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Third Verse Devotion: Joy to the World

Joy to the World is one of my favorite Christmas songs. Yet it isn’t really about the birth of the baby in the manger. Advent points in celebration to the birth of the Messiah but also to the promise of the second coming of Jesus. We celebrate both comings of Jesus during this season. The first in celebration and the second in hopeful anticipation. This is what makes Joy to the World appropriate for the Christmas season.  

No more let sins and sorrows grow, 
Nor thorns infest the ground; 
He comes to make his blessings flow 
Far as the curse is found. 
 

Our focus is on the third verse and specifically on the curse brought on by Adam and Eve in the Garden. We go to the beginning of Creation to celebrate the end of all things. God created the world in six days and rested on the seventh. He created a wonderful garden and placed man and woman there and gave them the job to tend the garden. When we come to chapter three of Genesis, the serpent shows up and tempts Eve. Eve falls for the temptation and Adam with her. Judgment soon follows, and all receive punishment. To Adam, God tells him this in chapter 3: 17-19 

Cursed is the ground because of you; 
With hard labor you shall eat from it 
All the days of your life. 
Both thorns and thistles it shall grow for you; 
Yet you shall eat the plants of the field; 
By the sweat of your face 
You shall eat bread, 
Until you return to the ground, 
Because from it you were taken; 
For you are dust, 
And to dust you shall return. 

Since that time, man has lived in sin and condemned to death. Isaac Watts, the writer of Joy to the World, reflected this in the third verse of our carol today.  Watts based his song on Psalm 98, the last verse of that psalm points to the coming Judge who will “judge the world with righteousness and the peoples with fairness.” (v9)  

Where are you this Christmas? Are you still gazing at the baby in the manger? Do you see the blood stained man on the cross who died for you? Are your eyes fixed on the return of that man who rose from the dead and is coming again?  

This Christmas season, let us sing joyfully this song of the Savior’s coming. The first and the second. Let us look back at the Child in the manger in awe and wonder that the God of all creation would humble himself to live among us as one of us to take our place on a cross for our sins. Let us also look ahead to the second coming of the Christ, no longer a child, but the King of Kings and Lord of Lords coming to rule and judge in power and glory. We have much to celebrate this Christmas. Whatever our circumstances are this year, we can joyfully look ahead with peace and hope because he is coming again. Let us put our trust in Him and sing Joy to the World the Lord is Come. 

All for One 

Angela 

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Third Verse Devotion: Are You Washed

The greatest anticipation of Christians is the return of Jesus. We have been expecting his return since his ascension 2, 000 years ago. I know some might say he is slow in his return, yet Peter already had an answer for that very argument.

2 Peter 3:9

The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not willing for any to perish, but for all to come to repentance.

His delay is for those who have yet to believe. The Lord will keep all his promises, including his promise to return. He doesn’t want any to perish in an eternity away from him, so he waits. He gives ample opportunity for unbelievers to come to him in repentance for salvation. One day the clock will run out and he will return. As sure as I type these words, he will return. Our hymn today asks the question, Are you ready?

When the Bridegroom cometh will your robes be white?
Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?
Will your soul be ready for the mansions bright,
and be washed in the blood of the Lamb?

When he comes have you done what you needed to in preparation? Jesus told a parable in Matthew 25 of the second coming in relation to ten virgins five had extra oil and five did not. When the bridegroom came the hour was late and five virgins trimmed their lamps with their extra oil and went out to meet him. The remainder did not have enough oil. They tried to borrow some from the other five but there would not have been enough for all of them. They were told to go to the market and purchase more. While they were out, the bridegroom came, and the party went in and shut and locked the door. Finally, they came and knocked on the door begging to be let in but were refused. They weren’t prepared, they weren’t ready in advance of his coming.

The second part of the line is “will your robes be white” and harkens to Revelation and perhaps Isaiah. In Revelation chapter 7, John looked and saw a great multitude. Look at Revelation 7:9

…I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could count, from every nation and all the tribes, peoples, and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, and palm branches were in their hands…

John was asked by one of the elders with him if he knew who they were, he answered he did not. The elder responded with,

“These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.” (Revelation 7:14)

There is a time coming when a great tribulation will fall on the earth. A man of lawlessness will reign for a short time. Any who profess to believe in Jesus during that time will suffer for their belief like never before. These martyrs for the name of Jesus are the ones who are referred to here. Earlier in chapter 6, John had witnessed those who had been martyred crying for justice. At this time, they were also given a white robe. (Revelation 6:11)

This idea can also be found in Isaiah 1:18,

Though your sins are as scarlet,
They shall become as white as snow;
Though they are red like crimson,
They shall be like wool.


When we are covered in the blood of Jesus, we are made new again and made white as snow. Our sins are no more. We will be ready for the bridegroom and our robes will be white. Then we will be ready for the mansion bright. Jesus talks about that mansion in John chapter 14. He has been talking to his disciples about going away to prepare a place for them and he says this,

John 14:2

In My Father’s house are many rooms; if that were not so, I would have told you, because I am going there to prepare a place for you.

The many rooms translated in the New American Standard is often translated mansions in other versions. It means he is preparing a place for us. Whether it is a room or a mansion, he has us in mind, and it will be magnificent. It will be a place beyond our wildest dreams. So, if he has gone to prepare a place for his believers, doesn’t it stand to reason he will come back for them? Yes, he will.

 I don’t know when but someday Jesus will come back for his church until then let me encourage you to be ready. Be washed in the blood of the Lamb. Let your robe be white and be ready for the mansions bright. O be washed in the blood of the Lamb.

Angela

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Into the Water

Baptism can be a divisive issue among Christians. Some baptize by immersion, fully putting the one baptized under the water, others baptize by a sprinkling of water or pouring of water over the one to be baptized. Some baptize infants and some say one should be baptized when one can make a full confession of faith in Christ and an infant cannot make such a confession. Some say baptism is not necessary for salvation while others say it is essential. All these varying claims can cause confusion for those who are not affiliated with any church. After all, if the churches can’t figure it out how can anyone else?

I don’t think baptism was ever meant to be divisive. After salvation, baptism is the first natural step in obedience to following Jesus. If you have confessed Christ as Savior, the next step is baptism. The chances are good you are already affiliated with a local church, and they will probably talk to you about their form of baptism. If you aren’t connected with a local bible believing church, you need to do that and let the pastor know of your decision to follow Jesus.

There are three things that baptism entails and must be found in the life of the one to be baptized. First, a confession of sins. Second repentance. And third belief in Jesus.

John’s baptism followed a confession of sins. Matthew 3:6 gives us our first look at baptism in the New Testament and he writes:

“and they were being baptized by him in the Jordan River, as they confessed their sins.”

From this we can gather that confession of sins is a necessary prelude to baptism. Without the confession of sins there would be no reason to be baptized. The confession of sins indicates the fact we need cleansing. We need washing away of our old life and the putting on of a new life. The act of confession is the beginning of the process of taking off the old self. This does not mean we need to go through the baptismal waters every time we need to confess our sins. No, once is enough. We follow the example of Christ. While he had no sins to confess, he led by example through the waters of baptism and our new life in him begins the same. We confess our sins and repent of our old ways. In the gospel of Luke, speaking of John the Baptist, we find,

…he came into all the region around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins; (Luke 3:3)

Repentance is the decision to change behavior. It is the act of turning away from what one had been doing and not doing it any longer. A thief no longer steals. A liar no longer lies. An addict no longer uses. Repentance results in changed behavior. Confession and repentance often go hand in hand. We confession our sins and repent of them in that we turn our back on them striving never to commit them again. We are not perfect, but we are in the process of becoming more like Jesus.

This brings us to belief in Jesus. We confess our sins and repent of them. If we stop here, we have done nothing more than turn over a new leaf. There must be belief. We must put our belief in Jesus. Without belief in Jesus, baptism is only getting wet. Baptism is the outward demonstration of the change that has taken place in our hearts. It is the act of showing the world that we belong to Jesus now. We are serious about our confession and repentance. We choose to follow Jesus. It is because of this choice we are following his example in baptism. Mark 16:16 states that,

The one who has believed and has been baptized will be saved; but the one who has not believed will be condemned.

Baptism is one of the two ordinances Jesus gave us while on earth. The second being communion, or the Lord’s Supper, which he instituted before his death. Baptism is the first step in a life devoted to obedience to Christ. If you have accepted Christ as Savior and confessed your need for him to forgive your sins and have repented of your ways, the next step is to follow him in baptism.

I have tried to stay away from the various forms of baptism and arguments various churches have over baptism. I fear that my belief leaked through onto the page. While I do have my answers for what I believe about baptism from the beginning of this post, I wanted to go to the heart. What is in our heart is essentially what leads us to the baptismal waters. If our heart is not changed, there is no need to be baptized. If we are not willing to confess our sins or repent of them, turn away completely from them, then our heart is not changed, and we have not believed. We are still lost, and it doesn’t matter what we believe.

So, where are you today? The way to baptism has three stops, confession, repentance and belief in Jesus. My hope for you is that you have passed all three. Now step into the water.

Angela

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The Choice

When I left us last time, we were under a load of guilt and shame. We were covered with sin and under judgement. We saw that Jesus was the propitiation for our sin, the satisfaction that God accepts for the removal of our sin. The only satisfaction God accepts. So, now what? Now we are faced with a choice.

Either we accept that Jesus is enough and accept his work on the cross and find salvation. Or we reject his work and face eternal separation from God. These are our only two options. Jesus is the only way to remove our sin. In John 14: 6 Jesus says, “I am the way, the truth and the life. No man comes to the father but by me.” This world will tell you that there are many paths to salvation and the world lies. There is only one. That path is through Jesus alone.

I do not want to alienate you at all, my friends, but I will not lie to you and risk losing you to an eternity separated from God. This world is cruel and violent. Of course you will hear there are many ways to salvation. Why would it tell you different? We are living when people are saying right is wrong and wrong is right. When people are killed for no reason. When people are filled with hate and call it justified. We will look to this world for answers and salvation? It doesn’t make sense, does it? Instead, we have a God who loves us so much that he sent his son into the world to die for our sins, to die in our place, so we can spend eternity with him. All we must do is accept it.

The choice is yours and mine. We each must decide what we will do considering this great salvation. We don’t have to wait until we are free from our addictions. We don’t have to wait until we have our family situations sorted. Let me tell you he already knows about them. There is nothing in your past or present that can prevent him from loving you. He is waiting to forgive and cleanse.

David was a man after God’s own heart. Yet, David was also a man filled with sin. In Psalm32:5 he writes:

I acknowledged my sin to You, And I did not hide my guilt; I said, “I will confess my wrongdoings to the Lord”; And You forgave the guilt of my sin.

David recognized the need to confess his sin and need of God. Confession is the act of admitting that we have sinned, of recognizing our sin. It is the first step toward repentance and forgiveness. We make our confession directly to God.

When we confess our sin and agree that we cannot pay the debt that is owed and accept that Jesus’s death on the cross was enough to pay our debt, something wonderful happens. We find it in 1 John 1:9:

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous, so that He will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

He has done all he can do. He will not violate your free will. Jesus paid the price. The debt is paid. The gift is yours. He made a way for you to be reconciled with him. It is not his desire for you to be separated from him.

2 Peter 3:9

The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not willing for any to perish, but for all to come to repentance.

Will you come to him today? What is your choice?

If you made the choice to accept Jesus and his gift of salvation, I would love to hear from you. Leave me a comment letting me know of your decision.

Angela

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Third Verse Devotion: The Haven of Rest

This is one of my favorite hymns. I could not find the background for the song only the name and life of the author. As always, you can learn about the author, H. L. Gilmour, as well as the full text of the hymn at www.hymnary.org. Here is the third verse as found in the 1975 Baptist Hymnal.

The song of my soul, since the Lord made me whole,
Has been the old story so blessed,
Of Jesus who’ll save whosoever will have
A home in the haven of rest.

In what way has the Lord made you whole? Has there been a habit you have stopped? An addition you have been set free from? Has your language been cleaned up? Have your relationships changed? See, when he makes us whole, things change. He delivers us from the muck and mire of our sin and shame and gives us a safe place to stand. When we find we are safe and whole the old temptations may be there but now we are not alone

Maybe you need to be made whole.  Your life is a mess, and you can see no way to fix it. You have done things you are not proud of. You may be cut off from friends and family and you don’t know how to restore the relationships. Maybe you are in a bad relationship and don’t know how to get out. Maybe you are in the grip of drugs or alcohol, and you have tried on your own to break free and it doesn’t work. Whatever the situation, He stands ready to make us all whole in large and small ways.

I can’t help thinking of Peter. Jesus wanted to be alone to pray and he sent the disciples ahead across the sea of Galilee. A storm came on them suddenly so that the boat was taking on water. In the middle of this they saw someone walking on the water. They all thought it was a ghost. It was actually Jesus walking on the water to them. He calls to them to not be afraid. Peter called out “If it is really you, tell me to come to you.” Jesus tells him to come. Peter stepped into the water with the storm raging with wind and waves and he walks to Jesus. Soon though the storm catches his attention, and he looks around and realizes he is walking on the water and begins to sink. He calls out to Jesus to save him, and Jesus is right there to save him. Jesus is ready to save you and me just like he did Peter.  He is not willing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance. Take a moment and really read those words. Jesus is ready to save. All you have to do is call to him. You can have that haven of rest today. Come and anchor your soul in him today.

Angela

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Third Verse Devotion: Battle Hymn of the Republic

The words of this patriotic song were written by Julia Howe at the start of the Civil War in November 1861.  This patriotic song can be found in many hymnals. There are five stanzas to the song and all of them are full of meaning, for the sake of time I will only focus on one.

Here is the third verse from the 1991 Baptist Hymnal. You can find the full song at www.hymnary.org.

He has sounded forth the trumpet that shall never sound retreat;
He is sifting out the hearts of men before His judgment seat;
O be swift, my soul, to answer Him; be jubilant, my feet!
Our God is marching on. [Chorus]

Judgement is not something any of us like to think about. We choose to believe the characteristic of God as love, and He is love. Yet He is also judge. He cannot look on sin. He must judge sin. He is a righteous God and there is no unrighteousness in Him. So, the sin you and I carry must be judged.

There are two types of judgment mentioned in the New Testament. The first is found in Romans 14:10 and 2 Corinthians 5:10. This is a judgement for believers. Every person who has placed faith in Christ Jesus will stand before Him one day and give an account of the things they have done. Did you accept the gift of salvation that Jesus offers? What did you do with the gifts you have been given? How did you live your life? Did you share your faith with others? Did other people know you were a Christian? Did they know you believed in Jesus? What did you do good or bad after you became a follower of Jesus? This is what this judgement seat is all about. The second judgement is mentioned in Revelation and is called “the Great White Throne Judgement”. It is found in Revelation 20: 11-15 and is for all non-believers throughout history. Every individual who had the opportunity to accept God and refused will stand before Him and give an account of his deeds. All deeds were listed and then their name is checked against the book of Life. If their name was not listed there, they were thrown into the lake of fire.

Please hear me, if you think living a good life and performing good deeds will be enough to get you into heaven, Friend, you are wrong. You want your name in that book of Life. The only way to escape the Great White Throne Judgement is Jesus. You want to be at that first judgment.  The next line of the song is “…be swift, my soul, to answer Him…”. Let that be your response as well. When you know God is calling you to follow him, do not hesitate. Respond then. Ephesians 2: 8-9 reminds us:

For by grace you have been saved through faith;

and this is not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; 

not a result of works, so that no one may boast. (NASB)

You can never perform enough good works or be a good enough person to make your way to heaven and escape the second judgement. Good works will not get your name in the book of life. Only accepting the grace of Jesus will accomplish salvation and ensure judgment at Christ’s judgement seat.

Be assured God loves you. He does not want any at the second judgment. It is a fact that many will be there. Those who choose to reject Him. You don’t have to be among their number. If you are reading these words, you still have a choice. Make that choice today. Be swift to answer Him.  Since everyone one day will be judged, where will your judgement take place, at the foot of Jesus or at the Great White Throne of God. I hope to see you at the feet of Jesus.

Angela