Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies.
Romans 8:33

Absolute Immunity

Daily Devotion – February 20, 2024

Devotion based on Romans 8:33

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Most people are blessed to have a high-functioning immune system. It keeps us from getting sick as often as we otherwise would. But no person has had absolute immunity from disease since the fall into sin. We are all susceptible in one way or another.

Within the American legal system, certain government officials are protected by what is called absolute immunity when they’re carrying out the duties of their office. Simply put, if they can demonstrate that their actions were a requirement of the job they were given to do, then those actions can never become the subject of criminal charges or a civil lawsuit. They are absolutely immune to legal action against them in an American courtroom.

But is there such a thing as absolute immunity in God’s courtroom? Indeed, there is. And even better, everyone who places their faith in Jesus has it! No, that doesn’t mean God has given Jesus’ disciples the green light to commit any sin they want to commit. But God’s promise to them is as clear as the words Jesus once spoke to a paralyzed man, “Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven” (Matthew 9:2).

Those words are more than a pious wish or a nice thing to say to someone who has sinned against you. They are a powerful pronouncement of absolute immunity. They mean forgiven and forever forgotten. No prosecution. No judgment. No condemnation. You are free and clear! As far as God is concerned, through faith in Jesus, your sins no longer exist. You’re immune from all eternal punishment for them.

That’s what the apostle Paul was emphasizing when he asked, “Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen?” Answer: “It is God who justifies (i.e., declares us ‘not guilty’).” In other words, you have absolute immunity in God’s courtroom. Take heart; your sins are forgiven in Jesus and by Jesus. You’re free to go!

And how can we respond to such an amazing and absolute immunity to God’s eternal judgment? Answer: forgive others in the same way. Don’t hold grudges. Be like Jesus. Grant absolute immunity!

Prayer:
Jesus, lead me to rejoice in my immunity from the judgment of sin and help me forgive others in the same way. Amen.

As they [Elijah and Elisha] were walking along and talking together, suddenly a chariot of fire and horses of fire appeared and separated the two of them, and Elijah went up to heaven in a whirlwind.
2 Kings 2:11

Escaping Death

Daily Devotion – February 17, 2024

Devotion based on 2 Kings 2:11

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Death and taxes—these are two certainties of life for everyone—everyone except for God’s prophet Elijah. God granted him the privilege of escaping physical death. God took him directly into heaven. The question is–why?

Elijah was a prophet of God, but that was not why he escaped death. God had called others to be prophets, and they died. Elijah fought against idolatry, but so did others, and they died. Elijah proclaimed the Word of God as countless others have done throughout the ages. It was not his calling or courage that earned him the right to escape death and go straight to heaven. It was only by the grace of God that Elijah was taken to heaven without experiencing death.

We cannot escape death on our own, either. The grave awaits us as the Bible teaches, “Man is destined to die” (Hebrews 9:27). Even worse, we have no power to escape the death that we deserve for our sins. This is death that separates us from God forever under his judgment. But God’s grace is revealed to us. He gives us an escape from the death that we face as sinners. He sent his Son, Jesus, and heaped the guilt of our sin on him, making him pay the penalty of eternal death that should have been ours.

Just as God revealed his grace to Elijah by sparing him from physical death, so God reveals his grace to us through Jesus. In Jesus, we are raised to a new life of faith. The death we will face at the end of our lives loses its sting because, in Jesus, we will be raised from the dead and taken to live forever in heaven with Elijah and all believers of all time.

Prayer:
Heavenly Father, thank you for releasing me from the power of death. Keep me steadfast in your Word until I see you in your glory in heaven. Amen.

Then a cloud appeared and covered them, and a voice came from the cloud: “This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to him!”
Mark 9:7

Affirmed by the Father

Daily Devotion – February 15, 2024

Devotion based on Mark 9:7

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How do you find affirmation? You might find it in the number of clicks or “likes” on a social media post. Or perhaps you live for compliments and commendations. Maybe it’s in the stockpiling of material possessions or the power you wield. It could be as simple as comparing yourself to others.

But seeking affirmation through those things will always let you down. Someone else will always have more social media “likes,” more stuff, and more power. If you live for compliments, you live under the burden of constantly trying to outdo yourself. Comparison is the thief of joy because you can always find someone who looks like they have everything you want.

So, where do you find true affirmation? When Jesus stood atop the Mount of Transfiguration, the voice of God the Father, came from the cloud affirming Jesus as the beloved Son of God. God affirmed his relationship with Jesus and his identity.

Through baptism, Christians are connected to Jesus. This connection doesn’t come by works or achievements but through the grace and love of God. It’s a connection that means Christians are also in a loving relationship with God. They have an identity as God’s chosen people. They are God’s beloved children.

Christians are also affirmed in their purpose. God says to listen to Jesus. Tune out all the other distractions, and find true purpose, mission, and worth in listening to the words of the Savior. Listening to Jesus is not merely hearing with ears but heeding with hearts. In a world clamoring for attention, Jesus beckons you to prioritize his voice above all, allowing his words to be the guiding force in your life.

Hear the words of God as his divine declaration of grace. God affirms you not because of your perfection but because of his boundless love and grace. It is a reminder that in Christ, you are loved and accepted.

Prayer:
Heavenly Father, thank you for choosing me to be part of your family. Help me find purpose in listening to Jesus. Amen.

Suddenly, when they looked around, they no longer saw anyone with them except Jesus. As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus gave them orders not to tell anyone what they had seen until the Son of Man had risen from the dead.
Mark 9:8,9

Down From the Mountain

Daily Devotion – February 14, 2024

Devotion based on Mark 9:8,9

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Today is Ash Wednesday, the beginning of the Christian season of Lent. Christians begin Lent by remembering the cost of their sins. Some churches will smudge ashes, in the form of a cross, on people’s foreheads as a symbolic reminder that they are dust and to dust they will return because of their sins.

It’s a stark difference between the mountaintop Transfiguration experience and Ash Wednesday. Like the disciple Peter, it’s easy to want to stay on top of the mountain, skip the parts of Jesus’ story that make us sad, and just enjoy the radiating brilliance of Jesus. We don’t like to think about our sins or the awful price it cost to take them away.

But Jesus came down from the mountain. He knew there was still work to be done. Before Jesus could fully enjoy his rightful kingly crown again, he was going to first endure a crown of thorns. Before he climbed a mountain of glory again, he would climb a hill called Golgotha, the Place of the Skull—the spot where Jesus was crucified. Instead of being flanked by Moses and Elijah, Jesus would be killed between two common criminals. Instead of the brightness of the Transfiguration, there would be the darkness of death and damnation as God the Father turned his back on his one and only Son.

Lent can be an overwhelming season when we think about the guilt of our sins. But that is not the goal of this season. The goal is to get us to look at Jesus and all he did to save us from those sins. Let that be your focus and comfort this Lenten season.

Prayer:
Heavenly Father, give me joy in Jesus this Lenten season. Amen.

After six days Jesus took Peter, James and John with him and led them up a high mountain, where they were all alone. There he was transfigured before them. His clothes became dazzling white, whiter than anyone in the world could bleach them.
Mark 9:2,3

See Jesus Clearly

Daily Devotion – February 12, 2024

Devotion based on Mark 9:2,3

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I had a problem when I was in third grade. I was a decent student, but my grades were slipping. Thankfully, I had a caring and observant teacher, and it didn’t take her long to realize the problem. I kept squinting at the blackboard. My vision had changed, and I could no longer see clearly.

That meant a trip to the eye doctor. He asked me to identify letters on a distant wall. Then he set before me an intimidating-looking machine. I didn’t know it then, but it’s called a phoropter. The doctor worked the lenses on the machine and asked me which was better, “One or two, three or four?” I noticed that I could start to identify the letters on the wall. Instead of being blurry, the letters became clearer and clearer. Finally, I could even read the tiny letters at the bottom.

Jesus took his disciples, Peter, James, and John, up the mountain because Jesus wanted to clarify to them who he really was. They had seen his miracles. They had heard Jesus preach and teach with authority. But Jesus still looked like one of them. He was the son of a carpenter from insignificant Nazareth. Jesus was human in every regard the disciples could see.

But up on the mountain, something changed. Jesus was transfigured before them. He no longer looked like a mere human but divine. The disciples’ view of Jesus was no longer blurry but clear. Standing before them was God himself. They had seen glimpses through the miracles and Jesus’ teaching, but now there was no doubt.

The more time you spend with Jesus as he reveals himself in the Bible, the clearer you will see him. Like an eye doctor cycling through lenses, Jesus reveals more and more of himself to you, helping you see him clearly as your Savior—both true man so that he could die and true God so that his sacrifice could count for your sins and everyone else’s.

Prayer:
Dear Jesus, thank you for revealing yourself as true man and true God. Help me see you clearly as my Savior. Amen.

Suddenly, when they looked around, they no longer saw anyone with them except Jesus.
Mark 9:8

You Are Never Alone

Daily Devotion – February 11, 2024

Devotion based on Mark 9:8

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Jesus’ disciples must have been disappointed. One moment, they saw a glimpse of heaven. Jesus allowed his glory as God to be seen. Moses and Elijah miraculously appeared. God the Father’s praise majestically echoed from the cloud. The next moment, everything was gone. All that remained was the familiar form of Jesus.

You may have experienced something similar. For a brief moment, everything in life seemed wonderful. There were no problems, no conflicts, and everything made sense. You were content because God was good, and his blessings were clearly evident. Suddenly, everything changed. Your life was filled with chaos, and you felt very alone.

Although you may suffer disappointment, loneliness, and emptiness, with Jesus, you are never alone.

You can be certain of his presence in your life because he said, “I am with you always.” This tells you there is never a time when you are alone. He is always there to guide you with his Word. He is always there to comfort you with his love. He is always there to encourage you with his promises.

Even more convincing is the work he completed to assure you that “nothing will ever separate you from his love.” Jesus secured his Father’s approval to free you from the tyranny of your sin-stained life. Jesus accepted his Father’s just judgment to release you from the verdict of separation and punishment. Jesus endured the attacks of the devil and the horror of the grave to claim you as his own.

When you remember Jesus’ faithful promises, his precious work, and his undeserved love, you can live with complete certainty and peace. With Jesus, you are never alone.

Prayer: (Christian Worship: Hymnal – 783)
I fear no foe with thee at hand to bless; Ills have no weight and tears no bitterness.
Where is death’s sting? Where, grave, thy victory? I triumph still if thou abide with me.
Hold thou thy cross before my closing eyes; Shine through the gloom and point me to the skies.
Heaven’s morning breaks, and earth’s vain shadows flee; In life, in death, O Lord, abide with me! Amen.

Why do you complain, Jacob? Why do you say, Israel, “My way is hidden from the LORD; my cause is disregarded by my God”? Do you not know? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.
Isaiah 40:27-31

Renewed Strength

Daily Devotion – February 9, 2024

Devotion based on Isaiah 40:27-31

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Scottish athlete Eric Liddell ran in the Paris Olympics in 1924. The organizers scheduled the heats for the 100 meters, his favorite distance, on a Sunday morning, but he chose to attend worship instead. He was disqualified from that event. He went on to win the 400-meter race, held on a weekday.

The story of his Olympic campaign was told in the 1981 film Chariots of Fire. It includes a scene in which he was asked to speak in church and read the verses from Isaiah quoted above. It is especially moving to hear a trained athlete talk about encouragement from the Lord whose strength never fails.

After the Olympics, Eric Liddell returned to China, where he had been born to Scottish missionary parents. He served there as a missionary himself, bringing people to know Jesus as their Savior. He remained in China until his death in a Japanese internment camp in 1945.

On one occasion, he was asked if he ever regretted his decision to serve as a full-time missionary rather than a full-time athlete. He responded, “It’s natural for a chap to think over all that sometimes, but I’m glad I’m at the work I’m engaged in now. A fellow’s life counts for far more at this than the other.”

In 1991, the University of Edinburgh erected a memorial headstone for Eric Liddell at the site of the Japanese internment camp where he died. The inscription on the headstone is from Isaiah 40: “They shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run and not be weary.”

Prayer:
Lord, when my values are threatened, give me strength to persevere and testify to your glory. Amen.

Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings.
1 Peter 5:8,9

Resist the Devil

Daily Devotion – February 6, 2024

Devotion based on 1 Peter 5:8,9

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Temptation can come from looking at the world around you. So many things seem more important than the Word of God, and there is always someone who will validate those worldly things.

Temptation can also come from inside you. Sometimes, you aren’t even aware that a strong desire is wrong. Sometimes, you know a thought is wrong, but you have no idea how to resist it.

Your enemy, the devil, loves it when his work of temptation is done by the world or your sinful flesh. He is always looking to send people into despair because they realize their sinfulness.

Resist him. How? Stand firm in the faith. What does that mean? It means clinging to what Jesus has done for you as the truth, as the definition of who you are, and your confidence in the face of accusations from the devil.

When the devil throws your sins in your face and declares that you deserve death and hell, tell him, “I admit that I deserve death and hell. So what? I know the person who suffered and made satisfaction on my behalf. His name is Jesus Christ. He is the Son of God. He is in heaven now, and that’s where I will also be!”

The great sixteenth-century religious reformer Martin Luther said those words. You can say them too. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. The family of believers throughout the world is confessing that same truth.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, thank you for sharing in our humanity and dying to break the power of the devil. Amen.