Every Day with Jesus (24 page)

God calls our righteousness “filthy rags.” (Isa. 64:6.) A person who believes they must earn God’s acceptance by their actions does not believe in God’s righteousness, which is a gift. We must choose whether we will surrender our lives in faith to God and receive and walk in His righteousness or try to fulfill the Law in our own strength. God’s righteousness is not what Jesus did for us plus any works on our part. It’s either all His righteousness or all ours. We cannot mix them!

You probably already know that you cannot achieve right standing with a holy God by keeping the Law. You can only be saved through humble trust in the person and work of Jesus Christ. Today you cannot trust in your own righteousness in any way and still enjoy the benefit of Christ’s righteousness. They don’t mix. But when you place all your faith and trust in Him, He makes you as righteous as He is—and that is the right righteousness.

August 17: Freed From the Law

Luke 16:16-17

The law and the prophets were until John: since that time the kingdom of God is preached, and every man presseth into it.

Luke 16:16

The Bible teaches that there are different dispensations or divinely ordered ways of God dealing with mankind throughout the ages. A dispensation is simply a period of time in which God deals with mankind in a certain way.

The Old Testament law was only a temporary dispensation and ruled from the giving of the Law (Ex. 20) until the ministry of John the Baptist. When Christ came, He put an end to obtaining righteousness by the Law and sacrifices. (Rom. 10:4.) Anyone who advocates the keeping of the Law for the purpose of right standing with God is going back to an Old Testament system that was abolished by the work of Jesus Christ through the Cross and His resurrection.

The New Testament believer is under the dispensation of God’s grace, but that doesn’t mean the Law has passed away. Jesus didn’t do away with the Law; He fulfilled the Law. (Matt. 5:17.) He fulfilled every jot and tittle of the Law for us, and when we accept Him as our Lord and Savior, His righteousness is imputed to us. We are right with God not based on our performance but on our faith in Him.

The purpose of the Law was to reveal that you were a sinner in need of the Savior. It still serves a purpose for those who are not born again. In this present age, Jesus said He didn’t come to condemn you but to save you by His grace and through your faith and trust in Him. Thank God for His grace today.

August 18: Your Debt Was Paid

Luke 16:17

And it is easier for heaven and earth to pass, than one tittle of the law to fail.

Luke 16:17

The jot was not only one of the smallest letters of the Greek alphabet but also one of the most insignificant. It was sometimes deleted at the writer’s pleasure. The tittle was only a mark or a point on a line that helped distinguish one letter from another and corresponds to our period or apostrophe. The point Jesus made here was that even the tiniest detail of the Law would not pass away.

Jesus Christ fulfilled every jot and tittle of the Law, which is a good thing because no one else could. He did what no sinful person had ever done or will ever do. He kept the Law, and the prize for keeping it was the eternal life of God. This granted Him eternal life, which qualified Him to pay our debt for not being able to keep the Law. Before He could give us eternal life, He had to pay for our sins.

This is similar to someone receiving the death penalty for a hideous crime, and some billionaire leaves his whole estate to him. It would do the condemned man no good unless that blameless billionaire took that criminal’s place and died for him. Then the criminal would go free and enjoy the billionaire’s wealth. That’s what Jesus did for us. He took our sins and gave us His righteousness.

Jesus did much more than just obtain eternal life for us; He also paid all the wages of our sins. (Rom. 6:23.) God literally placed the condemnation and judgment that was against us upon His own Son. Jesus’ perfect flesh was condemned so our defiled flesh could go free. What a trade! Jesus bore your sentence of condemnation, guilt, and shame so that you would no longer have to bear it. Today, be at peace inside knowing that your debt for all your sins has been paid in full.

August 19: Comfort in Eternity

Luke 16:19-31

And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham’s bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried.

Luke 16:22

This story clearly teaches that there is life after death. It shows there is no “soul sleep” where our souls are awaiting the resurrection of our bodies, but we go into a conscious eternity immediately. It also shows that there are only two possible destinations after death. Either we go to a place of torment for the wicked or we go to a place of blessing for the righteous. There is no “limbo” or “purgatory,” and there is no second chance. This story illustrates the finality of our eternal destiny once we die.

Abraham’s bosom is a symbolic term for an actual place where those who believed under the Old Covenant but had not yet been born again went after they died physically. It was located in the heart of the earth, in the same region as hell, which is where those who never gave their lives to God go. The rich man’s body was in the grave, and yet this Scripture speaks of him lifting up his eyes and seeing Lazarus in Abraham’s bosom. This demonstrates that our spirit mirrors our physical shape so closely that we are recognizable after we die.

Part of this man’s torment was from the flames of hell. However, he was also tormented by the thought of his loved ones’ on earth having the same eternal destiny he was experiencing. Surely his desperation to warn them would make his misery worse. Also, the fact that he could see Lazarus and Abraham in a place of God’s blessing and comfort would keep him from ever adjusting to his situation.

In the light of Jesus’ words, we can see that hell will be much more than just a place of physical torment. Those who are consigned to that place will also be tormented with the thoughts of what could have been if they had trusted Jesus, and how they influenced others to follow them to hell. Knowing this, your heart can go out to anyone who does not know the Lord today. Don’t ignore any opportunity to share the Gospel with them!

August 20: Abraham Believed in Hope

Romans 4:16-22

Who against hope believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations, according to that which was spoken, So shall thy seed be.

Romans 4:18

Hope seems to be lacking today. Many people intentionally resist hope because they don’t want to face the pain and disappointment that comes if their hopes are dashed. Their philosophy is: “Don’t get your hopes up, and you’ll never be disappointed.” They obviously don’t know Jesus who is our blessed hope (Titus 2:13) in all situations and for all time.

People who break away from the pack and accomplish great things are those who believe in hope. That’s why most of the major inventions have been discovered by Jews or Christians who trust in God. Abraham was one of these people. This verse says he believed in hope. He knew the power of hope and wouldn’t let it go. When Abraham was nearly a hundred years old and his wife was over ninety, he still held on to the hope of God’s promise to give him a child. Although his faith gave him the victory, his hope kept his faith alive.

Where does hope come from? This verse says that Abraham’s hope that he would become a father was according to the words God had spoken to him. The Holy Spirit constantly ministers hope to us as we meditate on the words God has spoken to us. God’s Word releases His hope into our hearts. If we have no Word from God, then we have no hope. Certainly the world doesn’t give out hope; it actually destroys it by rampant pessimism, skepticism, and fear. Our only source for true hope is in what God has promised us.

Make a special effort to spend time listening to God’s Word today, and let hope begin to work in your life. Let God paint a picture on the canvas of your heart of what you can be and do through His ability!

August 21: Spiritual Eyes of Hope

Romans 8:20-25

For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for?

Romans 8:24

Did you know that you receive more input from your eyes than any other sense? Just think how drastically your life would change if you couldn’t see. Therefore, it is easy to understand why you are so dependent on your physical sight. However, there are things you can’t see.

In the kingdom of God, hope believes in things that have no physical evidence. Hope is a confident trust and reliance on God for results that can’t be seen in the natural. Those who cannot break free from their senses, especially their sight, will never be able to operate in God’s kind of hope.

How do we overcome what our physical eyes tell us? If our circumstances are contrary to what we know God wants us to have, how do we conquer the negative input? The answer is God’s Word. Through meditating and acting on God’s Word, we gain spiritual sight and can see more clearly with our spiritual eyes. We do have spiritual senses. This is what Jesus meant when he said, “He that hath ears to hear, let him hear” (Matt. 11:15). We have spiritual ears and eyes that enable us to perceive things that are hidden to our natural senses.

If you haven’t begun to use your spiritual senses, start today. Here’s a tip: you can’t see with your physical eyes if they are closed; likewise, you can’t see with your spiritual eyes if they are not open to the Spirit and the Word. If you don’t see your world through the Holy Spirit’s impartation of God’s Word, you are spiritually blind—and you don’t want to be blind in your spirit! Open up your spiritual eyes by opening up your heart to God’s Word, and then hope will manifest.

August 22: Sure Hope = Strong Patience

Romans 8:20-25

But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it.

Romans 8:25

Have you ever noticed the patience that athletes possess? They only compete in the Olympics every four years, but they train and participate in other games and competitions incessantly. Some work their whole lives for one brief moment of glory. How can they do that? What motivates them to persevere? They have a strong hope.

Athletes who want to win must deny themselves things that other people take for granted. There are special foods they eat and others they avoid. Practices and workouts require a huge commitment, most of their time, and all of their effort. They work while others play. There are no summer vacations for those who “go for the gold.” What is it that enables them to bind themselves to such a disciplined course of action? Their hope of winning the prize!

Likewise, in the Christian race those who have a strong hope are able to endure to the end. Believers without hope are like athletes who don’t expect to win so they don’t try very hard. Patience, which is a component of calm endurance, only operates in those who believe there is an obtainable reward for their efforts.

Moses was able to refuse the riches of Egypt and commit himself to the Israelites “because he was looking ahead to his reward” (Heb. 11:26 niv). Those who succeed in the Christian life are those who have a sure hope in what awaits them. They know they will spend eternity in heaven with the Lord. This enables them to stay on track all the way to the finish line.

Your life in Jesus Christ isn’t a fifty-yard dash; it is a full marathon. The Bible says the prize doesn’t go to those who start well but to those who finish well. So maintain your sure hope in Him, and you will be able to finish strong.

August 23: God’s Word Gives You Hope

Romans 15:1-4

For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.

Romans 15:4

People look for hope in many different places. Some consult horoscopes or fortunetellers, while others look to spouses, friends, or government agencies. This verse makes it clear that the Scriptures are where our hope comes from. Of course, God is the God of all hope (Rom. 15:13), but He uses His Word to impart His hope to us.

Many people choose to learn everything the hard way. They don’t want to believe God’s Word until they have personally experienced victory, but if they don’t believe His Word they won’t experience victory! By biblical standards this is what we would call foolishness. So what’s the solution?

Any problem we face—and even worse problems—have already been encountered by someone in the Bible. The Scriptures graphically record the struggle and victory of those who trusted God. That gives us hope. If God is truly not a respecter of persons (Rom. 2:11), then He will do for us what He has done for others. We can live vicariously through the lives of Bible characters and have hope for situations we encounter.

You don’t have to wait until you are in a crisis and under pressure before you gain hope. Through the pages of Scripture, you have “been there, done that,” and received the hope and faith necessary to overcome. You don’t have to prove God anew every time trouble comes. He has already been tried and proven countless times by saints through the centuries in the Bible. Today, draw on their experiences. It’s much better to learn at someone else’s expense.

August 24: Hope Causes Rejoicing

Romans 12:9-15

Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer.

Romans 12:12

Hope is what causes us to rejoice, yet 1 Peter 1:8 says, “Yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory.” Which is it that causes us to rejoice—faith or hope? The answer is both. Hope is just future-tense faith. Hope is believing God for something that’s not presently manifest. Faith is believing God to bring something into manifestation now (Heb. 11:1), but hope is faith that sees a future fulfillment. If we really believe God will supply what we hope for, we will rejoice.