December 26 Daily Devotional

Bible Readings:

Matthew 10:24-25a, New King James Version:
²⁴ "A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master. ²⁵ It is enough for a disciple that he be like his teacher, and a servant like his master."

Mark 8:34-35, NKJV:
³⁴ When He had called the people to Himself, with His disciples also, He said to them, "Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. ³⁵For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel's will save it."

Luke 6:40, NKJV:
⁴⁰"A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone who is perfectly trained will be like his teacher."

John 8:31-32, NKJV:
³¹So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, "If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, ³²and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."

Devotional:

That there are true and false followers of Jesus Christ in the world is not to be questioned. In the small circle of those whom He assembled about Him there was Judas Iscariot. Though he was chosen by the Saviour to walk with Him, to hear His word, to be the treasurer of the group, and to break bread with Him, nevertheless the grace of God had not been manifest in his life. Upon him rests the awful condemnation reserved for the betrayer of the Son of God. In the same band of disciples was Simon Peter, impulsive, rash, and on one occasion in the high priest's house, spineless to the point of denying the Lord with curses. Yet no epithet "son of perdition" is added to his name. Though in a moment of weakness he manifests none of the firmness of a "stone," later in his life the genuineness of his profession as a servant of Christ is evinced.

In the experiences of these two men are revealed modes of thought and action characteristic of false and true discipleship. The false disciple will direct his efforts for a time to the growth of the kingdom of Christ, but his hidden purpose will be the advancement of his own welfare, the satisfaction of his own desires, the achieving of personal glory. Contrariwise, a true believer will seek the honor of Christ at any cost, even to the point of giving his life. He must say,

"Perish every fond ambition;
  All I've sought, or hoped, or known;
Yet how rich is my condition,
  God and heaven are still my own."

If he should seek to please men for the sake of receiving honor from men, he will be rewarded with bitterness. A follower of Christ need not look to mammon for anything of lasting value. In other words the chief end of a true disciple is the glory of God and in the striving toward that end he finds his greatest enjoyment of God, personal satisfaction of the proper kind.

But not only in the life purposes of Peter and Judas do we see the contrast between hypocrites and faithful believers drawn. Motivated by love for Christ, God's children will obey Him. To be sure they will not be free from sin; detours from the straight and narrow highway will be made—as in the case of Peter—but repentance granted by the mercy of God will be shown in tears of sorrow and a firm determination to turn from that particular sin. The precious doctrine of the perseverance of the saints applies only to those who belong in sincere faith to Christ Jesus. And for this reason no believer may boast. "I am what I am by the grace of God" must be acknowledged by God's covenant child. But for the promptings of divine grace Peter like Judas would have persisted in his denial of the Saviour.

Remorse, not repentance, would have been his cry, a suicide his end rather than a martyr's crown. To every one of God's elect is granted faith in the revelation of God in Christ, in the work ol atonement, in His glorious resurrection, and in the Holy Spirit's presence.

The lives of Peter and Judas show us the fountain from which each drank. Judas' resources were in himself, in his own wisdom and scheming. When his wicked plan was disclosed, and the exceeding sinfulness of it, he returned not to Christ and His word but to his fellow plotters. There he found no comfort but only despair. On the other hand, Peter, after experiences of trusting in himself, doubting the power and wisdom of his Lord, came to refresh himself at the fountain of the water of life. For it was by faith alone that Peter was able with boldness to refuse to obey the charge of the Sanhedrin to cease preaching the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. In faith alone is a Christian soldier to face the persecution and hatred of the world. Satan was able to possess fully the heart of Judas so that instead of facing the enemies of Jesus and defending the Lord, he was used as a tool in the infliction of suffering upon Him. Likewise, if one who claims allegiance to Christ betrays Him by persistent disobedience, he thereby brings only reproach upon Him and His little ones.

In the matter of suffering at the hands of wicked men the true disciple must remember the words of the Lord "In the world ye shall have tribulation." Those who are Christians in name only find there is opportunity for a "deal" even with the enemies of the Lord. They need not be put to inconvenience in serving Christ nor is it necessary to be uncompromising in matters of doctrine or practice. While the Lord Jesus is the Prince of Peace and brings peace to hearts troubled by sin He also came to bring a sword, and that sword divides His own people from the world. Nominal Christians will avoid that separation wherever the sharp edge of the requirements of the faith makes life uncomfortable or unprofitable.

So let him who comes after the Lord Jesus Christ count of the cost of true discipleship.

We are very happy to make available to you this month these devotionals by the late Rev. LeRoy B. Oliver. They originally appeared in The Presbyerian Guardian during the late 1940's.

The description of his "Your Family Altar" page in The Presbyterian Guardian also fits this Web page: "The page is designed for both private and family use, whichever is most convenient in your case. If you do not have family worship in your home, we hope you will begin, and suggest using these readings. They should not, however, take the place of reading books of the Bible, or the Bible itself, through in regular course." It is those who abide (continue) in the Word who are truly Christ's disciples, who know the truth, and who experience freedom in Him (John 8:31-32). May these devotionals be used for the building up of God's people and to the glory of God.