We Exist For Each Other

"Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree" (Galatians 3:13)

God and man exist for each other and neither is satisfied without the other. Though God is self-sufficient He has sovereignly willed to have communion with the being He made in honor next to Himself, and He takes every means to secure this communion short of coercion, which would be a violation of man's free will.

Seen from our human standpoint redemption must rank first among all the acts of God. No other achievement of the Godhead required such vast and precise knowledge, such perfection of wisdom or such fullness of moral power. To bring man into communion with Himself God must deal effectively with the whole matter of justice and righteousness; He must dispose of sin, reconcile an enemy and make a rebel willingly obedient. And this He must do without compromising His holiness or coercing the race He would save.

How two wills set in opposition to each other, and both free, could be harmonized was God's problem and His alone; and with infinite wisdom and power He solved it through the redemptive work of Jesus Christ our Lord.

Thank You, Lord, for Your infinite wisdom and Your infinite grace, as demonstrated in the plan of salvation. Thank You for bringing me into communion with You through Your redemptive work. Amen

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God Must Be First

"After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed by thy name" (Matthew 6:9)

The flaw in current evangelism lies in its humanistic approach. It is frankly fascinated by the great noisy, aggressive world with its big names, its hero worship, its wealth and its garish pageantry.  To the millions of disappointed persons who have always yearned for worldly glory but never attained to it, the modern evangel offers a  quick and easy shortcut to their heart's desire. Peace of mind, happiness, prosperity, social acceptance, publicity, success in sports, business, the entertainment field, and perchance to sit occasionally at the same banquet table with a celebrity - all this on earth and heaven at last. Certainly no insurance company can offer half as much.

Always and always God must be first. The angels, approaching from above,chanted, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men" (Luke 2:14). This puts the glory of God and the blessing of mankind in their proper order, as do also the opening words of the prayer, "Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name." Before any petitions are allowed, the name of God must be hallowed. God's glory is and must forever remain the Christian's true point of departure. Anything that begins anywhere else, whatever it is, is certainly not New Testament Christianity.

Lord, help me remember to keep things in the proper order, to glorify You first above all else. Amen

~A. W. Tozer~