The Devotional - R017

The Devotional

Comment:

Fifty eight years ago a young boy of 18 walked into the recruiting office of the United States Navy. A kid of less than 130 pounds. "I, JESSE ABEL do solemnly swear and affirm that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; and that I will obey the orders of the President of the United States and the orders of the officers appointed over me, according to regulations and the Uniform Code of Military Justice. So help me God." In a matter of a few seconds in time I went from being a civilian man to a military man. All I did to get to this point in time, was to agree with the oath, I had no ability to defend the Constitution, I only had a hope that the Navy would train me to do so and in this few seconds of I changed from being a natural citizen to a military citizen. Laws of civilian life were now second to the new primary law of the military Code of Conduct. Did I feel any different? No, not at first but as time moved forward changes in the way of life began and I conformed to the military way and laid aside the civilian way.

Challenge: Romans 4:1-12

Abraham, who is the father (fore-father) of faith in God, see Genesis 15 and note verse 6. While he is not the first person to place his faith in God, he is considered the first Jewish person and this is how he obtains the title of the father of faith that even includes the church even today. While this can be confusing and would be to those who do not study the Word of God the apostle Paul makes it clear that “Father Abraham” believed God as a Gentile, before God changed his name from Abram to Abraham. See Genesis 17.

Again we have little time to search through these events in Abraham’s life, but we do see that Abram believed God and things changed mightily for him. This same change is noted throughout the history of time of men and women, even children who, in hearing God’s call was transformed by God Himself to a faith that will not vanish away, 1 Corinthians 13:8 of which we looked at yesterday. We see this faith in action with men like Abraham, David and even the apostle Paul.

Before their faith in God they sinned and even after they began living by faith in God they sinned. So you might say, and how does that work? It can only work through the imputed Righteousness given to them at the point of being saved – Romans 4:3 says “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted (imputed) to him for righteousness (not Abraham’s self-righteous behavior) but God’s Perfect Righteousness apart from that of Abraham.

Now what about the man David, the scripture does not reveal when he was initially saved, but it does reveal a period of sin in David’s life when he decided to stay home from a war. In 2 Samuel 11 the LORD has this sin recorded for our edification. David is saved, but he is also complacently willing to please his flesh with what his eyes are seeing. In the reading of 2 Samuel 11, you will see that David desired to have the wife of another man, Uriah. The king gets what he wants, then has Uriah killed in battle. Now the consequence of these sins never left David.

Yet David after repenting of this sin says this in Psalm 32:1-2 – Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man in whom the LORD does not impute iniquity and in whose spirit there is no deceit. Even the apostle Paul express this imputed righteousness in 1 Timothy 1:15, this is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief.

What do we need to see in this? Much more than we have time for today, but we can faithfully say this… Jesus Christ is the Way, the Truth and the Life, NO ONE can come to the FATHER except through the RIGHTEOUSNESS provided to us in Jesus Christ. When we personally believe this, He will impute His Righteousness to us and the Saving Grace of God will provide the ongoing FAITH, HOPE and LOVE to carry us through time and eternity.