I set before you life and death

Wednesday, February 19, 2014

"I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live: that thou mayest love the LORD thy God, and that thou mayest obey his voice, and that thou mayest cleave unto him: for he is thy life, and the length of thy days: that thou mayest dwell in the land which the LORD sware unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them." Deuteronomy 30:19-20

The apostle John, in his first epistle (1 John 5:11-13), wrote: "And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God."

Moses reminded God's people of all that the LORD God had done to redeem them and make them His own people, but he also warned them what would happen if they turned away from the true God back into idolatry and sin (cf. Deut. 29-30). Instead of blessing, the people would bring upon themselves a curse. Instead of God dealing with them in His mercy, He would deal with them in His wrath.

Moses set before God's people life and death, blessing and cursing. If they continued in God's covenant, trusted in the LORD and sought to walk in His ways, the LORD would bless them and be merciful to them. But, if they turned away from God and His Word into idolatry and sin, the curse of God's law would strike them and they would die and perish from off the land God had given them.

And is it any different for us today? Has not God set before us life and death, blessing and cursing? If we hold fast to our Lord Jesus and to the forgiveness and life He has won for us by His innocent sufferings and death in our stead, we have life – both now and in His kingdom of glory. But, if we forget the redemption accomplished for us by our Lord and Savior and turn back again into sin and disobedience, the end result is death, not only temporal but eternal (cf. Heb. 10:23-31; 2 Pet. 2:20-22).

Do not the Scriptures say (John 3:36; cf. v. 18): "He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him"? Do they not warn us that "the wages of sin is death" and remind us that "the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord" (Rom. 6:23)?

Thus, I also say to you: "I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live: that thou mayest love the LORD thy God, and that thou mayest obey his voice, and that thou mayest cleave unto him: for he is thy life, and the length of thy days...."

Jesus is your life and your length of days. Hold fast to Him!

O gracious and merciful God, You have redeemed me and shown me Your salvation. Grant that I not turn from You back into sin and death, but hold fast to You and Your mercy, and walk in Your ways. In Jesus' name. Amen.

[Devotion by Randy Moll. Scripture taken from the King James Version of the Bible.]

Editorial on 02/19/2014