Bible League: Living His Word Then Peter replied, "I see very clearly that God shows no favoritism. In every nation he accepts those who fear him and do what is right."In ancient times, the focus of God's redemptive concern for the people of earth kept getting narrower because of sin. At first, the focus was on the line of Adam and the whole human race. With the murder of Abel, however, God excluded the line of Cain and narrowed His focus to the line of Adam's son Seth. Then, when there was a great increase in sin, God excluded everyone except those in the line of Seth's descendant Noah. Later, His focus narrowed to Noah's descendant Abraham and the Israelites. When the sin of the Northern Kingdom of Israel led to their conquest and deportation, God's focus narrowed to the Southern Kingdom of Judah. Finally, His redemptive focus centered on the remnant of Judah that returned from the Babylonian Captivity. Given this narrowing of focus, given this favoritism for the remnant of Judah, one can see why the early Jewish Christians thought that the great salvation we have in Christ Jesus was also limited to the Jewish people. It took a major revelation to disabuse them of this notion once and for all. The Apostle Peter was given a spectacular vision that, in short, showed him and the church as a whole that the narrowing process had been ended and God's redemptive focus had been enlarged (Acts 10:9-16). As our verses for today indicate, he saw that Jesus Christ had definitively overcome sin and the devil and made possible the enlargement of God's redemptive concern. Thus, in our present dispensation God no longer shows favoritism to any particular group of people. The Apostle Paul put it this way, "There is no longer Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male and female. For you are all one in Christ Jesus" (Galatians 3:28). Paul's point is not that these distinctions no longer exist, but that they're not significant when it comes to salvation. Salvation is not limited to the Jews, or to males, or to the free. All may come before God in the name of Jesus. It follows from all this, therefore, that we may not limit the reach of the gospel message, for the offer of salvation has been extended by God Himself to one and to all. Happily, this means that the offer has also been extended to you. Bible in a Year Old Testament ReadingIsaiah 62, 63, 64 Isaiah 62 -- Zion's New Name NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB Isaiah 63 -- God's Vengeance and Redemption NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB Isaiah 64 -- Prayer for God's Mercy NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB New Testament Reading 1 Thessalonians 5 1 Thessalonians 5 -- The day of the Lord; Respect, Love, Peace, Encouragement, Patience, Kindness and Joy NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB Reading Plan Courtesy of Christian Classics Etherial Library. Tyndale Life Application Daily Devotion For the whole law can be summed up in this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” But if you are always biting and devouring one another, watch out! Beware of destroying one another. Insight When we are not motivated by love, we become critical of others. We stop looking for good in them and see only their faults. Soon the unity of believers is broken. Challenge Have you talked behind someone's back? Have you focused on others' shortcomings instead of their strengths? Remind yourself of Jesus' command to love others as you love yourself. When you begin to feel critical of someone, make a list of that person's positive qualities. If there are problems that need to be addressed, it is better to confront in love than to gossip. Morning and Evening by Spurgeon 1 Samuel 27:1 And David said in his heart, I shall now perish one day by the hand of Saul.The thought of David's heart at this time was a false thought, because he certainly had no ground for thinking that God's anointing him by Samuel was intended to be left as an empty unmeaning act. On no one occasion had the Lord deserted his servant; he had been placed in perilous positions very often, but not one instance had occurred in which divine interposition had not delivered him. The trials to which he had been exposed had been varied; they had not assumed one form only, but many--yet in every case he who sent the trial had also graciously ordained a way of escape. David could not put his finger upon any entry in his diary, and say of it, "Here is evidence that the Lord will forsake me," for the entire tenor of his past life proved the very reverse. He should have argued from what God had done for him, that God would be his defender still. But is it not just in the same way that we doubt God's help? Is it not mistrust without a cause? Have we ever had the shadow of a reason to doubt our Father's goodness? Have not his lovingkindnesses been marvellous? Has he once failed to justify our trust? Ah, no! our God has not left us at any time. We have had dark nights, but the star of love has shone forth amid the blackness; we have been in stern conflicts, but over our head he has held aloft the shield of our defence. We have gone through many trials, but never to our detriment, always to our advantage; and the conclusion from our past experience is, that he who has been with us in six troubles, will not forsake us in the seventh. What we have known of our faithful God, proves that he will keep us to the end. Let us not, then, reason contrary to evidence. How can we ever be so ungenerous as to doubt our God? Lord, throw down the Jezebel of our unbelief, and let the dogs devour it. Daily Light on the Daily Path Psalm 89:16 In Your name they rejoice all the day, And by Your righteousness they are exalted.Isaiah 45:24,25 "They will say of Me, 'Only in the LORD are righteousness and strength.' Men will come to Him, And all who were angry at Him will be put to shame. • "In the LORD all the offspring of Israel Will be justified and will glory." Psalm 32:11 Be glad in the LORD and rejoice, you righteous ones; And shout for joy, all you who are upright in heart. Romans 3:21,22,26 But now apart from the Law the righteousness of God has been manifested, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, • even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all those who believe; for there is no distinction; • for the demonstration, I say, of His righteousness at the present time, so that He would be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. Philippians 4:4 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice! 1 Peter 1:8 and though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, 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. |
Click for Video Devotionals     |