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Friday January 16 - Acknowledged by Jesus
“I will never blot out the name of that person from the book of life, but will acknowledge that name before my Father...” Revelation 3:5
This verse is often quoted when considering the question of our eternal security (‘once saved, always saved’). Some people believe, because Jesus said he will not blot out a name from the book of life, it infers that there are times and conditions when he will do so. Personally, I believe ‘once a child of God, always a child of God’; nothing external to me can separate me from the love of God and his fatherhood.
There is something, however, that does concern me: the exception of ‘the unforgivable sin’! In Mark 3:28-29, Jesus warns: “Truly I tell you, people can be forgiven all their sins and every slander they utter, but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven; they are guilty of an eternal sin.” How can I blaspheme against the Holy Spirit? I blaspheme by calling him a liar, by denying that Jesus is my Lord and Saviour. This is no mere sin, it is a denial of the truth by which I was once saved. If repenting and confessing Jesus as my Lord and Saviour brings forgiveness and eternal life, then, by its denial, I remove myself from being ‘in Christ’.
The Book of Life, held in heaven, is God’s definitive record of the names of the redeemed. When those names are read out, Jesus will acknowledge each as his own, and by Jesus’ testimony each will be given right of residency in his eternal kingdom.
Lord Jesus, in you I trust. Amen.
Saturday January 17 - Faith comes by hearing
“Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”
Revelation 3:6
We end the week with a very profound statement concerning ears and hearing. Jesus is not simply talking about people with ears, but rather those people who are listening out for the voice of God. They are earnestly and actively straining to hear – but by inference there are those who are inattentive, whose hearing is dull. Importantly, it’s not just about listening but being selective in what we listen to. There are many, many voices, some more enticing than others, each trying to gain our attention. ‘Statista’ claims that in May 2024 the average smartphone daily screentime for 18-24 year-olds was 4.4 hours. A more recent survey quoted teenage screentime to be a staggering 7 hours a day. Yet Jesus calls us to be selective, and somehow, with this cacophony of voices screaming at us, to hear clearly what the Spirit is saying.
Jesus gave the same message to each of the six other churches; it is fundamentally important. Jesus told his followers in Mark 4:23-24, “If anyone has ears to hear, let them hear. Consider carefully what you hear... With the measure you use, it will be measured to you – and even more.” What a wonderful promise to close our week together: if we listen, consider and live out God’s word then he will share more and more with us. How good is that!
Father, I praise your name for your loving kindness and your truth; for you have magnified your word above all your name (Psalm 138:2 NKJV). Amen.
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PRAYER FOR TODAY
PRAYER FOR TODAY