Matthew 6:1

Verse of the Day Devotion. Matthew 6:1

“Take care not to practice your righteousness in the sight of people, to be noticed by them; otherwise, you have no reward with your Father who is in heaven.” – Matthew 6:1

When we look at this verse, we see something interesting. First, this verse serves as an introduction for the first eighteen verses of chapter six. Also, Jesus is not speaking of any specific act of righteousness but is referring to any righteous act which we may do. This implies Jesus is giving them a general exhortation regarding any righteous acts we would do. Also, it is clear He is not saying that there are times when doing a righteous act should not be done. On the contrary, we are all called to be doers of righteousness. What He is bringing up here in our focus verse is the motive behind our acts of righteousness.

Every good work we do must be done as an act of love. Paul writes the following to the Church in Ephesus regarding good works. “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.” Ephesians 2:10. We are to lead a holy life, doing good works for the glory of God. And the reason we should do these works is our love for God and our fellow man. “Be on the alert, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. All that you do must be done in love.” 1 Corinthians 16:13-14. Now, putting these couple of verses together, we see that when we accepted Christ, through Him we are created to do good works out of our love for others.

So, let us look closely at this verse. Jesus is telling His disciples to be careful not do good works for the express purpose of showing off to others, to be noticed by them. He does not condemn the righteous acts themselves, but His concern was focused on why we are doing it. Theologian Stuart Weber in his commentary on Matthew says, “Jesus was not condemning the righteous acts themselves. Genuineness was his focus, not the acts themselves. His concern was the motivation behind the actions. The same act of obedience can be right or wrong, depending on why a person does the act.”

In the following three verses, He uses the deed of giving to the poor as an example. “So, when you give to the poor, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, so that they will be praised by people. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full.” Matthew 6:2. Jesus shows here God’s righteous standard is doing things in love for another, not doing things to lift ourselves up. Jesus addressed the danger of cultivating an image of righteousness. Notice His words here. “Do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, so that they will be praised by people.” Jesus here was referring to the Jewish leadership who did good works to show people they were better than them. If anyone does this, their reward is simply what they receive from people.

Then He tells them how we are to do good works. “But when you give to the poor, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your charitable giving will be in secret; and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.” Matthew 6:3-4. Our purpose in doing good works should be in pleasing God and helping others, not ourselves. He uses a proverbial saying ‘do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing.” We are to keep the thing so secret that even we ourselves are hardly aware of anything at all praiseworthy. Let God be pleased and let this be our goal.

Whenever we are doing anything, it is important to do it to please God and out of love for others. We must never do it to lift ourselves up, so we are looked upon highly. This is in giving to the poor as laid out here, but also in teaching the scriptures, preaching to the church, praying for others, and in encouraging our brothers and sisters in Christ. It must be in everything we do, no matter how masterful or menial the task is. And we must also remember it is God who works through us. “For I am the least of the apostles, and not fit to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God, I am what I am, and His grace toward me did not prove vain; but I labored even more than all of them, yet not I, but the grace of God with me.” 1 Corinthians 15:9-10.

William Funkhouser MDiv, ThD, Founder and President of True Devotion Ministries, Inc.

 

Matthew 5:6

Verse of the Day Devotion.  Matthew 5:6

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied.

In this verse, Matthew is talking about people’s attitudes toward righteousness. Most people want to do things that are right. We, as Christians, are called to do what is right. However, there is a big distinction between doing righteous things and desiring righteousness. And that distinction is defined as even greater then desiring it. We are called to ‘hunger and thirst’ for righteousness. Now this goes far beyond desiring righteousness. Jesus is speaking of an intense longing for righteousness that may be likened to both hunger and thirst. Everyone now and then does what is right, but Jesus is pointing his hearers not to occasional acts but to a passionate concern and regarding what is right.

Righteousness is often used in the New Testament for the right standing believers have before God because of Christ’s atoning work. Now it is plain that Matthew has a strong interest in the upright living that should characterize the servant of Christ. To be more specific, we should notice that he is not suggesting that people can make a strong effort and achieve the righteousness of which he is writing: it is a given righteousness, not an achieved righteousness. The blessed may not totally achieve it but hunger and thirst for it.

There are several verses in the Old Testament that have the same idea as we find in our focus verse. “As the deer pants for the water brooks, So my soul pants for You, God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God; When shall I come and appear before God? My tears have been my food day and night, While they say to me all day long, Where is your God?” Psalm 42:1-3. Note our focus verse. “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied.” Matthew 5:6. As the dear pants for water, in other words, as the dear needs water due to thirst, I thirst for God and His ways.

Another verse is found in Psalm 63, which is a Psalm of David. “God, You are my God; I shall be watching for You; My soul thirsts for You, my flesh yearns for You, In a dry and exhausted land where there is no water.” Psalm 63:1. Here, David compares his desire for God as one who desires water where he cannot find it. David sought God at the tabernacle as earnestly as a thirsty man looks for water in a dry and thirsty land. The Wilderness of Judah is largely desert, so this was a picture of longing that came easily to David’s mind. And one more psalm, “I spread out my hands to You; My soul longs for You, like a weary land. Selah” Psalm 143:6. This is another from David, who is spreading out his hands to God to reply.

And then in the book of Amos. “Behold, days are coming, declares the Lord GOD, When I will send a famine on the land, Not a famine of bread or a thirst for water, But rather for hearing the words of the LORD. People will stagger from sea to sea And from the north even to the east; They will roam about to seek the word of the LORD, But they will not find it.” Amos 8:11-12. Notice the nature of this famine. It is not a lack of God’s word, but a famine of hearing the words of the LORD. The condition described is that of being deaf to the words of Jehovah, not able to hear them. It is not a case of God withholding His revelation; but of people being in such a state that they do not see it, do not hear the words.

God is calling us to seek Him, His word, and His righteousness.  We should desire God’s righteousness more than a starving man cries out for food, and more than someone who is intensely thirsty cries out for water. Deeply joyful and spiritually whole are those who actively seek a right relationship with God and, in so doing, discover that He alone can completely save and satisfy our souls.

William Funkhouser MDiv, ThD, Founder and President of True Devotion Ministries, Inc.

James 1:2

Verse of the Day Devotion: James 1:2

“Consider it all joy, my brothers, and sisters, when you encounter various trials.” – James 1:2

James says something here that seems to run contrary to the way most people think.  Count it all joy when we experience trials.  This does not come naturally.  It is much easier to be frustrated and downcast.  Why do we have to go through these trials? Why doesn’t He just deliver me and allow me to be comfortable? However, it is important to see that the joy is not because we are suffering. The Greek text differs from the English translation in that James suddenly commands the messianic Jewish community to consider their condition, going through trials, as an occasion for joy.

It is Important we see this ‘joy, not as a weird way to bring ourselves through trials, but as an act of faith. Instead of looking at the trial, James is instead encouraging them to look through the trial to its potential outcome. Let us look at some examples of what James is telling his listeners.

Paul considered his trial before King Agrippa an opportunity for defense, preaching, and potential release. “Regarding all the things of which I am accused by the Jews, King Agrippa, I consider myself fortunate that I am about to make my defense before you today, especially because you are an expert in all customs and questions among the Jews; therefore, I beg you to listen to me patiently.” Acts 26:2-3.

Paul and Timothy urged believers to consider others better than themselves as Christ did not consider equality something to be grasped. “Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, as He already existed in the form of God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but emptied Himself by taking the form of a bondservant and being born in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death: death on a cross.” Philippians 2:5-8.

Paul considered his former glory an actual loss “But whatever things were gain to me, these things I have counted as loss because of Christ. More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them mere rubbish, so that I may gain Christ.” Philippians 3:7-8.

Abraham considered God faithful and powerful enough to enable Sarah to conceive. “By faith even Sarah herself received ability to conceive, even beyond the proper time of life, since she considered Him faithful who had promised.” Hebrews 11:11.

Moses considered suffering for Christ more valuable than the treasures of Egypt. “By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, choosing rather to endure ill-treatment with the people of God than to enjoy the temporary pleasures of sin, considering the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt; for he was looking to the reward.” Hebrews 11:24-26.

The author of 2 Peter wanted his readers to consider the patience of the Lord as salvation. “Therefore, beloved, since you look for these things, be diligent to be found spotless and blameless by Him, at peace, and regard the patience of our Lord as salvation; just as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given him, wrote to you.” 2 Peter 3:14-15.

Just as the believers in the above examples reacted to trials, James urges the messianic Jewish community to consider their trials an occasion for joy as they look through their trials to their glorious, sanctifying result. And we should do the same. We should not focus on our trials but look beyond them to the rewards we have waiting for us because of our faith in Christ. God would not allow these trials to come to us if He did not have a good purpose for it. And if we persevere to the end, we have a wonderful reward. “Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.” James 1:12.

William Funkhouser MDiv, ThD, Founder and President of True Devotion Ministries, Inc.

 

Romans 12:1

Verse of the Day Devotion:  Romans 12:1

“Therefore, I urge you, brothers, and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.” – Romans 12:1

First, I want to look at the beginning of our focus verse where he calls all his listening brothers and sisters. Throughout the letter’s earlier chapters, he has been conscious of the tensions between Jews and Gentiles in the Roman church, and in chapters 9–11 he was describing the roles of Israel and of the nations in the unfolding, historical plan of God. He will revert to them again for the last time in chapters 14–15. But now, as he develops his appeal, the distinction between the olive tree’s natural and grafted branches (Israel and Non-Israel) fades into the background. Now all believers, irrespective of their ethnic origin, are brothers and sisters in the one international family of God, and so all have precisely the same vocation to be the holy, committed, humble, loving, and conscientious people of God.

The word sacrifice used here commonly denotes the action of bringing and presenting an animal or other sacrifice before an altar. It implies that the action was a free and voluntary offering. Religion is free; and the act of devoting ourselves to God is one of the freest things we ever perform. To present our bodies to God is a metaphor taken from bringing sacrifices to the altar of God. The person offering picked out the choicest of his flock, brought it to the altar, and presented it there as an atonement for his sin. The readers here are exhorted to give themselves up in the spirit of sacrifice; to be as wholly the Lord’s property as the whole burnt offering was, no part being devoted to any other use. Nothing can be more consistent with reason than that the work of God should glorify God. We are not our own, we are the property of the Lord, by the right of creation and redemption; and it would be as unreasonable as it would be wicked not to live to his glory, in strict obedience to his will, which is our spiritual service of worship.

One major way we can do this is found in verse 2. “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.” Romans 12:2. The word ‘conformed’ used here properly denotes an age, or generation of people. It may denote a particular generation, or it may be applied to the race. It is sometimes used in each of these senses. Thus, here it may mean that Christians should not conform to the ideas, habits, feelings, etc., of a wicked, luxurious, and idolatrous age, but should be conformed solely to the precepts and laws of the gospel; or the same principle may be extended to every age, and the direction may be, that Christians should not conform to the prevailing habits, style, and manners of the world, the people who do not know God. They are to be governed by the laws of God as found in the Bible; to fashion their lives after the example of Christ; and to conform themselves by principles different from those which prevail in the world.

Many may think they are not conformed to the world, while they can easily perceive that their neighbor is. They indulge in many things which others may think to be conformity to the world and are opposed to many things which others think innocent. The design of this passage is no doubt to produce a spirit that should not find pleasure in the things and vanities of this world, but in obedience and devotion to God, as well as fellowship with Him and His people.; things God calls us all to do. We must be transformed from our old self to a new creation by focusing on Him and changing the way we think to His ways and not the world’s ways.

These are very important verses that we must read, understand, and obey. We, as Christians, are God’s people and we must act accordingly. We must not simply give some, or even most of ourselves, to God. We must give our all to Him, present who we are to Him in humility and joy. He created us, died for us, and rose again offering to us a wonderful life in Him. Let us then be thankful to Him for all He has done in giving everything we are to Him as He gave everything for us. We must focus our minds on Him totally, not the world. And when we do this, as Romans 12:2 says, we may prove what the will of God is; that which is good, acceptable to God, and perfect.

William Funkhouser MDiv, ThD, Founder and President of True Devotion Ministries, Inc.

Titus 2:1 (a)

Verse of the Day Devotion: Titus 2:1 

“But as for you, speak the things which are fitting for sound doctrine.” – Titus 2:1 

Paul here in verse one tells Titus to speak the things which become sound doctrine. The idea laid out here, in chapter one, is seen by many as ‘Household Codes’, which comes from the German ‘Haustafeln’, a word used by scholars to designate certain biblical texts that outline the duties and responsibilities associated with the proper or ideal management of private affairs. Paul here in Chapter two is laying out the duties that he knew were necessary for Christian growth and maturity. He tells Titus he must teach a sacred doctrine; he must proclaim the truth and illustrate that truth. The people must not only be well instructed, but they must be holy in their lives. Principle and practice must go hand in hand.

And what are these necessary teachings? For older men, “Older men are to be temperate, dignified, sensible, sound in faith, in love, in perseverance.” Titus 2:2. They must live lives of observable respectability. The implication is of a dignified lifestyle that is free from overindulgence and foolish behavior in general. As Paul’s use of common terms suggests, this lifestyle should be readily recognizable. Christianity does have a mystical element to it, but its manifestation should show the reality of our Christian life. They should display this faith in purity and love and should be followed no matter what it may bring upon them.

For older women, “Older women likewise are to be reverent in their behavior, not malicious gossips nor enslaved to much wine, teaching what is good, so that they may encourage the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, to be sensible, pure, workers at home, kind, being subject to their own husbands, so that the word of God will not be dishonored. Titus 2:3-5. They were to, like the older men, live with respectable behavior which amounts to reverence. This means avoiding ‘slanderous talk and drunkenness’ while teaching what is good. This was to illustrate to the young women what a responsible and acceptable life was all about. In this they were to encourage them to love their husbands and children while doing all that was necessary in their homes. In this they would show they respected their husbands through submission to them, as well as showing their love to God and His people. And it is important to understand that Paul’s concept of ‘submission’ contained notions of mutuality of respect and love and thus clearly transcended the secular notion.

Likewise urge the young men to be sensible; in all things show yourself to be an example of good deeds, with purity in doctrine, dignified, sound in speech, which is beyond reproach, so that the opponent will be put to shame, having nothing bad to say about us.” Titus 2:6-8. He instructs the young men to be sensible and Godly in their actions and words. They were to be an example to good works, showing a visible expression of their genuine faith. In his conduct Titus is thus to be the antithesis of the false teachers, who were described in the previous chapter. “They profess to know God, but by their deeds they deny Him, being detestable and disobedient and worthless for any good deed.” Titus 1:16.

Paul was encouraging Titus to speak in the way our focus verse declares. “But as for you, speak the things which are fitting for sound doctrine.” Titus 2:1. And he was also encouraging him to teach these truths to all he came across.  And I believe these words also apply to all of us today. If we truly love God with all our hearts and desire to serve Him in all our ways then these are what we are called to do, both in what we teach and the way we live. We cannot convince anyone these are truths if we ourselves do not believe and do them. Therefore, let us be the light in this world, sharing the truth, teaching the truth, and living the truth. These things are necessary to help unbelievers become believers and join us in our work for Jesus.

William Funkhouser MDiv, ThD, Founder and President of True Devotion Ministries, Inc.

Romans 8:38-39

Verse of the Day Devotion.  Romans 8:38-39

“For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:38-39

These verses speak of the love that God has for His people, a love that is everlasting. Chapter eight of Romans is glorious, in that it lays out what the love of God is all about. It starts by declaring that there is no longer condemnation for those who have accepted the grace provided through the death of Jesus Christ. “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death.” Romans 8:1-2. All mankind throughout history, because of sin, were separated from God. And we could not correct this on our own, for it would take a perfect sacrifice. This was not possible for us to do because one sin, no matter how small, makes any sacrifice we give, imperfect. Thus the need for a perfect man to become the sacrifice was necessary, which was accomplished through Jesus Christ the Son of God, the only man who was sinless throughout His life. “For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did: sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.” Romans 8:3-4.

Also, He cares for His people in this life and throughout all eternity. “And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the first-born among many brethren; and whom He predestined, these He also called; and whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.” Romans 8:28-30. God is at work in us and for us. He directs our affairs in such a way that, for those who love him, the outcome is always beneficial. The ‘good’ of which Paul spoke of is not necessarily what we deem as good or best. The good is conformity to the likeness of Christ. With this in mind it is easier to see how our difficulties are part of God’s total plan for changing us from what we are by nature to what he intends us to be. Moral advance utilizes hardship more often than not.

Based on this we can see that God is on our side in all situations, and He presents this via a rhetorical question. “What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things?” Romans 8:31-32. Notice what Paul said here, if He gave His only Son to be sacrificed for us, why would He hold back anything from us? And because of this, our sins have been addressed, for we are forgiven/justified. There is no charge that can be brought against us, for all our sins have been addressed. “who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us.” Romans 8:34.

And because of this, Paul asks another rhetorical question. “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?” Romans 8:35. No one can actually condemn us for Jesus intercedes for us. But we may suffer on account of this. In the next verse he quotes the psalms. “But for Thy sake we are killed all day long; We are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.” Psalm 44:22. However, through all the suffering and death, God is always with us. And because of this, we actually conquer those who cause us to suffer. “But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us.” Romans 8:37.

Now after all this, Paul answers the questions he asked above; If God is for us who can be against us, and who can separate us from the love of Christ? “For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:38-39. God will never let anything happen to us that is not intended for our good no matter our perspective, and there is nothing in all creation, in the past or present and anything that is to come, that will cause God not to love us, His children. Paul was a man of unshakeable confidence in the love of God. He feared neither the tangible hardships of life nor the intangible fears that creep into the consciousness of any normal person. It is important that we attain this same faith so that we never question His love for us. And by this firm faith in His love for us, we can be at peace no matter what.

William Funkhouser MDiv, ThD, Founder and President of True Devotion Ministries, Inc.

Philippians 2:4

Verse of the Day Devotion.  Philippians 2:4

“Do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.” – Philippians 2:4

We start in verses one and two with the following. “If therefore there is any encouragement in Christ, if there is any consolation of love, if there is any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and compassion, make my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose.” Philippians 2:1-2. Paul did not mean to doubt that there is any encouragement in Christ, that there was any love, or any fellowship of the Spirit as well as any affection and compassion. He knew the hearts of the Philippian people; therefore he writes it by way of an argument. This should be looked at like this. Since there is consolation in Christ, since there is comfort of love, since there is fellowship of the Spirit, be one in Christ. Do not be divided; love one another. How urgently he pleads! How he multiplies expressions! Love among Christians is so precious that he begs for it as if for his life. The ‘if’ has the idea of ‘since’. And because they have this heart, they should strive to be like-minded. This speaks to the intellect, their way of thinking, but it goes beyond that. It incorporates the will and emotions into a comprehensive outlook which affects their attitude. With this word and the contexts in which it occurs, Paul spoke of the values and ambitions which surface through the mind. This is unity. It is not found in an identical lifestyle or personality. It occurs when Christian people have the same values and loves. Paul sought this in the Church in Philippi.

Then we read, which includes our focus verse. “Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind let each of you regard one another as more important than himself; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.” Philippians 2:3-4. Paul calls for the Church, in Philippi and ultimately today in ours, not to do things for our own glorification but for the benefit of others. Charles Spurgeon puts it this way. “Nothing is to be done through strife. But how much of religious service is from top to bottom carried out in strife? Sometimes one sect will seek to increase itself merely for the sake of becoming larger and more influential than another. Do Sunday school teachers never try to get good classes and to obtain conversions that they may be more honored than others? Does that never enter the classroom? Do street preachers never wish to preach better than others, and in order that they may win more applause? I know this from experience, that the spirit of strife may easily enough come into the pulpit, and that the minister may be seeking to outrun his neighbor when he thinks he is filled with zeal for God.” This is sad, but often so true. There have been several Churches where I did not see what Charles saw, but there were many I did. 

We must be careful that the way we live our lives does not look like how the world lives theirs. The world believes that a successful life is one where we have all we could ever ask for; if we want something we can get it or if we want to go somewhere we can afford it. True success is found in acceptance of the salvation Christ gave us and living life in a similar way as Jesus. He must be our guide. “Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bondservant, and being made in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.” Philippians 2:5-8. When it comes to our brothers and sisters in Christ, and also the unsaved, we must be ready to ‘give it all’, as Christ did, in order to fulfill our calling. As seen above, Jesus emptied Himself to become a man, humble and obedient to the Father to provide salvation in order that we may be with God forever.

The question I want to ask is, are we willing to give it all for the benefit of others, saved or unsaved? This can be difficult to answer because we may not be willing to admit it. But we must be honest in order to see if we are living as we ought. Remember the words of Jesus regarding His second coming. “Then they themselves also will answer, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not take care of You?’ Then He will answer them, saying, Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me. And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.” Matthew 25:44-46.

William Funkhouser MDiv, ThD, Founder and President of True Devotion Ministries, Inc.

James 2:18

Verse of the Day Devotion.  James 2:18

“But someone may well say, “You have faith, and I have works; show me your faith without the works, and I will show you my faith is proven by work.” – James 2:18

James here is laying out an argument that our faith is seen through our works. He starts with two  questions. “What use is it, my brethren, if a man says he has faith, but he has no works? Can that faith save him?” James 2:14. The ‘good’ or ‘benefit’ of faith without works in the first question then becomes a question of salvation in the second. He brings out a specific example. “If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food, and one of you says to them, Go in peace, be warmed, and be filled, and yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that?” James 2:15-16. These two verses apply to the original question in fourteen, for he uses the same question. ‘what use is it’ which ties them together. John in his first letter gives the same idea but with a specific answer. “But whoever has the world’s goods, and beholds his brother in need and closes his heart against him, how does the love of God abide in him? Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed,  and truth.” 1 John 3:17-18. The question ‘how does the love of God abide in him?’ at the end of 17 is rhetorical. The answer is essentially, it cannot possibly dwell in him. Theologian Adam Clarke states. “Hardheartedness and God’s love never meet together, much less can they be associated.” John, later in his first letter, makes this idea clear. “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love.” 1 john 4:7-8. Then we read in the next verse. “Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself.” James 2:17. This verse introduces the moral aspect of this idea. He in essence is saying that faith by itself without love for others is a dead faith, for the love of God is not present in us.

James then asks another question, which I believe he may have heard from a doubter in the faith. In our focus verse we read, “But someone may well say, You have faith, and I have works; show me your faith without the works, and I will show you my faith is proven by work.” James 2:18. Here, the doubter is disconnecting faith and works. We see this today as well. Some will say, ‘there are some in our church who go out and do good things like feeding and clothing the poor, but for me I go to church to prove my faith.’ I have heard this on several occasions. They believe that some have the gift of faith while others have the gift of works. They may say, “It’s fine for you to have your gift of works and that you care for the needy. But that isn’t my gift.” James then gives an answer to the doubter. “You believe that God is one. You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder. But are you willing to recognize, you foolish fellow, that faith without works is useless? Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he offered up Isaac his son on the altar? You see that faith was working with his works, and as a result of the works, faith was perfected; and the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “AND ABRAHAM BELIEVED GOD, AND IT WAS RECKONED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS,” and he was called the friend of God.” James 2:19-23. He tells them that they believe in God, and that God is one in three persons. But demons believe this as well and are condemned. Mental belief is one thing, spiritual belief is quite another. Abraham believed and it was credited to him as righteousness, but through the proof of his work of taking Isaac with him and putting him on the alter to be killed, he proved this faith was perfect. He had faith that Isaac would come back with him. “And Abraham said to his young men, Stay here with the donkey, and I and the lad will go yonder; and we will worship and return to you.” Genesis 22:5. Note the words, ‘and I and the lad will go yonder; and we will worship and return to you.’ He had faith that Isaac would come back with Him, and therefore acted accordingly. And James closes this section with, “You see that a man is justified by works, and not by faith alone.” James 2:23.

Too many Christians believe that if they have faith, at least their definition of faith, they are saved and they do not need to do anything else. But what God is calling for is a faith that proves itself by acting accordingly, by doing the works that show the love of God for all is manifested in us. Without this, our faith is worthless and actually dead.  

William Funkhouser MDiv, ThD, Founder and President of True Devotion Ministries, Inc.

Matthew 28:19

Verse of the Day Devotion.  Matthew 28:19

“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit,” Matthew 28:19

This is a powerful verse that lays out our commission, as Christians. When the eleven remaining disciples saw Jesus they honored Him. However, there were some who still doubted. “And when they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some were doubtful.” Matthew 28:17. Now this does not say when they arrived to where Jesus was, but when they saw Him. From a distance they worshipped Him. Upon seeing Jesus, they immediately worshipped Him, for they knew He died, and seeing Him living again helped them in seeing the truth of His resurrection. Matthew here tells of their doubts showing their honesty, that they did not agree simply to say that he had risen. They only believed when they saw Jesus alive. Their caution in examining the evidence is proof that they were not deceived in regard to the fact of his resurrection. When the saw Him, they fully believed.

And Jesus, knowing where they were and, I am sure, knowing of their doubting, went to them. And He declared His immense authority given to Him. “And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.” Matthew 28:17. This authority was given to Him by the Father. And because of this authority, He declares His command to the disciples, which includes our focus verse. “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:19-20. Because He has been granted universal authority, He begins by giving these eleven disciples their mission calling. They were to go out and make disciples, as He did when He selected them. Now, this baptism was not of water. John the Baptist said he baptized with water, but not the Messiah. “As for me, I baptize you with water for repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, and I am not fit to remove His sandals; He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.” Matthew 3:11. This baptism was not an outward work, but an inner work. Theologian Adam Clarke puts it this way. “Christ’s religion was to be a spiritual religion, and was to have its seat in the heart.”

The disciples were not called to bring men into traditions. They were called to help people understand the reality and purpose of Christ’s work here. And this did not stop at their acceptance of the truth, they were called to ‘make disciples’, not merely to make converts to Christianity, but teach them what it means to be a follower of Christ. This is one of the problems we face today. Many go out and get people to accept Christ, then leave it at that. They do not take the time to train them in the faith. Jesus spent three years training His, therefore we must take more than a few minutes to let them know what being a Christian is about. And too many churches do not take the time to train people. They have their several sermons every week, but do not help people grow in their own understanding of this new life.

In the last verse in this chapter, Jesus tells them to teach everything that He taught them. This is not a simple task that can be completed quickly, for there is much to learn and apply to our lives. This will take time, and He is commanding them to take the same time and attention He did in training them. This is not easy or quick, but it is required in order to help others become strong in their faith. We who are Christians must put forth all the effort we can to teach the truth, all of it and not just the favorable parts. We need to be ready to give loving correction as Jesus did, and also edification to encourage as Jesus did. True believers want to learn and grow in the faith. Unfortunately many so-called churches are falling short of this, preaching, and teaching what people want to hear, not necessarily what they need to hear. This can be difficult but it is our calling. Examine the writings of Paul and see how he taught. This will show how much we truly love Christ and His light will shine forth from us in ways we cannot even begin to imagine.

William Funkhouser MDiv, ThD, Founder and President of True Devotion Ministries, Inc.

Matthew 5:14a

Verse of the Day Devotion.  Matthew 5:14

“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden.” – Matthew 5:14

When Jesus came in the flesh to this world, it was to help the people here, both Jews and Gentiles, to understand the grace of God through His sacrifice in paying the penalty for all our sins. And by understanding this truth we can then accept this sacrifice that covers our sins if we believe Him and the one who sent Him. The first chapter of John lays this out beautifully. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being by Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being.” John 1:1-3. He starts by declaring Jesus to have been since the beginning and existed when everything was created. In fact all that came into existence was through Him. And then we come to verse 4. “In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.” John 1:4. What He is saying here is that because He came, we have access to eternal truth. When we walk into a dark room, we have no idea what is there because all we see is blackness, for there is no light. However, when we turn on the light, we then see clearly what is there. It is essentially the same idea we see in verse four above. Jesus came here to reveal the truth to all people, especially since the Jewish leadership were not.

Now there are several clues that ‘shine a light’ on who this light is. We read again in John the following. “There came a man, sent from God, whose name was John. He came for a witness, that he might bear witness of the light, that all might believe through him. He was not the light but came that he might bear witness of the light.” John 1:6-8. This could be none other than John the Baptist who came to declare that Jesus was the promised Messiah; to be a witness that Christ is this promised light. He was not the light but was a witness to the light. And this light was intended for all people. “There was the true light which, coming into the world, enlightens every man.” John 1:9. This light that reveals truth was not intended only for the Jews, but all who are in the world. But unfortunately many, including God’s people the Jews, would not know Him. “He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. He came to His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him.” John 1:10-11. But those who believe would receive a great honor. “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, who were born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.” John 1:12-13. This incredible honor was the right to be adopted as sons and daughters of God.

Jesus tells them later that He will not always be the light. “While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” John 9:5. While He is here on the earth, He is the one who shines the light of truth in this world. But who is it that will do it after His ascension?  This is seen in our focus verse. “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden.” Matthew 5:14. The disciples became the light in this world after Jesus’ ascension. Jesus, knowing that His Spirit and righteousness are found in them, declares they are the light of the world, shining the light of Jesus who is the true light of the world. And since they did not live forever, this blessing has fallen on all true Christians to this day and going forward till His return. This light is the same light that shined forth from Christ. But now we are to be a reflection of this light. People when they see us must see the truth of the gospel being lived out in us. And when they see us living it out, they will be able to see their need for Jesus to provide salvation to them. For just as the moon has no light of its own, reflecting the light of the sun, so are we, true believers, to reflect the Light of Christ so that all can see this light in us. This light is proven to others by the good deeds we do in faith and through the power of the Holy Spirit.

The focus here is Christians are to maintain an obvious and credible witness to the world that shows we are true believers, faithful and true to God in all ways. And this evidence must be sincere and trustworthy regarding everything about us. “But even if you should suffer for righteousness’ sake, you will be blessed. Have no fear of them, nor be troubled, but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect, having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame.” 1 Peter 3:14-16. We are to have such a love for unbelievers that we will do all we can to show the truth of the gospel by reflecting the light of Christ to all people. This is our calling. So let us go out and make it happen.

William Funkhouser MDiv, ThD, Founder and President of True Devotion Ministries, Inc.