12-30-19 Today in the Word

Who is this Jesus?
JUDGE OF THE LIVING AND THE DEAD
Monday, December 30, 2019 | Acts 10:34–43

Theologian Jonathan Edwards said in “The Excellency of Christ”: “[Jesus Christ] is the Judge of the world, and the infinitely just Judge of it, and will not at all acquit the wicked, or by any means clear the guilty. . . . Yet how wonderfully is infinite mercy towards sinners displayed in him! Though he be the just Judge of a sinful world, yet he is also the Savior of the world.”
When He returns, Christ will judge the world. As Peter spoke in the house of Cornelius, he summarized Jesus’ life and ministry: “the good news of peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all” (v. 36). Peter began with the ministry of John the Baptist (v. 37), continued on to Jesus’ miracles and other good works (v. 38), then the Crucifixion and Resurrection (vv. 39–41), and finally the mission of the apostles and the church to preach this good news “and to testify that [Jesus] is the one whom God appointed as judge of the living and the dead” (v. 42). The bottom line: “Everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name” (v. 43).
When we stand before the Judge, the basis of His judgment will be faith in Him. There will be no favoritism or injustice in any form (v. 34). There will certainly be no ethnic or cultural prejudice (v. 35), a lesson Peter learned from the “sheet vision” (vv. 9–23). Everyone who trusts in Christ will go to heaven, and everyone who doesn’t will go to hell. Thankfully, Cornelius’s household responded in faith (vv. 44–48). As we draw near to the close of this study and this year, it is a good time to consider whether or not you have placed your faith in Jesus.
APPLY THE WORD
Did you know favoritism is injustice? Favoritism is a sin we often seem willing to tolerate. We need to see it through God’s eyes. James commanded against this sin vehemently, including an example of discrimination against the poor (2:1–13). Showing favoritism is disobedience to the “royal command” to love our neighbor (vv. 8–9)!
PRAY WITH US
As we look back on the past year, we hope that God used Today in the Word to minister to you. Thank God for the way He has worked in your life in 2019. We look forward to exploring together our Bible study topics in the new year.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

9-17-23 Not in a Billion Years

Not In A Million Billion Years :: By Dave Hubley Published on: December 24, 2022 by RR10 Category:General Articles (There is a special message at the end of this article for those who might happen to read this and do not have Jesus in their life and are looking for peace and a way to better understand the present-day insanity and confusion.) Several years ago, I had a conversation with a guy in a waiting room while getting an oil change (in the car, not me). I don’t recall exactly how the conversation originated or how it progressed, but I have never forgotten it. As I recall, it had something to do with evolution and an article that was contained in a “waiting room magazine” that was available there. He made the observation that God was “something that man had made up.” I can’t recall the exact reason he used to justify his opinion, but it had something to do with the usual reasons people give: Weak-willed people needing a crutch, and blah, blah, blah. I engaged him in a “witness,
Read more

9-16-23 Santa Staleness

Santa Staleness :: By Edwin Tan Published on: December 24, 2022 by RR10 Category:General Articles My one and only trip to Israel had more than a profound effect on my present-day psyche. It might have been three decades ago, but there is more than a lingering aftertaste. It happened smack in the last fortnight of the year. Surprisingly absent were the familiar sights and sounds of the Christmas most people are accustomed to. Hardly any Christmas decorations in downtown Tel Aviv, if not any of the shopping thoroughfares across the Holy Land. Hanukah was a breath of fresh air – not anything resembling a Christmas carol most people grew up with did surface. The Christmas Eve service in a small Protestant church not far away from Jerusalem’s Old City was awesome; songs that truly celebrated the virgin birth of our Lord, which though seemingly unheard of, were a welcome inspiration to many a soul. There was even one sung in Arabic! So it began, my overt disdain for the secular Christmas t
Read more

9-15-23 Miracles 2

Miracles 2 :: By Jim Towers Published on: December 21, 2022 by RR10 Category:General Articles This story is a continuation of the exciting things God continues doing in my life. I was supposed to have died a while back, and sometimes I feel as though I may do so soon. But since I’m ready to meet my maker, I have no fear of death. In fact, my evangelistic zeal has only increased, especially as I see the fast approaching of the “Tribulation period” mentioned in the book of Revelation. Insofar as my acting career is concerned, I just finished filming a soliloquy featuring Melchior, one of the three Magi who followed the star to Christ lying in the manger, and am preparing to portray a Jewish Priest on stage. Like I said, God is working overtime in my life, and I will be appearing on stage singing Broadway show tunes sometime in March, so I have a lot of rehearsing to do. In the meantime, I will be signing Christmas carols acapella at a park here in Naples. Since it is a spontaneous th
Read more