Devotional
Daily Bible
If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.
A Christian's citizenship (Philippians 3:20) is heaven; we are aliens in this world (and the world is alien to God - Eph. 2:19), and the world hates a child of Christ for this reason. The world opposes God in every way, because God demands obedience to Himself; the truth is in Jesus Christ and the reality is found in God. The world wants to do exactly what it wants including each and every person defining their 'own truth' - every person wants to do what they want to do, leading to the chaos we live in today. Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a Christian killed by Nazis in World War 2 once said: 'When Christ calls a man, he bids him come and die.' This is a very hard saying, but we are assued that being in Christ here, leads to being with Christ in heaven.
Lord of glory, we adore Thee!
Christ of God, ascended high!
Heart and soul we bow before Thee,
Glorious now beyond the sky:
Thee we worship,
Thee we praise —
Excellent in all Thy ways.
Anointed King, with glory crowned,
Rightful heir and Lord of all!
Once rejected, scorned, disowned,
E'en by those Thou cam'st to call:
Thee we honour,
Thee adore —
Glorious now and evermore.
Blesser, yet a curse once made;
Of Thy Father's heart the object,
Yet in depths of anguish laid:
Thee we gaze on,
Thee recall —
Bearing here our sorrows all.
Royal robes shall soon invest Thee,
Royal splendours crown Thy brow;
Christ of God, our souls confess Thee
King and Sov'reign even now!
Thee we reverence,
Thee obey —
Own Thee Lord and Christ alway.
[1] Synder, JL (1997) Tozer on Worhip and Enterainment Wing Spread, Camp Hill PA.
We have received spiritually life from Christ, He is our life, and we are partakers of the divine nature. The more evil the day, the greater is the necessity for the divine nature to manifest itself. If we do not overcome evil with good, in the power of divine love, which, through grace, has found a place in our hearts, coming from the very source of love, God Himself, for God is love, we shall be overcome by evil. Only by walking obediently in the truth can we put a guard around true charity which is coupled with the truth. In a day of great evil, it is not only necessary to be sound in doc trine, but it is most important that unmistakable proof be given of the divine source both of the doctrine, and of the energy with which the truth is held. Only the true display of the divine nature will furnish the proof. The truth working by love in the power of the Spirit proves the work to be of God. Where can it be seen but amongst the children of God? Love, expressing itself obediently in the truth, is active in keeping and guarding the children of God from the evil of the day. When the evil is great our love must be great. Not that love condones evil; love cannot endure evil in those whom she loves. The cross of Christ is the full proof of this. There we see the deepest expression of God's hatred of sin, but blessed be His name, it is the fullest expression of His love to the sinner, for it is there His own beloved Son suffered for the guilty.
Divine love in us is proved by our obedience when we walk in obedience to the word of God. It finds in those who are loved of God, the most blessed opportunities for obeying the will of God. "He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is none occasion of stumbling in him." If a child of God be found following a path of disobedience to the word of God, obedient love would not keep him company in such a pathway. To walk with him in a way contrary to the will of the Father would not be showing either love for him or for the Father. It would not be a proof of brotherly love to encourage a brother to walk in a path of disobedience by keeping him company there; it would not be love in the truth. But love rejoices when it hears that the children of God are walking in truth, for there they are perfectly free to enjoy the richest communion. "I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth" (3 John 4).
