Tuesday Morning, July 10
"Fellow citizens with the saints."
Ephesians 2:19
What is meant by our being citizens in heaven? It means that we are under heaven's government. Christ the king of heaven reigns in our hearts; our daily prayer is, "Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven." The proclamations issued from the throne of glory are freely received by us: the decrees of the Great King we cheerfully obey. Then as citizens of the New Jerusalem, we share heaven's honours. The glory which belongs to beatified saints belongs to us, for we are already sons of God, already princes of the blood imperial; already we wear the spotless robe of Jesus' righteousness; already we have angels for our servitors, saints for our companions, Christ for our Brother, God for our Father, and a crown of immortality for our reward. We share the honours of citizenship, for we have come to the general assembly and Church of the first-born whose names are written in heaven. As citizens, we have common rights to all the property of heaven. Ours are its gates of pearl and walls of chrysolite; ours the azure light of the city that needs no candle nor light of the sun; ours the river of the water of life, and the twelve manner of fruits which grow on the trees planted on the banks thereof; there is nought in heaven that belongeth not to us. "Things present, or things to come," all are ours. Also as citizens of heaven we enjoy its delights. Do they there rejoice over sinners that repent—prodigals that have returned? So do we. Do they chant the glories of triumphant grace? We do the same. Do they cast their crowns at Jesus' feet? Such honours as we have we cast there too. Are they charmed with his smile? It is not less sweet to us who dwell below. Do they look forward, waiting for his second advent? We also look and long for his appearing. If, then, we are thus citizens of heaven, let our walk and actions be consistent with our high dignity.
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Evening, July 10
"And the evening and the morning were the first day."
Genesis 1:5
The evening was "darkness" and the morning was "light," and yet the two together are called by the name that is given to the light alone! This is somewhat remarkable, but it has an exact analogy in spiritual experience. In every believer there is darkness and light, and yet he is not to be named a sinner because there is sin in him, but he is to be named a saint because he possesses some degree of holiness. This will be a most comforting thought to those who are mourning their infirmities, and who ask, "Can I be a child of God while there is so much darkness in me?" Yes; for you, like the day, take not your name from the evening, but from the morning; and you are spoken of in the word of God as if you were even now perfectly holy as you will be soon. You are called the child of light, though there is darkness in you still. You are named after what is the predominating quality in the sight of God, which will one day be the only principle remaining. Observe that the evening comes first. Naturally we are darkness first in order of time, and the gloom is often first in our mournful apprehension, driving us to cry out in deep humiliation, "God be merciful to me, a sinner." The place of the morning is second, it dawns when grace overcomes nature. It is a blessed aphorism of John Bunyan, "That which is last, lasts forever." That which is first, yields in due season to the last; but nothing comes after the last. So that though you are naturally darkness, when once you become light in the Lord, there is no evening to follow; "thy sun shall no more go down." The first day in this life is an evening and a morning; but the second day, when we shall be with God, forever, shall be a day with no evening, but one, sacred, high, eternal noon.
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The Way to God
Author: Jim Elliff
Years ago, two cousins were visiting near the Okefenokee Swamp in Georgia. Although they were told by their parents not to venture into the swamp, they disobeyed. As the sun was setting, they decided to head home in hopes that their absence would not be detected.
Neither boy made it back. When they were found dead a few days later, a note was attached to one of the boys. It read, "I thought I knew the way, but I was wrong."
Do you know the way to God? Are you sure you are right?
Jesus declared that He is the way to God. He said in John 14:6, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." According to Jesus, if you hope to get to God, you must come through Him.
On Lake Geneva in Switzerland, the beautiful castle of Chillon sits on the water's edge with a moat in front and the lake surrounding three sides. There is only one way to enter in—across the moat bridge and through the huge doors in the front. And one may enter there only if the gate is let down and the door is opened from the inside.
Jesus is the bridge let down and the door opened to God. His death on the cross is "the new and living way (Hebrews 10:20)." Peter said, "Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved (Acts 4:12)." Jesus is the way.
Jesus also said, "I am the truth." He is the truth about God. God has told you the truth through His Word, but He did it "in person" through the coming of Jesus Christ. Jesus, who is also called the Word in John 1, is the perfect expression of God (Hebrews 1:1-3). "Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father," Jesus claimed (John 14:9).
There are people who believe in a concept of God but only think of Jesus as just another philosopher, though perhaps of a superior quality. The Bible says that Christ came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive Him (John 1:11)." Is it possible for people to believe only in God and to dismiss Christ as merely a teacher?
Jesus taught that it was impossible to truly believe in the Father without believing in the Son as well. Once He told some religious leaders, "You do not know me or my Father. If you knew me, you would know my Father also (John 8:19)." He also said, "I and the Father are one (John 10:30)." To reject Christ is to reject the Father completely, for they are one in essence.
Jesus was worshipped as God, controlled nature as God, forgave sins as God, did miracles as God, and lived perfectly as God. Jesus is the truth about God.
Jesus also asserted that He is the life.
A friend of mine was once in a serious car accident. He was taken out of the car as dead. When the medics examined him, they said to each other, "This one is gone." My friend could hear them speaking but could not move. He wanted to shout, "Get to work on me. I'm not dead. I'm alive!" But he could not get a word out of his mouth.
The Bible teaches that you are worse off than my friend. The Bible says that you are spiritually dead, not just paralyzed (Ephesians 2:1). This is why you need Jesus so badly. He is the life. He can bring life into your dead soul, life that is transforming and exciting for now, and life that will last forever in eternity. John said, "And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life (1 John 5:11)."
We used to hang a colorful picture of heaven and hell in our children's room. It depicted a huge cavern full of fire, representing hell. On one side is a city awaiting destruction. On the other side is heaven. Across the cavern is a huge cross over which some people are walking.
The scene is a graphic reminder that Christ is the way to God, and nobody comes to the Father but through Him. It also shows us that the cross is the means by which He has secured a place for sinful people in heaven. Peter said, "For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God (1 Peter 3:18)."
You must trust Christ as the only way to the Father. He demands that you depend upon Him alone for your salvation. There are important facts you must believe about Christ, that is true, but ultimately you must put your faith in the person Himself. He is the way and nobody, including you, will get to the Father but through Him.
Permission granted for reproduction in exact form. All other uses require written permission.
Find more free articles at www.BulletinInserts.org, a ministry of Christian Communicators Worldwide: www.CCWtoday.org
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