27th December 2023

27th December 2023


Pray (ACts)


Read - Psalm 14


Message Alan Burke 


I’m doing a Hiram today. If you don’t know what I’m referring to well it is the devotions that by dear friend and brother Hiram Higgins writes each day. Why I say that is that normally Scott and I pick something that we are preaching on to write a devotion whereas Hiram sits in his shed looks out the window and sees what comes to him and since I’m in Killyleagh this Lord’s day rather than giving you a ‘best of devotion’ from last year I’ll do a Hiram today and on Friday and just write although I have no windows in the ministers room. In fact I have a fair idea of what I’m going to write about because it’s not even lunch time and while walking down to the minister room to I had a conversations with a man, he knows who I am and what I do and I simply asked how he was the day. Before I knew it when I didn’t mention anything to do with church or God or faith and I was told by him that he was a good person, not churchy good, but good and the Lord would see him alright. 


It broke my heart because last night (although not last night as far as this devotion is concerned but last night for me) I sat under God’s word as the minister preached Psalm 14 and it wasn’t easy listening, he handled the text before him with special prudence and care and wore his heart on his sleeve as he did it. We are told how “The Lord looks down from heaven on the children of man, to see if there are any who understand, who seek after God. They have all turned aside; together they have become corrupt; there is none who does good, not even one. (Ps 14:2–3).


The man I bumped into today and asked how he was the day (and yes I asked how he was ‘the day’ not ‘today’) believed he is good. By the worlds standards he is good guy, everyone speaks highly of him. I know plenty of people who believe because of their goodness that the Lord will see them alright. Yet as I listened to those words he spoke, inwardly I was screaming because I had heard the Lord speak the night before, his word is clear, there is none who does good, not even one and that includes me, you, the man who told me of his goodness. Before God none of us are good, Jesus said No one is good – except God alone (Mk 10:18). No one, our sin means that we deserve the wrath of God and the pains of hell forever, yet the Lord God himself made a way that we would be justified before him.


Justification is as God legally declares us as righteous in Christ, imputing our sins to Christ, and imputing Christ’s righteousness to believers by faith alone apart from works (Rom. 4:5, 8, 11-12, 16). There is no condemnation for us in Christ Jesus! (Rom. 8:1). We are declared righteous by Christ’s blood (Rom. 3:24-26). Our consciences no longer condemn us (1 Jo. 3:20). We are reconciled to God, and we have peace in our union with Jesus (Rom. 5:1).


As a result we have confidence for the day of judgement because of God’s love for us in Christ (1 Jo. 4:17-18). What a benefit to know that God has legally declared you righteous in Christ—there is no condemnation, no judgment awaiting for those who have faith! We will face the Judgment Seat of Christ clothed in the perfect righteousness of Christ, and though our every word, thought and action has been tainted with sin, the Lamb without blemish has loved us and given Himself for us! (Gal. 2:20; 2 Cor. 5:14-15). We are spotless in Him! We can rejoice with the Psalmist: “...Blessed is the man against whom the Lord will not count his sin.”


The only hope for any sinner is in Christ, for our debt is so great that there is no other way that it could be dealt with other than by the infinite God himself doing it for us in the person and work of Jesus Christ for sinners like us. What a wonderful truth, that we can come with confidence through the saviour to approach his throne, knowing that it is not by our goodness but through Christ Jesus who was pierced for our transgressions, crushed for our iniquities, the punishment that brought us peace was placed upon him, by his wounds we are healed (Is 53:5). Because of Jesus Christ, as we trust in him, we have been declared innocent by his work for us, we are given his righteousness, we have right standing through faith in him, declared just and justified through the Saviour Jesus Christ. 


Pray (acTS)


Sing


WSC
Q26 How doth Christ execute the office of a king?
Christ executeth the office of a king, in subduing us to himself, (Acts 15:14–16) in ruling, (Isa. 32:22) and defending us, (Isa. 32:1–2) and in restraining and conquering all his and our enemies. (1 Cor. 15:25, Ps. 110)
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