April 17 Daily Devotional

Bible Reading

Romans 4:16-25:

¹⁶Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham; who is the father of us all,
¹⁷(As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations,) before him whom he believed, even God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were.
¹⁸Who against hope believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations, according to that which was spoken, So shall thy seed be.
¹⁹And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sarah's womb:
²⁰He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God;
²¹And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform.
²²And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness.
²³Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was imputed to him;
²⁴But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead;
²⁵Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification.

Devotional

There are two great truths revealed to us in Holy Writ upon which our salvation rests, namely, the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Christ showed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs. Think of all his appearances. Paul writes to the Corinthians that Christ died for our sins, was buried and rose again according to the Scriptures.

Christ was delivered up for our offenses. God spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all. He delivered him up to shame and reproach, suffering and death, the torments and anguish of hell. He was forsaken of God. He was made a curse and sin for us, and bore the wrath of God against the sin of the whole human race, that He might "obtain for us the grace of God, righteousness and eternal life." Heidelberg Catechism 37.

He was raised again for our justification. He could not be holden of death, because He made complete satisfaction for our sins. By his resurrection He has overcome death, and makes us partakers of his righteousness. And because He lives, we shall live also. Our life is hid with Christ in God. "When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall we also appear with him in glory."

Christ is risen! Henceforth never
Death or hell shall us enthrall;
We are Christ's, in him forever
We have triumphed over all.

Prayer

O God, we thank Thee, that Thou didst not spare Thine own Son, but didst deliver him up for us all. We thank Thee that He died for us, but that He also rose again, and that we through him have righteousness and life. Help us now to walk in newness of life, for Jesus' sake. Amen.

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Scripture in Devotional: 1 Cor. 15:34; Rom. 8:32; 2 Cor. 5:21; John 14:19; Col. 3:3, 4.

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