Fireproof
Verse of the Day
And there was a cloud that overshadowed them: and a voice came out of the cloud, saying, This is my beloved Son: hear him.
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Grace and Reward
Because of sin (Rom. 3:23), God has confined all of mankind under the penalty of death (Rom. 6:23). Under this penalty, one lives apart from a relationship with God and is a child of wrath (Eph. 2:1-3). At the judgment, God will execute the penalty of death on all who have not had it removed (2 Th. 1:6-9). Apart from paying it oneself (not advisable), this penalty may be removed through a substitute, one who has never sinned and is not under the penalty of death. Jesus Christ was without sin (2 Cor. 5:21; Heb. 4:15; 1 Jn. 3:5) and willingly died to pay the penalty for the sins of all mankind (1 Cor. 15:3; 1 Pt. 2:24). Jesus then was raised from the dead demonstrating that His payment had satisfied the wrath of God (1 Cor. 15:4; Acts 2:24). For those who receive Jesus as their substitute, God will view them as having already died (2 Cor. 5:14; Col. 3:3). They are free from the penalty of eternal death, and God instead gives them eternal life. Eternal life is a gift that cannot be earned by being good; God graciously gives it to all who believe in Jesus Christ as their Savior (Eph. 2:8-9; Jn. 3:16). All who receive this gift enter into a new life (John 10:10). They are new creations (2 Cor. 5:17) who have become children of God, have been joined to His family the church (Jn. 1:12; Eph. 2:19) and have been forgiven of all their sins (Acts 10:42-43). As God's children, they are qualified to receive an inheritance from Him (Col. 1:12; 1 Pet. 1:3-5) and reign with His Son Jesus Christ (2 Tim. 2:12; Rev. 5:10) in the kingdom which He will establish when He returns to judge the world (Dan. 7:13-14; Mt. 16:27). His kingdom will bring world-wide peace and prosperity as well as an end to disease, disasters, and confusion about God (Is. 2:1-4; 11:1-9, 35:1-10). In light of this awesome privilege, God calls His children to live no longer for themselves (2 Cor. 5:15; Rom. 14:7-9). Just as they received Christ by faith, they are to continue hearing and believing the word of God (Luke 8:8), the Bible, so that they might live in the way of God (Rom. 12:2; Eph. 5:10). And even though they might stumble and sin, Jesus Himself is presently in the heavens interceding on their behalf to provide on-going cleansing and forgiveness of sins (1 Jn. 1:9). Until He returns, the church is to continue His work of bringing people into the family of God (Mt. 28:18-20; 2 Cor. 5:18-20) and teaching them to walk in His ways. To accomplish this task, Jesus empowers His followers through the Holy Spirit (Rom. 8:4; Acts 2:1-4) to obey God's will and manifest the kingdom of heaven by casting out demons and healing the sick (Mk. 16:16-18). Those who walk worthy of this calling shall receive an inheritance (1 Pet. 1:4-7) in the kingdom. Unfortunately, not all of God's children will receive an inheritance, for the inheritance is a reward (Col. 3:23) for those who persevere in the faith and live their whole lives for God (2 Tm. 4:6-8). The Bible describes the condition for receiving the inheritance as having faith and patience (Heb. 6:11-12), enduring to the end (Mt. 10:22), overcoming (Rev. 2:26), and continuing in the faith (Col. 1:21-23). Those who fall away from the faith, who stop hearing and obeying God's word (Jam. 1:22), shall be disqualified for the inheritance (1 Cor. 9:24-27; Gal. 5:19-21). All of God's children shall appear before the judgment seat of Christ and give an account of their lives (2 Cor. 5:9-10). Those who live by faith shall receive their reward. Those who walk away from God and return to their old lifestyle, fulfilling their own desires and ignoring God's, shall forfeit their inheritance (1 Cor. 3:14-15; 2 Jn. 1:8).
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C.H. Spurgeon's Morning Devotional "And when they could not come nigh unto Him for the press, they uncovered the roof where he was: and when they had broken it up, they let down the bed wherein the sick of the palsy lay."-Mark 2:4
Faith is full of inventions. The house was full, a crowd blocked up the door, but faith found a way of getting at the Lord and placing the palsied man before Him. If we cannot get sinners where Jesus is by ordinary methods we must use extraordinary ones. It seems, according to Luke 5:19, that a tiling had to be removed, which would make dust and cause a measure of danger to those below, but where the case is very urgent we must not mind running some risks and shocking some proprieties. Jesus was there to heal, and therefore fall what might, faith ventured all so that her poor paralyzed charge might have his sins forgiven. O that we had more daring faith among us! Cannot we, dear reader, seek it this morning for ourselves and for our fellow-workers, and will we not try to-day to perform some gallant act for the love of souls and the glory of the Lord.
The world is constantly inventing; genius serves all the purposes of human desire: cannot faith invent too, and reach by some new means the outcasts who lie perishing around us? It was the presence of Jesus which excited victorious courage in the four bearers of the palsied man: is not the Lord among us now? Have we seen His face for ourselves this morning? Have we felt His healing power in our own souls? If so, then through door, through window, or through roof, let us, breaking through all impediments, labour to bring poor souls to Jesus. All means are good and decorous when faith and love are truly set on winning souls. If hunger for bread can break through stone walls, surely hunger for souls is not to be hindered in its efforts. O Lord, make us quick to suggest methods of reaching Thy poor sin-sick ones, and bold to carry them out at all hazards.
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