Psalm of the Day: Psalm 117:1-2
Wisdom of the Day: Job 32:1-12
Scripture Reading: Luke 9:18-22
Let us notice the variety of opinions about our Lord Jesus Christ, which prevailed during His earthly ministry. We are told that some said that He was John the Baptist, Elijah, or an old prophet had risen again. One common remark applies to all these opinions. All were agreed that our Lord's doctrine was not like that of the Scribes and Pharisees. All saw in Him, a bold witness against the evil that was in the world.
Let it never surprise us, to find the same variety of opinions about Christ and His Gospel in our own times. God's truth disturbs the spiritual laziness of men. It obliges them to think. It makes them begin to talk, and reason, and speculate, and invent theories to account for its spread in some quarters, and its rejection in others.
Thousands in every age of the Church spend their lives in this way, and never come to the point of drawing near to God. They satisfy themselves with a miserable round of gossip about this preacher's sermons. They think "this man goes too far," and "that man does not go far enough." Some doctrines they approve, and others they disapprove. Some teachers they call "sound", and others they call "unsound." They cannot quite make up their own minds what is true or what is right. Year rolls on after year, and finds them in the same state of talking, criticizing, fault-finding, and speculating, but never getting any further. They are hovering like the moth around religion, but never settling down like the bee, to feed on its treasures. They never boldly lay hold of Christ. They never set themselves heartily to the great business of serving God. They never take up the cross and become thorough Christians. And at last, after all their talking — they die in their sins, unprepared to meet God.
Let us not be content with a religion of this kind. It will not save us to talk and speculate, and exchange opinions about the Gospel. The Christianity that saves is personally grasped, personally experienced, personally felt, and personally possessed. There is not the slightest excuse for stopping short in talk, opinion, and speculation. The words of our Lord are weighty and solemn, "If any man will do God's will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it is from God" (John 7:17). Honest, practical obedience is one of the keys of the gate of knowledge.
Prayer for the Day: Dear Lord, help me to reject shallow faith and be committed to doing your will.
Action Plan: Take a moment to evaluate your own relationship with God. Have you made up your mind about what is true and right? Are you doing it?
This devotional was taken from The Gospel of Luke by J.C. Ryle published in 1858
and adapted by Pastor Tim Lewis of New England Shores Baptist Church.
