Daily Bread

Wednesday, April 10, 2013

Mary's Sermon

Dear Friends of "Dial Daily Bread,"

The virgin Mary, mother of Jesus, preached a sermon once. It was very short. But it was to the point, and we need to listen to it often.

It was at the wedding in Cana, when the party ran out of wine and the host did not know what to do. Mary saw the difficulty, and immediately thought of Jesus. One wonders why she would think of Him--what did she think He could do?

The story is in John 2:1-11. It seems evident that she had learned to rely on Him as He was growing up in the home as being someone always willing and able to do something in every emergency to help the situation. Perhaps she thought that He could send some of His young disciples off to buy some wine. She apparently felt some responsibility because the wedding concerned relatives. Her own reputation for hospitality may have been involved. So she told Jesus, "They have no wine!" Jesus must have given her to understand, "Don't worry; I'll take care of the problem."

Then, turning to the perplexed servants, she preached her little sermon, "Whatsoever He says to you, do it!" Fortunately, they did just that, obeyed His instructions, and took to the "governor of the feast" the superb wine that Jesus had made by turning the water into wine.

Now, how does this little sermon apply to us? Does Jesus go to the trouble of telling each one of us specific things to "do"? Does He bother that much? Yes. The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Jesus; He is the Vicar of Christ, His personal Representative here on earth. In John 16:7-11 Jesus describes how the Holy Spirit comes to each of us doing three things: (1) He convicts us of sin, so that He may heal us of it; (2) He convicts us of righteousness--that is, He convicts us of the "right" thing to do at all times, and (3) He convicts us of "judgment," that is, that Satan, the prince of this world, is cast out, defeated. Today, Jesus will "say" something to you, convict you of some duty. "Do it!"

--Robert J. Wieland

From the "Dial Daily Bread" Archive: July 22, 1998.

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Tuesday, April 09, 2013

The Good News in the Story of "Hosea"

Dear Friends of "Dial Daily Bread,"

When we think of the prophet Hosea (his little book is just after Daniel), we all agree that he truly loved Gomer. She was no mere one-night stand. A man may prize his Hummer or Rolls Royce, but when it gets wrecked, he doesn’t weep and moan the rest of his life; he simply gets another one. No big deal. And when one romance fails, a man with skin-deep affection simply gets another woman. This is typical Hollywood romance.

Not Hosea. This woman Gomer had engaged his deepest affection; he was imprisoned forever by his love for her, the kind that “never ceases.” She had believed in him, given her heart to him. Their eyes and their souls had met. When she fell for another man (someone who could not love her truly, because God does not put true love for one woman in the hearts of two men!) he was deeply pained. The break-up tore him up. The thought that his deep love for her was not appreciated, not reciprocated, was painful as death.

Now shift gears: Jesus Christ is the real Hosea; He loves His true church with that kind of love--”infinitely,” for Christ became “Immanuel, God with us” (Matt. 1:23); although he is God, yet He is also human. He is the source of all human love and fidelity in it. But think of the pain that the superficial faith, the worldliness in His church, her infidelity, has brought Him. She is His “Gomer”!

There is a wrong that must be made right before the great controversy between Christ and Satan can be concluded. Read Hosea: Gomer finally repented. So will the Lord’s church, His Bride-to-be, repent! There is Good News in the story of “Hosea.” It is being played out today. Let us be alert and watch.

--Robert J. Wieland

From the “Dial Daily Bread” Archive: December 6, 2005.

Monday, April 08, 2013

Two Words That Must Not Be Confused

Dear Friends of "Dial Daily Bread,"

Someone asked, “Can you explain what Jesus means in Matthew regarding Peter being the rock. The Catholic Church believes he was the first pope.”

There are two words in Matthew 16:18 which must not be confused. “PETROS” is the Greek word for a pebble, a small stone that can be thrown around. That’s the name which Jesus gave Simon when He first met him (John 1:42). From the beginning, Jesus knew Simon’s character. By the time of Matthew 16 (which was near the crucifixion) Peter had distinguished himself for being brash and unstable, living up to that humble name Jesus gave him in an effort to prepare him for that night when Peter denied Him three times.

The second word in Matthew 16:18 is “PETRA,” which means a great outcrop of rock on which people could build a skyscraper. That’s the “rock” on which Jesus said He will build His church. Peter himself vigorously denies that he is the “petra” on which Christ builds His church (see 1 Peter 2:4-8). The Bible frequently identifies the Lord Himself as the “rock” or “stone” of our salvation (Deut. 32:4; 2 Sam. 22:32; Psalm 18:31; 95:1; 1 Cor. 3:11).

This is something you may be able to share with your Catholic friends.

--Robert J. Wieland

From the "Dial Daily Bread" Archive: April 28, 2005.

Friday, April 05, 2013

You Must Take Time to "look"

Dear Friends of "Dial Daily Bread,"

The people in Corinth were wealthy, busy, cultured, many were educated, and they were obsessed by sensual pleasure and sex. There was even a temple devoted to sex as a religion, with (it is reported) 1000 girls and women serving as temple prostitutes, and of course men as well. A huge city of 600,000 people, a modern New York, London, Tokyo, or San Francisco. Even today the exact same problems of money and sex obsess people. And they are both cruel deceptions, for neither can satisfy the deep longings in the human heart.

Do you hunger for money and wealth? You are looking for heaven on earth, and you won't find it here--only disappointment. Do you hunger for human love? This is a natural, God-given hunger. But you won't find its satisfaction in sex; all you'll get is a momentary thrill and an empty sense of guilt and self-condemnation afterwards.

What you hunger for is the real thing--which is genuine love. And that is the love of Christ. Paul discovered that the love of Christ was the answer to the heart-cry of Corinth. He said, "The preaching of the cross ... is the power of God. ... I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and Him crucified" (1 Cor. 1:18; 2:2).

The people saw themselves on that cross with Jesus; He was not only dying in their place, He was dying as them; they identified with Him. The revelation of that love as agape proved to be the only medicine that could heal human hearts and souls poisoned with the disease of sensuality. That love, agape, conquers sin at its deepest roots.

The Bible says you get it by looking--opening your eyes, in other words. "Behold [take a good long look at] the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world" (John 1:29). You think that's too simple? Well, it does take time. You must take time to "look."

--Robert J. Wieland

From the "Dial Daily Bread" Archive: January 6, 1998.

Wednesday, March 27, 2013

Too Great a Sacrifice to Follow Jesus?

Dear Friends of "Dial Daily Bread,"

Have you ever heard of the curfew that went into effect at sundown? You'd better be home by that time; and you'd better stay indoors all night. Not going out, even for a moment. This is Passover Night. Egypt has been oppressing God's people and the night of deliverance has come. Only because of the tenth plague will the government of Egypt finally relent and permit Israel to leave. The Pharoah, probably Amenhotep II according to history, has defied God to the bitter end. Now an angel of death is going through the entire land, and the firstborn of every home, from the Crown Prince of Egypt, to the firstborn even of the cattle, shall die, EXCEPT ... :

For those who believe God's plan of salvation, they can take a young lamb "without blemish," kill it, and splash its blood all over the door posts and the lintel. And when the angel of death shall pass by, if he sees the blood, he will not enter that house.

But Pharoah in his hardhearted unbelief, sacrifices no lamb; and at midnight the angel visited his palace, and the Crown Prince of Egypt dies suddenly, mysteriously. (It's interesting that Egyptian secular history records that Amenhotep's successor on the throne was not the eldest son as would normally be the case, but another son).

But what about the Crown Prince of heaven? In the Father's great Plan of Salvation, He did die. The sacrificial Passover lamb typified Him and His death on the cross. His death made our life possible, so that the angel of Eternal Death could "pass over" us.

The meaning is so simple that even a child can grasp it: you live today because He died for you. If He had not died for you, you would be dead-- eternally. Whether or not you are a Christian, the truth remains solidly true: you are in debt infinitely and eternally to the One who died in your place.

Do you think it is too great a sacrifice to follow Jesus? Think about that Passover lamb.

--Robert J. Wieland

From the "Dial Daily Bread" Archive: January 10, 1999.

Tuesday, March 26, 2013

The Momentous Issue of Believing or Disbelieving

Dear Friends of "Dial Daily Bread,"

The Bible itself is a better source of information about Moses than any movie, and more interesting, too. If the Bible is read with unbelief, it becomes boring, because doubt short-circuits practically every statement and paralyzes the understanding. But if it is read with heart-felt belief, it grips the attention. The Holy Spirit re-creates the happenings described there and you see it all in three-dimensional realism, a vividness that can never be forgotten, as a movie can be.

The tenth plague, the slaying of the firstborn, was the final judgment on Pharoah and the unbelieving Egyptians. When the "destroying angel" passed through the land at midnight of Passover Eve, there were two classes of people in the land: those who believed the word of God, and those who did not believe. No one was in between.

Momentous was the issue of believing or disbelieving! So today, everything depends on believing or disbelieving the truth of God. Someone may say, No, everything depends on obeying or disobeying the word of God. But outward conformity to rules (based on fear) that camouflages an unreconciled heart is not true obedience. Both the Hebrew and Greek Bible words for "obey" convey the basic idea of bending the ear down low to listen carefully. Believing the truth produces obedience and disbelief produces disobedience. The Israelites were told to kill an innocent lamb "without blemish" and splash its blood on the door posts and the lintel. Their doing so was an evidence that they believed what God had said.

What saved them in the Passover was their faith which worked. God had said, "When He seeth the blood upon the lintel, and on the two side posts, the Lord will pass over the door and not suffer the destroyer to come in" (Ex. 12:23). Not when He sees the obedience, but "when He sees the blood," the obedience being the evidence of faith in the blood of the Lamb of God.

The world today is "Egypt," and again there will be re-enacted the events of the ancient Passover and the Exodus. Let's be ready.

--Robert J. Wieland

From the "Dial Daily Bread" Archive: January 9, 1999.

Monday, March 25, 2013

How Can You Pray If You Don't Know How?

Dear Friends of "Dial Daily Bread,"

How can you pray, if you don’t know how, and you feel like you’re too unworthy to try?

The disciples of Jesus were far from being perfect, yet they came to Jesus and asked Him, “Lord, teach us to pray” (Luke 11:1).

What followed was “Prayer 101,” and we would like to join the class.

The four Gospels teach us several prayers that we can pray, unworthy as we are, which are guaranteed to be answered with a “Yes!”

(1) The poor sinful publican in Luke 18:13, “standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast saying, God, be merciful to me a sinner” (the original Greek has it, “the sinner,” contrasting himself with the Pharisee supposedly praying next to him). You know that the Lord received that prayer and answered it!

(2) The poor distraught father in Mark 9:24 prayed, “Lord, I believe; help Thou mine unbelief.” You know, that prayer is always answered, no matter how unworthy you may be!

(3) The prayer that Jesus prayed for us all in Luke 23:34, you know has been answered for you and me. When the wicked men were driving the spikes through His hands and ankle bones, He prayed, “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do!” A heart that is thankful for that forgiveness is the heart with which you and I come to Jesus in prayer, unworthy though we surely know we are.

--Robert J. Wieland

From the "Dial Daily Bread" Archive: October 6, 2008.

Saturday, March 23, 2013

A Word He Will "Make Known to Us"

Dear Friends of "Dial Daily Bread,"

God has inspired His holy word, the Bible, for "all Scripture is given by inspiration of God" (2 Tim. 3:16). But He has not made the Bible difficult to understand! He has promised, "Turn you at My reproof: … I will make known My words unto you" (Prov. 1:23).

One of those "words" that He "will make known" unto us is "justification." Ask Him to! The root idea is to make something that was crooked become straight. On the sixth day of creation week God ended that work; when sin entered planet earth, He turned His infinite power into re-creating sinful human hearts. Justification by faith is the sinner receiving this mighty power of re-creation, that is, the new birth. The sinner's faith is awakened by his "beholding" the love of Christ revealed in His cross, just as the stricken Israelite bitten by poisonous snakes was healed by beholding, looking at, the brass serpent lifted on the pole.

You watch a hero or heroine in a movie; now spend your time more wisely by "watching" Jesus Christ. "Eat" the Bible story of the cross; turn off your TV, your electronics; just kneel and patiently, in prayer, read about Jesus straight from Scripture. Wait before Him. God wants to hear a sincere, honest, unhurried prayer. He responds because He loves you.

I have never heard the literal voice of God, but I want to encourage those people who also must confess they haven't either; the Holy Spirit imparts spiritual life through the word, the Bible. He wants your faith to be established on the solid rock of Bible truth, not on dreams or impressions or "voices."

Will the one who is "justified by faith" live in obedience to God's word? Yes, obedience is the direct fruit of the experience of justification by faith. It has now become your joy.

--Robert J. Wieland

From the "Dial Daily Bread" Archive: March 11, 2005.

Friday, March 22, 2013

Jesus' Prayer for Peter

Dear Friends of "Dial Daily Bread,"

During His life on earth, Jesus prayed--continually. And He prayed for people individually. Consider Peter, for example: "Simon, ... I have prayed for you, that your faith fail not" (Luke 22:31, 32). And it is good that Jesus prayed for him, because Peter came within a millimeter of losing out completely when he denied three times that he even knew Jesus. He was so heartbroken at what he had done that he even wished he could die. Such terrible grief or self-reproach has caused some people to take their own life. When in his agony Peter remembered that Jesus had said, "I have prayed for you," he had a slender thread of hope left, which in his repentance, he grasped.

But now a question: did Jesus pray the same prayer for Judas Iscariot? When Jesus prayed, the Father heard His prayers; and the angels were ready to do what Jesus asked. But I find nothing in the inspired record that says clearly that Jesus prayed that same prayer for Judas, that "[his] faith fail not" in the hour of trial. For one thing, at the time Jesus prayed for Peter, Judas had no faith to be prayed for! According to Romans 12:3, God had already given Judas (along with "every man") a "measure of faith."

But like Esau who had "despised" and "sold" the birthright which God had given him, Judas had by this time scorned all genuine faith that he once had had. He had resisted every effort of the Holy Spirit to bring him to repentance. He had refused to confess and forsake (and repay) his thieving from "the bag" which he carried as treasurer for Jesus and the disciples (see John12:6; he had probably often deprived Jesus of a meal when He was hungry!). He had refused that appeal of the Holy Spirit when Mary had washed Jesus' feet with her tears, and that last one when Jesus washed his feet. He had allowed selfish pride to bind his heart to Satan. Thus there was no "faith" left that Jesus could have prayed for.

Jesus' prayers to His Father were powerful, but there is one thing that the "Almighty" cannot do--He cannot force a single human heart. Jesus' relation with each of us is as close and tender and intimate as His with Judas; let's be very thankful today that He is still praying for us that "[our] faith fail not" when our final test comes.

Grab every slender thread of hope you have.

--Robert J. Wieland

From the "Dial Daily Bread" Archive: January 8, 2001.

Thursday, March 21, 2013

All Heaven Waits; So Does Jesus

Dear Friends of "Dial Daily Bread,"

There's something that Jesus said that stumps Bible-believing Christians who for over 150 years have been telling the world that "Jesus is coming soon." He promised that the people who first recognized the "signs" that meant His coming was near were a "generation [that] shall not pass away" until He should come the second time (Mark 13:30). Why the delay? Unless some reasonable explanation can be given, don't blame young people for walking away.

The context is clear. Jesus has been describing the "signs" to come in the heavens that tell the world His coming is near ("dark day, 1780), "falling of the stars" (1833; vss. 24-26), and then He is to come. Jesus wants to come the second time! We must not overlook the fact that in becoming "Emanuel, God with us" He has become one of us for all eternity. He is a Bridegroom eager (as any loving bridegroom is) for His Wedding! He wants to gather to Himself His own--which is why He wants to come the second time. This important aspect of the second coming eludes many sincere people who think only of their own salvation, and not of His happiness.

The heavenly Bridegroom's Bride-to-be has selfishly delayed to "make herself ready" for "the marriage of the Lamb" (Rev. 19:7, 8). There has not been that eager response to His wooing that He longs for. It's outside her door, not inside, where He stands "knocking, knocking" (Rev. 3:20; Song of Solomon 5:2, 3, from where Christ quoted that expression, in the Greek Old Testament, LXX).

Scripture postulates a change to take place in the very heart of that Bride-to-be. All Heaven awaits it; so does Jesus.

--Robert J. Wieland

From the "Dial Daily Bread" Archive: June 5, 2005.

Wednesday, March 20, 2013

The "Birthright" Given to Us All

Dear Friends of "Dial Daily Bread,"

There is a chapter in the Bible that is clear as sunlight, but because of our fallen state our minds have confused it: Romans 5.

For some years after I was ordained to the gospel ministry and served as a pastor, I shied away from preaching about it. I too was confused! But it was never God's intention to confuse anyone. He simply wants us all to learn to share the joy of Paul who said, "God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world" (Gal. 6:14).

What is the message of Romans 5 in simple, understandable terms?

(1) It is based on the principal truth that everything that our fallen, sinful father Adam passed on to us as the human race, Jesus Christ has reversed. Christ has become the "last Adam" or the second Adam (1 Cor. 15:22). Adam passed on to us all a judicial verdict of condemnation, that is, death itself. Christ has given to us all a judicial verdict of acquittal. This is the only reason that the Father can treat every man as though he has never sinned, and can send rain and sunshine "on the just and on the unjust" (Matt. 5:45).

(2) As soon as Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden, the Son of God stepped in to be our Savior from that terrible, endless death. Thus Christ was "slain from the foundation of the world" (Rev. 13:8).

(3) It follows that Christ died the second death for the entire human race: "We see Jesus ... that He by the grace of God should taste death for every man" (Heb. 2:9). That's the real thing--not just a sleep for a weekend.

(4) It follows again that because He died every man's second death on His cross, Christ has given every man a second opportunity to be loyal to the government of heaven. This is a "judicial ... verdict of acquittal" (Rom. 5:15-18, REB).

(5) What Christ accomplished on His cross was to give to every man Esau's "birthright." You remember, Esau had it; not all the angels in heaven or hell could have wrested it from him; but he willfully, of his own free choice "despised" it and "sold" it for a "mess of pottage" (Gen. 25:34; Heb. 12:16).

It was by His sacrifice on His cross that Christ gave that "birthright" to us all. Now, hang on to it forever!

--Robert J. Wieland

From the "Dial Daily Bread" Archive: March 14, 2008.

Tuesday, March 19, 2013

Why Does God Demand Blood Sacrifices?

Dear Friends of "Dial Daily Bread,"

After all these ages, common questions people ask are, “Why does God demand blood sacrifices in order to be nice to people and save them? Is He bloodthirsty? For 4000 years He demanded untold numbers of innocent animals to be sacrificed in a bloody manner in order to forgive the sins of human beings. Now it appears that He demands the blood of His own beloved Son in order to forgive. Why this apparent obsession with blood?” multitudes ask.

We can reply with the time-honored traditional answer, “Without shedding of blood there is no remission [of sin]” (Heb. 9:22). But why? This 6000-year-old answer appears on the surface to support the fear-driven old covenant ideas of a mysterious, vengeful God who delights in cruelty, punishing people, perpetuating an ever-burning hell fire wherewith to torture the people He doesn’t like. We know that this is a distortion of truth, but how can we make the truth appealing in such a way that it changes hearts?

(1) The first animal sacrifice was slain in the Garden of Eden not to appease an angry God, but by a tearful God Himself to provide clothing for a fearfully cold first human couple, and to cover their lethal shame. (Their leaf skirts were hopelessly inadequate.)

(2) Human hearts became so hard, so selfish that there was no way in the universe to melt them with love (agape) except to let man act out to the full his resentful hatred of God (that’s what sin is!) by murdering, torturing God’s own Son, their Savior. The legalistic lawyer’s arguments are valid, “the law demands it”; hold them. But a reason of love transcends them all.

--Robert J. Wieland

From the "Dial Daily Bread" Archive: January 14, 2005.

Copyright © 2013 by "Dial Daily Bread."

Be sure to check your e-mail for "Dial Daily Bread" again tomorrow.
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Robert J. Wieland's inspirational "Dial Daily Bread" messages are availalbe via e-mail to anyone who wishes to receive a daily portion of uplifting Good News. "Dial Daily Bread" is FREE. Due to travel or other circumstances, there may be intervals when "Dial Daily Bread" will not be sent.

Monday, March 18, 2013

What the Angels of Heaven Are Begging Us to Do

Dear Friends of "Dial Daily Bread,"

The angels of heaven are begging the inhabitants of earth to read the book of Revelation (see 1:1-3).

As we come to the end-time, the sounding of "the seventh angel's" trumpet, John the prophet sees "lightnings" and hears "voices, and thunderings, and an earthquake, and great hail"--the most awful spiritual "storm" in earth's 6000 years (11:15-19).

Next he sees the panoramic history of God's true church through the ages, focusing on their final witness of truth to the world (12:1-17).

Then he sees the monstrous deception of a counterfeit "christ" and its imitation gospel that leads "all that dwell upon the earth" to worship this power except those "whose names are ... written in the book of life of the Lamb slain" (13:1-8). The world is being catalyzed into two camps.

Next the prophet sees a savage burst of persecuting frenzy wherein multitudes who think themselves following that "Lamb" will repeat the essence of His original unjust crucifixion, on His people (13:11-17).

Then the prophet sees the raising up of a group of "144,000" who share a corporate oneness "in Christ" and bring the world to a final up-or-down vote on identifying the true Christ (14:1-15). It will also involve distinguishing the true Holy Spirit from its extremely clever opposite number (18:2, 3). We're just about there now. Living now is serious business.

--Robert J. Wieland

From the "Dial Daily Bread" Archive: May 16, 2005.

Friday, March 15, 2013

The Gift of Repentance

Dear Friends of "Dial Daily Bread,"

The President [Bill Clinton at the time this was written] wants Congress to pass tougher gun control laws, hoping that we'll have no more high school massacres (referring to the Columbine school "tragedy" of April 1999). The President may have wanted to say it but couldn't: what America needs more than gun control is sin-control, or better still, sin-eradication.

Sin is the source of all the suffering and anguish in the world, and everyone is born with the problem in his/her nature. The classic definition is, "Sin is the transgression of the law," the "law" being understood as God's law (1 John 3:4). But the Greek is only one little word, anomia, which literally is, "a state of being against the law." In other words, sin is heart-rebellion against the government of God, not merely outwardly doing things that are unlawful. Another word for it is "alienation." "The carnal mind is enmity against God," heart-alienation (Rom. 8:7). And "enmity" always finds expression.

The ultimate expression of that inner hatred known as anomia is seen when the human race vented that pent-up hatred of God in their murder of the Son of God (see Acts 3:14, 15). The Murder behind all murders! And all of us were implicated (Rom. 3:23, 24; Zech 12:10). It happened because of a deep-seated principle: hatred cherished in the heart always leads to the act: "Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer" (1 John 3:15). And of course, "no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him," says the same verse.

Can this terrible sin be eradicated? The Bible says YES! and it will be. But only through repentance for that sin of murdering the Son of God. That's why we read in Revelation 12:11 that God will have a people who "overcame [Satan] by the blood of the Lamb." Repentance is a gift of the Holy Spirit, the last gift He will give before He is finally withdrawn from the earth when the seven last plagues must fall (Rev. 15, 16). Repentance is a newly gifted hatred for sin that constrains one "henceforth" to deny self and to take up the cross to follow the Lamb of God (2 Cor. 5:14, 15; Luke 9:23). Repentance includes receiving the precious gift of the atonement, that is, of being reconciled to the God whom once we hated (Rom 5:7-11).

The Good News? It's still not too late to open our hearts and receive that gift of repentance He wants to give.

--Robert J. Wieland

From the "Dial Daily Bread" Archive: April 30, 1999.

Thursday, March 14, 2013

Jesus Always Takes the Initiative

Dear Friends of "Dial Daily Bread,"

Just as one can get lost at sea and not know where he is or where to get help, so one can get lost spiritually. You can even forget the Bible verses you learned as a youth; you can forget how to pray; you can't even read the Bible. You are l-o-s-t.

You begin to think of your friends and you envy them because they can still pray. You are bobbing alone in a wide spiritual ocean; despair begins to set in.

Sometimes an evil spirit can take possession of someone in despair, causing him or her to do or say things that are horrible; can't help himself or herself, has lost control.

Jesus came face to face with a man who had been through the process and was "possessed with devils, ... exceeding fierce" (Matt. 8:28). He couldn't say anything intelligent or meaningful, but deep in his heart he longed to be saved. He said something stupid: "What have I to do with Thee, Jesus, thou Son of the most high God?" (Mark 5:7). Just the opposite of what he had wanted to say! But he had said the word--"Jesus," with a sincere desire for help. But he couldn't even bring himself to ask; the possessor-devils controlled his words (Christ's disciples assumed that he was totally hopeless, just as many today think anyone "lost" is beyond help). But Jesus quickly realized that the man, though desperate, wanted to be saved. Mark records that He cast out the demons, and set the man free.

The truth is that Jesus put Himself in this man's way, which means--He took the initiative. He made His appearance so the lost man could make a response. He always takes the initiative somehow to help the person who is lost as at sea and has wasted all his or her opportunities. In some way Jesus crosses his or her path, so make the choice to cry out even if you can't frame the words.

"Seek ye the Lord while He may be found," says Isaiah. (The word "seek" in the Hebrew means "inquire after." The Lord doesn't play hide and seek with you.) "Call upon Him while He is near." He will respond and give you grace to "forsake" your evil "way," and you can "return unto the Lord" (55:6, 7).

--Robert J. Wieland

From the "Dial Daily Bread" Archive: March 4, 2004.

Wednesday, March 13, 2013

"Under Grace"--What Does It Mean?

Dear Friends of "Dial Daily Bread,"

A young pastor just out of the theological seminary came for a visit. He was sincere and earnest, and interested in preaching the gospel as Good News to his congregation. But he had a concern: is there a danger in preaching too much about the cross, and the grace of Christ, and His love, and not balance that by preaching about the law, and obedience, and duty? He doesn't want to be pastor of a lazy congregation who take advantage of "cheap grace" and clothe their religion with a thin veneer of love and grace which covers hypocrisy.

I encouraged him to believe what the Bible says:

(1) "Where sin abounded, grace did much more abound" (Rom. 5:20). "Cheap grace" is a counterfeit message, a detour around the atonement of Christ; you can't preach too much about the genuine grace that "abounds much more" than all the sin the devil can heap upon a congregation.

(2) If what Paul says is "the preaching of the cross" (1 Cor. 1:18) is clearly presented to a congregation, sin and hypocrisy cannot flourish among them because that grace conquers sin and eradicates it. The "power" is in the gospel itself, not in the law (see Rom. 1:16). And Paul says, "Sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under the law, but under grace. Shall we sin because we are not under the law, but under grace?" Says Paul: "That's impossible!" (See Rom. 6:14, 15.) Being "under grace" is different than many superficial people imagine: it means you are under a new motivation imposed upon you by a deep heart-appreciation of what it cost the Son of God to save you from hell itself. There is where you see the length, breadth, depth, and height of the love of Christ at His cross (Eph. 3:18). That motivation is far stronger than all the fear-motivation you can use to assail your congregation.

(3) The pure, true gospel is not a perfect so-called "balance" between faith AND works; it is a message of faith WHICH works. How many "good works"? Infinitely more than legalism can ever produce! Don't be afraid to preach salvation by grace through faith (Eph. 2:8, 9).

--Robert J. Wieland

From the "Dial Daily Bread" Archive: April 21, 1998.