayers: “But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with perseverance. Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God.” Romans 8:25-27.
The gift of prayer is something that we should be grateful to have received because sin creates a barrier between us and God. “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” Romans 3:23. What does this mean for mankind? “But your iniquities have separated you from your God; and your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He will not hear.” Isaiah 59:2. Also, “…the wages of sin is death…” Romans 6:23.
If this were the end of the story, we would be without hope. Yet let us read the next passages in Romans 3 and 6. “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed, to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.” Romans 3:23-26. “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 6:23. Praise God for His gift of reconciliation and the opportunity to approach Him in prayer.
In closing, I am including a hymn by Fanny J. Crosby. As I have written before, she is one of my favorite poets. Though blind, she saw what so many of us cannot see. She understood the awesome power and blessing of prayer as evidenced by the third stanza. I pray that I will draw so close to the Lord that every moment is spent in prayer. God bless you all and I pray that this study has been beneficial to you. I have certainly learned much from studying God’s Word on prayer.
I AM THINE, O LORD
Words: Fanny Crosby, in Brightest and Best (New York: Biglow & Main, 1875).
Music: W. Howard Doane W. Howard Doane (1832-1915)
I am Thine, O Lord, I have heard Thy voice,
And it told Thy love to me;
But I long to rise in the arms of faith
And be closer drawn to Thee.
Consecrate me now to Thy service, Lord,
By the power of grace divine;
Let my soul look up with a steadfast hope,
And my will be lost in Thine.
O the pure delight of a single hour
That before Thy throne I spend,
When I kneel in prayer, and with Thee, my God
I commune as friend with friend!
There are depths of love that I cannot know
Till I cross the narrow sea;
There are heights of joy that I may not reach
Till I rest in peace with Thee.
REFRAIN:
Draw me nearer, nearer blessèd Lord,
To the cross where Thou hast died.
Draw me nearer, nearer, nearer blessèd Lord,
To Thy precious, bleeding side.
In 2009, one of our studies was entitled, “Ere you left your room this morning, did you think to pray?” in which the commitment to prayer was discussed. This study will relate to the immeasurable blessing of prayer.
For several months, our ladies have studied the subject of prayer on Wednesday nights. The study of the Scriptures regarding prayer has taught me much about drawing closer to our heavenly Father and the benefits, honor and blessing of prayer with Him. Examples of prayer can be found throughout the Bible, including Abraham in Genesis 20:17, Moses in Numbers 11:2, Hannah in I Samuel 1 and 2, Solomon in I Kings 8 and 9, Nehemiah in Nehemiah 1, Job in Job 17, David throughout the Psalms, Daniel in Daniel 9:1-4, Jesus in Luke 11 and throughout the gospels, Paul throughout his letters as well as many other examples.
Prayer is one of the most discussed subjects in the Bible. Would something found so often in the Scriptures be unimportant? Certainly not. Further, we are commanded to pray as in I Thessalonians 5:16-18: “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” It is worth stating again: God through Jesus has willed that we pray continually.
Jesus serves as an example of continual prayer to God. Jesus’ purpose was to do God’s will as He mentioned in His teaching on how we should pray in Matthew 6:10 and as He demonstrated in His prayer to God in the garden of Gethsemane in Matthew 26:42. Paul also prayed continually as written in Romans 1:9 and 2 Timothy 1:3.
A wonderful passage regarding our unique blessing as Christians is found in Hebrews 6:13-Hebrews 10:39. In the past, only the high priest could enter the Most Holy Place to approach God (Hebrews 9:6-8) yet now, after Christ’s sacrifice:
“This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which enters the Presence behind the veil, where the forerunner has entered for us, even Jesus, having become High Priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek” Hebrews 6:19-20.
What does that mean for us today? Sinful man could not enter God’s presence. Animal sacrifices could not take away sin permanently but had to be reoffered by the priests; yet Christ is our sacrifice for all times: prior to His death and resurrection and following them. Christ is our Mediator between sinful man and God. His blood washes us clean and allows us to approach God in prayer.
The veil that separated God from sinful man in the temple was torn (Matthew 27:51, Mark 15:38, Luke 23:45), symbolizing the fact that God is now accessible to us through Christ’s blood if we are saved and continue to follow Him. Because of Jesus our Savior, we can now approach God’s throne of grace.
How can we neglect such a gift as this? To enter the presence of our Lord in prayer is an awesome blessing. We draw closer to God by speaking to Him through Christ: “And not only that, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation.” Romans 5:11. As Christians, the Holy Spirit also helps us in our prayers: “But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with perseverance. Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God.” Romans 8:25-27.
The gift of prayer is something that we should be grateful to have received because sin creates a barrier between us and God. “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” Romans 3:23. What does this mean for mankind? “But your iniquities have separated you from your God; and your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He will not hear.” Isaiah 59:2. Also, “…the wages of sin is death…” Romans 6:23.
If this were the end of the story, we would be without hope. Yet let us read the next passages in Romans 3 and 6. “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed, to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.” Romans 3:23-26. “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 6:23. Praise God for His gift of reconciliation and the opportunity to approach Him in prayer.
In closing, I am including a hymn by Fanny J. Crosby. As I have written before, she is one of my favorite poets. Though blind, she saw what so many of us cannot see. She understood the awesome power and blessing of prayer as evidenced by the third stanza. I pray that I will draw so close to the Lord that every moment is spent in prayer. God bless you all and I pray that this study has been beneficial to you. I have certainly learned much from studying God’s Word on prayer.
I AM THINE, O LORD
Words: Fanny Crosby, in Brightest and Best (New York: Biglow & Main, 1875).
Music: W. Howard Doane W. Howard Doane (1832-1915)
I am Thine, O Lord, I have heard Thy voice,
And it told Thy love to me;
But I long to rise in the arms of faith
And be closer drawn to Thee.
Consecrate me now to Thy service, Lord,
By the power of grace divine;
Let my soul look up with a steadfast hope,
And my will be lost in Thine.
O the pure delight of a single hour
That before Thy throne I spend,
When I kneel in prayer, and with Thee, my God
I commune as friend with friend!
There are depths of love that I cannot know
Till I cross the narrow sea;
There are heights of joy that I may not reach
Till I rest in peace with Thee.
REFRAIN:
Draw me nearer, nearer blessèd Lord,
To the cross where Thou hast died.
Draw me nearer, nearer, nearer blessèd Lord,
To Thy precious, bleeding side.
Saturday, February 13, 2010
He Who is in You...
Memory Verse for the week of 2/7/2010: “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.” Matthew 7:7-8
Today’s Passage: “You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.” I John 4:4
This passage gives me such hope and it is a great follow-up though to the last devotional passages we read together in “Blessings in Suffering”. We move from realizing that there are blessings that can come from suffering to understanding that Christ has already overcome death and suffering and that we are not left alone without hope.
Paul wrote to the church at Corinth, “Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God.” I Corinthians 2:12. God gave this Spirit to various men in the Old Testament such as the prophets, Moses and King David as well as to the apostles and other writers of the New Testament so that those who heard and read their messages would know they were sent from God. The apostles received miraculous understanding and were given God’s Word to share with others (Luke 12:11-12, Acts 2:4 and 4:8).
Now we have the Word of God, inspired of the Holy Spirit and written down for us. We can read the things that the apostles witnessed and were given inspiration to speak by the Spirit of God. Thus we can rejoice that we live in a time where the Word of God is written down and can be found in most homes. What a blessing we are given to be able to study the Word after we hear something spoken to ensure that it is truly found in the Bible as the Bereans did in Acts 17:11. We do not have to rely on others to read the Word to us. With this blessing comes a great responsibility on our part to read God’s Word for ourselves. When we do not, we may find ourselves in the Israelites’ predicament in Hosea 4:6: “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I also will reject you from being priest for Me; Because you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children.”
Throughout Old Testament times, God’s Word was spoken to the patriarchs, prophets and priests. Yet during certain times in history, God’s law was lost entirely because the people were not taught it. There were no copies available for them to read so God’s Book of the Law was lost. An example is found during the reign of King Josiah in 2 Kings 22:3-20. This can happen to us today if we fail to read God’s Word and thus do not gain knowledge, understanding and wisdom from it.
God wants us to be His children. In order to be pleasing to God, we must seek what He desires (found in the Holy Bible) and obey His commandments. As is said of our Savior Jesus Christ “who, in the days of His flesh, when He had offered up prayers and supplications, with vehement cries and tears to Him who was able to save Him from death, and was heard because of His godly fear, though He was a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things which He suffered. And having been perfected, He became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him” Hebrews 5:6-9. Jesus is our great example of obedience.
We are taught in James 4:4 that “friendship with the world is enmity with God.” If we do not seek the things of God, we become comfortable with the things in the world and these lead to death. John was inspired to write, “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world” I John 2:15-16. The only way to identify the “lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life” is through studying and meditating upon God’s Word. Contrary to popular belief, we are not born with an understanding of truth and goodness but we must seek it through the Word of God.
We also read that “every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world.” I John 4:3. We studied about the antichrist that is in the world already: those who deny Christ as our Lord and Savior. Evil exists in the world. Yet this is not the end of the story. We have hope in the Lord. “For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith” I John 5:4. So we see that by being “born of God”, we will overcome the world and the powers of evil in it.
Further, we are given the good news that “your sins have been forgiven on account of his name. I write to you, fathers, because you have known him who is from the beginning. I write to you, young men, because you have overcome the evil one” I John 2:12-14. Jesus has overcome sin and death and by so doing, He is victorious. “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” John 16:33. Christ has already overcome the world! We need only obey God and remain on the Lord’s side.
Our passage for today is “you are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.” I John 4:4. How wonderful and awesome that we have the promise that the Spirit of God that works within us is greater than the devil and as God’s children, we do not need to fear. We have great hope! Our Christ has already won the victory.
This passage teaches us how we can overcome the powers of darkness: “Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand” Eph 6:11-13.
May God bless each of us as we stand our ground, declaring our love of the Lord and teaching others of the hope of the gospel.
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Today’s Passage: “You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.” I John 4:4
This passage gives me such hope and it is a great follow-up though to the last devotional passages we read together in “Blessings in Suffering”. We move from realizing that there are blessings that can come from suffering to understanding that Christ has already overcome death and suffering and that we are not left alone without hope.
Paul wrote to the church at Corinth, “Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God.” I Corinthians 2:12. God gave this Spirit to various men in the Old Testament such as the prophets, Moses and King David as well as to the apostles and other writers of the New Testament so that those who heard and read their messages would know they were sent from God. The apostles received miraculous understanding and were given God’s Word to share with others (Luke 12:11-12, Acts 2:4 and 4:8).
Now we have the Word of God, inspired of the Holy Spirit and written down for us. We can read the things that the apostles witnessed and were given inspiration to speak by the Spirit of God. Thus we can rejoice that we live in a time where the Word of God is written down and can be found in most homes. What a blessing we are given to be able to study the Word after we hear something spoken to ensure that it is truly found in the Bible as the Bereans did in Acts 17:11. We do not have to rely on others to read the Word to us. With this blessing comes a great responsibility on our part to read God’s Word for ourselves. When we do not, we may find ourselves in the Israelites’ predicament in Hosea 4:6: “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I also will reject you from being priest for Me; Because you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children.”
Throughout Old Testament times, God’s Word was spoken to the patriarchs, prophets and priests. Yet during certain times in history, God’s law was lost entirely because the people were not taught it. There were no copies available for them to read so God’s Book of the Law was lost. An example is found during the reign of King Josiah in 2 Kings 22:3-20. This can happen to us today if we fail to read God’s Word and thus do not gain knowledge, understanding and wisdom from it.
God wants us to be His children. In order to be pleasing to God, we must seek what He desires (found in the Holy Bible) and obey His commandments. As is said of our Savior Jesus Christ “who, in the days of His flesh, when He had offered up prayers and supplications, with vehement cries and tears to Him who was able to save Him from death, and was heard because of His godly fear, though He was a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things which He suffered. And having been perfected, He became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him” Hebrews 5:6-9. Jesus is our great example of obedience.
We are taught in James 4:4 that “friendship with the world is enmity with God.” If we do not seek the things of God, we become comfortable with the things in the world and these lead to death. John was inspired to write, “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world” I John 2:15-16. The only way to identify the “lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life” is through studying and meditating upon God’s Word. Contrary to popular belief, we are not born with an understanding of truth and goodness but we must seek it through the Word of God.
We also read that “every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world.” I John 4:3. We studied about the antichrist that is in the world already: those who deny Christ as our Lord and Savior. Evil exists in the world. Yet this is not the end of the story. We have hope in the Lord. “For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith” I John 5:4. So we see that by being “born of God”, we will overcome the world and the powers of evil in it.
Further, we are given the good news that “your sins have been forgiven on account of his name. I write to you, fathers, because you have known him who is from the beginning. I write to you, young men, because you have overcome the evil one” I John 2:12-14. Jesus has overcome sin and death and by so doing, He is victorious. “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” John 16:33. Christ has already overcome the world! We need only obey God and remain on the Lord’s side.
Our passage for today is “you are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.” I John 4:4. How wonderful and awesome that we have the promise that the Spirit of God that works within us is greater than the devil and as God’s children, we do not need to fear. We have great hope! Our Christ has already won the victory.
This passage teaches us how we can overcome the powers of darkness: “Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand” Eph 6:11-13.
May God bless each of us as we stand our ground, declaring our love of the Lord and teaching others of the hope of the gospel.
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Priceless Pearls are Bible devotionals for women to remind us of Christ's love for us and how we can grow as Christian women in today's society.
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