Weekly Devotional 7-27-15 Making Personal Application
John 3:16 “16For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 17For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.”
Personalizing theses verses, they would say to us:
“16For God so loved (me) that He gave His only begotten Son, that if (I) believe in Him (I) should not perish but have everlasting life. 17For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn (me), but that (I) through Him might be saved.”
John 3:18-20“18He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 19And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. 20For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. 21But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God.”
Personalizing theses verses, they would say to us:
“18If (I) believe in Him (I) am not condemned; but if (I) do not believe in Him (I) am condemned already, because (I) have not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 19And this is the condemnation, light has come into the world, and (I) in my natural state loved darkness rather than light, because (my) deeds were evil. 20For when (I) practiced evil (I) hated the light and would not come to the light, lest (my) deeds should be exposed.
To believe in Jesus is more than an intellectual assent of His being, but it is believing to the point of complete trust in Him for your (for my) salvation being convinced that there is no other way to escape God’s judgment against sin. The account of the Philippian Jailer’s salvation is a perfect example of this truth. Turning to Book of Acts we read from chapter 16 that the apostle Paul and his fellow missionary Silas, had been cast into prison because of charges laid against them by merchants who had been profiting from the incantations of a demon possessed woman. We join the account at verses 25 and read,
“25But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. 26Suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone’s chains were loosed. 27And the keeper of the prison, awaking from sleep and seeing the prison doors open, supposing the prisoners had fled, drew his sword and was about to kill himself. 28But Paul called with a loud voice, saying, ‘Do yourself no harm, for we are all here.’ 29Then he called for a light, ran in, and fell down trembling before Paul and Silas. 30And he brought them out and said, ‘Sirs, what must I do to be saved?’ 31So they said, ‘Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household.’ 32Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house. 33And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their stripes. And immediately he and all his family were baptized. 34Now when he had brought them into his house, he set food before them; and he rejoiced, having believed in God with all his household.”
The jailor realizing his peril (he would have been executed had the prisoners escaped under his watch) asked Paul and Silas what he must do to be saved from such a plight. Beyond this, he realized his spiritual peril and asked them what he must do to be saved. Paul and Silas had been preaching the need of repentance and salvation throughout Philippi. He was aware of what they had been doing, and perhaps was present at one or more of the orations. He became convinced of what they had been proclaiming as he heard them throughout the night praising God and singing praises to Him. Furthermore, when given a chance to escape they did not. Being convicted and convinced of his spiritual need he asked what he must do to be saved from God’s judgment against sin. To which they replied, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved.”
Believing on Jesus meant much more to him that just believing that Jesus was an actual person. That He was known as a teacher and preacher, and as a good man, but that He was God’s provision; God’s only provision for the salvation of his soul. The proof of this is found in what he, along with his household, did. They identified with the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ by baptism. In so doing they turned their backs on the god/state of Rome. They could no longer worship Caesar as a god nor involve themselves in Rome’s sacrilege, possibly at great cost. The point is their faith moved them to action, to a complete commitment to Jesus Christ. Truly the jailor at Philippi and his family had become committed followers of Jesus Christ.
Having personalized then the verses at the beginning of this work, what has it led you to do? Has your personalization caused you to understand and believe that your salvation rests in the finished work of Christ and has this personalization caused you to take action on that conviction?
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Transforming Power, The Work of God on Behalf of Man
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