'salvation' Tagged Posts (Page 4)
Daily Devotions
whom God put forward as a sacrifice of atonement by his blood, effective through faith. He did this to show his righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over the sins previously committed; it was to prove at the present time that he himself is righteous and that he justifies the one who has faith in Jesus.” vss. 25-26 Romans 3:25-29 While we can’t know the mind of Paul, it is likely that he intended his words to…
Daily Devotions
But when Jesus saw this, he was indignant and said to them, ‘Let the little children come to me; do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of God belongs.’” vs. 14 Mark 10:13-16 There is some evidence in scripture that Jesus may have been involved in baptisms during his ministry, but there is no indication that he baptized little children or even advocated such a thing. He didn’t know about infant baptism, though…
Daily Devotions
Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped; then the lame shall leap like a deer, and the tongue of the speechless sing for joy. vss. 5-6a Isaiah 35:5-7a The religious leaders of Jesus’ day were quite familiar with the law and the writings of the prophets and kept a look-out for signs of the Day of the Lord, the moment when God would act to bring salvation to Israel. And when…
Daily Devotions
Steadfast love and faithfulness will meet; righteousness and peace will kiss each other.” vs. 10 Psalm 85:8-13 The psalmist knew that there was nothing but good ahead for the people of Israel. Even though they had rebelled against the Lord, there would be a restoration. They would not be forsaken–salvation was at hand. Ever since those days the people of God have lived in anticipation of that moment–Jesus called it the coming of the Kingdom of God. And while we…
Daily Devotions
Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind: ‘Who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge?’” vss. 1-2 Job 38:1-3 The book of Job represents our faith ancestors’ best effort to deal with the injustice of human suffering. It’s a powerful story, one that has been told and retold hundreds of times by succeeding generations. Again and again in the story Job’s friends tell him to acknowledge his guilt, something he refuses to do. For chapter after…
Daily Devotions
Now is the judgment of this world; now the ruler of this world will be driven out. And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” vss. 31-32 John 12:27-33 John presents the basic outline of Jesus’ suffering and death in pretty much the same way as the other gospel writers, but the tone is entirely different. While the other three give the gruesome details of a horrible death, for John this is…
Daily Devotions
Ephesians 1:11-14 “In him you also, when you had heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and had believed in him, were marked with the seal of the promised Holy Spirit…” vs. 13 For many believers these words are linked to the Rite of Baptism as practiced by some of our congregations. After the washing with water and the laying on of hands, the officiant proclaims, “__________, child of God, you have been sealed with the Holy…
Daily Devotions
Jeremiah 31:7-14 “For thus says the Lord: Sing aloud with gladness for Jacob, and raise shouts for the chief of the nations; proclaim, give praise, and say, ‘Save, O Lord, your people, the remnant of Israel.’” vs. 7 Jeremiah is typically thought of as a prophet of doom, one who continually warns Judah and Jerusalem of the catastrophic consequences of their current behaviors. But in this portion of his sayings he has nothing but salvation on his mind. He believes…
Daily Devotions
1 Corinthians 1:3-9 “for in every way you have been enriched in him, in speech and knowledge of every kind…so that you are not lacking in any spiritual gift as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ.” vss. 5, 7 Paul begins his letter to the church at Corinth with glowing words of affirmation. From his perspective, since they live under grace, they lack nothing–there is no need for them to worry about their salvation. We should…
Daily Devotions
Romans 3:24-28 … “For we hold that a person is justified by faith apart from works prescribed by the law.” vs. 28 Martin Luther spent decades trying to gain assurance of salvation by bringing his stubborn, subversive flesh into line with the works of the law. Since he couldn’t do it he was forever wracked with guilt, and greatly damaged his health in the process. But when in the course of studying the book of Romans he realized that justification…
Daily Devotions
Psalm 46:6-11 … “The nations are in an uproar, the kingdoms totter; he utters his voice, the earth melts. The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge.” vss. 6-7 We don’t know exactly when the psalmist composed this hymn, but we can guess from what is said that it must have been a time of considerable unrest, perhaps in its way not too different from what we’re experiencing. We can certainly resonate with his…
Daily Devotions
Philippians 3:4b-9 … “More than that, I regard everything as loss because of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things, and I regard them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ…” vs. 8 When Paul, the zealous credentialed Pharisee, was encountered by the Risen Christ, the trajectory of his life changed completely. It wasn’t that he’d been a shameful sinner, he’d in fact lived a…