July 15th - The Riches of God's Grace

“The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.” (John 1:29)

Under the Law given to Israel, once a year the high priest would make s sacrifice to atone for ALL the sins of the people of Israel, intentional and unintentional. That day was called the day of Atonement and God would forgive all sins committed during the previous year. (Leviticus 16) 

We are told that these offerings were temporary in that they did not “take away" future sins.

“Every priest stands daily ministering and offering time after time the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins.” (Hebrews 10:11)

The Law requires sacrifices to be made year after year for the sins of the people. BUT not anymore! God the Father brought the final sacrificial offering to atone for the sins of the whole world, past and future. That offering was His Son, the sacrificial perfect Lamb of God, Jesus. That sacrificial offering has taken away the sins of all humanity!

“He Himself is the atoning sacrifice for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world.” (1 John 2:2) 

“…'He said, ‘behold, I have come to do Your WILL.’ ...By this WILL we have been SANCTIFIED through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ ONCE for ALL. Every priest stands daily ministering and offering time after time the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins; but He, having offered one sacrifice for sins for all time, sat down at the right hand of God, waiting from that time onward until His enemies be made a footstool for His feet. For by one offering He has perfected for all time those who are sanctified." (Hebrews 10:9-14)

God the Father has saved humanity by His GRACE! We are to have faith in our salvation. His compassion and mercy never fails, they are new every morning.

“So that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.” (Ephesians 2:7-9)

"The faithful love of the LORD never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is His faithfulness His compassion begins afresh each morning. I say to myself, “The LORD is my inheritance therefore, I will hope in him! The LORD is good to those who depend on Him, to those who search for Him. So it is good to wait quietly for salvation from the LORD. And it is good for people to submit at an early age to the yoke of His discipline...For no one is abandoned by the LORD forever. Though He brings grief, He also shows compassion because of the greatness of His unfailing love. For He does not enjoy hurting people or causing them sorrow." (Lamentations 3:22-33)

July 14th - The Temporary and Eternal Kingdom of God

"But I do not consider my life of any account as dear to myself, so that I may finish my course and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify solemnly of the gospel of God’s grace." (Acts 20:24)

The gospel of the coming kingdom of Israel on the present Earth was preached to the Jews until Jesus was rejected as their Messiah as we read in Acts 28:28. The restored kingdom of Israel has been postponed for almost two thousand years while "the Gospel of God's grace” is now being preached to all nations. However, Jesus will return and set up the restored kingdom of Israel which will last one thousand years.

The gospel of grace is about the the eternal kingdom of God in a New Heaven and New Earth where God will dwell with the humans of all nations as the joint body of Christ.

Failure to distinguish between the restored one thousand year kingdom of Israel that is coming on this earth from the eternal Kingdom of God in the New heaven and New earth has caused much confusion and false doctrine within institutional Christianity.

Concerning Israel and the one thousand year kingdom to come on this earth...  

“The LORD says, “I will give you back what you lost to the swarming locusts, the hopping locusts, the stripping locusts, and the cutting locusts. It was I who sent this great destroying army against you. Once again you will have all the food you want, and you will praise the LORD your God, who does these miracles for you. Never again will my people be disgraced. Then you will know that I am among my people Israel, that I am the LORD your God, and there is no other. Never again will my people be disgraced.” (Joel 2:25-27)

“Therefore tell the house of Israel that this is what the Lord GOD says…I will take you from among the nations and gather you out of all the countries, and I will bring you back into your own land. I will also sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean. I will cleanse you from all your impurities and all your idols. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will remove your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes and to carefully observe My ordinances. Then you will live in the land that I gave your forefathers; you will be My people, and I will be your God.” (Ezekiel 36:22, 24-28)

“…the Deliverer will come from Zion, He will remove ungodliness from Jacob (Israel). This is My covenant with them, when I take away their sins.” (Romans 11:26-27)

In the gospel of grace, God has promised to deliver ALL humans out of death, make them a new immortal creation, and place them into the eternal Kingdom of God - a New Creation where all humanity has been transformed into the image of God and His Son.

“Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed— in an instant, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For the perishable must be clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come to pass: “Death has been swallowed up in victory.” (1 Corinthians 15:51-54)

“It is a trustworthy statement deserving full acceptance. For it is for this we labor and strive, because we have fixed our hope on the living God, who is the Savior of all humanity, especially of believers. Prescribe and teach these things.” (1 Timothy 4:9-11)

"Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying: “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with humanity, and He will dwell with them. They will be His people, and God Himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the former things have passed away.” And the One seated on the throne said, “Behold, I make all things new.” Then He said, “Write this down, for these words are faithful and true.” (Revelation 21:1-5)

The kingdom promised to Israel on this earth will last one thousand years and will begin with the return of Jesus as king of kings and Lord of lords. It will come to an end after one thousand years and God will destroy the present Earth and create a New Heaven and New Earth as the eternal home of redeemed humanity in the Kingdom of God. It is the gospel of the Kingdom of God in the New Heaven and New Earth which will be "preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations" during the thousand year kingdom of Israel. 

"This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come." (Matthew 24:14) 

July 13th - Boasting

Did God save you by His grace, or were you saved by accepting His offer of grace?

Be mindful of how you answer.  For that answer will reveal whether you are “boasting”.

"For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast." (Ephesians 2:8-10)

A BELIEVER is a person who believes God, not the doctrine of an institutional Christian church...big difference. Humanity is justified and saved by the grace of God - gratuitously.

"Being justified gratuitously in His grace, through the deliverance which is in Christ Jesus...toward the display of His righteousness...for Him to be just and a Justifier of the one who is of the faith of Jesus. Where, then, is boasting? It is debarred!" (Romans 3:24-27)

"For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 6:23)

Boasting of what you did to get saved is evidence of unbelief.

July 12th - A Successful Life

A Successful Life - what does it look like?

I like Ralph Waldo Emerson's definition of success…

"To laugh often and much; to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children; to earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends; to appreciate beauty; to find the best in others; to leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch or a redeemed social condition; to know that even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded.”

Humanity too often measures success by power and wealth, but Jesus said this about power and wealth.

"What good is it for a human to gain the whole world, yet forfeit the soul? Or what can a human give in exchange for the soul? For the Son of Man is going to come in His Father's glory with His angels, and then He will reward each human according to what they have done." (Matthew 16:26-27) 

Worldly success is "meaningless" says the writer of Ecclesiastes.

“I have seen all the things that are done under the sun; all of them are meaningless, a chasing after the wind." (Ecclesiastes 1:14)

The advice in Ecclesiastes is to work, and  "enjoy life with the wife whom you love" - that has worked for me!

A person can do nothing better than to eat and drink and find satisfaction in their own toil… Enjoy life with your wife, whom you love...For this is your lot in life…” (Ecclesiastes 2:24; 9:9) 

July 11th - Keep it Simple

“And this is the promise that He has promised us—eternal life…And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son.” (1 John 2:25; 5:11)

“...we have fixed our hope on the living God, who is the Savior of all humanity, especially of believers. Prescribe and teach these things.” (1 Timothy 4:9-11)

“God demonstrates His own LOVE toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us… while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son…For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 5:8-10; 6:26)

"For by GRACE you have been SAVED through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the GIFT of God, not as a result of works...” (Ephesians 2:8-9)

"For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all people." (Titus 2:11)

Simple!

July 10th - The Last Day

"And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have age lasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day." (John 6:40)

There will be a time when everyone “sees" the Son and believes in Him. 

“For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus EVERY KNEE WILL BOW, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and EVERY TONGUE WILL CONFESS that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Philippians 2:9-11)

There is coming a time when everyone will bow and acclaim Jesus is Lord. 

“In all wisdom and insight He made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His kind intention which He purposed in Him…the summing up of all things in Christ, things in the heavens and things on the earth.” (Ephesians 1:8-10)

It is my view that on that future last day God will have “summed up all things in Christ”. All humanity will be saved, justified, reconciled and glorified. God the Father will be All in all.

“As in Adam ALL die, even so in Christ shall ALL be made alive…that God may be All in all.” (1 Corinthians 15:22-28)

This is the gospel of God for humanity as I understand it - the Good News. It will happen whether humanity believes it now or not….THEY WILL then!

"And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the Lord: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more." (Jeremiah 31:34)

July 9th - We Need Not Fear the Fiery Furnace

“Our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace…” (Daniel 3:17)

King Nebuchadnezzar threw people into the “burning fiery furnace” if they refused to bow down to him. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, however, were not afraid of such threats. They knew the one true God, and that He would deliver them from the horrific inventions of men.

“For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.” (John 3:17)

God is not like Nebuchadnezzar, He saves humanity from its sin and resulting death. He did not create a fiery furnace for those who refused His salvation. He has not given humanity a choice in the matter at all.  God saved His Son Jesus from death, and Jesus, who bore our sins on the cross  has promised to return and save the rest of humanity from death. 

Thereafter, Jesus will judge humanity in righteousness, not in anger. Humanity will be made into a new creation of immortals. So, humanity does not need to fear death!

"So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand."  (Isaiah 41:10)

"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid." (John 14:27)

"The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. And just as God raised Christ Jesus from the dead, He will give life to your mortal bodies by this same Spirit living within you." (Romans 8:11)