Showing posts with label Christ Alone. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Christ Alone. Show all posts

Saturday, August 15, 2026

What We Were Made For

Christ suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God. (1 Peter 3:18)


The greatest good of the good news — the gospel — is the enjoyment of fellowship with God himself. This is made explicit here in 1 Peter 3:18 in the phrase “that he might bring us to God.” That’s why Jesus died.


All the other gifts of the gospel exist to make this one possible.


We are forgiven so that our guilt does not keep us away from God.

We are justified so that our condemnation does not keep us away from God.

God is propitiated so that his wrath doesn’t stand between us and God as our Father.

We are given eternal life now, with new bodies in the resurrection, so that we have the capacities for being with God forever and enjoying God to the fullest.

Test your heart. Why do you want forgiveness? Why do you want to be justified? Why do you want the wrath of God to be propitiated? Why do you want eternal life? Is the decisive answer, “Because I want to enjoy God now and forever”?


The gospel-love that God gives is ultimately the gift of himself. This is what we were made for. This is what we lost because of our sin. This is what Christ came to restore.


“In your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore” (Psalm 16:11).


John Piper 

Thursday, August 13, 2026

The Bread of Life

“And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to the disciples and said, ‘Take, eat; this is My body.’” MATTHEW 26:26

 

PONDER THIS


As Jewish families observed Passover through the centuries, they developed a tradition. They would take a bag called a Matzah Tash with three sections in it—top, middle, and bottom. In the middle section would be a piece of bread. At Passover, the father would reach into the middle section, pull out the piece of bread, break it, and give it to all of those around. It’s still done in Seder suppers today. At the Last Supper, Jesus reached in and took that middle piece of unleavened bread. And Jesus said, “This is my body.” He took that middle piece, broke it, and distributed it. When Jesus blessed that bread, not only was He showing His death by breaking the bread, but He was also showing His resurrection.


Do you know what is said when the bread is taken out at Passover? Here it is: “Blessed art thou, o Lord, our God, King of the universe, who bringeth forth bread from the earth.” Jesus was prophesying His resurrection. He was the bread that would be broken and come from the earth. “This is my body.” From the ground, it would be raised.


How does it build your faith to see the connection to Jesus in ancient practices such as the Passover meal?

How does it impact your daily life to regularly reflect on the resurrection?


PRACTICE THIS


Reflect on Matthew 26:26-29, contemplating the truth of Jesus’ body broken for you and His blood poured out for you.



LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers 

Wednesday, August 12, 2026

Blood on Every Page

“By faith the harlot Rahab did not perish with those who did not believe, when she had received the spies with peace.” HEBREWS 11:31

 

PONDER THIS


The whole Bible is about a blood sacrifice. You cut this blessed book anywhere, and it will bleed. The blood of Jesus seems to stain every page. You can begin with Abel’s lamb, go right on through to Noah’s sacrifice to Abraham’s ram on Mount Moriah, then to all the smoking sacrifices on every Jewish altar till finally you come to Calvary where the Lord Jesus Christ hung in agony and blood. All of it is saying, “When I see the blood, I will pass over you” (Exodus 12:13). The Bible says in Hebrews 11:31 that Rahab was delivered from destruction. This was because of the scarlet cord that hung in her window, representing the sacrifice of blood (Joshua 2:18). She did not perish. This reminds us of John 3:16: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish.” And if you’ve trusted in the blood of Jesus, neither will you.


How does it build your faith to see the way the Bible points over and over again to the sacrifice of Jesus?

Who do you need to tell about the sacrifice of Jesus?


PRACTICE THIS


Share with someone today about the sacrifice of Jesus.


LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers 

Monday, August 10, 2026

Have Mercy on Me, O God

Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions. (Psalm 51:1)


Three times: “Have mercy,” “according to your steadfast love,” and “according to your abundant mercy.”


This is what God had promised in Exodus 34:6–7:


“The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty.”


David knew that there were guilty who would not be forgiven. And there were guilty who by some mysterious work of redemption would not be counted as guilty, but would be forgiven. Psalm 51 is his way of laying hold on that mystery of mercy.


“Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions.” We know more of the mystery of this redemption than David did. We know Christ. But we lay hold of the mercy in the same way he did.


The decisive thing he does is turn, helpless, to the mercy and love of God. Today that means turning, helpless, to Christ, whose blood secures all the mercy we need.



John Piper 

Stop Staring at Your Jericho

“By faith the walls of Jericho fell down after they were encircled for seven days.”

HEBREWS 11:30

 

PONDER THIS


Many people are problem conscious. All they see is the problem. They see Jericho. Many of us need to take our eyes off Jericho and put them on Jesus. Here is the way of faith. Don’t dwell on your problems, dwell on your Lord. Be looking to Jesus, the author and finisher of your faith. Catch a vision of Him. Worship Him. Bow before Him and you'll find your faith growing. Learn to glance at your problems and to gaze at your Lord. Keep your eyes on Him. Don’t go around being negative or with a problem complex. Go around with your eyes, your hopes, and your affections fastened upon the Lord Jesus Christ. Set your affections on things above. Put your eyes upon the Lord and your faith will begin to grow.


Are you more prone to focus on your problems or on your Lord?

What habits can you develop to focus more on Jesus than on your problems?


PRACTICE THIS


Take action today. Begin practicing some of the habits you identified to help you focus more on Jesus than on your problems.



LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers 

 

Saturday, August 8, 2026

The Lamb Who Defeated the Serpent

“Now the blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you are. And when I see the blood, I will pass over you; and the plague shall not be on you to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt. EXODUS 12:13

 

PONDER THIS


In the Passover, God was going to use a lamb to deliver His people. His people were in the land of Egypt. In the Bible, Egypt stands for bondage. It stands for the world, the flesh, and the devil. Pharaoh is a type, a picture, and an illustration of the devil. Now Pharaoh had a crown, and on his crown was a serpent. Look at some of those ancient Egyptian pictures and you’ll see a serpent coiled up there on his crown. That’s the symbol of Egypt.


On one side, you have the serpent. On the other, you have the lamb. But it’s the lamb who was going to defeat the serpent. That’s what Passover was all about. God was going to bring His people from the land of bondage, from the land of wickedness, from the land of sin, and from the land of cruelty. He was going to deliver them, and He would do it with a Passover lamb.


The image of the lamb defeating the serpent illustrates the “upside-down” nature of God’s kingdom. What other biblical examples can you think of that illustrate this?

How has God brought you from the land of bondage through Jesus, the Lamb of God?


PRACTICE THIS


Spend time in prayer today, thanking God for Jesus, the Lamb who saves God’s people from bondage.



LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers 

Friday, August 7, 2026

Death Has Lost Its Sting

“O Death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory?” 1 CORINTHIANS 15:55

 

PONDER THIS


I have no fear of death. You may say, “You’re lying.” I am not; God is my witness. I don’t look forward to the act of dying, but I have no fear of death, none.


There was a time when death laid his bony hands on the Lord Jesus Christ, drug Him into a dungeon, and put Him on a cold slab. Jesus was bound with the chains of death. One day passed. Two days passed. Three days passed. And death, that old monarch of terrors, laughed his hoarse laugh and clapped his bony hands saying, “I have Him.” But on the third day, Jesus broke those chains and rose. A look of fear came over the face of death himself. Jesus reached up, pulled death from his throne, and threw him to the dungeon floor. The crown rolled off death’s head. Jesus reached in and pulled the sting out of death, put his heel on the neck of death, put the crown on His head, and walked out of that tomb risen, living, and victorious as Savior. Because He lives, we live with Him. We no longer have to fear death. We have a Savior. Faith relies on the unbreakable promises of God. Faith recognizes the unshakeable power of God. And faith rests in the unmistakable peace of God.


Do you have a fear of death?

How does Jesus speak to that fear? If you have not trusted Him for salvation, how is He speaking to you today?


PRACTICE THIS


Read 1 Corinthians 15 to be reminded how Jesus has defeated death.



LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers 

Thursday, August 6, 2026

Jesus Bought Your Endurance

“This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood.” (Luke 22:20)


What that means is that the new covenant, promised most explicitly in Jeremiah 31 and 32, was secured and sealed by the blood of Jesus. The new covenant comes true for God’s people who trust the Messiah, Jesus, because Jesus died to establish it.


And what does the new covenant secure for all who belong to Christ? Perseverance in faith to the end.


Listen to Jeremiah 32:40,


“I will make with them an everlasting covenant, that I will not turn away from doing good to them. And I will put the fear of me in their hearts, that they may not turn from me.”


The everlasting covenant — the new covenant — includes the unbreakable promise, “I will put the fear of me in their hearts, that they may not turn from me.” They may not. They will not. Christ sealed this covenant with his blood. He purchased your perseverance if you are in Jesus Christ through faith.


If you are persevering in faith today, you owe it to the blood of Jesus. The Holy Spirit, who is working in you to preserve your faith, is honoring the purchase of Jesus. God the Spirit works in us what God the Son obtained for us. The Father planned it. Jesus bought it. The Spirit applies it — all of them infallibly.


God is totally committed to the perseverance and eternal security of his blood-bought children.



John Piper 

Blessed Assurance

This is every Christians hope!

In faith, you must believe God's word, the bible.

There is no other true testimony of eternal life.

These words speak life to those who will believe on the blood of Christ. 

In obedience to God believe.

Rebellion leads to eternity in Hell. 

Lord, Let Your word go out!  

 

 1 John 5:11-12


[11] And this is the testimony, that God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. [12] Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.


John 6:44-48


[44] No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day. [45] It is written in the Prophets, ‘And they will all be taught by God.’ Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to me—[46] not that anyone has seen the Father except he who is from God; he has seen the Father. [47] Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes has eternal life. [48] I am the bread of life.


Hebrews 11:1-3


[1] Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. [2] For by it the people of old received their commendation. [3] By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible.


Hebrews 10:19-23


[19] Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, [20] by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, [21] and since we have a great priest over the house of God, [22] let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. [23] Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful.


Romans 8:38-39


[38] For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, [39] nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.


Revelation 1:5-6


[5] and from Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth. 


To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood  [6] and made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.


Hebrews 10:3-10


[3] But in these sacrifices there is a reminder of sins every year. [4] For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.


[5] Consequently, when Christ came into the world, he said, 


    “Sacrifices and offerings you have not desired,

        but a body have you prepared for me; 

    [6] in burnt offerings and sin offerings

        you have taken no pleasure. 

    [7] Then I said, ‘Behold, I have come to do your will, O God,

        as it is written of me in the scroll of the book.’”


    [8] When he said above, “You have neither desired nor taken pleasure in sacrifices and offerings and burnt offerings and sin offerings” (these are offered according to the law), [9] then he added, “Behold, I have come to do your will.” He does away with the first in order to establish the second. [10] And by that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

Wednesday, August 5, 2026

By The Miraculous Blood of Christ and The Authority Of Sovereign God and His Word

Salvation-Authority-Justification Redemption 

The eternity question as in where your spirit will reside forever.

There is salvation though Christ alone.

Ways of salvation as in there is none except by the blood of Christ.

The authority as in there is none but Almighty God who demanded a spotless Lamb and there was none until Christ was born and became your substitute.

Hallelujah Hallelujah Hallelujah 


Colossians 2:14


[14] by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross.


1 Peter 1:8-9


[8] Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, [9] obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.


1 John 3:5


[5] You know that he appeared in order to take away sins, and in him there is no sin.


Hebrews 10:3-10


[3] But in these sacrifices there is a reminder of sins every year. [4] For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.


[5] Consequently, when Christ came into the world, he said, 


    “Sacrifices and offerings you have not desired,

        but a body have you prepared for me; 

    [6] in burnt offerings and sin offerings

        you have taken no pleasure. 

    [7] Then I said, ‘Behold, I have come to do your will, O God,

        as it is written of me in the scroll of the book.’”


    [8] When he said above, “You have neither desired nor taken pleasure in sacrifices and offerings and burnt offerings and sin offerings” (these are offered according to the law), [9] then he added, “Behold, I have come to do your will.” He does away with the first in order to establish the second. [10] And by that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.


Colossians 1:15-20


[15] He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. [16] For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. [17] And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. [18] And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. [19] For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, [20] and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.


Romans 11:29-36


[29] For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. [30] For just as you were at one time disobedient to God but now have received mercy because of their disobedience, [31] so they too have now been disobedient in order that by the mercy shown to you they also may now receive mercy. [32] For God has consigned all to disobedience, that he may have mercy on all.


[33] Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!


    [34] “For who has known the mind of the Lord,

        or who has been his counselor?” 

    [35] “Or who has given a gift to him

        that he might be repaid?”


    [36] For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.


Revelation 12:10-11


[10] And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, “Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come, for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God. [11] And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death.

Monday, August 3, 2026

Why You Have a Body

For you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body. (1 Corinthians 6:20)


God did not create the physical-material universe willy-nilly. He had a purpose, namely, to add to the ways his glory is externalized and made manifest. “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork” (Psalm 19:1).


Our bodies fit into that same category of physical things that God created for this reason. He is not going to back out on his plan to glorify himself through human beings and human bodies.


Why does God go to all the trouble to dirty his hands, as it were, with our decaying, sin-stained flesh, in order to reestablish it as a resurrection body and clothe it with glory and immortality? Answer: Because his Son paid the price of death so that the Father’s purpose for the material universe would be fulfilled, namely, that he would be glorified in it, including in our bodies, forever and ever.


That’s what the text says: “You were bought with a price [namely, the death of his Son]. So glorify God in your body.” God will not disregard or dishonor the work of his Son. God will honor the work of his Son by raising our bodies from the dead, and we will use our bodies to glorify him forever and ever.


That is why you have a body now. And that is why it will be raised to be like Christ’s glorious body.



John Piper 

Sunday, August 2, 2026

Afraid of Death No More

Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery. (Hebrews 2:14–15)


How does Christ deliver us from the fear of death and set us free to live with the kind of loving abandon that can “let goods and kindred go, this mortal life also”?


Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood . . .


The term “children” is taken from the previous verse and refers to the spiritual offspring of Christ, the Messiah. These are also the “children of God.” In other words, in sending Christ, God has the salvation of his “children” especially in view. “Since the children share in flesh and blood . . . ”


he himself likewise partook of the same [flesh and blood] . . .


The Son of God, who existed before the incarnation as the eternal Word (John 1:1), took on flesh and blood, and clothed his deity with humanity. He became fully man and remained fully God.


that through death . . .


The reason Christ became human was to die. As preincarnate God, he could not die for sinners. But united to flesh and blood, he could. His aim was to die. Therefore, he had to be born human, mortal.


that he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil . . .


In dying, Christ defanged the devil. How? By covering all our sin (Hebrews 10:12). This means that Satan has no legitimate grounds to accuse us before God. “Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies” (Romans 8:33). On what grounds does he justify? Through the blood of Jesus (Hebrews 9:14; Romans 5:9).


Satan’s ultimate weapon against us is our own sin. If the death of Jesus takes it away, the chief weapon the devil has is taken out of his hand. In that sense, he is rendered powerless.


and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery.


So, we are free from the fear of death. God has justified us. There is only future grace in front of us. Satan cannot overturn that decree. And God means for our ultimate safety to have an immediate effect on our lives. He means for the happy ending to take away the slavery and fear of the present.


John Piper 

Hope Like an Anchor


“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” HEBREWS 11:1

 

PONDER THIS


The word hope does not mean “a fond desire.” It means a glorious assurance based on the Word of God. We use the word hope today to mean something similar to the word wish. We hope something will happen, but we also don’t want to get our hopes too high so that we won’t be overly disappointed. We would like for something to happen, but it isn’t sure. That isn’t what the word hope means in the Bible. The Second Coming of Jesus is called “the blessed hope” (see Titus 2:13). How do we know that Jesus is coming again? We have God’s promise. The Lord Jesus said, “If I go … I will come again” (John 14:3). He said, “I will!” Therefore, we have this hope like an anchor. You don’t put an anchor in a cloud bank. The Bible calls hope the “anchor of the soul” (Hebrews 6:19)! An anchor holds firm and can be trusted in every season. This is the hope we have in Jesus.


How much trust do you put in the promises of the Bible?

How has today’s devotion changed the way you think about hope?


PRACTICE THIS


Write out a list of things you are hoping for. Make a corresponding list of promises from the Bible that you can have certain hope in.



LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers 

Friday, July 31, 2026

The Golden Chain That Cannot Be Broken

“Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.”

ROMANS 8:30

 

 

PONDER THIS


There is an eternal, golden chain of redemption that cannot be broken. God predestined you, then God called you, then God justified you, and then God glorified you. You see, salvation is not your work, it is God’s work, and that’s the reason the Apostle Paul said he was “confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ” (Philippians 1:6). This should cause us to say amen. What has been decreed by Heaven cannot be annulled by Hell. What has been settled in eternity cannot be undone in time. We were in the heart and mind of God before He spun this world into space. And we are the ones He has called.


How would you live differently today if you really believed you were this secure in God’s hand?

What usually keeps you from believing this?


PRACTICE THIS


Read Romans 8:31-38 for further reflection on God’s matchless love for His people.


LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers 

Tuesday, July 28, 2026

Why We Don’t Lose Heart

So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal. (2 Corinthians 4:16–18)


Paul can’t see the way he used to (and there were no glasses). He can’t hear the way he used to (and there were no hearing aids). He doesn’t recover from beatings the way he used to (and there were no antibiotics). His strength, walking from town to town, doesn’t hold up the way it used to. He sees the wrinkles in his face and neck. His memory is not as good. And he admits that this is a threat to his faith and joy and courage.


But he does not lose heart. Why?


He doesn’t lose heart because his inner man is being renewed. How?


The renewing of his heart comes from something very strange: it comes from looking at what he can’t see.


We look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal. (2 Corinthians 4:18)


This is Paul’s way of not losing heart: looking at what he cannot see. What, then, did he see when he looked?


A few verses later in 2 Corinthians 5:7, he says, “We walk by faith, not by sight.” This doesn’t mean that he leaps into the dark without evidence of what’s there. It means that for now the most precious and important realities in the world are beyond our physical senses.


We “look” at these unseen things through the gospel. We strengthen our hearts — we renew our courage — by fixing our gaze on the invisible, objective truth that we see in the testimony of those who saw Christ face to face.


“God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ” (2 Corinthians 4:6). “The light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.” We see this as it shines in our heart through the gospel.


We became Christians when this happened — whether we understood this or not. And with Paul we need to go on seeing with the eyes of the heart, so that we not lose heart.


John Piper 

Share the True Hope

“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.”

MATTHEW 6:19-20

 

PONDER THIS


Let’s suppose you’re down in the Caribbean on a luxurious cruise ship and everything is beautiful. You say, “This is the best vacation of my life.” Then the captain says, “I have an announcement ladies and gentlemen. We’re going to continue the entertainment. The cooks are going to do an even better job than normal with the cuisine. The crew is going to go all out to make you comfortable.” Then he says, “But there has been one change in plans. We’re not going to sail to any one port. Instead, we’re going to go out in the middle of the ocean and sail around in circles until we run out of food, fuel, and water. And when we do, we’re going to empty the ship and sink it.”


At that moment, no matter how much you’re enjoying the cruise, it doesn’t seem to be quite as good, does it? When you realize you’re going around in a meaningless circle, it doesn’t matter how beautiful the weather is. It is a hopeless, joyless matter. In the same way, the joy of this present life will not diminish the fact there is no hope for the future for those outside of Christ. We should seek to meet people’s temporal needs as we are able, but first and foremost, we must point them to Christ. Apart from Him, there is no hope.


How are you tempted to focus on current comforts and pleasures over the future reality of life eternal with God?

Who do you know who needs to hear about the hope of Christ today?


PRACTICE THIS


Take time to share with the person you identified about the hope of Jesus.


LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers 

Friday, July 24, 2026

Jesus Keeps His Sheep

“Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you, that he might sift you like wheat, but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned again, strengthen your brothers.” (Luke 22:31–32)


Though Peter, in fact, failed miserably, by denying Jesus three times, the prayer of Jesus preserved him from utter ruin. He was brought to bitter weeping and restored to the joy and boldness that showed itself in Peter’s message at Pentecost. Jesus is interceding for us today in the same way that our faith may not fail. Paul says this in Romans 8:34.


Jesus promised that his sheep would be preserved and never perish. “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand” (John 10:27–28).


The reason for this is that God works to preserve the faith of the sheep. “He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ” (Philippians 1:6).


We are not left to ourselves to fight the fight of faith. “It is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure” (Philippians 2:13).


You have the assurance of God’s word that, if you are his child, he will “equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ” (Hebrews 13:21).


Our endurance in faith and joy is finally and decisively in the hands of God. Yes, we must fight. But this very fight is what God works in us. And he most certainly will do it, for, as it says in Romans 8:30, “Those whom he justified he also glorified.” The glorification of God’s justified children is as good as done.


He will lose none of those he has brought to faith and justified.



John Piper 

Every Day Is a Day of Mercy

“The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.” 2 PETER 3:9

 

PONDER THIS


Why did Methuselah live so long? (See Genesis 5:27.) Methuselah represented the mercy of God. God knew that after Methuselah’s death, the flood would come. The flood was due, and the judgment of God was smoldering. People deserved to be judged, but God kept pushing the judgment day back. God gave them another year. He gave them another month. He gave them another week. He gave them another day. He gave them another hour. But one day, Methuselah died, and one of these days our figurative Methuselah will die. And mercy will give way to judgment.


In Peter’s time, there were people saying, “Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation” (2 Peter 3:4). But Peter made it clear, “The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9).


How does it change your perspective on the state of the world to remember that God is showing mercy by delaying the Second Coming of Jesus?

How should this truth give us a sense of urgency?


PRACTICE THIS


Take time today to share with someone about the mercy of God.



LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers 

Wednesday, July 15, 2026

We Work by Grace

By the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me. (1 Corinthians 15:10)


Paul realized that the first part of this verse might be misunderstood: “I worked harder than any of them.” So he goes on to say, “Though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me.”


Paul does not trace his obedience back to his thankfulness for past grace. He traces it up to moment-by-moment, ever-arriving grace. He is banking on the promise of God’s future grace to arrive at every moment of need. In every instant of Paul’s intention and effort to obey Christ, grace was at work to produce that intention and that effort. Paul did not bring about his work merely out of gratitude for past grace, but in moment-by-moment reliance on the arrival of promised grace. Paul wants to emphasize that the ever-arriving grace of God is the decisive cause of his work.


Does it really say that? Doesn’t it just say that the grace of God worked with Paul? No, it says more. We have to come to terms with the words, “Though it was not I.” Paul wants to exalt the moment-by-moment grace of God in such a way that it is clear that he himself is not the decisive doer of this work.


Nevertheless, he is a doer of this work: “I worked harder than any of them.” He worked. But he said it was the grace of God “toward me.”


If we let all the parts of this verse stand, the end result is this: grace is the decisive doer in Paul’s work. Since Paul is also a doer of his work, the way grace becomes the decisive doer is by becoming the enabling power of Paul’s work.


I take this to mean that, as Paul faced each day’s ministry burden, he bowed his head and confessed that, unless future grace was given for that day’s work, he would not be able to do it.


Perhaps he recalled the words of Jesus, “Apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:5). So he prayed for future grace for the day, and he trusted in the promise that it would come with power. “My God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:19).


Then he acted with all his might.


John Piper 

You Just Need to Know the Channel

“Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.’” JOHN 14:6

 

PONDER THIS


Years ago, I heard a story of a man who applied for a job as a river boat pilot on the Mississippi. They said, “Can you run a river boat?” He said, “Of course I can.” They asked, “Can you handle the business affairs and stay in command?” He said, “Of course I can.” They asked, “One other thing, do you know where all the sandbars are?” He said, “No, I don’t.” They asked, “Do you know where the sunken rocks are?” He said, “No, I don’t.” They asked, “Do you know where all the hidden logs are?” He said, “No, I don’t.” They asked, “Well, how do you ever expect to be a river boat pilot?” He said, “I know where the channel is.” Amen.


Friend, listen. You’d better know where the channel is. It’s one thing to know about the logs and the sandbars, but it’s another thing to know where the channel is. And you’d better know the Lord Jesus Christ as your personal Savior. The only way you can guarantee that you will not become an apostate and know you’re saved and you’re going to Heaven, is to receive Christ as your personal Savior and Lord.


How do the troubles of life tempt you to take your gaze off Christ?

How does keeping our focus on Christ keep us steady no matter what troubles we face?


PRACTICE THIS


What is one action you can take to keep your focus on Christ today? Take this step.



LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers