Every Day with Jesus (26 page)

God’s righteousness is not something that you do but something you received as a gift when you put your faith in Jesus Christ. The moment you believed God raised Him from the dead and said, “Jesus, You are my Lord,” the Holy Spirit transformed your spirit and made you righteous—as righteous as Jesus! Celebrate your right standing with God this entire day.

September 9: Divorce Is Not God’s Best

Mark 10:2-6

And the Pharisees came to him, and asked him, Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife? tempting him.

Mark 10:2

The Pharisees didn’t really want to know what Jesus thought about divorce. They didn’t value His opinion. They were tempting Him to get entangled in the big dispute of their day, which was between liberal and conservative views on divorce. This was a very emotional issue then, just as it is today, and they thought they had Jesus in a no-win situation. However, as always, Jesus proved to be more than their match and gave them much more than what they asked for.

The Pharisees didn’t question whether or not divorce was right; they took the right to divorce for granted. Instead of expounding on acceptable grounds for divorce, Jesus went to the root of the problem and showed that God never intended there to be divorce at all. If they really understood the extent of the one flesh covenant between a husband and wife, they would not be looking for an excuse to get out of marriage. This approach amazed the Pharisees and brought forth the question, “Why did Moses, in the law, make provision for divorce?”

Jesus answered that divorce was permitted but never intended. God allowed something He hated because of the hardness of people’s hearts. This was also true of polygamy and slavery. Once a person begins to ask, “How can I get a divorce?” instead of, “How can I keep this marriage together?” their hearts have been hardened, and there is already a serious breach in the marriage.

Jesus came to remove your hard heart and give you a heart of compassion, so don’t allow your heart to be hard in any way! Whether or not you are married, decide today that divorce is your enemy, and God’s love and compassion will rule your heart and mind. Then you will walk in God’s best in all your relationships.

September 10: One Flesh

Matthew 19:3-5

And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh?

Matthew 19:5

What does it mean for a man and a woman to become “one flesh”? The act of sexual intercourse between a man and a woman produces this one-flesh relationship. Whether or not the man and woman ever cleave to each other in marriage, the physical act still binds them together as one flesh.

This is the reason sexual relationships outside of marriage (whether extramarital or premarital) are so damaging. Whether or not individuals get caught, pregnant, or ever hurt anyone else with their sin, they are doing a lot of damage to themselves. God created us to become one through the sexual act. There is no biblical one-night stand, and that’s all there is to it.

It is interesting that Jesus said the only scriptural reason for divorce was fornication. He did not say alcoholism, child abuse, hatred, or so many other things that are certainly wrong in a marriage. That shows us that there is something very powerful that takes place in the physical act of intercourse, and it explains why Satan has exploited what God gave as a blessing. The devil perverts and distorts the sexual relationship to use that power against us.

Becoming one flesh with someone (sexual intercourse) is not marriage. Marriage goes beyond becoming one flesh. This can be seen clearly in John 4:17-18. The woman at the well had five prior husbands, and the man she was currently living with was not her husband. It is certain she was having sexual relations with him, but Jesus didn’t call him her husband.

Marriage involves more than sexual relations. It is a covenant or life-long commitment between a man and a woman. They are to be completely devoted to one another in every way—just as you are to Jesus. Meditate on the beauty of marriage as God designed it today, and then enter the reality of your eternal covenant with the Father. It will bring joy to your day!

September 11: It’s Not What You Do—It’s What He Did

Matthew 19:12-20

And behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?

Matthew 19:16

The rich, young ruler seemed to approach Jesus to seek salvation. He ran, kneeled down to Him, and openly professed Him as a Good Master. What could be wrong with that? First, he acknowledged Jesus as good but not as God. Every major religion of the world acknowledges Jesus existed and that He was a good man, but they won’t recognize Him as God. If Jesus was only a good man, He couldn’t save anybody.

Jesus didn’t come just to show us the way to God; He was the way—the only way—to the Father. (John 14:6.) Jesus had made this point publicly many times, and so He responded to the rich, young ruler accordingly. He said, “God is the only one who is good. You must accept me as God or not at all.” Jesus was either who He claimed to be or He was the biggest fraud that ever lived. He has to be one or the other. He cannot be both.

Second, the young man asked what he could do to produce his salvation. He trusted in himself and believed he could accomplish whatever good work Jesus might request. This is completely opposite God’s plan of salvation. Jesus obtained salvation for us by substituting for us on the Cross, and He offers salvation to us as a free gift. All we must do is believe and receive.

This rich, young ruler wasn’t looking for the Savior; he was trying to be his own savior. Sometimes we get saved by grace through faith in Jesus, and then we try to live our Christian lives saving ourselves. It doesn’t work that way! His is the salvation that just keeps on giving. Are you trying to save yourself today? All you have to do is look to Him for everything you need.

September 12: God or Money?

Mark 10:21-27

Then Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto him, One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me.

Mark 10:21

The Bible makes special mention that Jesus loved this rich, young ruler, even after he said he had kept all of God’s commands, which was not the truth. Jesus was showing him that he had broken the first commandment, “Thou shalt have no other gods before me” (Ex. 20:3), and the tenth commandment, “Thou shalt not covet” (Ex. 20:17). His tough answer, “Sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor,” was not intended to hurt this young man. It was said from a heart of love and intended for his good. This man’s money had become his god, and it had to be dethroned before Jesus could become his Lord.

The one thing this young man lacked was faith in Jesus over anything else. Jesus had taught that you cannot serve both God and mammon; if you love one, you will hate the other (Matt. 6:24), and this young ruler loved his wealth. He “was sad...and went away grieved” (v. 22) after Jesus told him to sell all his possessions. As He left, Jesus shook His head and said how hard it was for the rich to be saved. Now, it is the disciples’ reaction that is even more interesting! They were astonished and in verse twenty-six asked Him, “Who then can be saved?”

Jesus said, “With men it is impossible, but not with God: for with God all things are possible” (v. 27). We always quote this verse when we need healing or a financial breakthrough, but Jesus was saying that wealthy people need the supernatural intervention of God to get past their trust in money and put all their faith in God.

What are you putting all your trust in today? If you are looking to your paycheck or the stock market as your security, then you can lose your peace and joy at any moment. Put all your trust in Jesus, and not only will you have confidence of eternal salvation, but also nothing will shake you. You will know you are in the loving, capable hands of the Lord.

September 13: It’s Not What You Do

Matthew 20:1-16

So when even was come, the lord of the vineyard saith unto his steward, Call the labourers, and give them their hire, beginning from the last unto the first.

Matthew 20:8

This parable begins with Jesus’ statement that the kingdom of heaven is likened to a man who is a householder (owner of an estate). He goes out early in the morning to hire workers to work in his vineyard for the day. An agreed-upon price was set at a penny, the normal daily wage of a laborer. Later, around 9:00 a.m., the landowner encouraged those standing idle in the marketplace to work in the vineyard, not for a set wage but for “whatsoever is right.”

The landowner employed more laborers at noon, at 3:00 p.m., and even some at 5:00 p.m., with just one hour left to work. According to Jewish law, wages must be paid each evening before the sun set. When it came time for the steward to pay the laborers, he paid each man a penny. Those working the entire day murmured, for they supposed they would have received more. They had agreed, however, to work for a penny.

This is a lesson on God’s grace. This parable says that it is impossible to earn the generosity of the Master, and neither performing better or longer than someone else makes a difference with Him. The landowner gave the same reward to all who came to work in his vineyard, and God gives the same reward (eternal life) to all who come to Him by faith. Jesus was saying that the benefits of the kingdom are the same for all who have become subject to its King, regardless of what they have done or how long they have been saved.

It makes no difference how long you have known the Lord or the amount of work you have performed in His kingdom, you are going to heaven with the rest of us, and you have the same love, forgiveness, and favor of the Lord that every believer has. Be happy today that you are who you are and are able to do your part, and God is pleased with you.

September 14: Share in His Sufferings

Matthew 20:17-25

But Jesus answered and said, Ye know not what ye ask. Are ye able to drink of the cup that I shall drink of, and to be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with? They say unto him, We are able.

Matthew 20:22

The Greek word for baptize is baptizo. Josephus used the word to describe the city of Jerusalem as being “overwhelmed” or “plunged” into destruction by the Romans, and Plutarch (also first century ad) used this word to refer to a person being “immersed” in the sea. In the Septuagint (the Greek version of the Old Testament), baptizo is used to describe Naaman dipping himself in the Jordan River. (2 Kings 5:14.) From classical Greek to New Testament Greek, the same basic meaning has been retained: “To immerse, submerge, dip, or plunge.” Jesus was asking the disciples if they could be plunged and immersed into the same sufferings He would experience.

At this point the disciples had no idea what Jesus would suffer for them. It was inconceivable to them that He would ever be taken and executed by those He had alluded for three years, and He performed miracles on a daily basis. This is a picture of our Christian life as well. We have the Miracle Worker living inside us, and yet we suffer for His name’s sake. We lead people to salvation, heal the sick, cast out demons, feed the hungry, clothe the poor—and still we suffer at times.

People talk about us and embarrass us. Sometimes they betray us and steal from us. But our suffering is not like “normal” people suffer because we share His sufferings. Our lives are not our own (1 Cor. 6:19), and like Jesus, we suffer for the joy set before us. (Heb. 12:2.) We know our future is eternity with Him in heaven, and we know that while we are here, we walk in the victory He has already obtained for us in every situation we face.

If you are partaking in the sufferings of the Lord, if people are making your life difficult because you love Him and serve Him, you will share in His rewards. With this in mind, today you can actually shout and take joy in times of suffering for His sake.

September 15: Jesus Ransomed You

Mark 10:45

For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.

Mark 10:45

Jesus told His disciples many times of His death, but this is the first time He indicated the reason for His death. Now it is clear that His death would be a “ransom,” defined in the Greek as a means of purchasing the freedom of someone who had been taken captive. The words ransom and redeem are used interchangeably in Scripture.

Not only would Jesus pay the price for sin, but also His death would be substitutionary. In 1 Timothy 2:6, the word ransom is taken from the Greek word antilutron, which means, “a redemption-price.” The Greek word anti means “in place of.” In other words, Jesus would die in our place. He would put His life in the hands of the enemy in order for us to go free.

The price paid for our redemption was the life of Jesus, which was contained in His sinless blood. (Col. 1:14.) According to Hebrews 9:12, this redemption is eternal, is intended to purify us from all iniquity (Titus 2:14), and will inspire us to serve the living God. (Heb. 9:14.) Jesus ransomed us because He loved us, but also because we were created for a purpose.

There was a time when your worst enemy held you captive, an enemy that required a price to be paid before it would set you free. Your enemy was your sin nature, and it would take a miracle to change that! Thank God, Jesus became that miracle for you. He took all the chains and bondage of sin upon Himself so that you could go free. He ransomed you from sin, from death, and from all the power of the devil. That is something you can praise God for today.

September 16: Dealing With Unbelievers

Luke 19:1-8

And Zaccheus stood, and said unto the Lord; Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have taken any thing from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold.