Today's Devotional is written by Pastor Roy Summers
Satan the great accuser
Many things are happening in the invisible world the eye cannot see. There are spiritual battles taking place, including attempts to stumble and to lead God's people astray. We know this from Scriptures such as Job chapter 1 and Revelation chapter 12, where we read that Satan is attempting to "lead the whole world astray" and where he is called the accuser of God's people.
In the heavenly realms Satan accuses God's people before the throne of God day and night (see verse 10). We can see that in Job chapters 1 and 2, where Satan tells God that Job is a mere fair-weather believer and that if God were to remove the hedge of protection around Job he would curse God rather than love him.
You and I on earth hear those terrible satanic accusations, in our ears do we not? When we let our Lord down, as we inevitably do, Satan whispers in our ears "How can you be a Christian?" or perhaps "You are a terrible Christian?" or even, "God will bring judgement on you because of your sin."
It's in these times of personal failure that we need to hear, all over again, and for the thousandth time, "You are made righteous in God's eyes by faith in Christ alone."
"For in the Gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last." (Romans 1:17)
True and false Religion
All the religions of the world stand on one side, and the Gospel on the other. Without exception, religion says "do". Do this, do that, do the other - and then you will be saved.
But true Christianity teaches something gloriously different. True Christianity says that all our doing can never please God, first because our best deeds are always tainted with sin, so we offer no good works to God; all our sins are like 'filthy rags.' And second, because even if our good works were perfect, there is our sin which would need paying for.
False religion says "do, do, do!" True Christianity says "done, done, done!"
True Christianity teaches that God has done everything necessary to bring us to heaven! He has provided a righteousness which covers our sins and makes us acceptable in God's sight. His Son not only paid for our sins when he died, his Son gave us the perfect righteousness Jesus earned when he lived this life.
And this total righteousness package came to us by faith, not by doing anything but just by believing.
This is the great comfort of Justification by faith alone.
Great Comfort
If our salvation depended even for one second on us in any way, we would be doomed to hell. If whether or not we got to heaven depended on our goodness, godliness or works of service we'd be lost.
Salvation is God's work, received by faith in his Son, and that faith is itself a gift from God.
What a wonderful salvation plan! God pours out his grace, mercy and love upon us and gives to us the gift of salvation freely. All we are called to do is believe the message, and even that believing faith he gives to us.
What is more, there could be no greater motivation for godly living than the grace we have received from Christ Jesus. Justification provides the motive for holy living.
So when Satan reminds us of our sin, we should remember that in Christ there is no longer any condemnation.
We could scarcely put it any better than this:
When Satan tempts me to despair
And tells me of the guilt within,
Upward I look and see him there
Who made an end of all my sin.
Because the sinless Saviour died,
My sinful soul is counted free;
For God the Just is satisfied
To look on him and pardon me,
To look on him and pardon me.
Charitie Lees Bancroft
OUR SONG FOR THE DAY
So this is our song for the day, written by the daughter of a church pastor, Charitie Bancroft. She clearly understood and rejoiced in Justification by faith alone.
Before the throne of God above
I have a strong and perfect plea,
A great High Priest whose name is Love,
Who ever lives and pleads for me.
My name is graven on his hands,
My name is written on his heart;
I know that while in heav'n he stands
No tongue can bid me thence depart,
No tongue can bid me thence depart.
When Satan tempts me to despair
And tells me of the guilt within,
Upward I look and see him there
Who made an end of all my sin.
Because the sinless Savior died,
My sinful soul is counted free;
For God the Just is satisfied
To look on him and pardon me,
To look on him and pardon me.
3 Behold him there! The risen Lamb,
My perfect, spotless righteousness;
The great unchangeable "I AM,"
The King of glory and of grace!
One with himself I cannot die,
My soul is purchased by his blood;
My life is hid with Christ on high,
With Christ, my Savior and my God,
With Christ, my Savior and my God.
You can worship HERE.
A PRAYER FOR THE DAY
We have sinned against you in thought, word and deed. We keenly feel not only the tempter's power but the tempter's accusations. We thank you for the Gospel through which we can know our sins forgiven fully and freely through faith in your beloved Son.
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