Forever Faithful

In John 15:12 Jesus told His disciples, "This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you." And in verse 13 he added, "Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends." How much did Jesus love us? He loved us enough to lay down His life for us on the cross. He was faithful to those He loved, paying the penalty of sin on our behalf so that we would not suffer eternal death, or eternal separation from God.

A faithful friend never fails to do whatever may be required to help the people he loves, just as Jesus did, even when that meant giving His very life. That is the faithfulness that has defined service men and women in all branches of the U.S. Armed Forces throughout the history of this great nation. It is these faithful people that are remembered and honored all across our land today—Memorial Day.

Over the years, so many men and women have given their lives for their country and the people they love. This day, people everywhere gather together to celebrate their lives and to remember their faithfulness. But it is more than that. It is a day to celebrate the faithfulness of all who have served our country and defended our freedom. It is a day to dedicate ourselves to follow Christ in our devotion to Him and to each other in Christ-like love. "Forever Faithful!" should be the cry of every believer.

Again John 15:12 says, "This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you." That last phrase, "just as I have loved you" is the key. It is God who first love us. Our love for each other is a reflection of His love for us and flows from our love for God. First John 4:19 says, "We love, because He first loved us." God loved us so much that He sent His Son to die for us. That great gift, the gift of His Son, leads us to love God in return and to put Him first in all things. So being "Forever Faithful" means being faithful to love God above all else.

In Matthew 22:37-38, quoting Deuteronomy 6:5, Jesus said, "You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the great and foremost commandment." Before we can truly love anyone else we must first love God with our whole being (our heart, our soul, and our mind!). And if you love God with all you are, your life will show it, first by living rightly before Him, then by attending church and worshiping with fellow believers, and also by loving one another.

Look again at John 15:12-13. "This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends." When you are faithful to love God, you will be faithful to love your brothers in Christ. The two always go hand in hand. That is why when Jesus gave us the greatest commandment, to love God above all else, He immediately added, "The second is like it, 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself'" (quoting Leviticus 19:18).

In fact, John 13:34-35 says the same thing: "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another." Your love for one another proves your love for God. And did you catch the standard? "Even as I have loved you," or as our text in John 15:12 said, "Just as I have loved you." Like Jesus, be faithful to love one another.

Jesus died for you. So you should be willing to do anything for your brothers in Christ, even to die for them if necessary. We can't die for their sin. Jesus has already done that for us. But we can give all we have to take care of them and to protect them. And that is what many of these service men and women who are being remembered today did for us. They gave the ultimate sacrifice for our good will, for our freedom to worship, and for our freedom to gather at cemeteries all across our land today and remember. Remember, and be thankful for the love of your brothers. Follow their example. Be faithful to love God and be faithful to love one another. Amen.

To Live Is Christ; To Die Is Gain

In Philippians 1:21, Paul said, "For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain." The assumption is that Paul was in prison because of his faith when he wrote this verse. He was awaiting trial and he had to face the fact that it was uncertain whether he would live or die. However, to him the matter made little difference. His indifference was not because he did not care about living. Paul enjoyed life as much as anyone. However, he saw living and dying all within the loving arms of God.

For Paul, living gained meaning through Christ. For him, living was Christ, and life could not be separated from his Lord. Hence the statement, "For to me, to live is Christ" (v. 21a). For Paul, Christ had been the beginning of his life. He was born again on the Damascus road where he first encountered the risen Christ. Life had literally begun all over for him.

From that moment on, Christ had become the sustaining element of his life. There had never been a day since that experience when Paul had not lived under His presence. Christ had become the reason for his existence. Christ was the one who had made him an apostle and had sent him out as an evangelist to the Gentiles.

Even more so, Christ was the reward of Paul's life. The only thing that made life totally worth living was the thought that all of his life would ultimately result in Christ Himself. If Christ were to be taken from the life of Paul, there would be nothing left. To him, Christ was nothing less than life itself.

Paul’s dependency upon Christ did not end with his days of living. He made the statement, "To die is gain" (v. 21b). Over the years, this statement has frequently been misunderstood, taken out of context, and misused in an attempt to say that somehow it revealed a weakness in Paul. This statement was not the result of any weakness on the part of Paul, but instead it was the result of strength.

Paul knew that, prior to Christ's coming to gather all of His people unto Himself, the only entrance into the presence of Christ was through death. For Paul, death was not just falling asleep but an immediate entry into the presence of the Lord. For if you believe in Christ, Paul believed very strongly that death delivers you into an immediate union with Christ and with those whom we have loved and lost.

How does Paul's description of "death as gain" affect us today? To make such a statement is not just some idealistic thought. Such a position is the result of a deep-rooted belief in the Lord of Life.

First, death is gain because it removes us from the pain and suffering of life. Jesus said that in this life there will be tribulation. No one is immune. We all must face those days of suffering and heartache. But when death occurs for a believer, suffering comes to an end. Death removes us from all of life's pain and suffering, and ushers us into the abiding presence of Christ where there shall never again be pain. Life includes pain and suffering. Nowhere are we promised an existence that is free from pain. The good news is that it is all a temporary condition.

Second, death is gain because it removes us from the evils and struggles of this life. We are limited creatures. Life is most definitely a battleground between the forces of good and evil, and we are constantly caught up in that battle. We are weak and sin fills our lives, even in the best of us. There is a battle of conscience that wages itself constantly in our lives and in the lives of all believers. In fact, it is not pessimistic at all to believe that life is a long series of struggles. We grow as a result of these struggles, but they have their price. Death sees the end of life's struggles.

Third, death is gain because it secures for us those things that are unfailing. Life has many disappointments. We work and strive for those things that thieves can steal, storms can destroy, and time can take away. Much of life seems to surround things that are failing. However, once we are ushered into the divine presence of Christ, all things become unfailing. For our reward shall be gifts from Christ that shall never tarnish, nor can they be taken away. They become our gifts for eternity.

Fourth, death is gain because death alone can bring us into the presence of Christ. All men and women should seek to follow the example of Paul who made Christ his ultimate goal. Christ was not only Paul's beginning, his sustaining element in life, but the end for which all of life should be lived. Christ should be our ultimate goal. To be ushered into the presence of Christ solves everything. All the problems, struggles, and pain will be done away. The Good Shepherd of life and death will care for us in such a way that is beyond our own imagination.

There is pain, grief, and suffering in this life. But let us not forget the hope that surrounds us and sustains us. With the apostle Paul, we can individually and collectively acknowledge our faith in a Lord who is in control of all of life. We recognize that death is simply the passage from one stage of life to another. Without death, our own resurrection would never be possible. Paul really was correct when he said, "For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain" (v. 21).

May God grant us the strength and courage to so embrace our faith that we may see that all of life is in His hands. Amen.

Just As I Am

John 3:16 is a verse many of you perhaps memorized as a child. It is one of the most quoted verses of Scripture. It is a verse that is well known, yet a verse that is packed so full of truth that we must take a closer look.

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life" (John 3:16). Note where the verse begins: "For God so loved the world." That's right! God, the creator and sustainer of the entire universe, loves you. You can't begin to understand what God did for you until you understand how much God loves you. Yet, at the same time, you can't begin to understand how much God loves you until you understand what God did for you. He paid a great price for you. He sent His Son to die for you—to take upon Himself the penalty that you deserved to pay for your sin. That is love.

God made you in His own image. He made you the pinnacle of all creation. No other creature was made in God’s image—only man. God made you to have fellowship with Him. All of this was so that God could lavish His love upon you. 1 John 4:8 tells us that "God is love." 1 John 4:19 adds, "We love Him because He first loved us." And in John 15:12 Jesus said, "This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you." The Lord Jesus loved you enough to lay down His life for you. There is no greater love. The truth is: God loves you!

Let's move on. "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son" (John 3:16a). Why? Because you need a Savior and His love for you is so great that He willingly went to the cross to provide for your salvation. So what caused the need? Sin. Romans 3:23 says, "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." And Romans 6:23 adds, "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." God meant for you to have fellowship with Him, but because of your sin that fellowship was broken and you became separated from God. If you remain in your sin you will spend eternity separated from God. That is spiritual death, the "wages of sin." That is the problem.

So what can you do about it? Nothing, absolutely nothing! There is nothing you can do to earn your way back into fellowship with God. Even by paying your own penalty—death—you won't succeed. The only hope is for a substitute to die in your place. But who? "All have sinned" and deserve the same "wages." That is where God comes in. He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to pay the penalty for you. He is your substitute. 2 Corinthians 5:21 says, "For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him." He "knew no sin," and therefore, He took your sin upon Himself on the cross and died in your place so that you might be made righteous.

That requires one thing: faith. "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life" (John 3:16). Belief. Trusting in Jesus. That is what is required of you. Jesus has already paid your penalty. What will you do with Him? How will you respond to His great love?

Ephesians 2:8-9 says, "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast." Faith. By the grace of God, salvation has been provided for you. You receive it through faith, which in itself is a gift God gives you. Receive that gift. Trust in Jesus. How? Romans 10:9-10 says, "If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation."

What does your heart say? If you "believe in your heart" that Jesus died for you and that "God has raised Him from the dead," then confess it with your mouth. Make confession to God. Confess your sin, acknowledge Jesus and receive Him by prayer as your Lord and Savior. It's all about that faith in your heart of hearts. Where do you stand? Do you believe in your heart that Jesus died for you?  Have you confessed with your mouth that God raised Him from the dead? Have you received Jesus as your Lord and Savior? That is what God wants from you.

John 1:12 says, "But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God" (ESV). If you believe in the name of Jesus, that God raised Him from the dead, and you receive Him as your Lord and Savior, your fellowship with God is restored. You become His child forever. You are saved for all eternity. That is the clear message of all of Scripture.

John 3:18 says, "He who believes in Him is not condemned." Once you trust in Jesus, you no longer face the penalty of sin. The penalty has been paid. You need only believe and trust fully in Jesus. That is all. As John 3:16b says, "whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." Amen.

A Very Present Help

Psalm 46:1-2a says, "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear." When you rest in God and Christ Jesus His Son, you will not fear. When you trust in the Lord, He is always there when you need Him. He will never fail you. He is our refuge! He is our strength!

As you look through this psalm, some powerful force obviously made the psalmist feel very weak and afraid. We don’t know what he was responding to but the force was very powerful, because he speaks of the mountains being carried into the sea, the waters roaring, and the earth trembling (vs. 2b-3). Yet we are told that he "will not fear" (v. 2a).

The psalmist felt helpless in his own strength, and he evidently knew the feeling well. Some have thought there was a foreign army invading the land destroying as it went. Others have felt it was some catastrophic event of nature, perhaps a flood, or an earthquake. Whatever the problem may have been, whether some catastrophic event of nature or the terror of some invading army, the psalmist had found the presence of God's splendor even in the midst of terror.

Yet in the midst of all this terror, his faith allowed him to stand strong. Even above all of the noise he was able to hear the still, quiet voice of God. There was no doubt in his mind that God was still in control of the world and that He was indeed a source of strength and refuge. As you consider the things happening across our land and around the world today, there may be questions in your mind about God's control of our world. In order to hear God, the psalmist had to first be still. "Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!" (v. 10).

We may find ourselves in a similar time. There are no mountains being visibly carried into the sea, but in a very strange way, the earth is trembling and we find ourselves under the influence of a very powerful force, a force that creates uncertainty and fear. But when you know Christ, there need be no fear.

We too can hear the quiet voice of God if we only allow ourselves to be still and listen. He is here with us right now. "The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge" (v. 11). There are needs which are very evident today, and the God of this psalmist is the same God at work in our modern world. He is our source of refuge and strength. Our world may appear to be turned upside down. In the midst of this trouble, God comes in strength and offers refuge and strength. God not only helps us, He is a present help.

The psalmist continues, "There is a river whose streams shall make glad the city of God" (v. 4). And in verse 5, "God is in the midst of her, she shall not be moved." The "river" can be none other than the covenant God has made with His people. The "streams" of this "river" are then the outgoings and effects of that covenant—namely, Jesus Christ.

God sent His Son to die on the cross for you so that through faith in Him you would have forgiveness and new life in Christ. If you receive Jesus Christ by faith you will receive eternal life. John 3:16 says, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." Confess your sin and ask Jesus into your life and you will begin a relationship with the Son of God that allows you to experience His refuge and strength each day. All who know Jesus as Savior and Lord can fully experience that grace and strength from God.

The God of Jacob, our God, is above and beyond all things. "He uttered His voice, the earth melted" (v. 6). By speaking a single word, He can change how things appear. There is no circumstance in our life beyond God's ability to help.

This same God of whom the psalmist speaks is here with us right now. He only asks that we trust in Him as the psalmist did. He is our source of refuge and strength. He is our "present help" (v. 1b). And He is waiting for you to respond to Him in faith and trust. Give yourself to Him right now and begin to experience His love and assurance. Amen.

What Now?

With Resurrection Sunday (Easter) in the rear-view mirror for another year, it is time to ask, "What now?" Churches everywhere celebrated our Lord's resurrection in special ways—Sunrise Worship Services, church breakfasts, larger than normal crowds—all with the hope that people everywhere would find Christ, receiving His offer of salvation or rededicating themselves to walking more closely with Jesus. And many people made such professions of faith.

But now what? How should we continue to respond, now that we have trusted Christ more fully? Unfortunately, many people dedicate themselves to follow Jesus more faithfully, but then simply return to "business as usual" in their day-to-day lives. So what should we do?

Two of Jesus' followers did just that: "Now behold, two of them were traveling that same day to a village called Emmaus, which was seven miles from Jerusalem. And they talked together of all these things which had happened. So it was, while they conversed and reasoned, that Jesus Himself drew near and went with them. But their eyes were restrained, so that they did not know Him" (Luke 24:13-16).

"And He said to them, 'What kind of conversation is this that you have with one another as you walk and are sad?'" (v. 17). Jesus saw their countenance and was concerned for them.

"Then the one whose name was Cleopas answered and said to Him, 'Are You the only stranger in Jerusalem, and have You not known the things which happened there in these days?'" (v. 18). They were bewildered. Did this man really not know what had happened in Jerusalem?

"And He said to them, 'What things?' So they said to Him, 'The things concerning Jesus of Nazareth, who was a Prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, and how the chief priests and our rulers delivered Him to be condemned to death, and crucified Him. But we were hoping that it was He who was going to redeem Israel. Indeed, besides all this, today is the third day since these things happened. Yes, and certain women of our company, who arrived at the tomb early, astonished us. When they did not find His body, they came saying that they had also seen a vision of angels who said He was alive. And certain of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said; but Him they did not see'" (vs. 19-24). Good summary of events. That should make things clear.

But note Jesus' response: "Then He said to them, 'O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken! Ought not the Christ to have suffered these things and to enter into His glory?' And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself" (vs. 25-27).

Jesus chastised them. He said they were "foolish" and "slow of heart to believe" (v. 25). They had experienced first-hand the Lord's death and resurrection, and had committed themselves to following Jesus faithfully, yet now they were returning to Emmaus to a life that was "business as usual." Nothing had changed, but it should have!

"Then they drew near to the village where they were going, and He indicated that He would have gone farther. But they constrained Him, saying, 'Abide with us, for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent.' And He went in to stay with them. Now it came to pass, as He sat at the table with them, that He took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. Then their eyes were opened and they knew Him; and He vanished from their sight" (vs. 28-31). What an eye-opener! They now understood and they knew that they could not, they must not, return to "business as usual."

"And they said to one another, 'Did not our heart burn within us while He talked with us on the road, and while He opened the Scriptures to us?' So they rose up that very hour and returned to Jerusalem, and found the eleven and those who were with them gathered together, saying, 'The Lord is risen indeed, and has appeared to Simon!' And they told about the things that had happened on the road, and how He was known to them in the breaking of bread" (vs. 32-35).

Immediately, these two disciples returned to Jerusalem and joined the "testimonial meeting" that was already in progress. They had learned what we all need to learn—that once you meet Jesus and recognize who He is, and once you have trusted Jesus as Lord and Savior, your life has changed. You cannot, you must not, simply return to life as it used to be. Your life must no longer be "business as usual." You must seek Jesus every day, and you must follow Him faithfully moment by moment. Amen.

Mourning Turned to Rejoicing

On Saturday of Passion Week we remember the time Jesus spent in the tomb: "So they went and made the tomb secure, sealing the stone and setting the guard" (Matt. 27:66). The Jewish leaders had taken steps to insure that His disciples could not steal the body and then claim He rose from the dead. The Jewish leaders did not miss the fact that Jesus claimed He would rise again.

It was a time of waiting for the disciples, while the women spent the time preparing the spices and other supplies needed to finish preparing His body for burial. Remember, they had buried Jesus in a hurry on Friday because the Sabbath was about to  begin and they needed to have His body in the grave before sundown. Here is the story:

"Now when evening had come, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who himself had also become a disciple of Jesus. This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Then Pilate commanded the body to be given to him. When Joseph had taken the body, he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, and laid it in his new tomb which he had hewn out of the rock; and he rolled a large stone against the door of the tomb, and departed. And Mary Magdalene was there, and the other Mary, sitting opposite the tomb" (Matt. 27:57-61).

The wait was on, but the chief priests and Pharisees would not stand idly by. They secured the tomb and set up an armed guard to keep a close eye on things: "On the next day, which followed the Day of Preparation, the chief priests and Pharisees gathered together to Pilate, saying, 'Sir, we remember, while He was still alive, how that deceiver said, "After three days I will rise." Therefore command that the tomb be made secure until the third day, lest His disciples come by night and steal Him away, and say to the people, "He has risen from the dead." So the last deception will be worse than the first.' Pilate said to them, 'You have a guard; go your way, make it as secure as you know how.' So they went and made the tomb secure, sealing the stone and setting the guard" (Matt. 27:62-66).

The disciples were in mourning that Sabbath, but their mourning would soon be turned to rejoicing. Why? Because when the women returned to the grave on Sunday morning to finish preparing His body, they were amazed and in disbelief. The stone had been rolled away and His body was not there!

"Now after the Sabbath, as the first day of the week began to dawn, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to see the tomb. And behold, there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat on it. His countenance was like lightning, and his clothing as white as snow. And the guards shook for fear of him, and became like dead men. But the angel answered and said to the women, 'Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here; for He is risen, as He said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay. And go quickly and tell His disciples that He is risen from the dead, and indeed He is going before you into Galilee; there you will see Him. Behold, I have told you.' So they went out quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to bring His disciples word" (Matt. 28:1-8).

Passion Week ends with a victorious celebration filled with great rejoicing. Why? Because Jesus is risen! The grave is empty! All that remains is for us to believe. With all your heart, trust Jesus and walk with Him every day by faith in His death on the cross and His resurrection the third day. Amen.

It Happened One Friday

Thursday night Jesus was arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane. Through the night He would face several trials and in the end be led to Calvary to be crucified on Friday morning: "Then he released Barabbas to them; and when he had scourged Jesus, he delivered Him to be crucified" (Matt. 27:26).

That brings us to Friday; to the cross and all the miracles surrounding the cross that day. This Bible Insight is entitled: "It Happened One Friday." What happened? Perhaps the greatest miracle of all time—the payment for sin, the ultimate sacrifice, the provision for salvation.

Jesus was crucified on Golgotha, which means the Place of the Scull: "And they brought Him to the place Golgotha, which is translated, Place of a Skull" (Mark 15:22). The sky grew dark for three hours: "Now when the sixth hour had come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour" (Mark 15:33). The veil of the temple was torn in two: "Then, behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom" (Matt. 27:51a). There was an earthquake: "and the earth quaked, and the rocks were split" (Matt. 27:51b). Old Testament saints were raised: "and the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised; and coming out of the graves after His resurrection, they went into the holy city and appeared to many" (Matt. 27:52-53).

So many miracles surrounding the crucifixion of Jesus that day. But the most significant of all was the miracle that took place on the cross itself. When the sky grew dark, Jesus cried out, "My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?" (Matt. 27:46b). God had forsaken Christ because at that moment the sin of the world was placed on Him: "For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him" (2 Cor. 5:21).

Peter explains, "For you know that God paid a ransom to save you from the empty life you inherited from your ancestors. And it was not paid with mere gold or silver, which lose their value. It was the precious blood of Christ, the sinless, spotless Lamb of God" (1 Peter 1:18-19, NLT). Jesus died for you. He died to save you from your sin.

That is the core truth of what happened that Friday. Jesus died on the cross that day. He died on the cross for you. As He hung on the cross dying, He cried out, "It is finished!" (John 19:30). Then He said, "Father, 'into Your hands I commit My spirit'" (Luke 23:46a). "Having said this, He breathed His last" (Luke 23:46b).

His work on earth was done. His purpose for coming had been accomplished. He came to die and shed His blood for forgiveness of sin—your sin. The task was done. Your sin is forgiven through the cross of Christ. Trust Him by faith and you will be saved. Amen.