Victory in Christ

The Pharisees wanted to test Jesus and asked Him what was the greatest commandment.  His answer included the first and second: …“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment.  And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.” (Matthew 22:37-40)  If we follow those greatest commandments and have love for God and man, our actions will prove it.

Today’s reading: Matthew 20-21

When James and John the sons of Zebedee asked Jesus for a favor, they did not truly understand what they were asking. (Mark 10:35) They wanted to be seated on each side of Jesus and have great honor. Jesus let them know that in His kingdom the standards were much different that the standards of the world. “And Jesus called them to him and said to them, ‘You know that those who are considered rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. But it shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.’” (Mark 10:42-45 ESV) This lesson of being humble and not desiring the praise of men is repeated many times throughout the Holy Scripture so it must be important to our Heavenly Father. “For the LORD takes pleasure in his people; he adorns the humble with salvation.” (Psalm 149:4 ESV)

Today’s reading: Matthew 19; Mark 10

When talking about a rich person going to heaven, Jesus described something that to our human mind sounds impossible. “And when Jesus saw that he became very sorrowful, He said, “How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God! For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” (Luke 18:24-25 NKJV) When asked how that could ever happen, Jesus gave an answer that remains true today. “But He said, ‘The things which are impossible with men are possible with God.’” (Luke 18:27 NKJV) Our eternal home in Heaven is only made possible by the path that God gave us thru His son.

Today’s reading: Luke 18

Separation of the Bible into verses was done by men and the shortest verse we have contains only two words.  “Jesus wept.” (John 11:35)  But those two words tell us a lot about our Savior.  He came to earth and lived as a man with the same feelings and struggles that we have.  “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.” (Hebrews 4:15)  “but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.” (Philippians 2:7)

Today’s reading: John 11

Jesus explained our responsibility to others who sin against us.  “Pay attention to yourselves! If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him, and if he sins against you seven times in the day, and turns to you seven times, saying, ‘I repent,’ you must forgive him.” (Luke 17:3-4)  At another time He also explained additional motivation we have for forgiving others.  “For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.” (Matthew 6:14-15)  He also answered Peter’s number question by basically telling him we do not need to be keeping count of other’s sins.  “Then Peter came up and said to him, “Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?”  Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy-seven times.” (Matthew 18:21-22)  With so many different recorded instances of Jesus talking about us forgiving others, it must be important.

Today’s reading: Luke 16-17

Three of Jesus’ parables are recorded in Luke chapter 15.  All three are about the importance of a single lost soul being saved and the rejoicing that comes with it.  “Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.” (Luke 15:7)  Our Heavenly Father wants everyone to be saved and gives us all opportunity for salvation from our sins.  “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” (2 Peter 3:9)

Today’s reading: Luke 14-15

Jesus was asked if only a few people would be saved.  He answered by making a comparison to a master and a door.  “Strive to enter through the narrow door. For many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able.  When once the master of the house has risen and shut the door, and you begin to stand outside and to knock at the door, saying, ‘Lord, open to us,’ then he will answer you, ‘I do not know where you come from.’ Then you will begin to say, ‘We ate and drank in your presence, and you taught in our streets.’  But he will say, ‘I tell you, I do not know where you come from. Depart from me, all you workers of evil!’” (Luke 13:24)  Getting thru that narrow door may not be easy, but God has given us all the opportunity if we work hard to learn and follow His commands completely.  “Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many.  For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.” (Matthew 7:13-14)

Today’s reading: Luke 12-13

When Jesus was asked which was the greatest commandment, He gave the answer and also gave the second greatest commandment.  “And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’  The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” (Mark 12:30-31)  For Him to share with them the next commandment as well must mean that it is important for us all to follow.  And who is my neighbor?  That same question was asked to Jesus by a lawyer.  Jesus told him the story we all know of the Good Samaritan.  At the end of the story, Jesus used a question back to the lawyer.  “Which of these three, do you think, proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?”  He said, “The one who showed him mercy.” And Jesus said to him, “You go, and do likewise.” (Luke 10:36-37)  To follow Jesus’ command, we also should be willing to “go, and do likewise.”

Today’s reading: Luke 10

Many times in Scripture we see comparisons made to light. Jesus explains to us how to stay out of darkness. “Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.” (John 8:12 KJV) We know that he was not talking about the physical light and darkness that our eyes can see, but a more important light. His light is a spiritual one that will lead us to salvation and a home in heaven if we are true followers of His.

Today’s reading: John 9-10

Scribes and Pharisees brought to Jesus a woman who had been caught in the act of adultery.  They questioned Him on whether or not they should stone her as punishment.  “So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.” (John 8:7)  This was not the only time that Jesus warned about looking too hard at other people’s sins and missing our own.  “And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother’s eye.” (Matthew 7:3-5)  As Christians we do have a duty to help a sinning person get back on track while at the same time making sure we are staying on the right track ourselves.  “Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted.” (Galatians 6:1)

Today’s reading: John 7-8