Just As I Am

BIBLE MEDITATION:

“To the praise of the glory of His grace, wherein He hath made us accepted in the beloved.” Ephesians 1:6

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

Do you have a “know-so” salvation? What I mean is, do you know that you are saved and have the assurance that if you died tonight, you’d spend eternity with the Lord in heaven? 

Many folks don’t have that assurance, and in some cases it is not a spiritual problem. It is a psychological problem. They cannot accept the fact that God has accepted them.

Charlotte Elliott penned these words to a timeless hymn of assurance: 

“Just as I am, without one plea, 

But that Thy blood was shed for me, 

And that Thou biddest me come to Thee, 

O Lamb of God, I come, I come!” 

You are accepted just as you are. It is all grace.

ACTION POINT:

Find the hymn “Just As I Am” and sing it to the Lord. Make it your song throughout the day when Satan tries to make you doubt God’s love and eternal gift of salvation.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers

Defining Your Personal Value

BIBLE MEDITATION:

“For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.” Romans 12:3

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

Do you try to be the best or do you simply try to do your best? The perfectionist has to be the best. He has to be #1. He can’t accept himself. 

The grace of God exalts a man without inflating him, and it humbles a man without debasing him. The person who strives for excellence says, “I am what I am by the grace of God.” 

Do you value yourself by what you do or by what you are? You have a choice. You can either choose to see yourself as God sees you, or you can choose to see yourself as the world sees you. Whose opinion will you listen to today?

ACTION POINT:

Is there someone in your life whose opinion matters deeply to you? Instead of defining who you are by their opinions, measure yourself by God’s standard in His Word.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers

Do You Have A Reservation In Heaven?

I know you are thinking what an odd question! 

But I want you to think of the eternal implications of the answer to this question. 

There is only one way to get this reservation! 

John 14:6

Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

You must trust Christ and turn from sin.

Acts 17:30-31

30 The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent,

31 because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead."

There is a 100% death rate! 

No one escapes death! 

Only those who are alive when Christ comes back will escape death. 

God has prepared a place for those whom He has called, those who have trusted Christ for salvation.

This place is Heaven.

John 14:1-5

1 "Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me.

2 In my Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you?

3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.

4 And you know the way to where I am going."

5 Thomas said to him, "Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?"

But there is another place where rebellious unrepentant people go.

That place is one of everlasting fire and torment.

It is Hell.

Matthew 25:41

"Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.

2 Thessalonians 1:5-12

5 This is evidence of the righteous judgment of God, that you may be considered worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are also suffering-

6 since indeed God considers it just to repay with affliction those who afflict you,

7 and to grant relief to you who are afflicted as well as to us, when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels

8 in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.

9 They will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might,

10 when he comes on that day to be glorified in his saints, and to be marveled at among all who have believed, because our testimony to you was believed.

11 To this end we always pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his calling and may fulfill every resolve for good and every work of faith by his power,

12 so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Lambs Book of Life

Luke 10:20

Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven."

Revelation 21:27

But nothing unclean will ever enter it, nor anyone who does what is detestable or false, but only those who are written in the Lamb's book of life.

Sweet precious Lord, we stand on your grace and mercy. That is all we have! Amen

Perfection Found in Jesus Alone

BIBLE MEDITATION:

“Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:39

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

A perfectionist in the church is a miserable person. And not only that, but he makes everybody else miserable, too. The fellowship is never sweet enough. The teacher is never prepared enough. The music is never spiritual enough, and on and on it goes. 

Jesus supplies the only perfection that we will ever attain until we get to heaven. 

It is not perfection that God is looking for in His children; it is excellence. 

God is working in you to achieve His purpose for His glory.

ACTION POINT:

Memorize this statement, “I am worthy apart from my performance because Christ died for me and gave His life to me. My life is hidden in Him. Jesus loves me.”

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers 

Perfectionism Is a Thief

BIBLE MEDITATION:

“For He hath made Him to be sin for us, Who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him.” 2 Corinthians 5:21

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

Did you know that your performance doesn’t make you any more or less acceptable in God’s eyes? 

If you think that God is going to accept you on the basis of your quiet time, your Bible study, or your service, you will fall into a trap of never knowing if you’ve done enough. You’ll never truly feel accepted. 

Perfectionism is a thief. It promises rewards, but it steals both joy and satisfaction. Why? Because perfection is an unattainable goal! If you are a perfectionist, you’ve set an impossible goal for yourself, and therefore you will constantly be faced with frustration and failure. 

Two things about you are true, without your “performance”—

•    You are forgiven in Christ. 

•    You are righteous in Christ.

ACTION POINT:

Are you a perfectionist? Ask the Holy Spirit to free you from the fear of failure. Now make a conscious decision that you can be less than perfect and still be loved by God.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers

Justice, Mercy and Grace

BIBLE MEDITATION:

“...the Lord will give grace and glory: no good thing will He withhold from them that walk uprightly.” Psalm 84:11

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

There are three words that came together at Calvary: 

•    justice 

•    mercy 

•    grace

Justice is getting what we deserve. Mercy is not getting what we deserve. Grace is getting what we don’t deserve. 

But wait a minute; grace is more than that! It is grace that gives at great cost to the giver. It is not cheap. Grace cost the life of God’s Son. Jesus gave freely of Himself in agony and blood. 

Did you know that grace has to chase us down? If God didn’t run faster than us, we would never be saved! Grace seeks to give to vile and wicked people that which they don’t deserve and can never deserve.

ACTION POINT:

Are you a grace-giver? Find someone today and do a favor for them – something for which they couldn’t possibly repay you. Perhaps it will even be for a stranger you will never see again.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers 

God's Grace Takes The Initiative

BIBLE MEDITATION:

“We love Him, because He first loved us.” 1 John 4:1:9

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

When I was in the sixth grade, I wrote a love note to Joyce Louise Gentry. Then she became my bride and my beloved. Do you know, she still has that note? From that time on, she began to take an interest in me. Do you know why? Because I first loved her. 

Do you know what the Bible is? It is God’s love letter to you. It is God saying to you, “I have set My eye upon you. I love you!” 

You’re not saved by doing good works. You’re not saved by joining a church. You are saved by the grace of God that said, “I love you” first.

ACTION POINT:

•    When was the last time you wrote a love letter? 

•    When was the last time you received one? 

•    Spend some time today and write a love letter to the Lord.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers