Saturday February 11, 2017
“Bringing the dead to life”
24 “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears
My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not
come into judgment, but has passed from death into life. 25 Most assuredly, I
say to you, the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of
the Son of God; and those who hear will live. – John 5:24-25
Called by God
A. The
Call of God
1. Old Testament Background
B. General Calling
C. Effectual Calling
1. Called by God the Father
2. Called in the Power of the Spirit
God’s call is a demonstration of his
mighty power. That sense of the divine authority runs through Paul’s words in
Romans 8:30 with their steady beat of the footsteps of a God who accomplishes
his purposes. In the power of the
Spirit, we are called out of darkness into light (1 Peter 2:9), and
delivered from the kingdom and reign of the powers of darkness (Colossians
1:13). We also called out of death and into life, as our Lord indicates: the
time is already come when the (spiritually) dead hear his voice (John 5:25).
At this point, we must
address an issue that arises every time this topic comes up. We all understand
that in Adam, we all die because of sin. And although Adam and Eve were told
that they would die if they eat of the fruit from the garden, they did not die
(at least physically). As sinners, we are considered spiritually dead. But in
salvation, we are faced with the dilemma of dead people coming to life in
Christ. So, the question is, how does a dead person (spiritually speaking) come
to life? We are told that in order to receive Christ, one must open his or her
heart. Again, the sinner is alive and well physically but spiritually dead. How
does the dead come to life?
An instructive illustration
is given in the story of Lazarus. From the story in John chapter 11, Lazarus
died and was buried for four days before Jesus arrived. The miracle came when
Jesus called out Lazarus’ name, and the formerly dead came back to life!
There is something fully beyond our
understanding in this miracle. But the experience of Lazarus illustrates for us
what happens spiritually when we are brought into the kingdom of God and given
a new life. We are called out of bondage and into freedom. Formerly, we were
slaves of sin (Ephesians 2:3), but now Christ has set us free for his service.
Paul associates Christian freedom with the call of God in Galatians 5:13: “for
you were called to freedom, brothers”. So, says Jesus, “if the Son sets you
free, you will be free indeed (John 8:36).
Challenge:
If you have
been praying for a friend or family member to come to Christ, do not lose
heart. Today’s devotional reminds us all that the Fathers calls and only His
Spirit came bring the dead to life in Christ.
This Day in Christian History:
February 11, 1917 – date
William Sangster preached his 1st sermon (London). He became
known as Wesley’s successor in London and was esteemed as the most beloved
British preacher of his era. When his health failed toward the end of his life,
he composed his Four Rules for dying: “I
will never complain. I will keep the home bright. I will count my blessings. I
will try to turn it to gain.”
Memory Verse:
But you are
a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people,
that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of
darkness into His marvelous light; - 1 Peter 2:9
Ka ko kimoutolu ko e ha‘a fili, ko e tu‘unga
taula‘eiki fakatu‘i, ko e kakai tapu, ko e fa‘ahinga ‘oku ma‘ane me‘a tonu,
koe‘uhi ā ke mou ongoongoa atu ‘a e ngaahi lelei ‘o ‘Ene ‘Afio, ‘a ia na‘a ne ui mai kimoutolu mei he po‘uli ki
he maama fakaofo ‘a‘ana: - 1
Pita 2:9
Bible Reading Plan: (52 weeks; 5 days a week)
Week
6 – Exodus 16-31; Psalm 33, 109, 90; Eph 4-6; Phil 1-2
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