DAILY DEVOTION, Nov. 7, 2021

Then Peter came to Him and said, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?” Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven (Matthew 18:21-22).

Jesus has much to say about forgiveness.  Notice that Peter is asking how often he should forgive a brother, a fellow Christian.  Yes, we Christians do sin against each other. We try not to, but it happens. Yes, even pastors have been known to offend a brother or sister.

Peter wonders if a fellow Christian offends him seven times, is that the limit of forgiveness? In Judaism, the rabbis taught that you should forgive up to three offenses, so Peter is magnanimous with his willingness to forgive up to seven times. Surely if a brother in Christ offends me seven times, I can strike back on the eighth occasion! Jesus replies that seven acts of forgiveness are not enough. If a brother offends you 490 times (70 times 7), you must forgive. This is surely hyperbole. I have been offended in church, but never by the same person 490 times! Jesus is telling us there can be no limit to our forgiveness. We must always stand ready to forgive each other regardless of the number of offenses.

Luke speaks of the duty of the offender (Luke 17:4). If the offender says, “I repent,” forgiveness must follow. Apart from repentance, it is impossible to forgive. However, we can be ready to forgive as we await those words, “I’m sorry, I repent.” God is always willing to forgive us, but He also is waiting for us to say, “I repent.” It is the same with us. Without repentance, there can be no forgiveness.

Father, please guard my words and actions, so I do not sin against a fellow Christian. And when I learn that I have offended a brother or sister, help me to say from the heart, “I am sorry.” I pray that forgiveness will be a way of life in our church. I pray in the name of Jesus who has forgiven me, Amen.

DAILY DEVOTION, Nov. 7, 2021

For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse; for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who does not continue in all things which are written in the book of the law, to do them.” ¹¹ But that no one is justified by the law in the sight of God is evident, for “the just shall live by faith.” ¹² Yet the law is not of faith, but “the man who does them shall live by them.” ¹³ Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”) (Galatians 3:10-13).

Do you want to be saved by observing the law of God? If that is the path you choose, you are under a curse. The law of God does not grade us on a sliding scale. If we obey 51%, are we good with God?  – – – or maybe we need to score 60% or 80%. No, if you want to be accepted by God through obedience to the law, you must score 100%. The conclusion? Since none of us score 100%, the law cannot justify us. Faith is what justifies us in the sight of God.

The good news is that Christ has set us free from the curse of the law. He became a curse for us. That means He took upon Himself the judgment (curse) that we deserve. When He hung upon the cross, He absorbed God’s curse for us. We are redeemed from the curse of the law by faith in Jesus. While we cannot keep the law, we can trust in Jesus. Hallelujah!

Father, I thank You for reaching down to me in the person of Jesus, bringing salvation to the world. Thank You for making the way clear and simple. You ask me to exercise faith in Your Son. By faith alone, I am accepted into the family of God. May Your name be praised forever. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

DEVOTION, Nov. 5, 2021

If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. ⁹ If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. ¹⁰ If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us (1 John 1:8-10).

Most of us realize that we have offended our Creator. We have all sinned and come short of the glory of God. So what are we to do? Our verse tells us to confess our sins. I think confession has two implications. First, if we are conscious of having committed a specific sin, we are to pray asap and confess that sin to God. Second, we may not be aware of a particular sin, but we know that many of our thoughts, words, and deeds fall short of the divine standard. That is what we confess when we partake of the Lord’s Supper.

To “confess” in Greek means to agree with God that we have offended Him. Thus, we do not attempt to hide our sins or to explain them away. Instead, we agree with God that we have sinned and tell Him we are sorry (repent). Then what does God do? He is faithful and just and will forgive us. He is “just” because Jesus atoned for our sins, and those who trust in Him can know that they are forgiven.

If we deny our sins, we are calling God a liar, admitting that our faith is not authentic. Needless to say, to call God a liar is the mother of stupidity! Confession and repentance are the marks of true faith.

Father, I confess to You that I speak words, think thoughts, and behave in ways that violate Your holy will all too often. I do trust in Jesus, who bore my sins at Calvary. Thank You for Your forgiving love. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen. 

DAILY DEVOTION, November 3, 2021

Delight yourself also in the Lord, And He shall give you the desires of your heart.  (Psalm 37:4).

The Book of Psalms is full of praise to God. Here we are admonished to delight in the Lord — to take pleasure and enjoyment in our relationship with God. As we delight in the Lord, He responds by giving us the desires of our hearts. What does that mean? It could mean He will provide us with whatever we desire, but I don’t think that is the meaning. Instead, I think the intention is this – – – as we delight in God, He places His desires in our hearts. He will certainly not give us the things we desire which are contrary to His will. As we delight in God, our selfish desires are replaced with godly desires. 

Do you delight in the Lord? When you think of God, does it make you happy? God loves you. God’s Son has redeemed you. That should make you happy! When we delight in God, all our old selfish desires begin to fade away. What we now desire is for God’s will to be done in every situation. These new desires are placed in our hearts by God. Are your desires focused more on what you want or on what God wants? 

Father, thank you for changing our internal desires. I pray that my heart will be open to You. May the desires of Your heart become my desires. I pray in Jesus’ name, Amen.