As you contemplate the death and resurrection of our Savior this weekend, I…
(For a version of this devotion that is easier to print, see this link.)
Why did Jesus have to die?
Tomorrow we remember the death of Jesus on the cross. There are many possible perspectives on this event: It was a tragedy, as an innocent man suffered horribly at the hand of His enemies; it is an example to us, as Jesus focused not on Himself but on others; it is a major event in world history, as Christianity was born at the cross.
But there have been millions and millions of innocent people put to death. There are other ways for God to give us good examples, and other important events in history. These perspectives don’t answer the question: Why did Jesus have to die?
The third chapter of Romans provides us with the threefold answer:
- Jesus had to die because man is thoroughly sinful;
- Jesus had to die because God desires to display His perfect justice;
- Jesus had to die because God desires to display His perfect love and mercy.
Beth writes today on her blog about the true, joyful community she witnessed…
An Anglican church in central London has produced two excellent 3-4 minutes videos…
(For a version of this devotion that is easier to print, follow this link.)
Many people today want guidance. They want a word from God to know:
- Whom to marry,
- what job to take,
- whether or not to buy a house,
- whether to take money out of the stock market or leave it in.
There are also many decisions considered more “spiritual” in which we want God to lead us:
- To attend one church or another;
- to go into long-term missionary work or not;
- to go into full time ministry or not;
- to focus on one unreached people group or another;
- to go on one short term mission trip or another.
Can you count on God’s guidance in making such decisions?
The Bible clearly teaches that God sovereignly calls and guides His people to carry out His plans. We saw a wonderful example of this last Sunday in Acts 15:36-16:15. Paul makes decision after decision about his second missionary journey, fulfilling God’s missionary mandate as best as he can determine; most of his decisions – to take Silas with him, to travel by land to Galatia, to circumcise Timothy, to stop in Philippi, to seek those worshiping God by the river, to stay with Lydia – are made without any noted supernatural direction. But then at times the Holy Spirit supernaturally guides Paul, redirecting him away from Asia and Bithynia (Acts 16:6-7) and towards Macedonia (Acts 16:9).
God does call and guide His people to carry out His plans.
Will He guide you?
Do you know all about God?
Even the question sounds presumptuous, doesn’t it? How…