Judgment and Salvation

Thursday, December 18, 2014

Devotions: Ps 33, 50; Isa 9:18-10:4; 2 Pet 2:10b-16; Mt 3:1-12

Let the righteous rejoice in the Lord; giving Him praise is fitting for the upright. Sing Him new songs, with all your skill and power! For YHWH Is upright and holy, faithful in all He does. God loves righteousness and justice, and creation overflows with His steadfast love. All that is, He made by His holy Word; by His breath, by His Spirit, God created every thing. So let all creation hold Him in awe; He just speaks, and behold: creation! No counsel can stand against His will; so blessed are all whose God is YHWH. There is no other Source of power and righteousness! And God's eye is on those who revere Him; in steadfast love and faithfulness, He sustains and will deliver us. Yes, my heart rejoices in God my Savior; Lord, let Your steadfast love rest upon me, as I trust in You. From Zion, our God shines forth. He is majestic, surrounded by devouring fire and mighty tempest. God the Almighty Judge summons all creation to His throne for judgment. He says, 'I need nothing from you! All that is, is Mine. What I want from you is thanks and honor; I want you to love Me and serve only Me. Glorify Me, and I will save and justify and sanctify and glorify you! To those who order their ways rightly, I will show the salvation of God!'

Wickedness burns like a wildfire, consuming weeds and forests; God's wrath consumes all that full under it—land and living beings alike. Woe to all who presume to oppose God or oppress His people or damage His creation! God's judgment is coming, and none can evade or escape His justice. 

Even immortal angels fall under God's judgment—how much more foolish and arrogant mortals who blemish His creation. They are fools and idolaters eternally condemned, cursed for their unfaithfulness, presumption and sin. 

John the Baptist preceded Jesus the Messiah, preaching a baptism of repentance before the coming kingdom of God. He was the one Isaiah foretold, a voice crying in the wilderness, 'Prepare the way of the Lord; make straight in the wilderness a highway for our God.' He was dressed like Elijah, in camel's hair and leather belt, eating locusts and wild honey. And people flocked to him from Jerusalem, all Judea and the country around the Jordan, confessing their sins and receiving John's baptism in the river Jordan. When he saw Pharisees and Sadducees approaching to be baptized, John roared, 'You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? Bear fruit that befits repentance. Don't presume to think you're safe because you are Abraham's descendants. For I tell you, God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones of the wilderness. At this very moment, the axe is laid to the root of the trees, and every tree that bears no good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire!'