“For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment to the Son: that all men should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father. He that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father who hath sent him.” John 5:22-23

In the Apostles’ Creed, believers have for centuries confessed that Jesus Christ, who “suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried,” rose again from the dead and ascended to the right hand of God the Father, and “from thence He shall come to judge the living and the dead.”

Jesus’ first coming was to fulfill the righteous demands of God’s holy law and then to make atonement for the sins of all by His innocent sufferings and death on the cross. But when He comes again, it will be to judge the living and the dead.

The Bible clearly teaches that Jesus Christ, God’s Son, will be our judge on the Last Day.

St. Paul wrote to Timothy that “the Lord Jesus Christ … shall judge the living and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom” (2 Tim. 4:1). And, in Romans 14:10, he wrote that “we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ.”

Jesus, Himself, said that the Father “hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man. Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, and shall come forth; they that have done good, to the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, to the resurrection of damnation” (John 5:27-29). And Jesus describes this judgment in the parable of the sheep and the goats recorded in Matthew 25:31-46.

Jesus said: “For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment to the Son: that all men should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father. He that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father who hath sent him.”

What does this mean for us? Jesus is coming again to judge the living and the dead. Those who honor the Son by believing His Word, repenting of their sins and trusting in Him and His atoning sacrifice on the cross for their sins will be spared in the judgment — their sins are forgiven; they have been pardoned and forgiven for Jesus’ sake.

But those who do not honor the Son by repenting of their sins and trusting in Him as the Son of God and their Savior do not know or honor the Father either and will die in their sins. They will be condemned on the Last Day, the day of judgment.

It is as Jesus said in His conversation with Nicodemus: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. … He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God” (John 3:16, 18).

Dear Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God and Son of man, forgive my sins for the sake of Your holy blood, shed on the cross for the sins of the world, and cleanse my heart that I may honor You as my Savior and my Lord. Amen.

[Scripture is quoted from the Revised 1883 Webster Version of the Bible.]

“For as the Father raiseth the dead, and giveth life to them; even so the Son giveth life to whom he will.” John 5:21

Jesus said in John 6:44: “No man can come to me, except the Father who hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.”

That means none of us is, by nature, capable of making a decision to come to Christ because, as the Bible teaches, we are by our natural birth into this world “dead in trespasses and sins” (Eph. 2:1). It is only when God, by means of His Word, awakens us from spiritual darkness and death that we can know and come to Jesus and trust in Him and His atoning sacrifice for pardon and forgiveness (cf. John 1:12-13; 3:5-6; 6:63; Rom. 1:16-17; 10:17; Eph. 1:13-14).

Therefore, “as the Father raiseth the dead, and giveth life to them; even so the Son giveth life to whom he will.”

As God the Father raises the spiritually dead and gives them life through faith in Christ Jesus, so also God the Son gives life to whom He will through the preaching and hearing of His Word.

Ephesians 2:4-10 says it this way: “But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath made us alive together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) and hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: that in the ages to come he might show the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not by works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.”

This makes it so important that we hear God’s Word and share it with others because it is through that Word that God’s Spirit calls us to faith in Christ and His cross and raises us up from spiritual darkness and death to faith and life in Christ Jesus! And it is through the Word that He keeps us in that faith!

Though none of us are worthy and all of us would, by our own will, reject Christ and continue in unbelief, Jesus mercifully intervenes and, through His life-giving Word, raises up those “whom He will” to faith and life in Him.

This, of course, means that when we trust in Jesus as our Savior from sin and eternal death, we have every reason to thank and praise Him — for dying in our stead and bearing on the cross the just punishment for our sins and for sending us His Word and by the Holy Spirit calling us from spiritual death and unbelief to faith and spiritual life in His name.

It is as the Bible teaches us in 1 Corinthians 1:30-31: “But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who from God is made to us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: that, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.”

We thank You, dearest Jesus, for raising us up from spiritual death to spiritual life through faith in Your name. Yours is the glory! Amen.

[Scripture is quoted from the Revised 1833 Webster Version of the Bible.]

“But Jesus answered them, My Father worketh until now, and I work. Therefore the Jews sought the more to kill him, because he not only had broken the sabbath, but said also that God was his Father, making himself equal with God.” John 5:17-18 (Read v. 1-18)

Did Jesus sin when He, on the sabbath day, healed the man at the Pool of Bethesda who had been disabled for 38 years? Did Jesus sin when He told this man to stand up, pick up his bed and walk? The Jewish leaders accused Him of breaking the sabbath by not waiting until after the sabbath to help this man. They also accused Jesus of disregarding the sabbath by telling this man to carry his bed and walk on the seventh day.

On other occasions, Jesus pointed out the hypocrisy of his accusers by reminding them that even they would lift an animal out of a pit on the sabbath; reminding them that David and his men were not held guilty for eating the showbread only the priests were normally permitted to eat when he and his men were hungry; reminding them that it is lawful to do good on the sabbath; and telling them He is Lord of the sabbath (cf. Matt. 12:1-12; Luke 6:1-11; 13:10-17; 14:1-6). On this occasion, Jesus pointed out an even greater truth to justify His actions: “My Father worketh until now, and I work.”

While God rested on the seventh day from His work of creating the heavens and the earth and all that is in them, God did not cease working to preserve all things and to care for His creatures.

The Bible tells us in Nehemiah 9:6: “Thou, even thou, art LORD alone; thou hast made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host, the earth, and all things that are therein, the seas, and all that is therein, and thou preservest them all; and the host of heaven worshippeth thee.”

Notice that God has made all things (in the past) but that He also “preserves them all” (in the present).

And as the Father works, so does the Son, our Lord Jesus Christ.

In Hebrews 1:1-3, we learn that “God … hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high.” Again note that the Son created all things (in the past) but that He continues in the present to care for and preserve “all things by the word of His power.”

So, for our Lord Jesus to care for a created being, this invalid man, and to heal him on the sabbath was perfectly in line with His ongoing work of “upholding all things by the word of his power.” And it certainly shows us that He is Lord of the sabbath, for the sabbath day was made to honor Him and to devote ourselves to His Word and His work (cf. Matt. 12:8; Isa. 58:13-14).

His Jewish audience recognized the truth Jesus expressed — that He was claiming to be God’s Son, equal with God. We read: “Therefore the Jews sought the more to kill him, because he not only had broken the sabbath, but said also that God was his Father, making himself equal with God.”

Though the Jews recognized Jesus’ claim to be the Son of God and equal with God, did they believe it?

It is as John writes in the first chapter of his Gospel: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not. … He came to his own, and his own received him not” (1-5,11).

Instead of recognizing the obvious truth — after all, who alone can just say the word and heal a man who had been disabled and unable to walk for 38 years? — they rejected Jesus and accused Him of breaking their sabbath laws. And when Jesus affirmed the fact that He is God the Son in human flesh and was doing the work of His Father in heaven, they accused Him of blasphemy and sought to kill Him!

The question you and I need to consider is this: Do we recognize that Jesus is God Himself in human flesh, who came into this world a true man to redeem us by fulfilling the righteous demands of God’s law and then suffering the just punishment for our sins and the sins of all by His death on the cross? Do we place our faith in Him and the redemptive work He accomplished for us? Or do we accuse Him of sin for pointing out the emptiness of our attempts to be righteous in God’s eyes with our own works and man-made traditions? Do we accuse Him of blasphemy for claiming to be God Himself and the only way of salvation?

As Jesus said, “My Father worketh until now, and I work.” God has been at work from the very beginning to send a Savior to crush the head of the old evil foe and to redeem us from sin and death (cf. Gen. 3:15; 12:3; 22:18; Psalm 130:7-8; Isa. 9:6-7; 52:13 — 53:12; etc.); and Jesus, God the Son in human flesh, continued that work and went to the cross for us to pay the price for our sins and redeem us (cf. Gal. 4:4-5; Matt. 1; Luke 2; John 19; etc.). Even now, He works when He sends men to preach His Word to us and grants us His Holy Spirit so that we might believe the Gospel and place our faith in Him (cf. Eph. 4:8-16; Act 2:38-39; Eph. 1:13-14).

Jesus works, even on the sabbath, to care for our needs and especially to meet our greatest need — forgiveness for all our sins and new life through faith in His name! Don’t reject Him! Look to Him in faith for pardon and forgiveness! Trust in Him to heal your soul!

O dearest Jesus, Son of God and Son of man, grant me healing for my soul. Pardon my sins for the sake of Your atoning sacrifice in my stead and lead me in the way everlasting. Amen.

[Scripture is quoted from Revised 1833 Webster Version of the Bible.]

Dear Children,

How can I begin to prepare you for the dangers that you will face in this sinful world? It frightens me to think of the suffering and heartache you will likely bear during your lifetime.

This is the result of sin in the world — the result of Adam’s fall — and not the fault of God. God created all things beautiful and without sin, but man changed all that by his disobedience and rebellion against God. Now, instead of loving God and desiring to please Him and do His holy will, people love themselves and seek to gratify their own sinful and selfish ambitions.

The most important advice I can give you is to follow Christ and continue in His Word. Nothing in this life compares to the riches and the joy which come from knowing Jesus Christ, His forgiveness, and the hope of everlasting life with Him in heaven! He shed His holy and precious blood to redeem you from all sin and give you the eternal joys of heaven. Do not forsake Him! Trust in Him! He is the giver of life, and in His Word, you will find strength and guidance to live your life for Him.

Secondly, I offer advice on dating and marriage. I know that you have a desire and need to be loved, but learn what true love is. True love does not take advantage of others and seek to gratify itself. True love considers first what is in the best interest of others.

Daughters, if a man loves you, he will respect you and not seek to abuse you for the gratification of his own sexual desire. He will be willing to wait for a sexual relationship until you have committed yourselves to each other in marriage.

Sons, remember that the girl you date is a creature of God who has been redeemed by Christ. God did not create woman for you to use, but to love and cherish. Treat every woman you date with the honor and respect that you would want shown to your mother, your sister, or your future wife.

Though much could be said about dating and marriage, the most important advice I can give regarding dating and choosing a life’s mate is to date and marry a devoted Christian. Only then will you know the true joy and companionship God intended for marriage. Then you will be able to serve our God together and bring up your children to know and serve Him too. If you ignore this advice and marry one who is not a believer and follower of Christ, you may expect great difficulty and sorrow in life!

I know well the temptations placed before you by the devil, the world, and your sinful human nature. Do not give in to them, but follow Christ! Stay away from alcohol, drugs, pornography, wild parties, sinful music, evil friends, etc. These will only lead to your ruin.

Instead, follow Christ, read His Word, pray, and join together with fellow believers in church services and Bible study. Remember who you are: a child of God, created and redeemed by Him!

Finally, dear children, know this. Your earthly father is here for you now to help and guide you. He loves you and will be praying for you as long as he lives. Your Heavenly Father will be there for you always. He will uphold you and keep you forever!

Love, Dad

Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is to you, and to your children, and to all who are far away, as many as the Lord our God will call.” Acts 2:38-39 (Read Acts 2)

How is it that one can receive the gift of the Holy Spirit? How can one “be filled with the Spirit,” as the Apostle Paul commands us in Ephesians 5:18?

Peter, in his Pentecost sermon, gives us the answer: “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. ”

To be filled and led by the Spirit of God does not require any great work on our part. It does not require a specific prayer or living a holy and sinless life before the Holy Spirit enters into us.

Through the good news of Christ’s innocent sufferings and death for the sins of the world, God graciously calls us sinners to turn from our sins to faith in Christ Jesus for forgiveness and life everlasting (cf. 2 Thess. 2:13-14).

The Holy Spirit reveals our sinfulness and utter failure to live up to the demands of God’s perfect law (cf. Rom. 3:9-20), but then comforts us with the promise of sins forgiven and an eternal inheritance in heaven when we place our faith in Jesus Christ and His blood shed for us on the cross (cf. Rom. 3:21-26; John 3:14ff.; Ps. 51:1ff.).

When, by the grace of God, we believe this and trust in Christ as our Savior, being baptized in His name and according to His command for the forgiveness of our sins (Matt. 28:19; Acts 22:16), we are given the gift of the Holy Spirit. He takes up residence in our hearts, teaches us of Jesus from God’s Word, and strengthens and keeps us in the true and saving faith (cf. John 14:16-18, 26; 16:13-15).

And the Bible tells us that “He who began a good work in” us will dwell in us and “perfect it until the day of Jesus Christ” (Phil. 1:6).

Dear Lord Jesus Christ, our risen and ascended Savior, we thank You for granting to us the gift of the Holy Spirit — for moving us to turn from our sins to You for forgiveness and to be baptized in Your name, and for dwelling in us by Your Holy Spirit that we might be kept and preserved in the true and saving faith unto life everlasting. For the sake of Your bitter sufferings and death in our stead, we pray. Amen.

[Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, Modern English Version. Copyright © 2014 by Military Bible Association. Published and distributed by Charisma House.]