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Daily Devotions
But if Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness.” vs. 10 Romans 8:10-11 In his letter to the Romans, Paul tells them that they are both sinful and redeemed at the same time, and this side of the grave, that’s the way it’s always going to be. It’s not easy for us to get our heads around this paradox–essentially it means believing opposite things at the same time.…
Daily Devotions
As he walked along, he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, ‘Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?’” vss. 1-2 John 9:1-7 It was natural for the disciples to have questions about the blind man. In their world, a person blind from birth would be an anomaly, and they wanted to know how and why things like this occurred. There had to be a cause, and they strongly believed that…
Daily Devotions
But God proves his love for us in that while we still were sinners Christ died for us. Much more surely then, now that we have been justified by his blood, will we be saved through him from the wrath of God.” vss. 8-9 Romans 5:6-11 Sometimes it’s hard to understand how the death of Jesus fits into the whole scheme of salvation. We know what we’ve been taught, namely that the death of Jesus saves us from our sins,…
Daily Devotions
For just as by the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous.” vs. 19 Romans 5:12-19 Paul had loved the ancient stories of the Hebrews and had tucked them away in his memory bank. And now as he attempted to explain the righteousness of God to the Romans, he drew on one of those stories to make sense of his message. He explained that the disease of…
Daily Devotions
Do not hide your face from me. Do not turn your servant away in anger, you who have been my help. Do not cast me off, do not forsake me, O God of my salvation!” vs. 9 Psalm 27:6-9 People of faith find it hard to remain steadfast through tough times. Even the psalmist’s fine words turned accusatory when the light of the Lord seemed to dim. When there was no response to his prayers for help, he immediately assumed…
Daily Devotions
Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan, to be baptized by him. John would have prevented him, saying, ‘I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?’” vss. 13-14 Matthew 3:13-15 All the gospel writers were aware that Jesus had been baptized by John the Baptizer, but only Matthew includes John’s initial refusal to do so. Mark and Luke had simply written that Jesus submitted to baptism along with the rest of the…
Daily Devotions
So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed.” vs. 36 John 8:34-36 In his treatise, “The Freedom of the Christian,” Martin Luther famously wrote, “A Christian is the most free lord of all, subject to none. A Christian is the most dutiful servant of all, subject to everyone.” Those words sum up the paradoxical nature of our life as followers of Jesus, and provide a corrective to those who believe that being free in Christ means…
Daily Devotions
For there is no distinction, since all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God; they are now justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus…” vss. 22b-24 Romans 3:19-25 For years Martin Luther struggled with his own sinfulness, believing that there had to be some way by which he could, by his own effort, be free from the horrible burden of guilt. But nothing worked, and his anguish continued until…
Daily Devotions
Therefore we have been buried with him by baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life.” vs. 4 Romans 6:3-11 For Paul the crucifixion of Jesus was the central part of the gospel, and as he pondered it through his life he realized that unless believers embraced Jesus’ death, their lives would likely remain unchanged. In fact he saw the…
Daily Devotions
Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions.” vs. 1 Psalm 51:1-17 There are likely few people who believe they never do anything wrong. Aside from the narcissists scattered among us most of us are deeply aware of our own sins and transgressions. We know that we have injured ourselves and others with hurtful words and deeds and are often troubled with feelings of guilt and remorse. Certainly…
Daily Devotions
So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed.” vs. 36 John 8:31-38 In Christ we live by grace and truth and not by the law–and this is all a gift, not our own doing. Therefore, John tells us, we have been set free, and furthermore as Paul told the Galatians, since we have been set free, we should never again submit to the slavery of the law. These are important truths, ones that we learn to…
Daily Devotions
The man said, ‘The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit from the tree, and I ate.’” vs. 12 Genesis 3:11-15 The ancient storytellers nailed it in this account of divine-human interaction in the Garden of Eden. When the man is confronted by the Lord there isn’t a hint of remorse and certainly no acknowledgement of guilt. Already alienated, the man shifts the blame to the woman, and ultimately to God. This big mess is…