How We Really Are Without Jesus

“There is none righteous, no not one; there is none who does good, no not one.” Romans 3:10, 12

If asked by others what kind of person we are, most would say a pretty good one. We don’t beat our wives, steal from our neighbors, or kill our enemies. Those “bad” people are in jail. Even in jail there is a pecking order of who is better than others. No one, after all, is bad; are they?

What if we got up one morning and looked in the mirror and saw what God sees in our human condition. We would be so revolted we would never want to look in the mirror again. We would be scared to death. The truth is there is no one who is good. God alone is good; Jesus said so. That is why we need a Savior; that is why Jesus came. He forgives who we are and creates in us an image of Himself. We really need that and need to understand it each day. We need to live with conscious intent to walk in our new resurrected relationship with God.

Dear Father, Thank You for loving me when I was unlovely. Help me to reveal Your loveliness each day. Amen.

                                               The Friday Benediction

Until Monday, my friends, may the good God envelop you with His grace; may you prove the common confession of faith, “I believe in the holy Christian church and in the fellowship of the saints”, and may you be enriched with joy and hope as you exercise that confession this weekend.  Amen

You can contact me and find inspiring Christian books at my website: www.davidccraig.net

If you don’t already subscribe to this blog, you can do so and receive it each day M-F by choosing the Abundant Grace section on my website and signing up for free delivery every day. 

The Saving God is also the Judging God

“For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness.” Romans 1:18

When I was young we had records. There were no cassettes, CD’s. We had records that spun at 45 rpm’s. Each of those records had a hit song on one side and a less popular song on the flipside. Romans 1:18 is the flipside of mankind’s view of God. We like all the stuff about love and the sacrifices He made for us. We like the healing and feeding. It is easy to talk about. But God is also righteous and will judge all unrighteousness.

For the first half or Romans 1, Paul lays out the power of Christ for salvation. The second half of the chapter is about the power of God for judgment. Paul pulls no punches as he lists what God hates. He pulls no punches on the just judgment of God against sin. We need to know both halves of Romans 1. We need to let the world know that there is a flip side to their view of God.

Dear Father, Help me not to be silent about Your power to judge as well as save. Let me not be silent about sin. Amen.

You can contact me and find inspiring Christian books at my website: www.davidccraig.net

If you don’t already subscribe to this blog, you can do so and receive it each day M-F by choosing the Abundant Grace section on my website and signing up for free delivery every day. 

The Verse Heard 'Round the World

“As it is written: ‘the just shall live by faith’.” Romans 1:17

How big of a spark does it take to light an inferno? This verse was the spark God planted into the soul of Martin Luther and lit a fire of spiritual rebirth not seen since the days of the early church. “How can we be right with God,” he asked. Daily he strove to be right through confession, self-denial, prayer, fasting, and more good works. He was worn out and no closer to God than when he had begun. Then he realized the importance of this verse.

We are not justified by works, for all our works are tainted by our own selfish motives and sin. We are justified by the work of Christ on the cross where He died to forgive us our sins. It is faith in His finished work that gives us hope and peace and assurance of heaven. Then we can live joyfully -- not only for eternity but for today as well. Then we will learn to trust Him for our everyday life as well as eternal life. We will live by faith.

Dear Father, Thank You for doing the work through Jesus Christ so that I might be saved and live with hope each day. Amen.

You can contact me and find inspiring Christian books at my website: www.davidccraig.net

If you don’t already subscribe to this blog, you can do so and receive it each day M-F by choosing the Abundant Grace section on my website and signing up for free delivery every day. 

Not Ashamed of Christ

“For I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ.” Romans 1:16

Young people can be very sensitive about their home life. If it is not, in their opinion, a happy home, they may never bring their friends there. I had such a friend in high school. He would take me to his house IF he thought his mother would not be home. One day she came home and I found out why he was ashamed.

Jesus Christ is our Home. He is our Head. He is our Hope. He is our Healing. Nothing He has ever done could possibly make us ashamed of Him. And yet too many people treat Him like my high school friend treated his home. Not being ashamed doesn’t have to mean just going door to door and handing out tracts, though it could. Not being ashamed means that the Name of Jesus is easily on our lips and a defense of Him is ready at all times to come from our mouths. We could all be a little more proud of our parentage.

Dear Father, Thank You for giving me Christ and making me Yours. May I never be ashamed! Amen. 

You can contact me and find inspiring Christian books at my website: www.davidccraig.net

If you don’t already subscribe to this blog, you can do so and receive it each day M-F by choosing the Abundant Grace section on my website and signing up for free delivery every day. 

A Bond-servant of God: Or In Charge of God

“Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ” Romans 1:1

How do we like to view our relationship to God? Do we stop at the concept of Him being our Father, our Shepherd, and our Friend? Do we see Him as Paul saw Him – the Master? The word servant in this verse is a little misleading. Most servants were paid employees in the Master’s house. That isn’t the word Paul uses in his introduction to the Church in Rome. The word here is actually slave. That’s right, Paul saw himself as the bond-slave of God the Father.

Americans hate the idea of slavery. We love the idea of employee and even more love the idea of being boss. We don’t like situations where we have no options. A slave has no options. A slave just does what he is told. That is how Paul said he was to respond to God. This is exactly the same word that Peter uses in I Peter 2:16 to describe how we are to live our lives as well. Who will be the boss in our life is a truly critical question. Are we God’s servant, or are we are own master?

Father, You have bought me with a great price; help me to daily be Your humble servant. Amen.

You can contact me and find inspiring Christian books at my website: www.davidccraig.net

If you don’t already subscribe to this blog, you can do so and receive it each day M-F by choosing the Abundant Grace section on my website and signing up for free delivery every day. 

Jesus is God the Son

“Verily, verily, I say unto you; before Abraham was, I AM.” John 8:58

The other day I spoke of what church goers say to annoy their pastor. Today we will look at what the world says to annoy me. “Well, pastor,” they smirk, “after all, Jesus never said He was God.” They have just lit my fuse. When they say this I am always reminded of the Jews who were falsely accusing Jesus. These modern scoffers are the same sons of the devil as they were.

In Exodus chapter three, when Moses was telling God why he couldn’t obey God’s call, God told Him by what Name He would be known. God would be known by the Name, “I AM”. That is why the Jews tried to stone Jesus for even using that name. It belonged exclusively to God. It did and it does. So, when Jesus uses it He is asserting that He is God. Some cults even remove this verse from their Bible. Those who come to Christ must believe that He is the Son of God, for no one else could take away our sins.

Dear Father, Thank You for sending Your only begotten Son to die on the cross for my sins. Let me never be deceived by the devil that Jesus is other than who He said He was. Amen.   

The Friday Benediction

Until Monday, my friends, may the good God envelop you with His grace; may you prove the common confession of faith, “I believe in the holy Christian church and in the fellowship of the saints”, and may you be enriched with joy and hope as you exercise that confession this weekend.  Amen

You can contact me and find inspiring Christian books at my website: www.davidccraig.net

If you don’t already subscribe to this blog, you can do so and receive it each day M-F by choosing the Abundant Grace section on my website and signing up for free delivery every day. 

Our Devil Quotient

“You are of your father, the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because no truth is in him.”      John 8:44

What an indictment! Satan is a murderer. Satan has no truth in him. Satan is a liar. That isn’t just the indictment against the devil. Jesus applied it to those who rejected Him. In my book Deceived, I show how an entire segment of the professing Christian community is under this strong judgment of God. We shouldn’t just read the Bible to find out how awful everyone else is; we should be looking for ourselves on every page.

Are we truthful? The devil isn’t; he’s the father of lies. Are we loving? He is a murderer. Are we honest? He is a thief. Do we love God’s law? He hates God’s law. Do we love the fellowship of the saints? He wants to keep us from the fellowship of the saints. It wouldn’t hurt us to honestly assess our “devil quotient”. We are to let our light so shine that others see our good works and glorify our Father in heaven. Do others see our light, or do they see our “devil quotient”?

Dear Father, Help me to let Your light truly shine through me each day. Amen.

You can contact me and find inspiring Christian books at my website: www.davidccraig.net

If you don’t already subscribe to this blog, you can do so and receive it each day M-F by choosing the Abundant Grace section on my website and signing up for free delivery every day.