However, the Bible's message is positive toward sinners even when, at first appearance, one might conclude otherwise. The 5 N's, which are the foundation of the devotional articles that follow, are N=No, N=Nothing, N=Never, N=None, and N=Not. These seemingly negative words are frequently used in God's Word; yet they frequently lead the sinner to encouraging messages of gospel truth.
Remember as you read that you are reading for good news.
This salvation was necessary for Romans 3:10 tells us that:
Ultimately, the 5 N's will draw you near to Jesus Christ...and that's positive!
The Good News Is...
Each mid-afternoon this past week, when temperatures reached their peak, I would look out hoping to discover the garden was not withering. Are the tomato plants drooping? No. Have the squash leaves begun to sag along the edges? No. not yet. Have the potato stalks turned limp in the ninety degree plus heat? No—they are standing green, straight and tall. I give thanks to the Lord; He is the ultimate keeper of our garden and provider of harvest.
I am reminded, in the midst of the heat wave, that God has provided direction for us about withering—more specifically, how to prosper and produce fruit even in the extreme conditions of life, which are sometimes withering. Oh, God isn’t interested in us perishing. Rather, He has given us direction in Psalm 1 describing what not to do and what to do in order to prosper.
Look at Psalm 1:1. Withering in life’s intense heat is avoided when a man or woman refuses to “walk in the counsel of the ungodly, to stand in the path of sinners, or to sit in the seat of the scornful.” God is not going to refresh you and me with “rivers of water” when we go traipsing after worldly advice or when we take up residence in places where His truth is neglected or mocked. Now, the world offers people and places by the hundreds and thousands where worldly counsel and enticements are pitched at us day by day. But God tells us that these are attitudes and lifestyles where we don’t want to walk, stand, or sit.
But, that still leaves me standing out in the heat, doesn’t it? Well, you and I might experience life’s difficulties, but God tells us to do: The refreshed man or woman delights in the declared ways of God found in the Bible. Psalm 1:2 tells that “he meditates on it day and night.” This person merely makes a simple choice—to seek and reside in God’s counsel and God’s ways. The ways of the world are rejected. Oh, a person may be experiencing the “heat waves” of life; but because this person is continually drinking from God’s river of truth, there is no withering. The hot winds blow, but this leaf does not wither, fall, and skip away to lodge unproductively in some distant corner of life where God is rejected and scorned.
Indeed, the man or woman faithful to God’s Word does not wither. In fact, “whatever he does shall prosper.”
(Read Genesis 39 to see how God prospered Joseph even in times of immense trials.)
Joseph and Potiphar's Wife
The Good News Is...
What clear and superb direction from God’s Word! When we do not know what to do, our eyes are to be on the LORD.
As recorded in II Chronicles 20, the enemy had surrounded Judah, a small nation serving God under the leadership of King Jehoshaphat. But the nation was in peril. The Moabites, the Ammonites, and the Meunites had come against the king for battle. With destruction imminent and fearful for his people, Jehoshaphat openly admitted to the Lord, “we do not know what to do…but our eyes are on you.”
Their eyes were on the LORD? How so? How do you know if your eyes are on the LORD? The story makes it plain: the king assembled all the people together; they fasted and they prayed for the LORD’s help. Gathered in the temple, Jehoshaphat prayed a most instructive prayer for us when “we do not know what to do.” Rather than a “woe is us” prayer laying out for God all the impending danger for Judah, Jehoshaphat praised and worshipped God for His “power and might” over all the nations. The king glorified God for His faithfulness in winning the battles in the past. The prayer is bathed in a confidence that God will “hear and save.” Only in closing the prayer does Jehoshaphat ask God to “execute judgment” on the enemy, for “we are powerless against this great horde……we do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you.”
God responded immediately. In the crowd gathered for prayer was a man, Jehaziel. Speaking through the man, God declared that the “battle would be the LORD’s.” The people “will not need to fight” but go out to the battlefield, “stand firm...hold position...and see the salvation of the LORD.” The people obeyed the instructions. They went out singing--praising and worshipping God. Scripture records that “when they began to sing and praise” God, the LORD caused the three enemy nations to turn on one another. The result: Judah’s enemies destroyed each other rather than Judah. Victory was complete. In fact, the story tells God was glorified by all the nations as the One who fought for His people. And, for Judah and King Jehoshaphat, peace and rest settled upon the land for twenty-five years.
The story is more than mere history. It declares to us what to do when we do not know what to do. Seek God—not just individually but with other believers. Fast. Magnify God in prayer and song. Set your eyes on Him. You may not know what to do, but He does.
Seek His instructions in His Word and let Him win the battle for you. You will see the salvation of the LORD.
(Read the entire story in 2 Chronicles 20.)
Jehoshaphat's Prayer
The Good News Is...
These words of promise are from Jesus. The words are good news to all men, women, and children who trust in Jesus as their personal Savior and Lord. In Jesus’ kingdom, there are “no orphans”—Jesus comes to live in us in the person of the Holy Spirit.
So, I am not alone. Now, this matter of being left alone or behind had been of dramatic concern in the hours immediately before Jesus’ arrest and crucifixion. Jesus told his disciples that he was going away and that where he was going, they could not come. Peter, in consternation, demanded to know where Jesus was going, declaring to the Lord that he would follow even to the point of giving his life. But Jesus, after telling Peter in a matter-of-fact way that he would soon deny Him three times, proceeded to make it clear that His “going away” destination was heaven. “I go to prepare a place for you...” Jesus began his further explanation to Peter and the disciples.
Jesus was about to be crucified, but he was thinking and teaching about His living and His ascension to the Father; and…yes, he was thinking about His disciples, both then and now. He would not leave us orphans; the Spirit of Christ would come and make His home in us. There would be no orphans. Jesus encouraged the troubled disciples with these words: “And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever, even the Spirit of truth….” (John 14:16-17) Speaking of a believer who obeys Him, Jesus then added, “We will come to him and make our home with him.” (v. 23)
What an amazing truth! Can we grasp the good news? The Spirit of Jesus, God Himself, lives inside of those who have received Jesus as Lord and Savior! Far from being left orphans, we have God’s constant presence. See how comprehensive or complete God’s salvation is? The Holy Spirit is active, teaching and giving us understanding of God’s Word. He convicts us of sin and empowers us to overcome it. He leads and counsels us, making the application of God’s Word specific to our daily situation. He is God’s seal upon us, and He is God’s guarantee for “keeping me saved.”
After accomplishing His redeeming work, Jesus didn’t return to heaven with a parting wave and a “Good luck now. Keep yourself saved.” No. He didn’t leave us as orphans! Rather, Christ lives in us. He is “our hope of glory.” (Colossians 1:27)
The Good News Is...
There is no escape from the condemnation of God and an eternity in hell…if you neglect the salvation God has provided.
God has provided a “great salvation.” The salvation deserving your attention is found in God’s Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. This great salvation required Jesus to sacrifice His life on our behalf. Jesus died for my sins—a countless number if they were counted. But, the number doesn’t matter because Jesus died for all of them. However, this is only the beginning of the greatness of God’s salvation. Jesus died to save me out of my sin nature. Romans 6:6 explains 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.” Sounds to me like a great salvation I don’t want to neglect.
God’s salvation provides for a new life—a born again life where old things pass away and all becomes new. God’s salvation provides for power, the power of the Spirit of Christ living inside of a man. The Holy Spirit is the active power directing, teaching, convicting, counseling, and dispensing new life to the man. God’s salvation offers a life with new relationships; you immediately become a member of a worldwide family of believers who also trust in Jesus as Savior and Lord. Why would anyone want to neglect a salvation this great?
God’s salvation provides for a future. When not trusting Jesus as Savior from my sin life, my future contains no hope—only death, eternal separation from God and an eternity in hell. But, God’s salvation provides for an everlasting presence with God, consummating in a life in heaven where Jesus has gone “to prepare a place for me.” (John 14:3)
This salvation, received by going directly to Jesus, must not be neglected. We must not be naïve to think that after God has provided such an extensive and complete way that he is going to offer multiple other ways. We must not think that we can neglect Jesus’ free salvation and turn around and earn it by participating in religious ceremonies and acts. It just won’t be so.
How shall we escape if we neglect God’s salvation in Christ? The answer is, “We won’t.”
The Good News Is...
We are a deceived lot in the 21st century. Sin against God is an increasingly lost truth. Washed away by the “wise men” of this world is the once accepted truth that sin is the primary cause of a person’s problems, failures, depression, and turmoil. The supposed wise of this world teach that these difficulties should be blamed on our past, our parents, one’s environment, our schools, our society, or some other outside force. We have been taught that rather than having sin we have “issues.” Those issues reach out in tens of different directions—all pointing the blame at anything other than one’s sin against God.
But, could it be that we have been deceived by modern philosophers, worldly teachers, and godless theologians --the ones who have erased sin from our thinking? Shouldn’t the turmoil and failings and strife in our lives be traced to sin against God? You can see for yourself what the above verse states about the matter of “no sin.” The truth is that we do sin against God and to say otherwise is to deceive ourselves.
Sin is living out-of-step with God—a refusal to trust and obey his will for your life. Sin is marked by a lifestyle of self-centeredness—the lifestyle promoted by the world. Sin is destructive, separating us from God’s presence and power in daily living. Adding to the bad news, sin fractures relationships within our marriages, families, neighborhoods, and churches.
Yet, in all of this, there is a silver lining. The good news is this: once one admits his or her problems are rooted in sin, then there is a God-given solution. Indeed, God has addressed the sin problem—but you have to admit first that sin exists in your life. Until admission and turning to God’s solution, we continue ‘to stew in our own juices.’ If that is where you are, it is time to get back into step with God.
You can’t be in step with God if you don’t know what His steps are. So, read the Bible, God’s Word. (Start with Psalm 1 and Proverbs 3 along with the Gospel of Mark.) He will show you His steps for you. Admit and turn from sin when God points it out to you. Believe in Jesus Christ as your Savior from sin’s penalty. Accept Jesus’ righteousness applied to you. And, follow Him step by step as Lord of your life.
He is merciful, gracious, forgiving, and faithful to sinners!
The Good News Is...
How far away is God from you? Not far.
How close, then? Very, very close— “for in Him we live and move and have our being.” He is so close, so intimately close to “each one of us,” that our very existence depends on Him. I live and move, even as you read this, because He sustains my life. The same is true for you—your very being is “in Him.” This is exactly how close God is to each one of us.
While the analogy is not perfect, the closeness of our God is similar to the closeness of a parent to one’s child. A parent is never far away. Why not? Because there is a measure of truth to a young child living, and moving, and having his/her very existence in connection to the closeness of the parent. A parent’s eyes and ears are constantly attentive to the well-being of the child. How far away is the parent? Never very far. Our God is that close and even closer.
The above verses are from Paul’s message to the philosophers in Athens. When Paul walked into Athens, he observed they had erected statues for every god or goddess they could imagine—even a statue to the “unknown God.” Paul declared he would reveal the unknown God to them, the One who “gives to all mankind life, breath, and everything.” (Acts 17:25) This God, the one and only true God, Paul instructed the philosophers to seek. After all, as Paul points out, “He is actually not far from each of us.”
It is popular in our culture to embrace the notion “God is watching us, God is watching us, God is watching us—from a distance.” (Bette Midler’s lyric from the song “From a Distance”) The song has a fine tune, but the message is wrong. God isn’t watching us from a distance. Rather, God is close to us, and He keeps our very existence from moment to moment. I suspect you are like me—I prefer God sustaining me, not observing me from a distance!
Paul told the Athenians they should seek God. God is sought and found in a living Person—Jesus Christ. He died once for our sins. But, He is alive today to save us completely—and He is not far off! He sustains us, He is near to us, and He responds to His name.
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