July 12 Daily Devotional

Bible Reading

Devotional

From the very beginning of the preaching of the gospel, some people have objected that grace is dangerous. If all the emphasis is placed on the works of Christ, what happens to our works? And if the law of God and the sins of people merely serve to show the greatness of God's grace (Rom. 5:20), why should we live beautiful lives? "Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase?" (v. 1). Or, as the Heidelberg Catechism puts it, "But doesn't this teaching make people indifferent and wicked?" (Question 64).

People become "indifferent and wicked" only when churches are peddling cheap grace. It will never happen as long as the churches preach the gospel. The accidents happen only when teachers are selling and people are buying grace without Christ—the gift without the giver.

According to the Christian gospel, the one represents the many. But let's not forget that the many are incorporated into the one. So those who believe in Jesus Christ are no longer Adam-people but Christ-people. We form a new body under a new power—a saving and renewing power.

Whatever happened to Christ happened to those who are in Christ. He died, so we died. He arose, so we arose, for we are embodied in Christ. "You are baptized, aren't you?" says Paul. "Well then, unless your baptism was merely playing with words and water, you share in the death and resurrection of Christ, for baptism shows the reality of our union with Christ."

From now on, you must "count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ." You must do so by exercising your faith.

Baptized Christians are in Christ. Therefore we are dead to sin. Sin has no claim on us any longer. Christ died, didn't he? And I am in Christ, am I not? So, what's past is past. And the new has come. With him we arose to a new life dedicated to God and governed by the Spirit. This new life begins not with a feat of strength but in the facts of faith.

REFLECTIONS

What does it mean to you to be "in Christ"?

Andrew Kuyvenhoven's Daylight, a modern devotional classic, was originally published by Paideia Press in 1977. This updated edition is copyright 2009 by Faith Alive Christian Resources. You can order a copy of this revised version of the book directly from the publisher.

A man of many accomplishments, Andrew Kuyvenhoven is probably best known for his contributions to Today (formerly The Family Altar), a widely-used monthly devotional booklet associated with the Back to God Hour. Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations for this updated edition of Daylight are from the Holy Bible: Today's New International Version copyright 2001, 2005 by the International Bible Society.