“Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ … for by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified.”

— Galatians 2:16

Most people don’t get it. The darkness of spiritual ignorance has pervaded people’s minds, leaving vast numbers abjectly ignorant of this central doctrine of Christianity.

What am I talking about? The doctrine of justification by faith—the fact that we can have eternal life because Christ’s death has cleansed us of all sin, making us worthy to live in God’s presence.

Do you understand justification by faith? If you don’t, you’re not alone. So many, including Christians, can’t explain it. If you were to ask people from a variety of church backgrounds how to get to Heaven, I believe that most answers would include a work or act. “I go to church every Sunday.” “I keep the Ten Commandments.” “I try not to hurt people.” But none of these answers matches what the Bible teaches us about salvation.

So how do we become “justified?” The Westminster Catechism describes it most aptly, saying that justification is an act of God’s free grace wherein He pardons all our sins and accepts us as righteous because of Jesus’ substitutionary death on the cross. What does that mean? Most important, it means that God sets us free from eternal punishment by His will, not our own. The only thing we can do is accept the gift by faith.

God is the only one who can justify us, and yet we continue to try to justify ourselves. Someone once said to me, “I can justify everything I have done to God.” Though most people wouldn’t state it that way, many people try to do just that. But the doctrine of justification condemns every person’s effort to justify himself or herself. Only God can justify us. He does it once and for all, completely and perfectly, in the twinkling of an eye.

Who are you trusting for your salvation: yourself or God? Only God’s free grace can save you. Accept His undeserved favor, and stop your striving. Allow Him to give you the free gift He offers, and just watch where it will take you.

“Justification is the pivotal point around which all else turns.”
Geerhardus Vos

“For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light.”

— Ephesians 5:8

Have you ever visited a historical village where a lamplighter lights the street lamps at night? If you have, then you can relate to what Sir Henry Lauder, a famous Scotsman of the turn of the century, saw as he watched a lamplighter one evening at the Hotel Cecil: “I was sitting in the gloaming [dusk], and a man passed the window. He was the lamplighter. He pushed his pole into the lamp and lighted it. Then he went to another and another. Now I couldn’t see him. But I knew where he was by the lights as they broke out down the street, until he had left a beautiful avenue of lights. You are lamplighters. They’ll know where you’ve been by the light you have lit.”

Christ said, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life” (John 8:12) and “The light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil” (John 3:19). All of those in whom the Light of life—Jesus Christ—burns brightly must bring light to those who sit in the shadow of darkness so that upon them the wondrous light of Christ might shine. We are the lamplighters. The darkened lamps are the lives and souls of lost men and women who sit in sin’s dark night, far apart from God’s life and light. The flame is Jesus Christ burning within our hearts through His Spirit. The pole is the presentation of Jesus Christ.

Are you a lamplighter for Christ? Have you touched the dark world with the Light of Jesus Christ, encouraging lost men and women to catch fire? The world will know where you are—what you believe—by the lights you have lit. Ask God to teach you the joy of spreading Christ’s Light in a dark world.

“O Lord, send me to the darkest spot on earth!”
Prayer Of John Mackenzie
(19th Century Scottish Missionary To Africa)

“And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations …”

— Matthew 24:14

This month marks the annual remembrance of Christopher Columbus’ discovery of the New World. Columbus was a brave and farsighted leader whose monumental discovery changed the world. But our society often questions Columbus’ character. We know he was a man of flesh and blood, a sinner as we all are. And we know he made mistakes. Yet we can’t hold him responsible for all the things modern critics would like to blame him for.

So what kind of person was Columbus? His son portrays him as a gracious, loving father. Columbus was a godly man who so fervently attended to Scripture reading, prayer, fasting, and all of the worship services, that if one didn’t know he was a seafaring man, one would have suspected that he belonged to a holy order. In fact, when Columbus first landed in the New World, his first act was to plant a cross on the land.

The names Columbus chose for the places he discovered also indicate his dedication to Christ. He named his first landing place “San Salvador,” which means “Holy Savior.” He named his next landing places “Vera Cruz,” which means “True Cross,” and “La Navidad,” which means “The Nativity” or “Christmas.” Then Columbus came to an island with three hills on it, and he named it “Trinidad,” meaning “The Trinity.” He did this time after time in the places he landed, indicating his godly focus and nature.

Today you’ll often hear people doubt the goodness of Columbus’ character. Part of this is because they perceive that Columbus sailed for “gold and glory.” But listen to what Columbus himself said about his reason for sailing: “It was the Lord who put it into my mind to sail to the Indies. The fact that the Gospel must be preached to so many lands—that is what convinced me.” Overall, I think Columbus is a model of courage, who admirably drew his life’s vision from Jesus Christ.

“No one should fear to undertake any task
in the name of our Savior, if it is just and if
the intention is purely for His holy service.”
Christopher Columbus

“Give unto the Lord the glory due to His name; worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.”

— Psalm 29:2

What do you expect when you go to church on Sunday mornings? Do you view Sunday morning church as a type of performance? Many people do. They listen to the choir as if they were at a concert, ready to critique the choir’s performance. They sing hymns but never once as they sing do they ever think of praising God. Instead, they sing hymns by rote, with their minds turned off.

But God doesn’t want us to sit back as passive observers. He wants us to actively participate in worshipping Him.

Soren Kierkegaard, the Danish philosopher, thought that most people conceive of church as a drama wherein they are merely spectators. In this drama, the minister is the principal actor. God prompts the minister by whispering His lines in the minister’s ear (should the minister chance to forget them), and the congregation members are the critics who pass their judgment on the performance.

The truth of the matter, says Kierkegaard, is that church is a drama of sorts. But if we view worship as God designed it, the congregation members should be the actors, the minister the prompter, and God Himself the critic. Why? Because worship is one’s response to the revelation of God. When we recognize God’s true nature, we want to worship Him in direct proportion to the clarity of our vision of Him.

So many people don’t understand the true joy of worship. And God doesn’t want us to miss it. This Sunday, remember to actively worship God as a participant, not as a mere spectator. When the choir sings and the minister preaches, lift their words in praise to God. “Give unto the Lord the glory due unto His name.”

“If absence makes the heart grow fonder, some
people ought to love their churches greatly.”
Anonymous

“Bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do.”

— Colossians 3:13

Has anyone ever hurt you so deeply that you not only refrained from forgiving that person but you also waited for poetic justice to catch up with him or her, perhaps helping it along by planning a little retribution yourself? “Revenge is sweet,” says the world, and we often buy into that mentality. But while revenge may offer sweet satisfaction, it sure isn’t Biblical. God tells us that vengeance is His; He will take unjust matters into His hands. (Besides, revenge doesn’t often turn out that sweet; usually it just brings on disaster.)

God tells us to forgive those who have sinned against us, even our enemies. I believe that we can’t truly forgive others until we’ve experienced God’s forgiveness for our offenses against Him. People who don’t know Christ often find it difficult to forgive people who have “done them dirt.” But Christians, who have experienced God’s full forgiveness, must radiate a forgiving nature.

The Bible says a great deal about forgiveness, particularly about our need for it. Jesus taught us to pray, “Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.” Jesus instructs us to ask God for forgiveness. We can’t experience a full relationship with God unless we regularly confess our sinfulness to Him.

But that petition has a second part: We need to forgive others. Christ underscored this by commenting that only when we forgive others will God forgive us (Matthew 6:14–15). This is the only condition God describes for our own forgiveness. Forgiving others comes hard to our fallen natures, but it’s crucial to our walk with the Lord. Our forgiveness of others is the indispensable sign and seal of God’s forgiveness of us. Since the ultimate Christian quality is love, we should remember that in a world of fallen creatures, where we continually sin against one another, we must show our love through forgiveness.

Since God has forgiven us, how can we not forgive others? Who do you need to forgive today?

“Christians aren’t perfect. Just forgiven.”
Bumper Sticker

“This is the day which the Lord has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.”

— Psalm 118:24

How is your day going so far? Are you enjoying it, unfettered by regrets about the past and worries about the future? Or do you find your mind focused on everything else but this day?

When I wake up each morning, I like to quote aloud Psalm 118:24—“This is the day which the Lord has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.” We need to focus on the present moment. The psalmist encourages us to seize the day … the moment … and rejoice and be glad in it. We can’t leave our happiness in the past, thinking our best days are behind us. Nor should we wait until tomorrow to rejoice. Today, at this very moment, we must be glad because this day and this moment are gifts from God.

Enjoying each day is like the art of reading aloud. When you read aloud, you must pay attention to each word you read as you read it, putting the appropriate emphasis and nuance on every word to impact the hearer as you desire. You cannot let your thoughts race three or four words ahead of the words you are presently saying. Doing so causes the words to lose their meaning and impact. Similarly, do not think about rejoicing tomorrow. Such thoughts cause today to lose its importance in your life. Instead, think about rejoicing today … and do it.

Why can we be so free to think only of today? Because, unlike the atheistic existentialist who blocks out the past and the future, the Christian can perceive and enjoy past and future events for their own value. Christians can look to the past—to the Crucifixion and the Resurrection—and rejoice in forgiveness, cleansing from sin, and spiritual renewal. Christ has disposed of sin, shame, and guilt. As Christians we can trust Christ with our past, knowing that He has erased our transgressions and made us new persons in His family. Our salvation is great cause for celebrating today.

In the same way, we can rejoice today because we trust Christ with our future. As Christians we look ahead and boldly affirm the glorious tomorrow that awaits us. We eagerly anticipate Christ’s return, an event that will usher in freedom from pain, fear, and death. The sovereign Lord has tomorrow in His hands, and He works all things together for good. We can rely on that truth. Today, lay your feelings about yesterday and your anxieties about tomorrow at Christ’s feet. Trust Him with your past and with your future, and rejoice in each moment of this day, a gift from God to you.

“Live in day-tight compartments.”
Sir William Osler

“And it shall come to pass … that the waters of the Jordan shall be cut off, the waters that come down from upstream, and they shall stand as a heap.”

— Joshua 3:13

Remember the last time you faced a situation so daunting that you didn’t know how to respond, a situation in which all potential solutions just produced more challenges? Perhaps you’re facing this kind of situation today.

Life seems to constantly throw challenges in our paths. We overcome one challenge, and there’s another one in our way. And the greater level of comfort we seek in life, the greater our consternation when hardships arise.

But if we’re to grow in Christ, we must persevere. Consider what Joshua faced. As Moses’ successor, Joshua had been commissioned by God to lead the Israelites into the Promised Land. After the Israelites had wandered in the desert aimlessly for years, God finally led them out of the sands and to the river’s edge.

The Israelites had never come to this point before, and despite the heat and rough terrain, they’d grown familiar and comfortable with the desert. At the river’s edge, the Israelites confronted a new fear. The river was not fordable, and beyond it were walled cities and hostile tribes. But consider the troubles they were leaving behind: a desert and raging sun that had consumed a generation of Israelites. If they stepped into the river, they’d leave all that behind and enter the green and pleasant land of Canaan. Joshua led them into taking a step of faith, and God miraculously opened up the Jordan River. From there, God helped the Israelites conquer one tribe after another in order to inhabit the Promised Land.

We can identify with the Israelites’ situation. All at once something disrupts our usual flow: a new danger, a new fear, a new expectation, a new unknown. We get comfortable with the familiar and hesitate to engage in a new endeavor. But when we challenge new obstacles, we simultaneously leave others behind.

Are you facing a new possibility today, something unknown, unfamiliar, maybe even a bit dangerous? If God calls you to move ahead, step into the river. Don’t hesitate to trust God. He anxiously waits to bestow His blessings on you as you follow His call.

“There is no education like adversity.”
Benjamin Disraeli

“But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His.”

— Romans 8:9

Have you ever wondered about the role of the Holy Spirit in Christianity and in your life? Well, literally hundreds of verses from Genesis to Revelation describe the work of the Holy Spirit, and as you delve into them, you’ll discover that the Holy Spirit has played and continues to play an active role in your faith.

Just as God the Father is in everything, so, too, is the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit played an important part in the creation of the world. In Genesis we read that “the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters” as the earth formed. As well, the Holy Spirit caused Christ to be conceived in Mary’s womb. The angel told Mary, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you … therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God” (Luke 1:35). And the Holy Spirit, with the Father and Son, participated in Christ’s resurrection.

When we allow Him to, the Holy Spirit will do mighty works within us. For example, the Spirit regenerates us, resurrecting us from spiritual death when we commit our lives to Jesus. Christ says we must be “born of the Spirit” if we want to enter God’s kingdom. And so, the Spirit grants us new life in Christ. The Holy Spirit also sanctifies us, purifies us, and cultivates within us the fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

To experience the fullness of God’s power in our lives, we must allow the Holy Spirit to work within us. Invite the Holy Spirit to do so today, then watch as He responds.

“We must not be content to be cleansed from
sin; we must be filled with the Spirit.”
John Fletcher

“Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love.”

— Revelation 2:4

Many of us vividly remember the day we gave our hearts to Christ. We were awash in love and warmth. Ah, my friends, our first love. There is nothing that can replace the first time we felt saturated with unconditional love.

Sadly, though, many of us have gone adrift. Our hearts have wandered. Maybe you can relate. Perhaps you’re not feeling as connected with God as you once did. Or maybe you don’t have your old passion for doing God’s will.

We all need to ask ourselves, “Have I remained true to my first love? Do I love Christ as when I first loved Him?” If not, Christ has a solution for those of us with diseased hearts.

There are three parts to Christ’s “prescription.” The first is to remember from where we have come. Christ says, “Remember from whence thou art fallen.” God asks us to respond wholeheartedly to our salvation. We can give no less. Christ has loved us even to the point of enduring the pit of Hell for our sake. How can we not reciprocate this love? God created and saved us to love Him forever.

The second part of Christ’s prescription is repentance. Because of evil, our love for God may have become lukewarm. Satan works to cool that love and constantly pours the waters of this world and its trappings upon us to kill the flame of our love for Christ. To revive that fire, we must confess and turn away from evil.

The third part is our return. God wants us to turn back to Him fully, holding nothing back. We must get down on our knees. Once we’ve humbled ourselves before God, we must ask Him to light such a flame in our hearts that it shall never go out. We need to ask for His forgiveness and cleansing and the ability to move forward in His grace.

When we are in love, we can accomplish all sorts of things for the object of our affections. When we’re out of love, even the smallest effort can seem burdensome. Today ask God to show you what your first love is. If you find that it isn’t Him, ask Him to help you remember where you came from, repent of your lukewarm attitude, and return to that fire of your first love.

“Oh, make me Thine forever, and should I fainting be,
Lord, let me never, never outlive my love for Thee.”
“O Sacred Head” (Hymn)

“But no man can tame the tongue. It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. With it we bless our God and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the similitude of God. Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be so.”

— James 3:8–10

Do you remember the last time you said something you wished you could take back? Do you remember the consequences? We all have said things we later regret. You’d think we’d learn, but we continue to fall into that trap. Someone once said, “The trouble with talking too fast is that we say things we have not thought of yet.” Why do we persist in doing something we know will hurt us in the end? Because we have no control over our tongues.

The Bible says the tongue is a great evil. James compares it to a bridle, a fire, an untamed creature, and a double fountain, among other things. The tongue is like a bridle because even though the bit is very small, it controls the horse’s movement. In the same way, a little word can change the whole direction of our lives. The tongue is also like a fire. Just as one little spark can start a raging forest fire of destruction, one little word can destroy a relationship, a hope, a life. The tongue is like a caged but untamed animal that paces restlessly back and forth, looking for any opportunity to escape. Though humans have tamed all kinds of wild beasts, they cannot tame their own tongues. When we least expect it, a harmful word escapes. As well, the tongue is like a double fountain that brings forth both fresh water and bitter water. Just as saltwater poured into fresh water makes all water salty, so bitter words absorb the sweet. If you bless God but also curse your brother or sister, your good words lose their effectiveness.

Our tongues can get us into all sorts of trouble. First, there are the sins of blasphemy, cursing, and profanity. The Third Commandment forbids these. The Ninth Commandment forbids deceit and lying. God said it is better not to make a vow than to make one and break it. We should keep our vows, even if we have to make sacrifices to do so. Backbiting is another sin of the tongue. The backbiter speaks maliciously of others, then talks behind their backs. Gossip is close kin to backbiting.

Do any of these habits hit a little close to home? If so, confess them. Ask God to show you how to better control your tongue. And today make it a goal to bless others with your words.

“Many a life has been ruined by a thoughtless word.”