January 4 Daily Devotional

Bible Reading

John 1:29–34

Devotional

“Before Thy clear and searching sight, our secret sins are brought to light.” These lines are recorded in Psalter 245, which is often sung on New Year’s Eve. It is really a very somber thought to end the year with. We can note that the old year has passed away but every sin we committed in this past year is recorded in heaven. When the day of final judgment arrives, these books will be opened. Then the sins of all the days of our life will be laid open. God records all the days of our life together with all the deeds we committed. God is just and His justice cannot skip a day of our life. We may forget some of the days of our life but God’s justice cannot forget them.

The lines of Psalter 245 do not have the final say. Praise God; for in the midst of all the days that are past, there is also Christmas Day. We may add a word to the lines of Psalter 245. After the last word we may add the word “except.” Our secret sins are brought to light...“except.” Our sins will be exposed, except there has come another day in our life; we have a “next day.” That day is written of in the first chapter of John.

From the other Gospels we know that on previous days John preached about the ax laid at the root of the tree, about the fire, and about the fan. It was all judgment. John points to sin and to the demands of God’s holy law. He preaches that our secret sins are brought to light. God remembers the sins of or past days. But, “The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.” Those who know this next day in their lives are acquitted from all the days of the past. This next day is the day of meeting the Lamb of God. On such a day everything becomes different. Everything in our life becomes new forever because Jesus takes away the sins of poor sinners.

 

From The Everlasting Word by Frans Bakker, compiled and translated by Gerald R. Procee. Reformation Heritage Books and Free Reformed Publications, 2007. Used by permission. For further information, click here.