Philip said, “If you believe with all your heart, you may.” He answered, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.”

— Acts 8:37

As recorded in Acts 8, Philip was out in the desert and saw the Ethiopian eunuch in a chariot. The Holy Spirit said to him, “Go to this chariot and stay with it” (Acts 8:29). The eunuch was reading from Isaiah 53: “He was led as a sheep to slaughter; and as a lamb before its shearer is silent, so He opened not His mouth” (Acts 8:32). Philip asked him, “Do you understand what you are reading?” (v. 30).

Then the eunuch said to Philip, “I ask you, of whom does the prophet speak, of himself or of someone else?” (v. 34). Then we read: “Then Philip spoke, beginning with the same Scripture, and preached Jesus to him” (v. 35).

Beginning at that Scripture, Philip preached Jesus to him. So we see that the authoritative New Testament Scripture makes very clear that this passage is talking about Jesus Christ. Just the very content of it makes it absolutely plain—crystal clear, that that is what it is about.

This Ethiopian treasurer might have been the first person that we know of who was converted to Christ by the words of Isaiah 53, but millions have followed in his footsteps.

Question to ponder:
How has Isaiah 53 impacted you?

Surely he has borne our grief and carried our sorrows; Yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was upon him, and by his stripes we are healed.

— Isaiah 53:4-5

Imagine, if you will, writing the details, the minute details, of the life of someone who would live in the 28^th century a. d. What do you know about anyone? You know absolutely nothing whatsoever. But now, hear the Word of God, who knows the end from the beginning: “Who has believed our report? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? For he grew up before Him as a tender plant and as a root out of a dry ground.” (Isaiah 53:1–2a).

There is no way Isaiah 53 could be said to have been written after Christ was born. I have seen the actual Isaiah manuscript taken from the Dead Sea Scrolls—sealed and hidden before Christ was born.

Furthermore, in the Septuagint translation (begun in the third century b. c.), the Old Testament was translated into Greek and spread around the world. It would have been impossible to insert anything at a later date. This was, indeed, written seven centuries before Christ was born.

It is truly remarkable. It obviously proves that the Scriptures are inspired by God. There is no other way a writing such as this could exist.

Question to ponder:
How does the inspiration of Scripture make the reading and studying of it different from any other book?

Your eyes are too pure to look on evil, and You cannot look on wickedness.

— Habakkuk 1:13

How terrible is sin. We haven’t got a clue, however, for we live in it. We wallow in it. It’s up to our necks. Only those who live in a perfect world like Heaven would have the foggiest notion of how horrific sin really is. But when we look at this One who came all the way from Paradise to heal us of this dread disease, we begin to get a new view of just how terrible a thing sin really is. May we see in Christ a mirror of our own souls and stand amazed that such a one as He, the altogether perfect One, could love such ones as us.

We need to come to grips with what Christ endured—that this terrible thing called sin might be taken away because sin inevitably draws upon itself the wrath of God. May we never forget that even if we become complacent in the face of sin, even if we accept it broadly as a people, God is a God who is infinitely holy and has an infinite hatred for sin. He is of purer eyes than even to look upon iniquity and has promised that He will visit our transgressions with the rod, and that His wrath will inevitably fall upon our sins. So we stand in His presence, amazed that He could want us fallen creatures and that He found a way to make us cleansed, radiant, and free of sin.

Question to ponder:
What power is in the blood of Christ that it would be strong enough to cleanse us?

Therefore be perfect, even as your Father who is in heaven is perfect.

— Matthew 5:48

Now it is clear that horizontally we can look around ourselves and we can see there are some people who, morally and ethically, stand head and shoulders above others. Therefore, we can see that they are superior. Some people are more righteous than others; they shine in comparison. However, vertically, it is different. There is one prayer you never want issued from your lips, one prayer you never want to utter, and that is: “Lord, give me what I deserve.”

God does not grade on the curve. He doesn’t say we are good compared to our neighbors. He judges by perfection. If you’re not perfect, then you can’t go to heaven. But then who could possibly get there, since no one’s perfect? No one. No, not one.

Martin Luther said the most damnable and pernicious idea that has ever plagued the minds of men is the idea that we sinful, fallen, depraved creatures could ever make ourselves good enough to stand in the presence of an all-holy, sin-hating God. But God has provided a way to get rid of our sin by punishing it on His own Son. The Old Testament tells that God has devised means by which His banished ones, who were expelled from the Garden because of their sin, should not ultimately and totally and finally be separated from Him. These means are called “the Gospel,” “the Good Tidings,” “the Good News” of the love of Christ and His death and resurrection.

Question to ponder:
How do we live with the goal of perfection in an imperfect and sinful world?

The LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great on the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was continually only evil.

— Genesis 6:5

There was sin around when I was growing up, but you had to go looking for it. Now, we have home delivery, just like pizza. Sin is brought right into your house through a conduit you pay for called cable television and the internet. They dump it right in your lap in your easy chair. They spray it all over you.

There are very few decent movies. Sin is everywhere—on billboards, in magazines and books, and in conversations. We live in an unclean and unholy and ungodly and immoral world like we’ve never known in America before. There are evil people who kill in the name of their god and think they are serving him by doing such.

Most of the readers of this devotion worship Sunday morning, as is good. But what have we been doing during this week? Any dishonesty? Any deceit? Any lies? Any lusts? Any immorality? Any malice? Any envy? Yet we come to worship the all-holy God?

Before we come into His presence, we must repent and be cleansed. In such a culture where sin is so often predominant, we are not always able to see our sin. We must ask the Holy Spirit to show us our sin, so we can be cleansed.

Question to ponder:
What is the result when we ask God to reveal our sin to us?

Then the serpent said to the woman, “You surely will not die! 5 For God knows that on the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”

— Genesis 3:4-5

Those who walk in the land of the half-dead—the half alive—are living zombies who live according to the course of the world animated by the spirit of this world, which is Satan. They are engaged in fulfilling the desires of the flesh and the lusts of the mind. What is their motto? “If it feels good, do it.”

God has given to us the amazing and marvelous gift of imagination, and by that gift, we may entertain unholy fancies and lay the reins upon the neck of the steeds of passion, always stopping short of the act.

Underlying this is a subtle tool of the devil. He places fear in human hearts along this line: If you get too close to God, you are going to be unhappy; if you live life His way, you are going to be miserable. Satan’s first lie is: God will make you miserable; the other side of this lie is: sin is good.

The truth of the matter is, it is only sin that is harmful; it is only sin that will hurt us, ultimately, because God loves us with an infinite love. His banner over is us is love and He desires nothing but good for us.

Question to ponder:
How do we come to believe that good is bad and bad is good?

I came that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.

— John 10:10

Note from Dr. Jerry Newcombe: What a difference Christ makes in this life and in the next. These words spoken by Dr. D. James Kennedy several years before his home-going to heaven speak volumes about the confidence Christ gives as we face the prospect of death.

“Now, I know that someday I am going to come to what some people will say is the end of this life. They will probably put me in a box and roll me right down here in front of the church, and some people will gather around, and a few people will cry. But I have told them not to do that because I don’t want them to cry. I want them to begin the service with the Doxology and end with the Hallelujah chorus, because I am not going to be there, and I am not going to be dead. I will be more alive than I have ever been in my life, and I will be looking down upon you poor people who are still in the land of dying and have not yet joined me in the land of the living. And I will be alive forevermore, in greater health and vitality and joy than ever, ever, I or anyone has known before. That is what Christ offers us.”

Question to ponder:
In heaven sadness and sorrow will flee away, but what about this life? Is there less sadness in godly living?

For the wages of sin is death…

— Romans 6:23

“Then, when lust has conceived, it brings forth sin; and when sin is finished, it brings forth death” (James 1:15). So it was in the world of the spirits before man was created, and so it was also at the beginning of the human race. This is the source of all manner of sadness. Grief has but one primary root, and tears have but one primary source; and that root, that source, is sin.

No sob ever mingled with Eden’s breezes. No tear ever dripped from the eyelids of Mother Eve ’til sin first reared its ugly head. No heartache was ever known until the serpent made a conquest of the human will. Then sobs and sighs and tears and weeping and wailing and mourning and all of the woeful progeny of sin were born into the world. After sin, sadness reigned on the face of the earth.

Where there is no sin, there is no sadness or sorrow or grief, but this world teems with sin, and so sadness rolls down like a river. Sin has robbed man of honor and dignity. Sin has cleft such a chasm between mankind and God and has cloaked mankind with such impurity and sadness that it is no wonder this world is called—and is actually found to be—a vale of tears, sorrow, and sadness … .

Question to ponder:
In heaven sadness and sorrow will flee away, but what about this life? Is there less sadness in godly living?

His master answered, “You wicked and slothful servant!”

— Matthew 25:26

Paul minces no words about loafers: “For when we were with you, we commanded you that if any will not work, neither shall he eat” (2 Thessalonians 3:10). You would have to listen a long time before you heard those words today. The Apostle knew that man inclines toward evil and so he inclines toward idleness and laziness. A man will avoid all opportunities to work if he can, but the Apostle makes it clear that if a man will not work, he is not to eat.

This does not refer to a person who is not able to work. The Scripture has a great deal to say about caring for the lame, the blind, the sick, the infirm, the aged, and the young. But if anyone will not work, then neither let him eat.

Because of the prevailing politics of guilt, most people will feel a twinge of guilt when they hear those words, as if they were words without compassion. May I say to you that this is the most compassionate statement on the subject of economics that has ever been made. Were it not to a large degree followed, there would be wholesale famine and starvation plaguing the world. So let it be underscored and proclaimed in bold and capital letters: If any will not work, neither let him eat.

Question to ponder:
Do you find laziness a temptation to you in any way?

Whatever your hands find to do, do with your strength; …

— Ecclesiastes 9:10

The earth is under a curse, and we experience that curse in one way or another each day. God declared to Adam in judgment: “Cursed is the ground on account of you; in hart labor you will eat of it all the days of your life. Thorns and thistles it will bring forth for you, and you will eat the plants of the field. By the sweat of your brow you will eat bread until you return to the ground” (Gen 3:17-19).

Ecclesiastes describes a bleak picture of man’s daily existence as he toils every day under the sun in order to enjoy for a moment fleeting pleasures.

A bumper sticker declares the daily grind of many people; “I owe, I owe, so off to work I go!”

Many people suppose that work is a curse to be avoided, if at all possible, and an activity to be involved in only when necessary. This is not the case. God ordained work before the fall. It is not part of the curse. Adam was commanded to tend the garden before he fell into sin. Even after sin, though it is greatly aggravated by the results of the fall and the curse, it is still true that work occupies a very important position in man’s life. Without work, it is impossible for any human being to fulfill the probation that God has given him in this life.

Question to ponder:
Is work a curse to you? Is work a joy to you?