Open the Bible UK Daily

Each of us will give an account of himself to God.Romans 14:12Imagine a university student named John, eating in the cafeteria. He hears about a new course that all first years are required to take: “It sounds like a lot of work!”“Don’t worry,” says Bill, a second year student, “It’s one of those non-examinable courses. It doesn’t count toward your degree. Just sign in occasionally to show you were there.”So, John goes to class the first day and begins taking notes, but something inside him says, Why bother? It doesn’t really count. So, the rest of the week John shows up late and only hears the second half of each lecture. After that he doesn’t show up at all; he sleeps in instead.On the last day of class, the teacher announces: “Please submit all the notes you’ve taken for this class. They will be placed in your file as samples of the quality of your work, along with your reference, for the consideration of future employers.”John browsed his notes for the ten-week course: Only one full page of notes and four half pages. He realises that his shoddy work will be the first thing seen by a potential employer, so John rushes to the teacher, “This isn’t fair! If I knew it mattered, I would have done better work.”“This course doesn’t count toward your degree,” said the teacher, “but your mistake was to conclude that it doesn’t count for anything.”Have you flirted with the idea that since your Christian life doesn’t count toward your salvation that it doesn’t count for anything at all?

There is... now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.Romans 8:1Every person, including every Christian, will stand before the judgement seat of Christ. But what can we expect to happen when that day actually comes? Some Christians lack confidence at this point, because they lack clarity about their own position.But the apostle Paul does not mince words. He is very clear about the position of believers on the day of judgement: “Everyone who believes in [Christ] will not be put to shame” (10:11). The other New Testament writers are equally clear about the status of Christians in the judgement: “Whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16).If you are in Christ, you will stand before the Lord as His redeemed child. The Christian will never know or experience the wrath of God. Christ entered hell on the cross for you so that you should never know what that is like.Your home in heaven was not built with human hands. That means it cannot be dismantled by the failure of human hands. A person in Christ cannot lose his or her salvation at the judgement seat of Christ. It cannot happen and it will not happen. That’s why Paul can say plainly, “There is... now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Rom. 8:1).How confident are you about your own salvation? Are you afraid that you could lose it? How much clarity and certainty do you have about this today?

We must all appear before the judgement seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.2 Corinthians 5:10The Christian has one life in two parts, and each part has an opportunity and a challenge.It’s easy to see the challenges we have now: You are living in the tent, and you walk by faith, not by sight. And it’s easy to see the opportunities we’ll have then: You will be with Christ and see the King in His beauty, and faith will be turned to sight.But there is another side to the story: the challenge of our life then in the presence of the Lord. And we need to be reminded of this, especially while we are living. You may wonder, What challenge could there ever be when we are at home with the Lord?We will all appear before the judgement seat of Christ (5:10). If you are a Christian, here are three things you need to know about this judgement:1. You will not be condemnedThere is... now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. (Rom. 8:1) The Christian will never know or experience the wrath of God.2. You will give an accountEach of us will give an account of himself to God. (Rom. 14:12) You will not be condemned, but you will give an account.3. You may be rewarded“Your Father who sees in secret will reward you.” (Mat. 6:4) Our Lord spoke very clearly about the rewards of faithful service like prayer, giving, and fasting.Which of these do you find most surprising or encouraging?

We know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord... We would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord.2 Corinthians 5:6, 8The life of a Christian is in two parts, and both of them are described as being at home. Right now you are at home in the body. That’s a description of life in this world. As long as you’re in the body, you’ll experience many pressures and struggles because this body is only a tent.Your body may sag, it will wear out, and eventually, it will be taken down. And when that happens, you will be at home with the Lord. You will move from living “in Christ” and “by faith” to living “with Christ” and “by sight” (2 Cor. 5:7).These two parts of a Christian’s life (life in the body and life with the Lord), are very unequal. To be with the Lord is better by far; it is incomparably better and unimaginably longer.Imagine having a home in two places—two cities, two states, or two different countries. Although you have one life, that life is lived out in two very different places, and there is a continuity of memory and experience.The same is true of your life as a Christian. You have one life. Your life begins here where you are at home in the body, and it will continue when you are at home with the Lord. You will know yourself to be there as much as you know yourself to be here.Are you beginning to grasp the reality of having one life in two parts?

He who has prepared us for this very thing is God.2 Corinthians 5:5Christian brother or sister, God has prepared you for this translation from the tent to the building. He did this by sending His Son into the world to prepare a place in heaven for you. And He sent His Spirit into your heart to prepare you for your place in heaven. The One “who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who has given us the Spirit as a guarantee” (5:5).When the Old Testament describes the tabernacle, which was a tent, we are told that the cloud of God’s presence came into the tent (Ex. 33:8–10). Now Paul says that your body is a tent, and the Holy Spirit of God comes down to dwell in this tent with you. Your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit. Christ lives in you. He is with you in the tent! God makes His home with you in the tent, until the day when you make your home with Him in the house that is eternal in the heavens.This marvellous revelation about the Christian’s life in heaven is a gift from God. He did not need to tell us anything about life beyond the tent. He could have said, “Trust me. Wait and see.” But God did not do that.God pulled back the curtain so that believers can say, “We know that if the tent that is our earthly home is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens” (2 Cor. 5:1). And when you find yourself groaning, knowing this will keep you from losing heart.What does it mean to you that God has told us about life beyond the tent?

We know that if the tent that is our earthly home is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.2 Corinthians 5:1The home you are living in now is a temporary one—canvas, ropes, and pegs. But you have another home that is more enduring, more substantial. The date for moving into your new home has not yet been given, but it is already known to God.The apostle Paul is answering the question, What happens when a Christian dies? What happens the moment after a Christian closes his or her eyes in death? His answer is: To be away from the body is to be at home with the Lord (5:8)! The home Paul is referring to here is heaven itself.The Bible sometimes speaks about heaven as a building, a house, or a city:“In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you?” (John 14:2)He [Abraham] was looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God. (Heb. 11:10)A Christian is a person who has two homes for the soul. The first home is your body, which is like a tent. When this home is pulled down, you will move into your other home, which is in heaven. Heaven is the home into which your soul will enter when its present home is destroyed.The contrast between the two homes could hardly be greater: The tent is fragile, and it will be destroyed; the building is enduring and eternal. In the earthly tent there’s groaning, but in the “house not made with hands” mortal things are “swallowed up by life” (2 Cor. 5:1, 4).If you are a Christian today, are you factoring in your second home?

We know that if the tent that is our earthly home is destroyed...2 Corinthians 5:1Destroying the tent is a description of death. The tent will be taken down. One day, God Himself will slacken the ropes, pull out the pegs, and the house God has given you will be destroyed.Paul says, “If the tent that is our earthly home is destroyed…” Why does he say ‘if’? Because there was always the possibility that the Lord Jesus might return in glory while he was still alive.Christ may come before your tent is taken down. But that does not keep Paul from facing the reality that has been the experience of every Christian believer for 2,000 years. At some point, the tent gets taken down.If you start out in the Christian life thinking, it is going to be heaven on earth, you will not follow Jesus Christ for long. You will go round in circles wondering, Why am I suffering? Why is there so much evil in the world? Why is my life so hard?Jesus described the Christian life like this: “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me” (Mark 8:34). He did not say, “Follow me and I will give you everything you ever wanted.”It is really hard to be a Christian if you get following Jesus confused with a life of comfort and success. People who do that live in perpetual disappointment. They are always losing heart.Does the Christian life seem harder? Easier? Or about what you expected?

While we are still in this tent, we groan, being burdened.2 Corinthians 5:4Maybe you are an enthusiastic camper. Forget the fancy hotel or renting a motorhome; your idea of a good time is to put up your tent, build a fire, and roast some marshmallows. Paul was a tentmaker, which is likely why God brought this image to mind.There is a great deal of joy in camping. But you are probably not doing it all year round. If you did, you would soon be groaning. The difficulties of life in the body are part of the Christian life, and becoming more godly does not take away our groaning.Perhaps you know what it’s like to groan because of a frailty of the body. Or maybe you groan because of the circumstances of your life and all that’s happened to you. Maybe you even wonder, if I prayed more, would it be like this? If I had more faith, would I be in this position?Not many people have prayed more, believed more, or lived godlier lives than the apostle Paul did, so if he groaned in his tent, then none of us should be surprised when we find ourselves groaning in ours. If you think living a better Christian life will prevent pain or difficulty with your body, then you will be tempted to lose heart when these troubles inevitably come.You need to know that there will be seasons in all of our lives when we groan because of our bodies. All Christians groan under some frailty that arises from the body. We carry that burden.Do you ever wonder, “If I prayed more (or had more faith), would I have less pain and difficulty with my body?”

We know that if the tent that is our earthly home is destroyed, we have a building from God.2 Corinthians 5:1When the apostle Paul talks about “the tent that is our earthly home,” he is talking about your body. Notice, Paul does not say that your body is like a fort, or a castle, or a battleship. He says it is like a tent with canvas, ropes, and pegs. It is a fragile structure, adequate housing for the time being, but never intended to be your final home.Think about your body: It’s made of strong ropes; it has tough canvas. It can endure some heavy weather, but it’s only canvas. The ropes can fray; they have a breaking point. Your nerves are like ropes that can fray; there are limits to what your body can take. The delicate chemical balance in your brain is like a canvas that can very easily tear. Your central nervous system can carry a certain load, but the ropes have a breaking point.Once you see this, it will not surprise you that sometimes the children of godly parents struggle with unimaginable conditions and disorders. Their bodies are only tents. And it will not surprise you to discover that a missionary is on antidepressants, or that a respected Christian leader has to step back from ministry because of the strain that has come on his family.It is easy to lose heart if we’ve imagined that, since we’re Christians, we must be like forts or battleships. But Paul says, “No, your body is like a tent.”Are you being realistic about your body? Or are you telling yourself that it is indestructible, like a castle or a battleship?

We do not lose heart.2 Corinthians 4:16You might read these words and think, Really? How am I supposed to live in a world like this and not lose heart? How can I face the pressures all around me and not be discouraged?The answer is previewed for us at the end of chapter 4 and delivered in full in chapter 5. The apostle Paul’s headline is delivered in three contrasts: Paul speaks about the outer self and the inner self: “Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day” (4:16). Paul talks about present affliction and eternal glory: “This light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison” (4:17). Paul contrasts what is seen, which is passing, with what is unseen and lasts forever: “We look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal” (4:18).What are we dealing with? All the pressures that are part of life in this body (our outer self), and all the circumstances of life that bring pressure to bear on us (our present afflictions). We’re also facing the discouragement of the world in conflict and the church in compromise (what is seen).Put all that together and it’s not surprising that so many get discouraged. But Paul says, “We do not lose heart”! How? We endure by fixing our eyes on the renewal of our inner self, and the eternal weight of glory that will far outweigh all that can be seen.What are your eyes fixed on today?

“Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved.”Acts 16:31We have been talking about how to avoid a plunge to disaster. Here is a true story from the awful Titanic disaster back in April of 1912.There was a pastor on the Titanic by the name of John Harper. He was pastor of a church in Glasgow, which is now called the Harper Memorial Church. Harper was travelling on the Titanic to come and speak at Moody Church in Chicago.When the Titanic went down, Harper spent his last moments in those icy waters urging people to put their trust in Jesus Christ. At one point he found himself clinging to a board alongside another man. Harper asked the man, “Are you saved?”The man said, “No.”“Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ,” he said.Harper managed to swim toward others, and he spoke to them in the same way. He came back to the man. “Are you trusting Jesus Christ?”“No,” the man said.“Others are turning to Him and being saved. Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ.”A few moments later, Harper’s strength was exhausted, and the icy waters took his life. How do we know this story?Sometime later a man stood up in a church in Canada and told his story. “I am John Harper’s last convert,” he said.Can you put your hope in Christ right now? This is God’s desire for you!

“Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.”Luke 23:34Maybe you are struggling to live with the guilt of what you have done. You cannot forgive yourself. You do not see how God could forgive you either. That’s where Judas was.Come to the cross. Jesus has a crown of thorns pressed into His head. His hands and feet are nailed to the wooden beams. And as that cross is lifted up, He says, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do” (23:34).There is hope in Jesus Christ. If you want to avoid a plunge to disaster, never give up hope. The cross is big enough to cover your sin. The blood of Jesus is rich enough to cleanse your guilt. The love of Jesus is strong enough to reach out to you, to embrace you in your darkness, and to bring you into a new life. Believe Him, come to Him, and put your hope in Him.The enemy of your soul says, “What you have done is too bad to be forgiven. It’s too late to do anything about it.” That’s what Judas thought. Jesus will be crucified. My chance is gone. Maybe you are reading this in a hospital bed. You have lived sixty, seventy, eighty years without God and without Christ, and you are thinking, It’s too late for me to come to Christ.Come to the cross. Jesus is dying, and next to Him there is a thief, who is in the last hour of his life. He sees his own need, he believes in Jesus, and he asks God to save him. “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” And Jesus said to him, “Today you will be with me in paradise” (23:42–43).Never give up hope. The Lord Jesus Christ died to save you! He stands ready to welcome you. He calls you to believe in Him. He invites you to trust in His death. He offers you everlasting life. Believe Him. Trust Him. Turn to Him. In this moment ask Him to save you.What are you waiting for?

For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death.2 Corinthians 7:10While Peter was standing outside the house of the high priest, someone identified him as a follower of Jesus. Peter must have been terrified that he would also be arrested and tortured.He denied Jesus three times, and then “he began to invoke a curse on himself and to swear, ‘I do not know the man’” (Mat. 26:74). Then Peter went out and wept bitterly.On the day that Jesus died, there were two men surrounded by darkness—Judas who betrayed Him, and Peter who denied Him. But there was a great difference between them. Judas was filled with remorse, while Peter was filled with repentance.Remorse looks inside and says, “I wasted my life.” Repentance looks to Christ and says, “I give You my life.” Judas was sorry, but he was not repentant. Repentance is more than being sorry. It is more than wishing you could go and undo what you did.Repentance is turning to Jesus Christ. “Godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret” (2 Cor. 7:10). Peter repented, and two days later Jesus rose from the dead. He was reconciled with Jesus. Judas despaired, and he took his own life. He was only two days away from hope, but he never lived to see it.If you want to avoid a plunge to disaster, never give up hope. Maybe that’s your battle right now. You feel surrounded by darkness. You’re loaded down with failure and guilt. You cannot see any way out of the situation you’re in.Are you going to be like Peter or like Judas? They were two days away from the miracle of the resurrection. Two days! No matter how great the darkness, there is always hope in Jesus Christ.If you believe there is even a spark of hope for you, don’t panic. Ask God to help you do what Peter did.

When morning came, all the chief priests and the elders of the people took counsel against Jesus to put him to death. And they bound him and led him away and delivered him over to Pilate the governor. Then when Judas, his betrayer, saw that Jesus was condemned, he changed his mind and brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and the elders.Matthew 27:1-3Some people would say Judas’ betrayal of Jesus was the greatest sin ever committed. How could anything be worse than that? Well, there is something worse than that. After he betrayed Jesus, Judas gave up hope, and that was his greatest plunge to disaster.After he betrayed Jesus, Judas made this remarkable confession: “I have sinned,” he said, “by betraying innocent blood” (27:4). You can’t get a more direct confession than that. There are no excuses. This is a full confession. He was saying, in effect, “I’m guilty.”Notice that Judas says he has betrayed “innocent” blood. He believes Jesus is innocent, and he wants to save Him. Judas hopes that if he returns the money, and testifies to Jesus’ innocence, maybe he can put things right.But the chief priests aren’t interested. “What is that to us?” they replied. “See to it yourself” (27:4). “Too late, Judas,” they say. “The deed is done. You made your choice, now you have to live with it. There’s nothing you can do about it now.”Despair comes in on this desperate man. Judas knows he has committed a terrible crime, and he cannot live with himself, so “throwing down the pieces of silver into the temple, he departed, and he went and hanged himself” (27:5). This is Judas’ greatest plunge to disaster. Not that he betrayed Jesus, not even that he took his own life, but that in his darkness he gave up hope.Are you in a desperate place? Do you feel like giving up? Read tomorrow’s reflection. You will find real help.

“One of you will betray me.”John 13:21It could not have been easy for Judas to come to the Last Supper. He had already taken the 30 pieces of silver to betray Jesus! Then Jesus started washing the feet of the disciples. It was a beautiful expression of how Christ humbled Himself and took the form of a servant.What was Judas thinking while Jesus washed his feet? He felt the love of Christ reaching out to him, and he had to steel himself to resist it.Then the disciples gathered at the table. We know that John was sitting on Jesus’ right, but who was sitting on His left? It would very likely have been Judas. Otherwise, the others would have heard what Jesus said to Judas, and it is plain that they did not.Jesus began reaching out to Judas again: “One of you will betray me” (13:21). The disciples just stared at each other. They didn’t have the slightest idea what he meant. Judas was the only one who knew. They all began to say, “Is it me, Lord?”Then John asked Jesus who would betray Him, and Jesus said it would be the one to whom He gave the bread. So He handed it to Judas, and Judas took it!Then we read again that “Satan entered into him” (13:27). There is a clear pattern here. Judas opens a door and Satan goes through it. The devil only goes through doors that are open. Judas chose to betray Jesus. He opened a door, and the devil came in.Have you opened any doors to Satan in your life? How can you shut them today?

He was a thief.John 12:6A great deal has been written about why Judas betrayed Jesus. But the Bible only identifies one issue, and that was money. Judas was gripped by the power of money.Six days before the Passover, a dinner was given in honour of Jesus. Judas was there along with the other disciples. We are told that Mary took a pint of pure nard, a very expensive perfume, and poured it over Jesus, wiping His feet with her hair. It was a lavish gift and a beautiful expression of love.But Judas was frustrated. “Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (he who was about to betray him), said, ‘Why was this ointment not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?’ He said this, not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief, and having charge of the moneybag he used to help himself to what was put into it” (John 12:4-6).The money that was managed by Judas was used for two purposes—first, to sustain Jesus and the disciples, and second, to give to the poor. But Judas was stealing money from the bag, and of course, the more money in the bag, the more opportunity he would have to siphon some off for himself. So, Judas wanted the giving to grow.When Judas said that the money should have been sold and given to the poor, what he meant was that the money should have been placed in the bag that he managed. Since that was his mindset, he must have been very frustrated at what he saw as “missed opportunities.”Do you see anything in your words, attitudes, or actions that might be a red light, indicating that greed is starting to get a grip on your life?

“I have sinned by betraying innocent blood.”Matthew 27:4Judas walked with Jesus. He was trusted with responsibility, and he was given spiritual gifts for ministry. God used this man to release other people from the power of Satan. No doubt there will be people in heaven who say, “I came to faith through Judas’ ministry.”The story of Judas warns us against becoming complacent in our privileges. Are you known to be a follower of Christ? Have you been trusted with responsibility in the church? Are you involved in serving Christ? Has God given you spiritual gifts? Have you seen evidence of God using you? Every one of these things was true of Judas, and yet he took a plunge to disaster.The question is how could that possibly happen? Judas made a series of choices that took him to the edge of disaster. This is important because some people are confused about Judas. They think he had no choice in the matter.Here’s how the thinking goes: The Old Testament prophesied that someone would betray Jesus. So Judas must have been acting under some kind of compulsion. He didn’t have any choice. It’s as if he was preprogrammed to betray Jesus, and his actions were beyond his control.That would be a complete misunderstanding of the Bible story. The story of Judas is not the story of an unfortunate man who was somehow manipulated into betraying Jesus. It is the story of a man who lost his way through a series of tragic choices.Have you become complacent with your privileges? Sloppy with your choices?

So that disciple, leaning back against Jesus, said to him, “Lord, who is it?”John 13:25It is easy to picture Judas as some dark-eyed villain, but if we had to guess beforehand which of the disciples was most likely to betray Jesus, few, if any, of us would have guessed correctly. When Jesus said at the Last Supper that one of His disciples would betray Him, they all said, “Lord, is it I?” None of them said, “Lord, is it Judas?”Something was desperately wrong in Judas’ heart, but the only ones who knew were Judas and Jesus. Notice three privileges that Judas enjoyed.1. He walked with Jesus. Judas was invited by Jesus to be one of His twelve closest companions. The first reason Jesus chose the twelve was not ministry, but friendship. “He appointed twelve... so that they might be with him” (Mark 3:14). Jesus called Judas His friend. Christ loved this man and enjoyed talking with him. Judas walked with Jesus Christ and yet he took a plunge to disaster.2. He was trusted with responsibility. Jesus gave Judas significant responsibility. He was the one who managed the money that was given to Jesus and the disciples, presumably because Judas was the best man for the job. Peter was much too impulsive to be the treasurer. He would have blown it all on one project. John was too sensitive to be the treasurer, he would have given it all away. But Judas had the gifts and the temperament needed for the job, and Jesus put him in charge of the money.3. He had spiritual gifts for ministry. Matthew tells us that Jesus called His twelve disciples to Him (that clearly included Judas) and gave them authority to drive out evil spirits and to heal every disease and sickness (Mat. 10:1). Then just to make it doubly clear, Matthew records the names of those who were given this authority, and he ends his list by naming Judas Iscariot, “who betrayed him” (10:4).Which of Judas’ privileges can you identify with?

The hair of his [Samson’s] head began to grow again.Judges 16:22At the end of the story of Samson’s life, the commanders of the Philistines were throwing a great party at a temple to their god, Dagon. They decided it would be fun to bring out Samson to perform some tricks. No doubt they gave him some iron bars to bend and enjoyed a good laugh at what he could no longer do.Samson asked the servant who brought him to take him to the temple pillars so that he could lean against them. Rather naively, the servant did. Then Samson prayed, “O Lord GOD, please remember me and please strengthen me only this once, O God, that I may be avenged on the Philistines for my two eyes” (16:28). God did, and Samson brought the house down—literally! Pushing against the pillars, he destroyed the centre of the enemies’ power. He died as a hero and a martyr. He went out in a blaze of glory.In his death, Samson points forward to someone else of greater gifts and nobler character, who in His death pulled down the strongholds of our enemy, and then on the third day rose again to lead all His people into freedom and victory.Samson’s story leaves us saying, “We need a greater deliverer than this.” Maybe you have made some poor choices. You see that you have played the fool. But whatever you have done, there is a redeemer, there is grace, and God can use you. God can use you. God can take the man or woman whose passion has been out of control. He can make you useful in His kingdom. God’s grace can teach you to say “no” to worldly passions. You need that grace. And you can find it in Jesus.Have you made some poor choices? Would you like to be made more useful for God?

To him who is able to keep you from stumbling...Jude 24When we talk about learning to control our passions, we are talking about some of the greatest struggles that we face in the Christian life. And sometimes we feel so defeated in this area. So we need the kind of encouragement that only God is able to provide.Who is Jude talking about? Who is able to keep us from stumbling (or falling)? Jesus Christ can keep us. That’s why we read in Titus: “The grace of God has appeared... training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age” (2:11–12).You can learn to say “no.” There is a learning process here, but God’s grace will teach you as you walk with Him. By God’s grace you can do it. You do not need to fall.Some of us are defeated before we start because we don’t believe it. The enemy has us all bound up, and we think, You have no idea how strong this passion is, or how long it has mastered me. Stop repeating the enemy’s lies. The grace of God has appeared, and it teaches us to renounce or say “no” to worldly passions. That means Jesus is able to keep you.Victory begins when you start to believe this. Jesus can keep me. You do not need to make a bunch of foolish choices that will bring incredible pain to your life. He can keep you.Do you have doubts about Jesus’ ability to keep you? Talk to God about your fears, and ask Him to help you take Him at His Word.

He did not know that the LORD had left him.Judges 16:20It seems like there are two Samsons. There is Samson the gifted believer, who has godly parents, God’s calling, and God’s Spirit at work through him. He is a courageous hero who delivers God’s people. And there is also Samson the irresponsible fool, who is a liability to God’s people, acts like a juvenile delinquent, and refuses to listen to his parents.Yet the Spirit of God is on him at a time when God’s people knew only defeat, and God used him to take out an entire legion from the army of a wicked regime. How can such courage and foolishness be bound up in one man? How can God use one who shows such a lack of judgement?The rest of the story repeats the same pattern. Samson falls in love with a woman called Delilah. She pesters Samson for the secret of his strength, and eventually he tells her; if his hair was cut, he would lose his strength. There was nothing magical about his hair, but this was the secret sign of his consecration to God, and it was the Spirit of God who gave him his power.One night while Samson was asleep, Delilah cut his hair. So, when the Philistines came to arrest him, his strength was gone. That’s where we come to one of the saddest verses in the Bible: “He did not know that the LORD had left him” (16:20).So why did Samson take such a plunge to disaster? Because he never developed self-control. How many ministries have taken a plunge to disaster because of passions that were never brought under control? If you do not master your passions, your passions will master you. That was the tragedy of this man’s life. So gifted, and yet so out of control.Are you mastering your passions? Or are your passions mastering you?

“I saw one of the daughters of the Philistines at Timnah. Now get her for me as my wife.”Judges 14:2You have to use your imagination to picture Samson. He has been in the weight room, and he looks magnificent. He has bronze skin and deep-set eyes, and his abs are toned to perfection.One day, this Old Testament hunk is in a town called Timnah, and he sees a Philistine woman. She must have been a stunner, because Samson was absolutely smitten the moment he saw her.So, he comes home and says to his parents: “Get her for me as my wife” (14:2). He was doing the right thing in wanting to get married, but he was doing it for all the wrong reasons. He didn’t even know this woman. All he knew was what he saw. His father and mother are horrified. The Philistines are the enemy. How can you marry the enemy? But Samson has already made up his mind. He is so smitten he is not listening to anybody. That is his first step on the road to disaster.Maybe you can identify with Samson’s parents. You pour yourself into raising your son or daughter the right way, but children have a will of their own, and sometimes a stubborn will leads to bad decisions. That can be devastating. You wish you could stop them, but you can’t. All you can do is live with your pain and trust that God will do something remarkable.God did do something remarkable. He took the self-inflicted pain of Samson’s life and wove it into His purpose. That’s the point of Judges 14:4 where we are told that Samson’s parents did not know that this was from the Lord. Samson’s marriage was a dreadful mistake, and it led to a great deal of pain. But it also led to a chain of events in which God was at work.Are you refusing to listen to godly counsel? Or can you identify with Samson’s parents?

The woman bore a son and called his name Samson.Judges 13:24Before we come to Samson’s story, here are three things you need to know about him.1. Samson was a believer. Hebrews specifically tells us about “Samson… who through faith…” (11:32, 33) did many things. That means we should expect to see him in heaven. For all his flaws, Samson was a man of faith.Samson had a special place in God’s purpose: “The child shall be a Nazirite to God from the womb, and he shall begin to save Israel from the hand of the Philistines” (Judges 13:5). And the Holy Spirit was at work in his life: “Samson… grew, and the Lord blessed him. And the Spirit of the Lord began to stir him” (13:24–25).2. Samson was a courageous hero. He was a larger-than-life hero who inspired hope when everything else seemed lost. In a country that was defeated and demoralised, there was one man who was prepared to put up a fight for the liberation of his people, and with amazing results!When we read about Samson taking out 1,000 Philistines with the jawbone of a donkey, we are meant to cheer. Samson is a hero. He is a one-man army in a nation of people who have no means of defending themselves. If he were alive today, he would surely be nominated for a medal of honour because of his extraordinary courage in the field of battle.3. Samson was also an irresponsible fool. This is the great irony of Samson’s life. He was blessed with godly parents, remarkable spiritual gifts, great faith, and extraordinary courage, but sometimes he did the most foolish things.As you follow Samson’s story, you don’t know whether to cheer or cry. How can a man who is a gifted believer and a courageous hero also be such an irresponsible fool? Samson reminds us that it is possible to have the Holy Spirit at work in you, be called by God to ministry, be used in the work of God’s kingdom, and still take a plunge to disaster.Do you know any courageous, irresponsible Christians? Pray for one right now.

The people of Israel again did what was evil in the sight of the LORD, so the LORD gave them into the hand of the Philistines for forty years.Judges 13:1Today we begin looking at the story of Samson. Most of the book of Judges takes place at a time when God’s people were under great oppression. The Philistine army had invaded their soil, and a foreign power was in control of their country.God’s people had no army and no king, so everything depended on a resistance movement. But there was no infrastructure for organising that. God’s people were helpless.This is hard for us to imagine because we have been blessed with a freedom that we can so easily take for granted. Imagine tanks rolling up the streets in London, and MI5 and MI6 being taken over. National security is dismantled, a foreign army is on the streets, and appalling acts of violence occur every day as defenceless people are attacked and abused.Whenever any attempts are made at resistance, people disappear, never to be heard from again. So, the resistance crumbles. Gradually people begin to accept the unthinkable, and as they do, they lose their hope of ever regaining their freedom.This scenario is exactly what God’s people were facing in the book of Judges: “The LORD gave them into the hands of the Philistines for forty years” (13:1). God’s people lived under terrible oppression for a whole generation. It may be hard for us to imagine this scenario in the West, but in other parts of the world, people are living under these unthinkable conditions.Pray that the Lord would have mercy on oppressed peoples around the world today.

As soon as Esau heard the words of his father, he cried out with an exceedingly great and bitter cry.Genesis 27:34No one wants their life to end the way Esau’s did. So how can we avoid Esau’s plunge to disaster?First, submit yourself fully to the authority of God. You have to begin with the heart of the problem. The heart of Esau’s trouble was that he was godless. If you want to avoid his plunge to disaster you have to begin by letting God be God in your life.Second, establish God’s values as the navigating points of your life. You cannot start with values. If you do, the values you establish will reflect your impulses. That’s no better than shooting arrows and then painting circles around them and saying you hit the target.When you have submitted your life to the authority of God, then you will be in a position to establish God’s values as the navigating points of your life. Pastor Martyn Lloyd-Jones once said, “Every young man ought to make it his business to establish certain things that he will vow never to do.” What is there in your life that is sacred?Do you see the progression here? If you operate on the basis of impulse, you will take a plunge to disaster. In order to live a successful life, you need values that will be like navigating points for your life. But you cannot establish right values until you have submitted yourself to God.How can you avoid a plunge to disaster? Where do you need to start?

“Be lord over your brothers, and may your mother’s sons bow down to you.”Genesis 27:29The promise God gave to Abraham now belonged to Jacob. Try to imagine the scene a few moments later when Esau arrived with a meal for his father: “Sit up, Dad. I’ve got your stew, and I’m ready to receive your blessing.”“Who are you?” Isaac asked him.“I am your son, your firstborn, Esau” (27:32).Then Isaac realised what had happened, and he began shaking. “Who was it then that hunted game and brought it to me?” (27:33). And suddenly they both knew who it was.We are told that when Esau heard this, “he cried out with an exceedingly great and bitter cry” (27:34). Esau realised that he had missed out on the one thing that really mattered. He had no place for God in his life, and in the end, he found himself outside God’s blessing.Esau’s bitter cry when he discovered that he was shut out from the blessing reminds us of some words of Jesus. He spoke about a day when some would find themselves outside of God’s kingdom, and He said there would be “weeping and gnashing of teeth” (Luke 13:28).Try to put yourself in Esau’s shoes. Imagine what it would be like to be shut out from God’s blessing. If you belong to Jesus Christ today, thank God that this will never be true of you.

He [Isaac] said, “Are you really my son Esau?” He answered, “I am.”Genesis 27:24One day Isaac told Esau to go and prepare a meal for him, and after that Isaac said he would give Esau his blessing.But when Rebekah overheard this, she rushed over to Jacob. “Your father is about ready to announce God’s blessing. He wants to give it to Esau, but you can pretend to be your brother and the blessing will be yours.”“But he’s hairy as a goat,” said Jacob. “My skin is smooth. Dad will know I’m not him.”Rebekah said, “Your father will never know the difference.” So she covered Jacob’s arms with goatskin and dressed him in Esau’s clothes. Then Jacob took his mother’s stew to Isaac.“Who is it?” asked the old man.“Esau,” said Jacob. “Sit up and eat some food and then give me your blessing.”“But how did you find the game so quickly?” said Isaac. “The Lord helped me,” said Jacob.“Come near, that I may feel you, my son, to know whether you are really my son Esau or not” (27:21). So, Jacob went right up to his father. The old man touched his arms. “The voice is Jacob’s voice,” he said, “but the hands are the hands of Esau” (27:22). Jacob was the coolest liar in the business.Then Isaac spoke the words God gave him. “May God give you of the dew of heaven and of the fatness of the earth and plenty of grain and wine. Let peoples serve you, and nations bow down to you. Be lord over your brothers, and may your mother’s sons bow down to you. Cursed be everyone who curses you, and blessed be everyone who blesses you!” (27:28–29).What did Esau miss out on?

Esau despised his birthright.Genesis 25:34If you lose touch with God, you will become confused about values. The values on which true wisdom is based are not just plucked out of thin air. They are based on the character of God.This is the great issue of our time. Our nation has lost touch with God and now we are confused about values. Having turned from God, we have lost sight of the value of human life, and the result is that thousands of men and women have acted on an impulse. That is a plunge to disaster.It doesn’t matter whether it’s an individual, a family, or a nation, the pattern is the same—godlessness, confusion about values, acting on impulse, and a plunge to disaster.Lose touch with God and you become confused about values.Get confused about values and you start acting on impulse.Keep acting on impulse and you will take a plunge to disaster.But the plunge to disaster will not be immediately obvious. The person who is confused about values usually doesn’t know what he or she has lost. That is the fascinating thing in Genesis 25. Esau sold his birthright, ate his stew, got up, and walked away, and he thought nothing of it.Have you observed the pattern that leads to a plunge to disaster in our country? In your family? In your own life? How so?

See to it that no one... is sexually immoral or unholy like Esau, who sold his birthright for a single meal.Hebrews 12:15-16Esau was the firstborn son in the family God had chosen to bless. It’s hard to imagine a greater privilege than that. Priceless gifts from God were placed in his hand, but he couldn’t see their value.All that mattered to Esau was the next meal, the next fishing or hunting trip, the next paycheque, the next contract, the next game, the next relationship. That’s what he lived for. That was all he could see. Nothing else really mattered to him.Jacob knew Esau didn’t care much about his birthright. They would have spoken about it before, and Jacob knew it was for sale. He had been waiting for the right moment.The reason Esau acted on impulse was that he never saw the value of his birthright. A plate of stew seemed more important to him than a place in the purpose of God! Esau acted on impulse, and he did so because he was confused about values. If you are confused about values, you will eventually take a plunge to disaster.But why was Esau confused about values? Because Esau was godless. Esau had no place for God in his life. He loved the open country, but he had no love for God. He was brought up to know God, but he did not see his need for God. These things always remained at a distance from him. He was godless.How does your relationship with (or distance from) God shape your values?

“Let me eat some of that red stew, for I am exhausted!... I am about to die; of what use is a birthright to me?”Genesis 25:30, 32Esau wasn’t a great thinker or planner. He tended to go with the flow and live for the moment. When he felt hungry, all that really mattered to him was getting some food.The problem with living at the level of impulse is that over the course of a lifetime all kinds of impulses will come to you, some of them good, and some of them bad.You see someone on the street who looks cold, and immediately there is an impulse within you that you should give them some money or a cup of coffee. That’s a good impulse. It’s called compassion.Esau had good impulses. At the end of the story, when he met his brother, Jacob, Esau forgave him. He had a generous spirit. When it was time to draw a line under old wounds, he did it.But the problem with acting on impulse is that our impulses are a mixture of good and bad. Most temptations come in the form of impulse. In fact, that is exactly what temptation is—an impulse to do something God has said you should never do. This happens to all of us.Over a lifetime, all kinds of impulses will come to you. But if you live at the level of impulse, you will eventually take a plunge to disaster.Can you identify one good impulse and one bad impulse you’ve had recently?

Jacob said, “Swear to me now.” So [Esau] swore to him and sold his birthright to Jacob.Genesis 25:33One day Esau was out hunting, and when he came back he was hungry. It just so happened that his little brother, Jacob, was cooking some stew in the kitchen.You know what it’s like when you’ve been working a long day, and you missed lunch, and traffic was backed up on the way home. Your head thumps, you feel exhausted, and when you come home there is the aroma of home cooking wafting from the kitchen.Esau is absolutely starving, and when he smells the food, he says to Jacob, “Let me eat some of that red stew, for I am exhausted!” (25:30).Jacob already knew something that many others have discovered. When a man comes home hungry, and you’ve got food, you can ask him for just about anything and he will probably say, “Yes!” So Jacob said, “Sell me your birthright.”Now, that was a rotten trick. Jacob shouldn’t have done that. But we’re staying with Esau’s side of the story today, so don’t get distracted by Jacob.Esau said, “I am about to die; of what use is a birthright to me?” (25:32). In other words, “Who cares about a stupid birthright? I’m dying for something to eat.”Jacob wasn’t satisfied. “Swear to me now” (25:33). So, Esau swore an oath (a binding promise), selling his birthright to Jacob.Then we are told that “Jacob gave Esau bread and lentil stew, and he ate and drank and rose and went his way” (25:34). That’s it! We don’t read about any regrets that he had, or that he was angry with Jacob. He didn’t seem to give the matter another thought.Have you ever made a hasty promise, only to realise later that it was unwise?

“Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples from within you shall be divided; the one shall be stronger than the other, the older shall serve the younger.”Genesis 25:23We have been looking at Bible characters who took a plunge to disaster, to discover what we can learn from them, so that we won’t follow in their footsteps. Today, we look at the story of Esau.Esau’s story begins in the maternity ward where his mother, Rebekah, is giving birth to twins. It had been a difficult pregnancy because Jacob and Esau were struggling with each other inside her (25:22). It was the beginning of a struggle that was to continue between the nations that would descend from these two boys.It seems that they were struggling over which one should be born first. Esau won, but not by much, because no sooner was he born than Jacob came out, arm first, hanging on to Esau’s heel. Jacob would have made a great football player, maybe a linebacker, because no running back would get very far with Jacob hanging on to his heel.The point of this story is that the firstborn received a double portion of the inheritance. That was no small thing. But in this family, it was especially important. God had made special promises to Esau’s grandfather, Abraham. There would be someone in the line of people descended from Abraham who would bring God’s blessing to all the nations of the world.The Old Testament follows the story of the line of Abraham. His son was Isaac, and when Isaac and Rebekah had these twin boys, the obvious question was, which of them would inherit God’s promise? Through which of them would God’s purpose of blessing the world continue? Into which line would the Saviour of the world be born? That is what this story is all about.Was there any competition in your own family, growing up, between your brothers and sisters?

“My punishment is greater than I can bear.”Genesis 4:13It would hardly have been surprising if God had ended Cain’s life right then and there in the fields. But in the mercy of God, the world’s first murderer was given another chance.If you were Cain’s friend, you might counsel him like this: “Cain, God has not cut you off. He is speaking to you. He is showing you mercy. Don’t miss this opportunity. Be reconciled to Him. Accept your punishment, confess your sin, and turn to Him in true repentance. This dark moment could be the turning point of your life.”But instead of taking ownership for what he had done, and looking to God for mercy, Cain began to wallow in self-pity. “My punishment is greater than I can bear. Behold, you have driven me today away from the ground, and from your face I shall be hidden. I shall be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth, and whoever finds me will kill me” (4:13–14).Don’t you wish we could rerun the story of Cain? If he had made some different choices, it could have turned out differently. Suppose when God invited Cain to do right, he had said: “Lord, I’m struggling with anger toward my brother. It’s like a fire inside me. I need your power.” Suppose he had put his faith and trust in God to do for him what he could not do for himself.And even after killing his own brother, Cain could have taken a different course. He could have turned away from self-pity, taken ownership of the deed he had done, faced the consequences, and then thrown himself on the mercy of God. He could have said, “I have sinned, and I stand before you without excuse. Lord, be merciful to me, a sinner.” He didn’t do that. But what Cain didn’t do, you can do today.What is one story from your own life that you’d like to rerun? What would you say differently to God this time? Why?

[Sin’s] desire is contrary to you, but you must rule over it.Genesis 4:7Never underestimate the power of sin. The quickest way to take a plunge to disaster is to allow a sin into your life and then say to yourself, “It’s not a big deal. I can handle it.”Jesus said, “Everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin” (John 8:34). In other words, sin has the power to rule over you. Once you let sin in, it has the ability to invade every area of your life. If you give sin an inch, it will try and take a mile. So, you must be vigilant to guard your heart.Think of sin as being like a wild animal. When you get angry, when you don’t get your way, when your pride is hurt, sin is crouching at your door.When Cain refused to do what was right, he set himself up for failure. God spoke to him, but he turned away and he opened up the floodgates to a power that was greater than he could control.You may say, “Well, I get pretty angry, but I would never murder anybody.” Perhaps, but when you allow sin to take root in your life, you never know where it will lead you.Sin is a power. You must master it, or it will master you, and the only way to master sin is in the name and the power of Jesus Christ.Can you think of a time when you underestimated the power of sin? What happened?

“If you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door.”Genesis 4:7This is the first time the word sin is used in the Bible. “Sin?” Cain must have said. “What is sin?” Sin is more than simply a choice that you make. God is saying that there is a power at work in the world and it is like a wild animal. When you refuse to do what is right, it will sneak up on your house. It will crouch outside the door. Then one day as you are coming out, it will pounce on you, without warning, and overpower you.As time went on, Cain’s anger deepened into hatred. Whenever there was a problem, he found a way of seeing it as Abel’s fault. He began to fantasise about what he would do to him if he ever got the opportunity. It became an obsession, as if some mysterious power was at work within him.Then one day, when he couldn’t bear with him any longer, Cain said to Abel, “Let’s go out into the fields,” and when they got there, “Cain rose up against his brother Abel and killed him” (4:8). Then God spoke again. Cain was terrified and immediately went into what we would call denial. “Where is Abel, your brother?” (4:9). “I don’t know. He’s not my responsibility.”But God is never fooled by our denial. He sees all things. “What have you done?... Your brother’s blood is crying to me from the ground” (4:10). And God told Cain that he was under a curse. The field that he had worked so successfully would no longer bear crops for him. “You shall be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth” (4:12).However terrible these words may sound to us, the curse was actually a wonderful expression of the mercy of God. Later, as violence and murder increased, God introduced the death penalty as the sentence for murder, “Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed, for God made man in his own image” (9:6).What one step could you take today to protect yourself from sin?

“If you do well, will you not be accepted?”Genesis 4:7We don’t know whether God spoke to Cain when he was at the altar or later. But let’s assume for a moment that God spoke to him in an audible voice, as He often did in the Old Testament.Cain was still smouldering when God spoke to him, “Why are you angry, and why has your face fallen?” (4:6). Cain knew the answer. “Because I’m fed up with my stupid little brother. Because when he brings an offering, You put on a great fireworks display, but when I bring one nothing happens.” That’s what he was thinking, but of course, he didn’t say it.Then the Lord said to Cain, “If you do well, will you not be accepted?” (4:7). There is no favouritism here. God treats all people exactly the same and gives to each an opportunity. If you do what is right, you will be accepted.If Cain had offered a lamb to God by faith, he would have been accepted. But lambs were Abel’s thing. There was no way in the world that Cain was going to do that.But there is a way in which you can come to God, and it is the same for all people. It is through the shedding of blood that sins are forgiven. God will hear your prayers, and you will find mercy. Believe the promise of God and act on it.How can any person find mercy from God and an open ear to his or her prayers? Is this true of the worst person you know? The best person you know? Is it true of you?

By faith Abel offered to God a more acceptable sacrifice than Cain, through which he was commended as righteous, God commending him by accepting his gifts.Hebrews 11:4Very often, the New Testament gives us the key to understanding an Old Testament story, and the New Testament tells us quite clearly that the difference between Cain and Abel was faith. Cain was a man without faith. He came with his family to worship God. He even brought offerings to God. But he did not have faith. Faith is trusting in and acting on what God has revealed. God had already revealed that the only way we could come to Him was on the basis of a sacrifice that involved the shedding of blood. Although this was revealed more fully to Moses later, the principle of a sacrifice involving death goes all the way back to the Garden of Eden. When Adam and Eve sinned, they lost their innocence and they knew they were naked. Then we are told, “The LORD God made for Adam and for his wife garments of skins and clothed them” (Gen. 3:21). You can’t make garments of skin without killing an animal. So, it is quite clear that God killed an animal on the very day that the first sin was committed. God shed blood in the Garden of Eden. The very first sacrifice that was ever made was offered by God. Cain and Abel would have learned this from their parents. “Our sins lead to death, but God is gracious, boys. He has allowed that another will die in our place. He will accept the sacrifice of a lamb, and He will show you mercy. That’s how you find peace with Him.” Abel believed God’s promise and he acted on it. But Cain wanted to offer something he had worked on. That’s why he brought the fruit. That was his problem. He was a man without faith.How would you describe the difference between Cain and Abel in your own words?

Cain brought to the LORD an offering of the fruit of the ground, and Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat portions.Genesis 4:3-4The first family did not have a church. They had some kind of altar. Perhaps it was just a pile of stones, but it was the place where they met with God.Each boy brought an offering. Cain had a crate of fruits and vegetables; Abel had some animals from his flock. Then we are told: “The LORD had regard for Abel and his offering, but for Cain and his offering he had no regard. So Cain was very angry, and his face fell” (4:4-5).We are not told how the family knew that God was pleased with Abel’s offering, and not Cain’s. But there is a tradition that fire came down and burned up Abel’s sacrifice, just as God’s fire came down from heaven and burned up Elijah’s sacrifice at Mount Carmel (1 Kings 18).Try to imagine the scene: The family arrives at the altar. “All right,” says Adam. “You go first, Abel. Remember, the altar is the place where God meets with us. Place your gift on the altar. Say your prayer, confess your sins, and stand back.”Abel does as he is told, and as he walks back to stand with his family, suddenly fire falls from the sky—like lightning. It strikes the meat on the altar and, within seconds, burns it up. Abel watches wide-eyed. God heard his prayer and accepted his sacrifice. God smiled upon him.Cain drags his crate over to the altar and arranges his fruit and vegetables. As he walks back to join the family, he is convinced that when God’s fire falls from the sky, his bonfire will put Abel’s to shame. Cain holds his breath, but nothing happens. An hour later and still no fire. Cain is humiliated. “What is God doing? What’s so great about Abel’s stupid offering?” Cain feels sick, and he begins to get angry. There is a long silence on the way home.Why do you think God didn’t look with favour on Cain’s offering?

And again, she bore his brother Abel. Now Abel was a keeper of sheep, and Cain a worker of the ground.Genesis 4:2Sometime later, another little bundle of life came along, and Adam and Eve named him Abel. We aren’t told how old Cain was when his brother was born, but we can probably assume he had a mixed reaction to the arrival of the new attraction, as most older brothers do.Here was some competition—a little upstart who needed to be kept in his place, a rival who needed to know who was boss. After all, Cain was the firstborn.Sure enough, Cain grew up to be a great success. He was what we would call a high achiever. He took up agriculture, and became the world’s first farmer, and he was good at it. God blessed him, and Cain’s farm produced marvellous crops. But just because a person has material success, that doesn’t necessarily mean that he or she has favour with God.Many people today believe that material blessings are the clearest evidence of God’s pleasure with a person. However, we see many counter-examples of this in the Bible. Even Jesus Himself said, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head” (Mat. 8:20; Luke 9:58). We will surely be surprised when we get to heaven, both by who is there, and by who is not.On a scale of 1 (never) to 10 (always), how likely are you to equate a person’s success with God’s blessing and/or pleasure with him or her?

Now Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain, saying, “I have produced a man with the help of the LORD.”Genesis 4:1Having sinned against God, the first man and the first woman were now outside the Garden of Eden. They were living under a terrible judgement, but God had graciously given them hope in a great promise: a deliverer would be born. An offspring of the woman would inflict a deadly blow on their enemy, the serpent, who had brought devastation to their world (3:15).But of course, Eve had no idea what born meant. In fact, she didn’t know what a baby was. How could she? What must it have been like for Eve to discover that she was pregnant? One morning she begins to feel a little sick. A few weeks later she begins to show. Nine months later she is seized with violent pain, and her husband, Adam, doesn’t have t faintest idea what to do.Somehow, they got through it, and before long, she had a wonderful, bright, bouncing baby boy in her arms. She was convinced that this baby was the promised deliverer: “I have gotten a man with the help of the LORD” (4:1). Literally translated, what she said was: “I have brought forth a man-child—the Lord.”She must have been overjoyed. Not only had she given birth to the first baby in human history, she was convinced that the child she gave birth to was the Saviour of the world. Of course, Cain was not the Saviour of the world, but it isn’t surprising that Eve thought so. Over the next few days, we are going to see how Cain took a plunge to disaster, and how we can avoid his fate.Where are you tempted to look when you want to change the world?

Now these things happened to them [Israel] as an example, but they were written down for our instruction, on whom the end of the ages has come.1 Corinthians 10:11Wouldn’t it be nice to go off on a long cruise to a warm place with magnificent scenery, endless food, and a good book to get lost in? What could be better? Unless, of course, the name of the cruise ship happens to be The Titanic.Over these next weeks, we are going to follow the stories of Bible characters who took a plunge to disaster. Like passengers on The Titanic, their lives were sailing along, and everything seemed to be going well. The problems were hidden, and all of a sudden they went down. We will meet three characters from the Old Testament, and one character who even knew Jesus personally, but every one of them took a plunge to disaster.It’s hard to imagine anything more tragic than the person who thinks that everything is right, when actually they are heading for disaster. Jesus spoke about this in the Sermon on the Mount.He said that on the last day there will be people who had prophesied and done great work in His name to whom He will say, “I never knew you; depart from me” (Mat. 7:23).This is one of the most disturbing verses in the Bible. There are some people to whom this will happen, and it is our business to make sure that we are not among them.God has many ways of teaching us. Sometimes we learn from the wise—we look up to them and learn from their example. But it is also possible to learn from fools as we see their mistakes and learn to avoid them.Do you feel that everything is going well in your life? Why or why not?

Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labour is not in vain.1 Corinthians 15:58Why should you be steadfast and immovable? Why should you extend yourself in serving the Lord? Why should you pledge your life to Christ? Why should you do what He calls you to do, no matter how hard or how costly that may be?Because you will enjoy an eternal life in a resurrected body that Jesus Christ will give to you. If this short life was all that you had to enjoy, you would have to hold on to it, and you would live with the constant fear that somehow you might be missing out.But no Christian believer will miss out. You will enjoy eternal life! And when you know this, you will feel that you can do nothing better with your short life in this world than to be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord. Here are two commitments to consider:1. Be steadfast: This is a lifetime commitment. Run the race that is marked out for you. Deal with the sins that cling to you; lay aside the weights that hold you back (Heb. 12:1). Don’t be distracted. Do what God has called you to do. Give yourself to work that will bless others.2. Abound: Don’t say, “I’ve done enough already.” Millions around you are dying in their sins, and you have an everlasting life ahead of you. Ask yourself, What more can I do? In light of the glorious life ahead of me, is what I am doing for Christ the best I can do?You may sometimes wonder, Is this worth it? Know this: your work is not in vain. Christ’s kingdom will come. A great company of redeemed people from every nation will gather at the throne of God. Jesus will see the fruit of the travail of His soul and be satisfied.Ask for the Lord’s help: “Lord, by your grace, I will be steadfast in my commitment to You. I will be immovable in my commitment to pursue a holy life, and I will abound in your work.”

The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.1 Corinthians 15:56-57Do you see the contrast between the experience of a believer and the experience of those who do not believe? First, the experience of a believer: “Thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Cor 15:57). Then, the experience of millions who live and die without Christ: “The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law” (15:56).I have spoken with people who don’t believe and who don’t seem to be worried about death at all. “You live, you die, you enjoy life when you can, and when you’re gone, you’re gone.” They don’t worry about death because they don’t consider its sting. The sting of death is dying in your sins. Why is this a problem? Because of the law. The law is the demand you have not met. Sin is the stain you cannot remove. Death is the outcome you cannot avoid.Our Lord spoke about this. To those who would not believe, He said, “Unless you believe that I am he you will die in your sins” (John 8:24). Nothing could be more tragic than to die in your sins. This would mean that you carry your sins into your death with you and then stand in your sins before Almighty God. This is the position of millions in our world today.But not for you! If you are a believer, you can say, “Thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Cor. 15:57).Take a moment to thank God for victory over your sins. Pray for someone you know who needs to find this victory for themselves.

We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed.1 Corinthians 15:51-52What about believers who are living when Christ returns? Like believers who have already died, believers who are still alive will also receive the gift of the resurrection body when He comes.Some Christians will still be living when Christ returns. They will not die. That’s the meaning of “We shall not all sleep” (15:51). Notice, Paul says, “We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed.” Paul included himself here, because he lived with a profound awareness that Jesus could return during his lifetime, and we should do the same.When will this change take place? “At the last trumpet.” That’s a clear reference to the glorious return of Christ. When the trumpet sounds, two things will happen. First, “the dead will be raised imperishable.” And second, “we [those who are living at the time] shall be changed” (15:52).So those who have died and those who live will receive the gift of the resurrection body at the same time. And the apostle tells us that this change in which our perishable bodies will be transformed into bodies that are glorious, powerful, spiritual, and imperishable will happen “in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye” (15:52).This will be an instantaneous and miraculous change. Your sanctification is a long, slow process with many setbacks, but your glorification will be an immediate, complete, and irreversible transformation.Reflect on the hope of one day having your earthly body instantaneously transformed into a glorious, powerful, spiritual, and imperishable body.

Since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep.1 Thessalonians 4:14The first thing you need to know about believers who have died is that they are with the Lord. To be away from the body is to be at home with the Lord (2 Cor. 5:8).The second thing you need to know is that Jesus will bring the souls of believers who have died with Him when He returns: “Through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep” (1 Thes. 4:14). Those who have fallen asleep (or died), are with Him now, consciously enjoying the glory of life in His presence.Then Paul says, “The Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command… And the dead in Christ will rise first” (1 Thes. 4:16). The souls of those who are with Jesus will be clothed with resurrection bodies when He returns.It’s like a two-stage journey. At death, Christ brings believers into His presence in heaven. But that is not the end of the story. When He returns, they will be clothed with resurrection bodies, adapted for everlasting life in the new heaven and earth.Nancy Guthrie says, “When we’re going on a trip to Paris, we have a stopover at the Atlanta airport. We don’t spend our time talking about all the things we’re going to do in Atlanta. Our hearts and minds are filled with all that awaits us in our ultimate destination.”Believers who have died are on a stopover. They’re with Christ, and that’s better than any stopover you can imagine. But like us, believers who have died are waiting for the day when Christ will return in glory, because then, they will enter into the full joy of all God has promised.What comfort do you find in knowing that believers who have died are with Christ? How could you use this knowledge to comfort others?

Flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable.1 Corinthians 15:50Jesus taught us to pray, “Your kingdom come” (Mat. 6:10). And one day, His kingdom will come, and it will last forever. Isaiah prophesied, “Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore” (Isa. 9:7).Christ will establish a glorious kingdom. A kingdom of righteousness, peace, and joy. A kingdom in which His reign will be uncontested. A kingdom that will last forever.But to enjoy an everlasting kingdom, you would need a body that lasts forever. And believers on earth don’t have it. Our souls grow in likeness to Christ as we walk with Him, but our bodies wear out like everyone else’s. That’s why Paul says, “Flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable” (1 Cor. 15:50).And what about believers in heaven? They don’t have the resurrection body either. Their souls are consciously enjoying the presence of Jesus. But souls without bodies cannot enjoy all that God has prepared for those who love Him.Right now, the only person who enjoys life in a resurrected body is Jesus Christ. Believers on earth don’t have it. Believers in heaven don’t have it either. So how will they and we be able to enjoy God’s kingdom?The answer is that they and we will receive resurrected bodies (bodies designed for everlasting life), and we will receive this gift when Jesus Christ returns in power and glory.What is one thing about Jesus’ everlasting kingdom that you are looking forward to?

Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labour is not in vain.1 Corinthians 15:58In 1 Corinthians 15, we have seen that there is hope in Jesus. Because He died for our sins and rose from death, He is able to free us from the guilt and shame of our past sins and to give us strength for our present calling.We have also seen that there is hope for us. Because Jesus rose, He is able to save us. He will bring all who believe and continue in the gospel into a glorious resurrection life.But a faith that is for this life only cannot deliver the world God has promised. Only the risen Lord Jesus can do that. That is why we have hope for the future. Christ will give us new bodies, adapted for everlasting life in a glorious new world.Now, at the end of this marvellous chapter, Paul comes back to how this hope of the resurrection helps us today. What practical difference will the promise of the resurrection make to the choices, the priorities, and the pursuits of our lives now?That is the question. And the answer is found in the last verse of this chapter: “Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labour is not in vain” (15:58).How does the promise of a glorious resurrection life help you to be steadfast in your faith? How does it help you give yourself fully to the work God has called you to?

Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the man of heaven.1 Corinthians 15:49This is a marvellous promise. We grieve because of how like Adam we are. How easily tempted. How prone to make excuses. How quick to blame others. How ready to hide from God. We bear the image of the man of dust!But if you are in Christ, you will also “bear the image of the man of heaven.” You love God. You want to know Him and to serve Him. You hunger and thirst for righteousness. You long to be holy, and all these desires will be satisfied. “We have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the man of heaven”! (15:49).Writing to believers, John says, “Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him” (1 John 3:2).Your body is going to be raised, as the body of Jesus was raised. Your soul will be made perfect, as Jesus is perfect. You will share a glorious new life in the presence of God as Jesus is right now, at the right hand of the Father. That’s what lies ahead of you. And John says, “Everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure” (1 John 3:3).Rejoice in all the ways that you will one day be made like Jesus.

"As was the man of dust, so also are those who are of the dust, and as is the man of heaven, so also are those who are of heaven."1 Corinthians 15:48All of this talk of the shortness of life may sound a bit miserable. But the whole point of our life in this world is to prepare us for the world to come. And if we live in the illusion that we will always be here, we will miss the point of this life.We are of the dust, and if this short and uncertain life was all we had, we would be without hope, so thank God for the man from heaven (15:47). Paul is talking about the Lord Jesus Christ, and he says that He is “a life-giving spirit” (15:45).The experience of those who share the life of Adam is short and uncertain. The experience of those who share the life of Christ will be glorious. Notice how Paul brings these two together: “As was the man of dust, so also are those who are of the dust, and as is the man of heaven, so also are those who are of heaven” (15:48).In other words, two things are true of you as a Christian believer, and they are true at the same time: You are “of the dust” and you are “of heaven.” What a strange mixture you are. How strange your experience will be.You are of the dust, so decay, decline, insecurity, fragility, and all that goes with this short and uncertain life you share with Adam are at work in you. You are of heaven, so resurrection, hope, peace, joy, and all that goes with the eternal life you share with Christ are also at work in you.How can the promise that you are of heaven help sustain you in the uncertainties of life?

Thus it is written, 'The first man Adam became a living being'; the last Adam became a life-giving spirit... The first man was from the earth, a man of dust the second man is from heaven.1 Corinthians 15:45, 47The apostle Paul is drawing a contrast between Adam, the first man, and the Lord Jesus Christ, whom he describes as “the last Adam” (15:45). The contrast between them is that the first Adam was “from the earth,” while the second Adam was “from heaven” (15:47).God formed the first Adam from the dust of the ground, so he is described here as “the man of dust” (15:49). All of us share in the life and the death of Adam: “You are dust, and to dust you shall return” (Gen. 3:19). We bear the image of the man of dust. The Bible uses two pictures to press this home and remind us of the shortness and uncertainty of our Adam-like lives.The first is the picture of the grass. “All flesh is grass, and all its beauty is like the flower of the field. The grass withers, the flower fades when the breath of the Lord blows on it” (Isa. 40:6-7). The grass grows up, and then it is cut down. The period in between is relatively short. When you see a lawnmower, remember how short your life is in this world.The Bible uses a second picture to press this home: “What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes” (Jas. 4:14). When you see mist in the morning, say to yourself, “This mist will soon be gone, and so shall I.”We often talk and plan as if we will be here forever. But our life in this world is fragile and uncertain, and soon it will be gone.How would your priorities change if you were more mindful of being like the grass and the mist?