Bible League: Living His Word "I assure you, anyone who hears what I say and believes in the one who sent me has eternal life. They will not be judged guilty. They have already left death and have entered into life.” — John 5:24 ERV The book of Genesis gives a historical background on how God created humanity in glory, and how Adam and Eve sinned; and the glory departed, resulting in death and sinful nature. God intended that people should live forever in glory. It is therefore befitting that Jesus had to come and die to set people free from sin and death. In Genesis 5, a descendant of Noah lived close to a thousand years. God had created His image bearers to live forever, and the body was able to remain young forever. The consequences of sin altered all the good God had planned for humans in the Garden of Eden. God did not make us to die, it was the result of disobedience! That is why death is generally unbearable and excruciating, even if our loved ones are over 100 years old! God wants people to know that even though death is inevitable, people must know that Jesus Christ has encountered death on our behalf to set humanity free! Salvation is a free gift, given gracefully! You must maintain it using God’s Word and following Christ through faith! It is a gift that no one can pay for, so this gift is not forced on anyone, it is a choice. The requirement is faith. In today’s verse, Jesus assures each one who hears His words and believes in the Father would have eternal life! True faith in the Father is the true faith in Christ, the same is true in reverse. The salvation plan for humanity unfolded through Jesus Christ! These words are so profound because Romans 10:17 says, “So faith comes from hearing the Good News. And people hear the Good News when someone tells them about Christ.” Beloved, as you read, may your faith be developed to trust the words that Jesus says! Eternal life is more glorious than life in this world (Romans 8:18). It is a world where sin and death do not govern because Jesus has already paid for all our sins at the Cross of Calvary, hence, “they will not be judged guilty!” Hallelujah! Faith is remarkable because it is our point of contact when we come to God. Faith enables us to trust Jesus with every sin that we have ever done; thus, the sinner leaves death and enters into everlasting life! He becomes part of the family of believers! This is incomprehensible to the natural mind, hence the Holy Spirit convicts our hearts to believe the truth of the Scriptures (John 16:13-15)! This is the Good News the devil does not want you to believe! Since we have crossed from death to life, we need to live for Christ! Praise be to our Lord Jesus Christ, who enabled you to cross over to the new year of 2024! Keep following Jesus in the New Year even when circumstances are getting worse, remember where He took you from! From death to eternal life! Hold on and keep the faith as Job did! By Christopher Thetswe, Bible League International staff, South Africa Bible in a Year Old Testament ReadingLeviticus 22, 23 Leviticus 22 -- Rules for Priests and Flawless Sacrifices NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB Leviticus 23 -- Feasts of Weeks, Trumpets, Tabernacles; Day of Atonement NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB New Testament Reading Mark 1:1-22 Mark 1 -- John the Baptist Preaches, Baptizes Jesus; Jesus Tempted, Calls First Disciples, Preaches, Heals and Prays in Galilee NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB Reading Plan Courtesy of Christian Classics Etherial Library. Tyndale Life Application Daily Devotion Our children will also serve him.Future generations will hear about the wonders of the Lord. His righteous acts will be told to those not yet born. They will hear about everything he has done. Insight If we want our children to serve the Lord, they must hear about him from us. It is not enough to rely on the church or those with more knowledge to provide all their Christian education. Challenge We must reinforce the lessons of the Bible in our homes. Morning and Evening by Spurgeon Nehemiah 9:20 Thy good Spirit.Common, too common is the sin of forgetting the Holy Spirit. This is folly and ingratitude. He deserves well at our hands, for he is good, supremely good. As God, he is good essentially. He shares in the threefold ascription of Holy, holy, holy, which ascends to the Triune Jehovah. Unmixed purity and truth, and grace is he. He is good benevolently, tenderly bearing with our waywardness, striving with our rebellious wills; quickening us from our death in sin, and then training us for the skies as a loving nurse fosters her child. How generous, forgiving, and tender is this patient Spirit of God. He is good operatively. All his works are good in the most eminent degree: he suggests good thoughts, prompts good actions, reveals good truths, applies good promises, assists in good attainments, and leads to good results. There is no spiritual good in all the world of which he is not the author and sustainer, and heaven itself will owe the perfect character of its redeemed inhabitants to his work. He is good officially; whether as Comforter, Instructor, Guide, Sanctifier, Quickener, or Intercessor, he fulfils his office well, and each work is fraught with the highest good to the church of God. They who yield to his influences become good, they who obey his impulses do good, they who live under his power receive good. Let us then act towards so good a person according to the dictates of gratitude. Let us revere his person, and adore him as God over all, blessed forever; let us own his power, and our need of him by waiting upon him in all our holy enterprises; let us hourly seek his aid, and never grieve him; and let us speak to his praise whenever occasion occurs. The church will never prosper until more reverently it believes in the Holy Ghost. He is so good and kind, that it is sad indeed that he should be grieved by slights and negligences. Daily Light on the Daily Path 2 Corinthians 5:4 For indeed while we are in this tent, we groan, being burdened, because we do not want to be unclothed but to be clothed, so that what is mortal will be swallowed up by life.Psalm 38:9,4 Lord, all my desire is before You; And my sighing is not hidden from You. • For my iniquities are gone over my head; As a heavy burden they weigh too much for me. Romans 7:24 Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death? Romans 8:22,23 For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now. • And not only this, but also we ourselves, having the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our body. 1 Peter 1:6 In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, 2 Peter 1:14 knowing that the laying aside of my earthly dwelling is imminent, as also our Lord Jesus Christ has made clear to me. 1 Corinthians 15:53,54 For this perishable must put on the imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality. • But when this perishable will have put on the imperishable, and this mortal will have put on immortality, then will come about the saying that is written, "DEATH IS SWALLOWED UP in victory. New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit http://www.lockman.org. |
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