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| Daily Devotions for July 26-30
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 | MONDAY, JULY 26
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As we focus our attention once again on the "five onlys" of
the Reformation, we come to the claim of "Only Christ." Since the term
"Christian" refers to someone who is a follower of Christ, it seems straight-forward
enough that Christians should affirm the concept of "Christ Alone." Certainly
believers both during the Reformation and still today would affirm Jesus as
their savior. That's not the problem. The struggle is with the word "alone."
Can we affirm that we are truly saved by Christ alone? Or might a better
description of our faith be, "Christ and..."?
A particularly helpful book of the Bible that speaks to the
unique and special place that Jesus holds as our Lord and savior is Paul's
letter to the Colossians. Read chapter one. In a pluralistic culture that seeks
to level the spiritual playing field and make all religions equally valid, Paul's
claims would probably be seen as offensive and close-minded.
However, Paul's letter is not addressed to pluralists, it's
addressed to Christians. His reminder was aimed at those who claimed Christ as
Lord and Savior yet were being tempted to add other things into the mix as
well. His letter was aimed at those who were saved by the blood of Christ but
who felt that maybe just to be safe they should incorporate other elements into
the mix as well.
Currently there is intense cultural pressure to play down
the unique claims of Jesus Christ. These are offensive to most people, and
Bible-believing Christians will face ostracism for being close-minded and
intolerant. While we are called to love and respect other people, we cannot
give up any ground on this central issue of our faith. There is only one
savior, and His name is Jesus. As Paul would say to Timothy:
I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers,
intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone-for kings and all those in
authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and
holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all men to be
saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. For there is one God and one
mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a
ransom for all men-the testimony given in its proper time. And for this purpose
I was appointed a herald and an apostle-I am telling the truth, I am not
lying-and a teacher of the true faith to the Gentiles. (1 Tim 2:1-7)
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| TUESDAY, JULY 27
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Then Peter, filled
with the Holy Spirit, said to them: "Rulers and elders of the people! If
we are being called to account today for an act of kindness shown to a cripple
and are asked how he was healed, then know this, you and all the people of
Israel: It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but
whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed. He is
" 'the stone you builders rejected,
which has become the capstone.' Salvation is found in no one else, for
there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved."
(Acts 4:8-12)
When brought before the rulers, elders and teachers of the
law to defend his actions, Peter's claim was bold and forthright. Note the
exclusivity-"no one else," "no other name under heaven." While most of us have
a tendency to beat around the bush when it comes to the absolute claims of
Christianity, Peter was unequivocal. Jesus is the only way.
Of course, he was simply re-stating what Jesus Himself had
told the disciples not too long ago.
Jesus answered,
"I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father
except through me. If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well.
From now on, you do know him and have seen him." (John 14:6-7)
This was a startling claim for the elders, who failed to recognize
Jesus as the Messiah. It was even more startling for the Roman culture around
them which worshipped many different gods. It remains just as startling today,
in a world that seeks to incorporate bits and pieces from all different
religions to make some kind of spiritual amalgam.
To help counter the corrosive effect of cultural syncretism,
read Colossians 2.
Note especially verses 6-10. This is my prayer for my
children, that they would rooted and established in Christ alone. My prayer is
that they would never be tempted to add anything into the mix, as if they have
to improve on or add to the work that Christ has already done once and for all.
As Paul reminds his readers in verses 18-19, Christ is the head and there can
be only one head.
Who is our sole governing authority in every part of our
life? Where do we turn when we don't know what else to do? How have we been
tempted to add "special visions" or "spiritual experiences" or "words from God"
to our faith? What ways of speaking or acting do we need to cut out in order to
return to the Biblically-grounded doctrine of "Christ alone"?
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| WEDNESDAY, JULY 28
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When I came to you,
brothers, I did not come with eloquence or superior wisdom as I proclaimed to
you the testimony about God. For I resolved to know nothing
while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. I
came to you in weakness and fear, and with much trembling. My message and my
preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of
the Spirit's power, so that your faith might not rest on men's wisdom, but on
God's power. (1 Cor. 2:1-5)
Sometimes doctrine is dismissed as being impractical or too
theoretical, as if it were somehow disconnected from "real life." We crave application,
concrete things that we can do. How does a focus on "Jesus Christ and him
crucified" impact our daily lives?
When we rightly understand the extent of Christ's authority
and the depth of love that He showed us through His sacrifice, that should influence
everything we do. Take a moment to read through Colossians 3.
Underline, circle or write down in the margin the
implications for our daily life that Paul draws out for the Colossians. Not
only are we called to "do" certain things but Paul expects that we are to "be"
a certain kind of people. How would you describe your "old self" before Christ?
What has changed? How is God calling you to "be" different today?
Notice the movement here from love for God to love for
others. Compassion and care flows out from our worship of God alone. We cannot
manufacture grace and peace in our relationships with other people when we have
failed to experience that personally in our relationship with God. Spend some
time today reorienting your heart and your mind around the person and work of
Jesus Christ. Pray for God's Spirit to move in your heart as you seek to build
your life around Christ alone.
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| THURSDAY, JULY 29
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Who is Jesus? Moral man? Wise teacher? Nice guy? Prophet? A
man of peace? The questions continue to linger today as people seek to
understand and accept this man whose life and teaching sometimes seems so
enigmatic. Yet, behind all the magazine cover stories and Discovery channel
specials lies a very simple truth. Jesus was and is the Son of God.
Now Thomas (called Didymus), one of the Twelve, was not with
the disciples when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, "We have
seen the Lord!" But he said to them, "Unless I see the nail marks in
his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his
side, I will not believe it." A week later his disciples were in the house
again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and
stood among them and said, "Peace be with you!" Then he said to
Thomas, "Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put
it into my side. Stop doubting and believe." Thomas said to him, "My
Lord and my God!" Then Jesus told him, "Because you have seen me, you
have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed."
Jesus did many other miraculous signs in the presence of his disciples, which are
not recorded in this book. But these are written that you may[a] believe that
Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in
his name. (John 20:24-31.)
It all comes down to a single straight-forward claim. Jesus
is the Messiah, sent to die for our sins. Believing in that is one thing. Can
we trust God enough to rest in that alone? We don't draw nearer to God by
volunteering more hours at church. We can't earn more of God's love by reading
more devotionals every day. God's love is constant because Jesus is constant.
He is the same yesterday, today and forever.
Read Colossians 4. We often skip the last few paragraphs of
Paul's letters. The greetings to other people can seem repetitious and they
certainly don't contain obvious teaching material or nuggets of theology.
However, look again at Colossians 4:2. His command is one that he takes very
seriously himself. His personal greetings are a window into the heart of a man
deeply committed to the spiritual growth and development of specific individual
people. And this happens through prayer. Not just the occasional prayer here
and there but regular ongoing contact with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
As we seek to build our lives around the doctrine of Christ
alone we have to find ways to connect with Christ. We do this two ways-through reading
the Bible and through prayer. Our hope is that these devotionals spark you to
read God's Word and to hear His voice there. But we must also follow that up
with regular and persistent prayer. When was the last time you spent time with
God in prayer? When did you last manage to pray for seven days in a row? God
wants to speak with us. What are we doing to enable that conversation to take
place?
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| FRIDAY, JULY 30
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"I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and
believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has
crossed over from death to life." (John 5:24)
As basic and obvious as it sounds, Jesus has to be not just
at the center of what we believe, but all that we believe. That is, Jesus is
not just one element of Christian spirituality, He is entirely all of
everything it means to be a Christian.
Sometimes, however, this foundational truth gets lost under
a sea of concerns and confusion regarding all that is involved in being a
follower of Christ. So, today, instead of reading just a few verses or even a
whole chapter, I encourage you to read an entire gospel. We constantly need to
be reminding ourselves what Jesus really did and really said, as a way to
ground our faith and battle our doubts. Maybe pick Mark, the shortest gospel.
There are 16 chapters. Plan to read two chapters a day for the next eight days.
Two chapters is an easily manageable amount, but that daily exposure to the
person and work of Christ has the power to radically change our lives.
Pray for the time, commitment and perseverance to re-engage
with the gospel accounts today and may your love for Him grow deeper as a
result.
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Jonathan Ziman
Community Life Pastor
Wheaton Bible Church
27W500 North Avenue
West Chicago, IL 60185
630.260.1600
www.wheatonbible.org |
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