Police Devotion 10-15-2016
“Finally, brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may have free course, and be glorified, even as it is with you:” (2 Thessalonians 3:1)
Paul traveled with other Christians, preaching God’s Word. He knew people needed to hear from God’s Word—unsaved people needed to hear how to receive Jesus as Saviour and believers in Christ needed to be strong and stable in their faith. That’s why he traveled and preached, and why he asked Christians in Thessalonica to pray for them, that “the word of the Lord may have free course, and be glorified.”
The Word of God is the most powerful instrument on earth. Ephesians 6:17 calls it “the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” God the Holy Spirit uses God’s Word to touch people’s hearts with its truths. Unsaved people need to hear God’s Word to learn how to receive Christ. Saved people need to hear God’s Word for God’s guidance in their daily lives. That’s why it’s important for the Word of the Lord to have free course and to be glorified. God works through His Word to convince sinners to receive Jesus as Saviour. God also works through His Word to convict believers to live holy lives and share the gospel of Christ with the lost, here and abroad.
America has many problems: economic, moral, and especially spiritual. America needs change toward God. In order for that to happen, people need to change. In order for people to change, they must choose to change from the inside. Electing politicians, appointing judges, and enacting laws won’t change hearts. One thing that will change hearts, though, is an obedient response to God working through His Word.
For all our problems, God’s Word still has free course in America. Alcohol, gambling, pornography, immorality, and other sins are legal, but it’s also still legal to use God’s Word to preach against them. Abortion and same-sex marriage are the law of the land, but we can still say, “Thus saith the LORD,” (Jeremiah 9:23) and speak God’s truth in love. God the Holy Spirit works to turn people’s hearts toward the Lord Jesus and against these behaviors, even if they themselves have committed them.
Most important, God’s Word has the good news of the Lord Jesus Christ who forgives sins, saves souls, and changes lives: “Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures” (1 Corinthians 15:3-4). God’s Word generates faith in the human heart. Romans 10:17 says, “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” A person may honestly not believe that the Bible is God’s Word. What will remedy his unbelief? Logical arguments may not, but exposure to the Word of God WILL remedy it, because “faith cometh by hearing, and hearing cometh [not by human arguments, but] by the word of God.”
No doubt many people—even people who belong to a religion—don’t know God’s Word. Maybe they can name a few Bible stories, but they don’t take the Bible seriously. They may be intelligent, educated, fair-minded, decent people, but they don’t know the ways of the true God because they don’t know God’s Word. Maybe they grew up in a church where the Bible wasn’t honored or preached as God’s Word, so they may think that all religions are the same. Their souls are still precious. They need God’s Word.
If you know Jesus as Saviour, the most worthwhile thing you can do in life is share God’s Word with others. Many around you need to hear how Jesus saves souls, and many believers need to be strengthened and challenged to live for Him. So take advantage of our freedom in America to share Christ with others and to share God’s Word, that “the word of the Lord may have free course.”
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Brian Miller 10/20/2016
Cleveland Baptist Church | 4431 Tiedeman Road, Brooklyn, Ohio 44144 | 216.671.2822