FEBRUARY 8 | THE RESULTS OF FORGIVENESS

SCRIPTURE READING: ROMANS 6:1–6
KEY VERSE: ROMANS 6:6

… knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin.

Perhaps you have been hurt by someone you love. If you don’t deal with the problem early enough, there is a likelihood that some form of bitterness will sink roots deep within your spirit.
The consequences of an unforgiving spirit are severe. First, if you allow your heart to harden toward others, you can expect to suffer emotional bondage, especially as it relates to the source of your pain. Your joy and freedom in Christ will be limited because you have chosen to harbor resentment and derision. This can have a paralyzing effect throughout your life.
One of the worst effects of unforgiveness is that it erodes our fellowship with God. He provided the ultimate sacrifice for our sins and expects us to remember Christ’s death on the cross and graciously extend forgiveness to others, even when they don’t ask for it. There is no true rationalization for holding a grudge while also claiming to live in the shadow of the cross.
Unforgiveness also leads to broken relationships. The words “I’m sorry; please forgive me” are very difficult to utter. The words “I accept your apology, and I forgive you” also require humility and a heart and mind led by the Lord’s Spirit. When both parties approach a hardship in this manner, God can restore a relationship to even fuller love. Jesus took upon Himself the sin of the world, and we should demonstrate love and liberty as a result.

Dear heavenly Father, help me forgive and accept forgiveness. I want to demonstrate Your love to a needy world.

Stanley, C. F. (2006). Pathways to his presence (p. 41). Thomas Nelson Publishers.

January 5 | The Key to Contentment

scripture reading:	Philippians 4:11–13
key verse:	1 Timothy 6:6

Godliness with contentment is great gain.

Secrets—whether a grandmother’s special recipe or a company’s unique product formula—are rarely revealed. In his letter to the Philippian church, the apostle Paul provided all who would read the Scriptures with the secret of contented living.

Paul announced to them and us that he was content in life whether he had scraps for dinner or a feast, whether his purse was flat or bulging. He shared his secret in Philippians 4:13: “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”

The Greek word for contentment is translated “self–sufficiency” or “self–satisfaction.” That may surprise you. At first glance, Paul appeared to say that the secret to contentment lay in his resilient self.

But he was expressing this: “My self–sufficiency, my level of contentment, lies in the sufficiency of Christ to meet my every need. I can endure rain or shine, darkness or light, sorrow or joy, because through Him, I am equipped and sustained.”

Paul’s secret is yours. Despite circumstances, you can enjoy true contentment when you accept the truth that Christ is adequate for your every need—in good times and bad.

Help me be content despite the circumstances of my life. O God, my sufficiency is in Your ability to meet my needs. In You, I am equipped to face the challenges of this day.¹

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¹  Stanley, C. F. (1998). Enter His gates: a daily devotional. Thomas Nelson Publishers.

9 december (1855) | The Exodus

“And it came to pass at the end of the four hundred and thirty years, even the self same day it came to pass, that all the hosts of the Lord went out from the land of Egypt.” Exodus 12:41

suggested further reading: 1 Corinthians 10:1–11

It is our firm conviction and increasing belief, that the historical books of Scripture were intended to teach us spiritual things by types and figures. We believe that every portion of Scripture history is not only a faithful transcript of what did actually happen, but also a shadow of what happens spiritually in the dealings of God with his people, or in the dispensations of his grace towards the world at large. We do not look upon the historical books of Scripture as being mere rolls of history, such as profane authors might have written, but we regard them as being most true and infallible records of the past, and also most bright and glorious foreshadowings of the future, or else most wondrous metaphors and marvellous illustrations of things which are verily received among us, and most truly felt in the Christian heart. We may be wrong—we believe we are not; at any rate, the very error has given us instruction, and our mistake has afforded us comfort. We look upon the book of Exodus as being a book of types of the deliverances which God will give to his elect people; not only as a history of what he has done, in bringing them out of Egypt by smiting the first-born, leading them through the Red Sea, and guiding them through the wilderness, but also as a picture of his faithful dealings with all his people, whom by the blood of Christ he separates from the Egyptians, and by his strong and mighty hand takes out of the house of their bondage and out of the land of their slavery.

for meditation: Are you getting as much out of the Old Testament as you should? It is full of the Lord Jesus Christ (Luke 24:27)! While it may be wrong and confusing to see types in every verse or action, if you major on the types which are identified and applied in the New Testament you cannot go far wrong.

sermon no. 55¹

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¹  Spurgeon, C. H., & Crosby, T. P. (1998). 365 Days with Spurgeon (Volume 1) (p. 350). Day One Publications.

October 9th | He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God and he shall be My son.—Revelation 21:7.

AFTER the Chicago fire I met a man who said,

“Moody, I hear you lost everything in the Chicago fire.”

“Well,” I said, “you understood it wrong; I didn’t.”

He said, “How much have you left?”

“I can’t tell you; I have got a good deal more left than I lost.”

“You can’t tell how much you have?”

“No.”

“I didn’t know that you were ever that rich. What do you mean?”

“I mean just what I say. I got my old Bible out of the fire; that is about the only thing. One promise came to me that illuminated the city a great deal more than the fire did. ‘He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God and he shall be My son.’ ”

You ask me how much I am worth. I don’t know. You may go and find out how much the Vanderbilts are worth, and the Astors, and Rothschilds, but you can’t find out how much a child of God is worth. Why? Because he is a joint-heir with Jesus Christ.

Why are you going around with your head down, talking about your poverty? The weakest, poorest child of God is richer than a Vanderbilt, because he has eternal riches. The stuff that burned up in Chicago was like the dust in the balance. Joint-heir with Jesus Christ! That is what the eighth of Romans teaches us.¹

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¹  Moody, D. L. (1900). The D. L. Moody Year Book: A Living Daily Message from the Words of D. L. Moody (E. M. Fitt, Ed.; pp. 178–179). The Bookstore.