Tuesday after Judica (Passion Sunday)
Posted on March 23, 2021 by under
Scripture: 2 Corinthians 1:3-11 (NKJV)
1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. 5 For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also abounds through Christ. 6 Now if we are afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation, which is effective for enduring the same sufferings which we also suffer. Or if we are comforted, it is for your consolation and salvation. 7 And our hope for you is steadfast, because we know that as you are partakers of the sufferings, so also you will partake of the consolation.
8 For we do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, of our trouble which came to us in Asia: that we were burdened beyond measure, above strength, so that we despaired even of life. 9 Yes, we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves but in God who raises the dead, 10 who delivered us from so great a death, and does deliver us; in whom we trust that He will still deliver us, 11 you also helping together in prayer for us, that thanks may be given by many persons on our behalf for the gift granted to us through many.
Devotion
“Yes, we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves but in God who raises the dead.”
Paul was dealing with persecution. Death was very real to the early Christians. Whether you want to think about it or not, you too have the sentence of death in yourself because of your inheritance of Adam and Eve’s original sin. Original sin caused the removal of God’s image from you. Sin caused you to be born into this world spiritually dead.
Original sin leads to more sin, actual sin. You sin by the things you think! You sin by the things you say! You sin by the things you do! But more than that, you sin by the way you are! You are by nature sinful and unclean. If you say you have no sin, you deceive yourself and the truth is not in you. And make no mistake about it, the wages of sin is death. That is what you are paid for your sinful life: death.
But thanks be to God that His Son rose from the dead for our new life. Thanks be to God that His Son returned alive for his disciples, and many others, to witness His resurrection. And thanks be to Jesus, the Son of the only true and living God, who has promised to return again to resurrect us from the dead and take us with Him to His eternal kingdom in glory. Thanks be to God!
Prayer: We beseech Thee, Almighty God, mercifully to look upon Thy people, that by Thy great goodness they may be governed and preserved evermore both in body and soul; through Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord. Amen.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
