God means it when He says, “The wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23).
Throughout Romans 8, Paul outlines the destructive realities of sin. He states, “If you live after the flesh, you will die. To be lust-driven, to live only by the senses, leads to death. The body is dead because of sin.”
In short, death means having no life. And only Jesus provides life, declaring, “I am the resurrection and the life” (John 11:25).
On one occasion Paul was preaching in Ephesus, a city that worshiped the goddess Diana. The silversmiths in Ephesus had made fortunes selling little replicas of the goddess. But when Paul came on the scene, he preached, “Your god is false. There is only one true God. And His Son lived and died so that those who are dead in sin might live.”
Enraged, the silver merchants realized their livelihood was at stake. So they stirred up a mob to take hold of Paul, determined to kill him (see Acts 19:24-31).
As Christians, we believe in the resurrection of Jesus Christ. After the Lord’s crucifixion, the Holy Spirit entered the tomb where He lay and raised Him up. This is why we sing on Easter that Christ rose from the grave, victorious over His foes, and now reigns forever with the saints.
Tragically, the religious world has been divided for centuries. Down through the generations, terrible divisions have pitted Christians against each other. Brother has come against brother, sister against sister, and entire denominations have been ruined.
The world needs illustrated sermons — powerful personal examples — of God’s love.
In John 17:21, Jesus prayed: “That they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me” (my italics).
During His time with the disciples just before His crucifixion, Jesus warned, “Some of you will be rejected, some will be imprisoned, some will be killed. And all of you will be persecuted” (see John 16:2). What a send-off message!
There is much talk these days about the fearful condition of our world. Nation after nation is troubled, on the brink of economic disaster. Yet amid all the fear and turmoil, God is still loving and saving lost souls.
His marvelous work of salvation never changes — it is not affected by the economy. His wooing, convicting Holy Spirit isn’t hindered by conditions on Wall Street or by teetering global finances. God’s saving power has never been limited by shrinking bank accounts.
As I read through the Old Testament, I find my faith greatly encouraged by the example David set. I am awed by his determination to hear from God in the midst of his perilous times.
Isaiah cried, “Lord, You are our Father and we all are Your people! Reveal Yourself and touch us once more” (see Isaiah 64:8-9).
Centuries later, the same cry was heard among another remnant — the 120 believers who had gathered in a rented room in Jerusalem. It was a time much like Isaiah’s day — a period of great religious observance, with multitudes flocking to the temple from all over Israel. There was grand pageantry, and the synagogues teemed with religious people. Yet the people were going through the motions, merely observing the rituals.
In a time when great judgments were falling on the nation all around him, Isaiah testified that he had a double portion of peace.
The same wonderful outlook that Isaiah had in the perilous times of his day is available to us also. This promise of rest applies to all “whose mind is stayed on You” (see Isaiah 26:3).
Even though Isaiah was overwhelmed by what he saw happening in his world, Scripture reveals that he enjoyed great serenity. There were two reasons for this: