ESOCS Devotional 24 August 2023 – No Sentiment
MEMORY VERSE: “His winnowing fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clean out the threshing floor, and gather the wheat into His barn; but the chaff He will burn with unquenchable fire.” Luke 3:17
TEXT: LUKE 3:15-22 (KJV)
And as the people were in expectation, and all men mused in their hearts of John, whether he were the Christ, or not;
16 John answered, saying unto them all, I indeed baptize you with water; but one mightier than I cometh, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to unloose: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire:
17 Whose fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and will gather the wheat into his garner; but the chaff he will burn with fire unquenchable.
18 And many other things in his exhortation preached he unto the people.
19 But Herod the tetrarch, being reproved by him for Herodias his brother Philip’s wife, and for all the evils which Herod had done,
20 Added yet this above all, that he shut up John in prison.
21 Now when all the people were baptized, it came to pass, that Jesus also being baptized, and praying, the heaven was opened,
22 And the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon him, and a voice came from heaven, which said, Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased.
Read Yesterday’s ESOCS Devotional here
The fundamental message of the Good News of the Bible is that God loves us dearly and has sent His only begotten Son to save us from eternal punishment in the fire of hell. He gave us our salvation on a platter of gold. He has told us what to do to ensure that we do not lose such a great favour; and that is, that we should truly accept Jesus as our Lord and Saviour and believe in His name as the one by which we would be saved (Phil. 2:9-11). To truly accept Jesus as our Lord means that we should obey Him completely in all things and every way. If we fail to do this, it is an indication that He is not our Lord and Saviour; therefore, He will not save us on the Day of Judgment. He made it very clear that He is not the Lord and Saviour of those that do not obey Him. He said we should not call Him our Lord if we do not obey Him (Luke 6:46).
There shall be a time in this world when the judgment of God would come. God would condemn anyone who does not live a holy life. He would throw such a person into the everlasting fire. There shall be no sentiment about it. He does His things according to His principles; and He does not allow sentiments in what He does. We should always remember what He did in the time past to people who did not live according to His ways. 1 Corinthians 10:11 says: “All these events happened to them as examples for us. They were written down to warn us, who live at the time when this age is drawing to a close.” NLT
He destroyed the people of the first world who refused to listen to the warnings Noah gave them (Gen. 7:1-24). He almost killed Moses when Moses failed to circumcise his son (Ex. 4:24-26). He destroyed the people of Sodom and Gomorrah who were living a vile lifestyle (Gen. 19:1-29). When Moses and Aaron did not sanctify Him at the waters of Meribah, He removed them from their positions and replaced them (Num. 20:1-13, 22-29; 27:12-23). The Bible warns that He does not show partiality but accepts anyone who does His will (Acts 10:34 & 35).
When the end of the world shall come, He would accept only those who do His will. Such people are the wheat (saints) that He shall gather into His barn (heaven). But the people who do not fear Him but live a life of sin are the chaff(unrepentant and disobedient people) that shall be cast away into the unquenchable fire that burns forever. He has said He will judge the world and sinners in the fire of hell forever. He will do what He says He will do. He does not have any sentiments about it. Let us be mindful of this truth.
- Search your heart diligently and kill all forms of disobedience you may have in you.
- You should be conscious to remember that obedience or disobedience has its reward.
- Pray to God to give you an obedient heart.
FURTHER READING: Joel 2:12-22; Zechariah 8:1-8; Luke 12:41-48; 1 Corinthians 7:1-24
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ESOCS Devotional 24 August 2023
