Category: Devotions

WEDNESDAY February 7^th

1 Corinthians 15:1-5

‘Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve.’

The second part of this gospel which is of first importance is that Christ not only died for our sin, but that he was buried.

There was absolutely no doubt that Jesus had died, the gospel writer tells us that to hasten death, because the next day was the Jewish Sabbath, the soldiers came to the three that were crucified that day to break their legs which would have caused them to suffocate and die, but, when it came to Jesus it says that they saw that he was already dead. In the previous verses we read ‘When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, “It is finished,” and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit’,(John 19:30).

Jesus definitely died and it was for OUR sins and the account continues that he was later taken down and laid in a tomb in the garden.

So many have tried to make out that Jesus didn’t really die, but just passed out and when he was laid in the tomb, he recovered, but Scripture is clear and the testimony of the soldiers is clear that Jesus died and was buried. Now we often highlight that Jesus died and that he rose again, but this is of equal importance that he was buried, and why, well as Paul says because it was all in accordance to the Scriptures. It all took place to fulfil what had been prophesied so many hundreds of years previously, and these things happening exactly as foretold help point to the truth concerning who Jesus really was at the time and still is today, the Son of God who came into the world to save sinners.

Isaiah in that most wonderful of chapters in the Old Testament, prophesied concerning the suffering servant, who we now know to be the Lord Jesus Christ and he says in verses 8-9 of chapter 53, verses that follow on from what he has prophesied concerning his suffering, ‘By oppression and judgment he was taken away; and as for his generation, who considered that he was cut off out of the land of the living, stricken for the transgression of my people? And they made his grave with the wicked and with a rich man in his death, although he had done no violence, and there was no deceit in his mouth.’

He was cut off – that is he died. They made his grave with the wicked – he was buried. The burial of the Lord Jesus Christ was essential in God’s plan, because if there had been no death, if there had been no burial, then there could not have be a resurrection! That’s tomorrows devotion. But I end today with the words of Jesus himself, where he prophesied that he would be taken like a seed and planted in the ground, foreshadowing his death and burial so that as a result new life would spring forth. John 12:24 ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.’

TUESDAY February 6^th

1 Corinthians 15:1-5

‘Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve.’

I have been to these verses a few times while preparing the devotions and we come to them again, the reason being, because they are the first things that Paul has to say in this chapter, and they are the first things of importance in regard to the gospel and they are the first things that we need to come to accept and believe to be able to enjoy the things that Paul continues to unveil to us concerning the resurrection to eternal life.

In a nutshell, without the gospel as Paul defines it here, there would be no resurrection!

So, how does he define the gospel? In a simple sentence, ‘that Christ died for our sins . . . was buried . . . was raised again on the third day . . . appeared to many, and all in accordance with the Scriptures’.

Our sin required a sacrifice, it was made on our behalf by Christ, who as a result of his atoning work has become our Saviour, and as the remainder of this chapter shows us the guarantee of our own future resurrection to eternal life.

We spent some devotions defining what Paul saw as being the gospel, which he proclaimed, and of which others have proclaimed so that as a result we have come to believe and be saved.

In these opening verses are some as Paul calls it, important, essential truths concerning the gospel, the first being that Christ died for our sins. This is the doctrine of the atonement, Christ became the One who laid down his life as a sacrificial lamb, taking upon himself our sins, and taking onto himself the punishment for those sin, and bearing toward himself the wrath of God for those sins so that as we come to believe by faith we can be forgiven and reconciled to God.

MONDAY February 5^th

1 Corinthians 15:57

‘But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ’.

We are returning to 1 Corinthians 15 over the next few devotions, in fact I can now add in that it will take us through to the first of March as I have already prepared ahead. This is my favourite chapter in the whole of Scripture,  it is a chapter that gives us great hope for eternity, reminding us that this life on earth for however long it may be, is very short in comparison to eternity.

And we remind ourselves that eternity will be spent in one of two ways, heaven or hell, or as hell is described in the book of Revelation, the lake of fire that will be a place of torment day and night forever and ever. That is a long, long time! therefore it is vital that we ensure that we do all that is necessary to be sure that we are prepared, and so for any that read or listen to this devotion, if you have not given your life to the Lord Jesus Christ, then you are on the road that is taking you to the place of eternal torment, what is required is that you come to the place of believing on the Lord Jesus Christ, surrendering your life over to him, allowing him to become your Saviour and Lord, this is the only way that you can be sure of being transferred onto the road that leads to life everlasting. For Jesus alone, is the way, the truth and the life (John 14:6).

This incredible chapter helps us to understand something of eternity, especially for all who have come to faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Of course we are still considering the apostle Paul and his life and his ministry, we have just spent some devotions considering those things which he called a mystery, and yet God had given revelation to him about them, and the resurrection is one of them.

I will break this chapter into sections, which commence with the gospel and ends up with us being in glory! At first we are victims as a result of sin, but at the end we are victorious as a result of the Saviour.

In fact Paul uses language that consists of opposites in this chapter:

Perishable – imperishable, dishonour – glory, weakness – power, natural – spiritual, but that is jumping ahead! But, at the end of the day so to speak, the opposites remind us of the power of the gospel to change things around. And it is only through this wonderful gospel, the good news of the Lord Jesus Christ that we can be saved. This will take us to the first few verses in our next devotion.

FRIDAY February 2^nd

1 Corinthians 15:51–52

‘Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed.’

Well, when I first mentioned about the bus company that advertised the ‘mystery tours’, it was a tour that only lasted a few hours, well the mystery tour I have taken us on has lasted for eight devotions and for free! And I end the tour at these incredible verses from 1 Corinthians 15 which are all about the wonderful truth and doctrine of the resurrection.

This is talking of a future mystery, which in this instance I would suggest is emphasising the fact that we don’t fully understand the wonder of what the resurrection means for each one of us but we believe it by faith. In other words we cannot explain how it is going to happen but we believe it will, and our confidence is based upon the wonder of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ.

One Old Testament character had already received a revelation concerning the mystery of the resurrection for he exclaimed in the book named after him, ‘For I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last he will stand upon the earth. And after my skin has been thus destroyed, yet in my flesh I shall see God, whom I shall see for myself, and my eyes shall behold, and not another’, it was Job in chapter 19:25-27.

The mystery of these verses is only possible because one came and tasted death for all men and rose again triumphant, and Jesus himself said that if we believe in him, that although we die we will live again! And Paul is visualising in this chapter the moment when those who have died in Christ will be raised and changed, and those who are alive in Christ will be raptured and changed, we will be raised or raptured from that which is perishable to that which will be imperishable and it will happen in a flash, in a twinkle of the eye.

I don’t know about you, but to me as we have quickly surveyed the mysteries that are found in the writings of Paul they tell us something of the power and the majesty of Almighty God. It reminds me of the wonderful truth that Paul had penned that where sin abounds, his grace abounds even more, for despite the entrance of sin into this world, bringing death, bringing lawlessness, bringing sin and sorrow, God had a plan and he has outworked it in the realm of time to enable us who have believed to be with him throughout eternity.

Yes, much may still seem to be a mystery to us, but one thing is for sure, we know that our Redeemer lives and if the same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead dwells in our mortal bodies, we too shall be quickened and raised incorruptible. I will let Paul have the final word – after all he says it all far better than I can.

‘The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labour is not in vain’, 1 Corinthians 15:56–58.

THURSDAY February 1^st

1 Timothy 3:9

‘They must hold the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience.’

In its context, this verse come into the list of qualifications for any who are called into the office of deacon or elder in the church, and of course we would agree, that one who holds office should be one who holds to the mystery of the faith, with a clear conscience, that is knowing that they are standing firm upon the doctrine of the Christian faith, not abusing it or misusing it.

Doctrine is so important, and not just to those called into leadership, but to each one who has come to know the Lord Jesus Christ and as a result have come to become a part of this wonderful church which he is building.

To hold the ‘mystery of the faith’, along with ‘with a clear conscience’ is to hold onto or to adhere to healthy doctrine.

I want to liken it to the need for us to live out those things that we believe, for example if we believe that godliness and good morality are part and parcel of the doctrine of our faith, then we should seek to live in a godly way and to live within healthy moral boundaries.

Doctrine does matter, and so does practise. That is the outworking in our lives of the very truths or doctrines that make up the faith which we have come to believe. So, good practise is not only important for those in positions of leadership, but for each one of us who make up the individual members of the church.

You may recall that recently I used an illustration of us taking the word of God as using it like a mirror, and as we read it, we need to see those things that are revealed in the word of God that should be a reflection in the outworking of our lives. That is how we can effectively hold the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience, for as we read the word and it challenges us in any or every area of our lives, we seek to make the adjustments required.

The word of God is living and powerful and ‘All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work’, 2 Timothy 3:16-17.

Are our lives a reflection of the word or of the world? Do we hold onto the mystery of the faith with a clear and a good conscience?

WEDNESDAY January 31^st

2 Thessalonians 2:7

‘For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work. Only he who now restrains it will do so until he is out of the way.’

I think we would be justified in asking the question, Why on earth didn’t God deal with the devil immediately after he had tempted Adam and Eve into sin and obliterate evil immediately? I suppose knowing our theme I could say it is  mystery which we will one day get to understand, but we suffice ourselves in knowing that God knew what he was doing, because he already knew what he had planned in eternity past, and although there is still the presence of both good and evil in the world, one day evil and the forces of darkness will be dealt with once and for all. But until then. . . .

Well, our text talks about the mystery of lawlessness which was already at work in Paul’s day and is still at work today, but with the good news that lawlessness is being restrained. In other words if we think that lawlessness is bad today, there is worse to come for it is going to get worse, but when?

Paul tells us that it will be once the one who now restrains evil is out of the way. And then once the restrainer has gone, the man of lawlessness will be revealed who is the son of destruction.

I think we would all agree that lawlessness is seeming to get worse almost daily as one week passes into another, but this Scripture reminds us that we have seen nothing yet in comparison to what will yet be on this earth.

Now, I am giving my own personal view here, you may feel differently, but I believe that this is pointing to the rapture of the Spirit filled Church being taken up from the earth into the presence of God and immediately afterwards lawlessness will be released on the earth like it has never ever been before as the son of destruction is revealed, the anti-Christ, the lawless one who by the activity of Satan will produce false signs and wonders and deceive those who are already perishing because they have failed to love the truth and to be saved (see verses 9-10).

It is a mystery, and as I have said I have expressed what I personally see in these verses, but it assures us that despite lawlessness, God is still in control, and the whole mystery of the gospel is that we who have come to saving faith will be taken out of this world before this lawless one is revealed and lawlessness reaches a never before reached level. But the continuing good news is, that after the lawless one has unleashed his evil for a little while, the Lord Jesus will appear, will come again and destroy him by the breath of his mouth (V8).

And the mystery of lawlessness concludes when after a period of peace upon the earth, the devil, the beast, the false prophet, that is all those who have unleashed evil upon the earth will be cast or thrown forever into the lake of fire and sulphur where they will be tormented day and night forever and ever Revelation 20.

I end here by reminding us, despite the lawlessness we see all around us, God is still in control!

TUESDAY January 30^th

Romans 11:25

‘Lest you be wise in your own sight, I do not want you to be unaware of this mystery, brothers: a partial hardening has come upon Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in.’

Before we move into this devotion I will bring another verse which I feel is important toward our understanding of the context of our text, it is from John 1:11 ‘He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him.’

To me, at first, it is a mystery in itself that having been given all the Old Testament promises and prophecies concerning the Messiah who would come, even with all the details of how he would come and where he would be born etc. that the Jews still rejected Jesus!

But Paul reminds us that this was all a part of God’s plan and purpose to unveil the mystery at work through the Church, for it was because of the rejection of Jesus by the Jews, his own people that he ended up going to Calvary, for when given to them, they chose instead to cry out ‘away with him, crucify him’, thus bringing about redemptions story.

When Peter addresses the crowd on the day of Pentecost, he says this ‘Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs that God did through him in your midst, as you yourselves know—this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men’, Acts 2:22-23.

The Jews rejection of Jesus was a part of God’s plan to incorporate Gentiles into this one new man which was to become the church. And thus since the time of Christ’s death and resurrection and through what we now call the day of God’s grace, although Israel are God’s chosen nation, (and God still has a purpose and plan for Israel) as individuals they also need to come by faith and to accept Jesus as Saviour, the same way as it is for we who are the Gentiles, so that together we will make up the Church which is the body of Christ.

And ever since the time of Christ’s first coming into the world, there has been a partial hardening of the hearts of Israel and it will continue until the day of the Gentiles has been fulfilled, that is the moment of Christ’s coming again.

Paul addresses it again in 2 Corinthians 3:14 ‘But their minds were hardened. For to this day, when they read the old covenant, that same veil remains unlifted, because only through Christ is it taken away.’ Thank God that there are those who have had the veil lifted as Christ has made himself known to them, and we thank God for every Jew who has come to faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, recognising him as their Lord and their Saviour.

But despite the partial hardening—we need to still pray for Israel, we need to pray for the peace of Jerusalem, and we need to pray that as Christ makes himself known, that the veil will be lifted and many more from among the Jews will come to accept Jesus for who he really is, the Son of God who came into this world to save sinners.

MONDAY January 29^th

Ephesians 1:7-10

‘In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.’

Our mystery tour continues . . . although I have gone back a couple of chapters to Ephesians 1, for it is here that Paul begins to speak about the mystery of God’s will which he continues to say was to be fulfilled through the Lord Jesus Christ.

This ‘mystery of his will’ involved the incarnation of Jesus, the provision of redemption through the shed blood of Jesus and the preaching of the gospel to the end that men and women would not only be redeemed, but would make up the one new body, the church, made up of both Jew and Gentile to bring eternal glory to His name. In Ephesians 3:6 Paul writes ‘This mystery is that the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel’.

Paul had been given a great responsibility in revealing this which had been the mystery of the will of God! He says in Ephesians 3:5 that this mystery had not been revealed to other generations, (see also Colossians 1:26-27), and yet out of his amazing grace, rich mercy and great love, God would call Saul on the road to Damascus and would powerfully save him and transform him so that as Paul he would then write in this same third chapter ‘To me, though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to bring to light for everyone what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God, who created all things, so that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. This was according to the eternal purpose that he has realized in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through our faith in him’, (8–12).

Quoting again from the hymn I’ve mentioned previously, ‘Tis mystery all’ and yet as a result you and I have been saved and incorporated into this wonderful mystery that God has revealed through the gospel and is outworking in time which will be to the praise and glory of his name throughout eternity.

In fact Paul calls the gospel a mystery as he ends his letter to the Ephesians, here is what he says ‘and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak’, Ephesians 6:19–20, see also Colossians 4:3.

The mystery of the gospel had so gripped his heart and his life that he was willing to defend it at all cost, and to boldly declare it whatever the cost. What an incredible example he was to all who knew him, what an example for each one of us to follow, to be willing to boldly proclaim the mystery of the gospel, the unsearchable riches of the grace of God.

Our mystery tour continues tomorrow.

FRIDAY January 26^th

Ephesians 5:32

‘This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church.’

As we continue to consider this mystery concerning the church, Paul describes it as ‘profound’. That is it is deep, its meaning and its expression as revealed here as relating to Christ and the church it is something we need to grasp hold of, and we need to seek to understand. Paul uses the analogy of the intimate and profound relationship of a man and a woman as they have become man and wife. The two become one, and this is what the mystery of the church is all about, as we come to know Christ through redemption we become united to him, we become as one with Christ, he himself being the head and we the church being the body.

You and I are members together of the church, which is the body of Christ. Paul speaks more of this mystery in 1 Corinthians  12 through to chapter 14, we belong together, we need to be with each other, we need to be there for each other, we need to do all we can to encourage one another and to build one another up, for we are not only connected to each other through reason of the new-birth, we are connected together to Christ the head, from whom we derive our spiritual health and strength.

Paul says that we should have the same care for one another, if one suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honoured, all rejoice together.

Can we see how wonderful this mystery of the church really is: God takes men and women from all types of backgrounds, and he brings us together into one body, united to Christ as the head.

Peter describes this mystery in this way, that Christ who is the cornerstone takes us and through new birth makes us into living stones, that are built up together as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

We are individually a part of the body of Christ, each an individual stone, but we have been joined together by the Spirit, to collectively be the body of Christ, a spiritual house.

May we learn to appreciate each other and to not be selective in who we choose to associate with or even to spend our time in conversation with, but to have the same care and the same appreciation and concern for each one, everyone that makes up the body of the local church as we gather at Emmanuel. There is always a danger in a local church setting of forming cliches and of always spending the time talking to the same few people every time we attend and never bothering to consider talking to others that we should also be making the effort to talk to. Can I challenge each one of us to mix well, to learn to appreciate one another in the body of Christ.

THURSDAY January 25^th

 Ephesians 5:32

‘This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church.’

We continue today on our ‘mystery’ tour and to Paul’s letter to the church at Ephesus.

The word ‘mystery’ here is used to describe a divine truth once hidden but now revealed in or through the gospel. That is, that the whole concept or idea of the church was completely hidden in the Old Testament, but has now been revealed to the apostles, and is a fulfilment of the declaration that Jesus made himself, that he would build HIS church!

One writer^* describes the church as ‘The Divine Masterpiece’ for in Ephesians 3:21 we read ‘. . . to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.’

So the church was the unveiling or the revelation of a mystery, of how God would redeem to himself a people who would be called the church or the body of Christ upon the earth, made up from individuals from ‘every tribe and language and people and nation’ (Revelation 5:11) who one day would be in the eternal presence of God for ever and ever, and would eternally be for the glory to God.

Now this mystery includes how a man or woman would be incorporated into this church, and it is revealed for us in Revelation 5 (the same chapter and verse I have just quoted from) ‘. . .and by your blood you ransomed people for God’. The church consists only of those who have been redeemed by the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ.

So the mystery of godliness which we considered in our previous devotion includes this, that wrapped up in the incarnation of the Lord Jesus Christ was the whole work of redemption, in particular the atoning work at Calvary which would make it possible for you and I to be redeemed and included in the church. As Peter reminds us in 1 Peter 1:18-21 ‘. . . knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot. He was foreknown before the foundation of the world but was made manifest in the last times for the sake of you who through him are believers in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.’

The whole idea of the Church was God’s idea and it was a good idea that he had even before the foundation of the world, but it was a mystery, kept hidden until it was realised in and through Christ Jesus our Lord, Ephesians 3:8-11 ‘To me, though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to bring to light for everyone what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God, who created all things, so that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. This was according to the eternal purpose that he has realized in Christ Jesus our Lord . . .’

^{* Pastor Thomas Rees}