Devotional and Bible

21 March 2012

Memory Verse Day 10: The Bible’s Least Known Most Important Passage

"Ahora bien, al que trabaja, el salario no se le cuenta como favor, sino como deuda;"
(Romanos 4:4 NBLH)

"Now to the one who works, his wages are not counted as a gift but as his due."
(Romans 4:4 ESV)

Today is the start of a two verse set – Romans 4:4-5.

This has got to be the least-known most-important passage in the Bible. I’ve used it in an explanation of the Gospel, and I’ve used it to explain the difference between Christianity and other religions. And there are probably many more times when I should have used it that I didn’t.

Study these verses, highlight these verses, struggle to understand these verses – it’s worth it!

Paul has just finished talking about Abraham, and how he was not justified by works. In other words, with God as his judge, Abraham was not declared righteous because of anything that he did.

In case there’s any doubt whatsoever, Paul clarifies what he’s saying with this illustration. Let’s say someone is employed somewhere, and he gets a pay-cheque. Is his pay a gift? Does he say thank you and act surprised and say you shouldn’t have?

Of course not – it’s obvious. This person is owed the money. If the money is not paid to him, there’s a problem.

One of the most beautiful words in the whole Bible is in this and the next verse. In the Greek it’s the logizomai. In the English it’s credited, reckoned, counted or imputed.

Imputed has become the theological word. It’s a very useful word. You can talk about imputed, imputation, impute…

…and with this one word Paul sets salvation apart from every religious system in the world.

And tomorrow we’ll see this, in one of the most stunning verses in all of the Bible.

If you’re following along, here’s the next set of verses (pdf format) – 10 more, giving us 21 in all.

20 March 2012

Memory Verse Day 9: Everyone’s Problem (God’s Solution)

Jim Devotional and Bible 0

"por cuanto todos pecaron y no alcanzan la gloria de Dios."
(Romanos 3:23 NBLH)

"for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God"
(Romans 3:23 ESV)

I broke my general rule with this one, and I’m just learning the one verse, which is part of a sentence.

This verse is often learned this way because it makes a point by itself. The context doesn’t contradict that point, though. But it’s much more positive.

The point of the verse by itself, of course, is that everyone is a sinner. More specifically, the Jews are sinners (those with the Law) and the Greeks are sinners (those without the law).

This verse does not tell us that everyone has sinned the same amount, just that no one lives up to God’s perfect beautiful glory.

But let’s see it in context. Not only is everyone a sinner – everyone is also saved from their sin the same way. No, everyone is not saved – but if they are, it is through faith. Let’s see a little context:

But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it–the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith.

Why in the world did God do it this way? Why this whole faith in Jesus thing? Why save everyone the same way?

Paul lists several reasons – to show God’s righteousness and justice. God’s whole plan also excludes the possibility for anyone to boast. It upholds the Law. And it shows that God is the God of everyone.

So the fact that everyone has sinned is important – but it’s not the end. There is a way out – a way of escape from the wrath of God that Paul has talked about already in Romans. It’s through faith in His Son. And that way is open to all sinners – that is, everyone – regardless of race or language.

19 March 2012

Memory Verse Day 8: John’s Surprising Theme

Jim Devotional and Bible

"que no nacieron de sangre, ni de la voluntad de la carne, ni de la voluntad del hombre, sino de Dios."
(Juan 1:13 NBLH)

"who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God."
(John 1:13 ESV)

Finally we finish the sentence! John 1:11-13 reads, of course, He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.

John goes to a lot of trouble to show that Salvation is the work of God. Even when telling us about people who received Jesus, he talks about them passively, while focusing on what God did.

Of course most of us are familiar with John 3, which also uses the birth imagery – we must be born again, born of the Spirit. In John 6 Jesus talks about God drawing people to the Son. In John 8 there’s the contrast between the children of Abraham and the children of God. In John 10 believers are sheep, given to the Son by the Father. In John 15 Jesus tells His disciples that they did not choose Him, but He chose them. Again in John 17 believers are given to the Son.

It’s a constant theme. Along with the repetition that these are believers, people who received the Son, is the repetition that it was the work of God.

Something supernatural happens through faith in Jesus. Though it was known by God throughout eternity, it’s something that happens to us in time. We are born of God – children of God – by the will and power of God. And it’s in God – the Father, Son, and Spirit – that we have confidence.

18 March 2012

Memory Verse Day 7: A counter-cultural goal

Jim Devotional and Bible 0

"Pero a todos los que Lo recibieron, les dio el derecho de llegar a ser hijos de Dios, es decir, a los que creen en Su nombre"
(Juan 1:12 NBLH)

"But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God"
(Juan 1:12 ESV)

Yesterday we started with verse 11. Now we’re stuck once more in the middle of a sentence, which will finish tomorrow!

When you think about it, this verse is so counter-cultural. The necessity to receive Jesus – and perhaps even more amazing than that is the goal. Those who believed were given the right to become children of God.

How many people do you know who are wishing they could be children of God? They wish they were smarter, healthier, stronger. They wish they were more moral, more loving. They wish they had money or power. Really, they wish they could be gods.

How crazy to want to be simply a child of God.

And yet, if there truly is a God (and there is), Someone totally different from His Creation, Someone Holy, Someone all-powerful and all-knowing – someone who is loving and just and beautiful – what an honour it would be to be His child.

It’s not just an honour – it’s beyond anything we could ever ask for.

When God came to this broken, sinful world, what did we have the right to expect? Judgement, of course. Justice.

But to those who believed in His Name – who received Him – He instead gave the right to become children of God.

It’s counter-cultural all right. But the children of God are not just apart from the world – they overcome the world.

For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world–our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?
(1John 5:4-5)

17 March 2012

Memory Verse Day 6: Rejected by His Own

Jim Devotional and Bible 0

"A lo Suyo vino, y los Suyos no Lo recibieron."
(Juan 1:11 NBLH)

"He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him."
(John 1:11 ESV)

Today I’m starting a new series of wonderful verses in John chapter 1.

This verse speaks of the Word – Jesus Christ – who came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. According to one of my commentaries, the Greek here is not suggesting that His people just kind of ignored Him – it’s a decisive act – they rejected Him.

Throughout the book of John you can see the progression – He came, but as time went by the rejection becomes more and more pronounced, culminating in His crucifixion.

Of course, it was this very act that God had planned in order to save those who would receive Him, as we’ll see in the next verse…

16 March 2012

Memory Verse Day 5: Is Cephas really Peter?

Jim Devotional and Bible 0

"que se apareció a Cefas y después a los doce."
(1Corintios 15:5 NBLH)

"and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve."
(1Corinthians 15:5 ESV)

This is the third part of the ancient creedal statement that Paul quotes in 1 Corinthians. Yesterday we finished by quoting what Peter had to say about the resurrection in the Old Testament.

The next part of the passage in Paul’s letter talks about some of the appearances of Jesus after His resurrection.

Cephas is the Aramaic name for Peter. Once in a while it’s suggested that there is actually another Cephas, or another Simon, that is meant instead of the famous apostle (in this and other Bible passages).

Of course Simon was a very common name, and there are other Simons in the Bible (in fact, Simon Peter was one of two Simons among the 12 disciples). But the name Cephas is a little more tricky. Paul uses both names, in fact he uses both right together in Galatians 2.

It seems to me most likely that Paul is talking about Peter, but just using both common names according to his purpose. If they are two different people, it doesn’t really change anything, except that it changes our biography of Peter a bit.

Here, however, in 1 Corinthians, we actually have a little more confidence that Paul is talking about Peter. The fact that he says Cephas and then the twelve is not really a problem – he’s just saying that Jesus appeared to the disciples together. The number is just another name for the core group of disciples. We know, of course, that one of the 12 technically was dead – Judas Iscariot.

So Paul isn’t counting the disciples – he’s simply identifying them by name.

We do have a clue that this was indeed Peter. In Luke 24 Jesus appeared to two people who were heading to Emmaus from Jerusalem. The two disciples were so excited that they returned to Jerusalem – where the core group of disciples were gathered – to give them the big news.

But the disciples in Jerusalem had a surprise for the two – they had news that "The Lord has risen indeed, and has appeared to Simon!" (Luke 24:34)

This was surely one of the first if not the first appearances of Christ – to Simon. Taking this together with 1 Corinthians 15:5, I think it’s almost certain to be Peter himself.

And, incidentally, this statement also has the ring of a creedal statement – have you ever used the first part on Resurrection Sunday? I have.

So very early on, Peter and Jesus had a private meeting. The Bible doesn’t tell us anything about it. Maybe it will be their little secret forever, although I would love to know what happened!

Paul doesn’t actually say that this was Jesus’ first resurrection appearance, but just that Jesus appeared to Cephas. (It could be that Jesus appeared to Mary Magdalene first, depending on your take of Mark 16:9.) Then He appeared to the 12. These were simply early witnesses of the resurrection.

Paul is giving an account of eye witnesses that would be accessible to people at the time. The disciples no doubt travelled all over the place preaching the Gospel and doing miracles – they would be the first people that you would want to go to in order to verify the resurrection story.

So in these three verses, Paul very clearly shares the truth about the Messiah. Predicted from the dawn of time in the Scriptures, Christ entered the world and literally died for our sins. He rose, and then appeared to His disciples (and a lot more than just the 12, as we see in verse 6).

So here are the three verses together, along with a little from later in the chapter as he develops his thought:

For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received:
that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures,
that he was buried,
that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures,
and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve.
Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time,
most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep.

…

And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins.
Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished.
If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied.

But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead,
the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.

(1Corinthians 15:3-6; 17-20)

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