The Glory of Christ

The best news ever!

In Christ Alone – All God’s Promises

by Leave a Comment

If God freely gave the greater–Christ’s death for our sins–will He not also freely give the lesser–all of God’s promises? When we’re “in Christ” we partake of His righteousness, which includes all the promises He obtained.

For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, whom we proclaimed among you, Silvanus and Timothy and I, was not Yes and No, but in him it is always Yes. For all the promises of God find their Yes in him. That is why it is through him that we utter our Amen to God for his glory.

2 Corinthians 1:19-20

Unless we hold to a Christ-centered hermeneutic—the art and science of Biblical interpretation—we’re sure to miss the main message of the Bible. Jesus said: “You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me” (Jesus 5:39). The Bible is ultimately pointing to Christ. He’s the sum and substance of its pages. If we don’t see Him, we don’t see anything.

     One of the critical points in reading the Bible is that “all the promises of God find their Yes in him.” That means God says yes to all His promises for Christ’s sake. He obtained them through His righteous life and sacrificial death. He paid for them and is fully entitled to them.

     For example, when we read the conditional promises, it’s important to realize that Jesus is the Son of Man. He was born into this world and lived in harmony with God’s word and will. He fulfilled all righteousness, which includes all the conditions upon which many of God’s promises have been made. It goes like this: if you (man) fulfill “A” then I (God) will do “B.” That’s the essence of the Old Covenant: “For Moses writes about the righteousness that is based on the law, that the person who does the commandments shall live by them” (Rom. 10:5).

     The New Covenant is far different—far better. Now it goes like this: if you believe that Jesus has fulfilled “A” then I (God) will do “B.” That’s why God can truly say “Yes” to all His promises. God’s grace always states: “He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?” (Rom. 8:32).

     Furthermore, when we’re united to the One who has fulfilled all righteousness, we receive that righteousness as a free gift. Will we then not also freely receive the righteousness that fulfilled all the conditions of God’s promises? Therefore, our only response can be “Amen.”—so let it be. God says “Yes” to all His promises “in him,” and we say “Amen” to all His promises “in him.”

Jan Blonk
The Devotional Writer
www.devotionalwriter.com

P.S. for only $0.99 you can get a copy of Battling Sexual Temptations and Sins: Overcoming through God’s Word and Spirit. Click right here for the book.

In Christ Alone – A New Creation

by Leave a Comment

As we continue with our book launch of In Christ Alone, we’ve come to our first devotional. “In Christ” we can truly experience deliverance from our past and enjoy a very hopeful and blessed future, to say the least.

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.

2 Corinthians 5:17

It’s only fitting to start our journey with the verse that truly defines it. When we are in Christ, “the old has passed away” and “the new has come.” Elsewhere Paul described this dramatic change as follows: “He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins” (Col. 1:13-14). When we were born again, we went from darkness to light.

     Just like a newborn baby has no clue about all the implications of having just been born, even so we are mostly clueless about the great transformation that took place when we were saved—from being separated from Christ, “having no hope and without God in the world” (Eph. 2:12), to being “in Christ,” having become a partaker of Him. There are no other options in this life or throughout eternity besides these two.

     What does it mean that “the old has passed away” and “the new has come”? In describing this eternity-altering change, Paul wrote: “We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin” (Rom. 6:6). When we are “in Christ,” we’ve become partakers of His death and resurrection. In a very real sense we died and rose with Him.

     Therefore, having died with Christ is the perfect equivalent to the old having passed away, and having risen with Him is synonymous with the new that has come. That’s why Paul also stated: “So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus” (Rom. 6:11). We went from spiritual deadness—being separated from Christ—to spiritual life—being in Him.

     Lastly, this is in reference to anyone. It doesn’t matter if we’re bright or not so bright, rich or poor, young or old, famous or obscure. When one is “in Christ,” there’s an indissolvable union with Him that will take us through this earthly life and endless ages, experiencing all that He has accomplished and obtained for us.

Click here for my devotional books

Jan Blonk
The Devotional Writer
www.devotionalwriter.com

P.S. coming soon: “Battling Sexual Temptations and Sins: Overcoming through God’s Word and Spirit.” There are 40 short devotionals, encouraging and equipping you in this battle.

A Glorious Sacrifice – Substitution

by Leave a Comment

For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

2 Corinthians 5:21

In order not to violate Amazon’s “Terms of Service,” the content of this post has been removed. The post is now part of A Glorious Sacrifice – Seeing and Savoring God’s Matchless Love. Click this link to find out more: www.amazon.com/author/janblonk

     A Glorious Sacrifice contains 40 short devotionals on God’s infinite love, fully expressed in the death of His Son. Each devotional takes only 3 minutes and will be a great blessing and encouragement to your faith. Jesus said we’re to daily “feed on His flesh” and “drink His blood.” This book will help you do so! www.amazon.com/author/janblonk

     I encourage you to sign up for my blog. You’ll receive new devotionals, updates on upcoming books, and info on FREE promotions. You’ll also get a FREE copy of An Unfathomable Gift! God’s Astonishing Grace (4.8/5 stars on Amazon): www.thegloryofchrist.com/free-book

Thanks for stopping by!

Jan Blonk
The Devotional Writer

Seeing and Savoring Christ’s Glory

by 1 Comment

For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

2 Corinthians 4:6

Why is this book continually emphasizing and highlighting God’s glory? It’s because it’s the greatest, most profound reality in the universe and throughout history. Actually, there’s no other reality. Everything stands in relation to it: “For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen” (Rom. 11:36).

     When mankind rebelled against God, the nature of their rebelling was an exchange: “. . . and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things” (Rom. 1:23). Instead of treasuring God’s glory, we started to treasure that which is created. That’s why Paul also wrote: “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Rom. 3:23).

     Since we lost the conscious reality and enjoyment of God’s glory—by nature we’re spiritually dead, having no desire or inclination toward it—it makes perfect sense that our salvation is the recovering and re-enjoyment of His glory. This starts when God shines His light in our dark, sinful heart.

     When there was only darkness “over the face of the deep,” God said, “’Let there be light,’ and there was light” (Gen. 1:3). Our salvation is paralleled to this sovereign, creative act of God. He commanded His light to shine in our hearts, “to give the light of the glory of God.” Salvation is not just an escape from God’s wrath and hell, it’s primarily an understanding and enjoyment of His glory, both in time and throughout eternity.

     That’s why Jesus prayed: “Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory that you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world” (John 17:24). The Father has purposed to display His glory in and through His Son—“in the face of Jesus Christ.” From the moment of His birth and throughout eternal ages, Jesus is “the radiance of the glory of God” (Heb. 1:3). Our eternal salvation is about seeing and savoring Christ’s glory, especially the glory of His grace.

For more encouraging devotionals, click right here

If you’ve been blessed by this post, why not share it with others!

Jan Blonk
The Devotional Writer
Author of “An Unfathomable Gift!“

All God’s Promises

by 1 Comment

For all the promises of God find their Yes in him. That is why it is through him that we utter our Amen to God for his glory.

2 Corinthians 1:20

There are few verses that are more steeped in the fullness and freeness of God’s grace than this one. It basically parallels what Paul wrote to the Roman believers: “He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?” (Rom. 8:32). Do the “all things” not also include all God’s promises?

     Unless we hold to the fullness and freeness of God’s grace, we set ourselves up against the gospel. That happens much more than we realize. Remember Simon who offered money to Peter and John to purchase God’s free gift? Peter responded: “May your silver perish with you, because you thought you could obtain the gift of God with money!” He continued: You have neither part not lot in this matter, for your heart is not right before God” (Acts 9:20-21). Isn’t it astounding that the rightness of our heart stands in relation to holding fast to the fullness and freeness of God’s grace? That shouldn’t surprise us since the glory of His grace is God’s goal for His church.

     While Simon thought to obtain God’s free gift with money, others try to do so with their supposed good works. Paul wrote to the Galatians: “Let me ask you only this: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law or by hearing with faith? . . . Does he who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you do so by works of the law, or by hearing with faith” (Gal. 3:3, 5)?

     Unless we truly realize that all God’s promises “find their Yes in him”—will be fulfilled in and through Christ—we’ll be like Simon or the Galatian believers. Jesus, as the Son of Man, fulfilled God’s Law and all righteousness. As a result, He obtained all God’s promises on behalf of His body. That’s why God says “Yes” to all of His promises “in him.” Our response should be “Amen”—so let it be.

     Since Jesus fulfilled the requirements of all the conditional promises and fully confirmed all the unconditional promises through His life and death, He deserves all the glory for their fulfillment. While many will find their ultimate realization in the new heavens and new earth, we’re to receive them by faith, being fully persuaded that God will fulfill them for Christ’s sake.

For more encouraging devotionals, click right here

If you’ve been blessed by this post, why not share it with others!

Jan Blonk
The Devotional Writer
Author of “An Unfathomable Gift!“