Everything hinges on one important word!

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living ©

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.
(1 John 1:9 (NIV))

IF . . .

Two little letters that far too many people simply overlook.

If you have ever done any programming or have ever created a formula in a spreadsheet, you may be familiar with an IF > THEN statement. In essence, IF something happens, THEN something else can be expected. In all honesty, this concept makes perfect sense, but why do so many people bypass the IF and still expect the THEN?

IF you work hard, THEN you will be rewarded. Too many people want the reward without the work.

IF you get good grades, THEN you can do anything that you put your mind to. Too many people want the end result without the commitment required to get there.

IF you show compassion, THEN you will be shown compassion. Too many people still have a double standard when it comes to what they do and what they expect others to do for them.

IF you confess your sins, THEN . . .

IF you profess a faith in Jesus, THEN . . .

What do you expect for the THEN when you think of these two IF statements?

Even the passage that nonbelievers know contains an IF > THEN statement. You have to look closely, but it is there!

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
(John 3:16 (NIV))

IF you believe in Jesus, THEN you shall not perish but have eternal life.

Society has adopted a false Gospel. They have left off the IF and gone straight to the THEN where everyone is saved because God is love. It is our responsibility as believers to share the Gospel in its true form. We are to make disciples and teach them correctly. We are to show people the importance of two little letters.

Everything hinges on one important word!

Copyright 1998 – 2023 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
https://www.dailylivingministries.org
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Are you sharing forgiveness with others?

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living ©

If you forgive anyone’s sins, their sins are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.”
(John 20:23 (NIV))

These words were spoken by Jesus to His disciples after His resurrection. They had just received the Holy Spirit and were being sent out into the world to spread the Gospel. We are called to do the very same thing!

But, . . .

Did you realize that this power was given to the disciples? Did you realize that as believers in Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior, we are supposed to have this very same power. To clarify, we can’t simply walk down the road telling people that their sins are forgiven. They have to take action toward wanting to be forgiven. What we do have is the power to tell people about the redeeming grace that is freely given to all who believe. When they repent and profess a faith in Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior, we have the authority and power to confirm that their decision has indeed resulted in the forgiveness of their sins!

In all of the Old Testament, not a single person had the power and authority to forgive sins. In fact, if these words were spoken, people where accused of blasphemy. Even when Jesus walked the earth, He was accused accordingly.

“Why does this fellow talk like that? He’s blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?”
(Mark 2:7 (NIV))

Think about that.

Who can forgive sins but God alone?

There is so much truth in these words, but the truth was spoken out of misunderstanding, out of arrogance and ignorance. To be honest with you, if I had lived at that time and raised in that tradition, I would probably think the very same thing. They never imagined that the man who was saying your sins are forgiven was truly God among us. Little did they know that a birth about thirty years earlier saw the Lord step into His creation to offer forgiveness of sins. That birth forever changed human history, in fact, it is said that it divided history. As we look forward to Christmas, we must remember that it is not about some jolly fat man bringing presents. It is not about family and friends. It is about the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ! Only through that birth and His obedience to the cross, we have forgiveness. The best thing about that forgiveness is the gift that keeps on giving. Once you accept it, you can offer it to others and the value never decreases.

Are you sharing forgiveness with others?

Copyright 1998 – 2022 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
https://www.dailylivingministries.org
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Are you free indeed?

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living ©

So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.
(John 8:36 (NIV))

This passage came to mind while I was having a conversation with a friend. The subject came up about people questioning their salvation because of their past being too much for God to forgive. Sadly, there are always people who believe that they have done so much wrong that God can’t forgive them. They feel that they are above God’s thresh hold of forgiveness.

Surely the arm of the Lord is not too short to save,
     nor his ear too dull to hear.
(Isaiah 59:1 (NIV))

In essence, they can’t forgive themselves even when God freely gives grace and mercy to all who will simply accept.

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God.
(John 3:16-21 (NIV))

Do you know someone who needs to come into the light? Are they afraid to come into the light for fear of what will be exposed? It seems that even Paul wrote about such people when he wrote to the church at Corinth.

Or do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.
(1 Corinthians 6:9-10 (NIV))

He went into detail about the sinful past of the members of the church at Corinth, but he didn’t stop there. He went on to remind them that that is what they were and not what they are due to the saving grace freely given through the blood of Jesus.

And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.
(1 Corinthians 6:9-11 (NIV))

If you think, or someone you know thinks that they are too far gone for grace, remind them that we are all sinners in need of a savior, and His name is Jesus. I don’t often start and end with the same scripture passage, but in this case, I feel that it is merited.

So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.
(John 8:36 (NIV))

Are you free indeed?

Copyright 1998 – 2022 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
http://www.dailylivingministries.org
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What have you confessed?

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living ©

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.
(1 John 1:9 (NIV))

Forgiveness requires confession. Confession comes when we desire to change from our sinful nature. That desire to change can only happen when you come to the realization that, contrary to what you have thought in the past, you are a sinner.

for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
(Romans 3:23 (NIV))

I love the way the sequence of events are presented. It follows the sequence of events of accepting salvation. Before we can confess our sins, we have to come to the realization that we are sinners. We are told of the deception that keeps us from that realization. We are told that thinking we are sinless is a lie.

If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.
(1 John 1:8 (NIV))

There is an old saying that admitting you have a problem is the first step to recovery. In this case, admitting that you are a sinner is the first step to salvation! It doesn’t stop there. You must come to the realization that you can do nothing to help yourself and that you need a savior. You must believe in your heart that Jesus Christ died for your sins, was buried, and that God raised Him from the dead. And, you must call upon the name of the Lord Jesus and accept the gift of grace that was freely given through the cross. If we truly desire to receive this amazing gift of grace by our confession of our sins, our confession that Jesus paid the price for our sins, and our confession that Jesus is Lord, He will be faithful to forgive us our sins and bestow upon us His righteousness.

What have you confessed?

Copyright 1998 – 2021 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
http://www.dailylivingministries.org
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Are you now living your confession?

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living ©

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.
(1 John 1:9 (NIV))

Too many people fail to remember the first five words of this passage and simply believe that Jesus will forgive us of anything that we do. They do recognize His willingness to forgive, but they overlook one requirement – our willingness to confess. Too many people want the benefits without any of the responsibility. They want salvation and they want to keep on sinning! I would venture to say that they ignore the story about the woman caught in adultery. Do you remember what Jesus told her?

Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?”

“No one, sir,” she said.

“Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.”
(John 8:10-11 (NIV))

Jesus will not condemn us. We condemn ourselves by our sinful actions. We stay in our condemnation when we choose to stay in our sin. Jesus calls us to leave our life of sin. He calls us to turn away from our sin. He calls us to repent. He calls us to a saving knowledge of grace that is only available through His fulfillment of His Father’s love.

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.
(John 3:16-18 (NIV))

Once again we read that Jesus does not condemn. It is sin that condemns us. Jesus paid the price for our sin, so now we can rejoice in the results of our confession!

Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus,
(Romans 8:1 (NIV))

No one knows at what moment their life will end. There is not a moment to waste. Jesus does not play favorites. If you earnestly and sincerely turn to Him and repent, you will not face condemnation for your sins. It is so simple to ask to receive this wonderful, eternal gift! It is as easy as ABC.

A is for admit that you are a sinner in need of a savior.

B is for believe in your heart that Jesus Christ died for your sins, was buried, and that God raised Him from the dead.

C is for call upon the name of the Lord Jesus.

Are you now living your confession?

Copyright 1998 – 2021 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
http://www.dailylivingministries.org
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Do you truly long for the Lord?

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living ©

Why do you make me look at injustice?
    Why do you tolerate wrongdoing?
Destruction and violence are before me;
    there is strife, and conflict abounds.
(Habakkuk 1:3 (NIV))

Habakkuk knew what injustice was. He saw it in the society of his day. He saw it in Jerusalem. He had grown tired of the sinful practices that he saw on a daily basis. He pleaded with the Lord to do something that would make the people repent and return to the Lord. The people had rebelled against the Lord to the point that the Lord decided to have the Babylonians invade.

Think about that for a moment!

We pray for God to do something in this nation. We grow tired of the injustices, the evil, the wrongdoing, the destruction and the violence. We can’t seem to go more than an hour without hearing about a new conflict that has people polarized in their responses. We pray that the Lord would heal this land, but what if the first step in the healing process takes us down a road similar to what the Lord told Habakkuk would happen? When the Babylonians came, it was not just the people who were doing evil who where affected? The consequences impacted the whole region.

With the events in the world and the alignment of nations, the peace treaties and all other factors, we realize that we will probably soon be facing end time events. We long for the moment when the Lord will come for His church. Until that time, we must be prepared for much worse than we have seen. We should continue to pray for repentance and healing. We must pray for eyes to be opened and hearts to be turned to Jesus.

if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.
(2 Chronicles 7:14 (NIV))

If we, who are sinful by nature, grow weary of all of the sin that surrounds us, how much more does this bother the Lord? We know that the Lord will win in His time, for He, too, is growing tired of the things in this world. Until that time, we must stand firm in our faith. We must stand firm in proclaiming the Gospel. We must stand firm in showing the world what God calls righteousness and justice.

Do you truly long for the Lord?

Copyright 1998 – 2020 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
http://www.dailylivingministries.org
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Share the good news!

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living ©

Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death.
(Romans 8:1-2 (NIV))

Do you obey the law?

Do you always drive the speed limit? Do you ever throw something from your car? Do you sometimes cross busy streets in places other than the crosswalks? If you do any of these, then you do not obey the laws one hundred percent of the time.

If you are ever caught doing any of these things, then there will be a penalty to pay.

Do you obey God’s laws?

Have you ever murdered? Probably not.

Have you ever taken the Lord’s name in vain? Many of us probably have done so out of frustration or anger.

Have you ever committed adultery? Hopefully not.

Have you ever stolen anything? Probably. Even an ink pen on accident could be considered stealing. It did not belong to you and you left with it.

What type of penalties would you expect for any of these breaches of God’s law?

Think of the worst possible penalty that could be paid and that is exactly what Jesus paid on the cross for each of us. He willingly paid the penalty for all of the things that we have done or ever will do. He paid the price for the law of sin and death so that we could claim freedom from its hold on us. Through Jesus, we can claim that our penalties have been paid in full. All that we have to do is accept this grace and mercy.

We will still slip up and break God’s laws just like we break human laws, but we can be forgiven for these transgressions. It is a matter of the heart. We must long to do what God desires us to do. If this is our true heart, then God will see and forgive through the atoning blood of Jesus.

We are free from the law of sin and death! Share the good news!

Copyright 1998 – 2020 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
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Are you called by His name?

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living ©

if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.
(2 Chronicles 7:14 (NIV))

It’s happened again! Or perhaps I should say that it is still happening. We can’t go a day without seeing something horrendous in the news. We can’t go a day without seeing the work of the enemy as he tries to divide us. We can’t go a day without seeing good being called evil and evil being called good.

I’m at a loss for words. All that I can do is feel the groanings of my spirit as it cries out to God. I honestly don’t know what the prayers from my spirit are saying. I just know that they are asking God to send His Spirit and bring peace to this troubled world. Still, in the midst of all that is happening, I know that everything is unfolding according to God’s perfect plan, even though all we see is chaos. I know that the enemy is not going to go quietly. His time is short and he knows it. We will see more evil arise. It is time that the Body of Christ unite and stand firm in our humility and in our prayers.

We must pray according to God’s Will. We must stand firm in our faith. We must also realize that this world is not our home. This world is sinful and will never be the world that we long for. The events that will lead to the fulfillment of the promises of an eternal home in paradise are unfolding. I realize that no one knows the day nor the hour, but I do believe that it will be sooner than the world thinks. All I know is that we, as the Body of Christ, should be praying for God’s perfect will. We should be praying for those who don’t know Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior.

In essence, if we are called by His name, we should be praying!

Are you called by His name?

Copyright 1998 – 2020 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
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In all things we must seek God!

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living ©

So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.
(Matthew 7:12 (NIV))

Isn’t it sad that something so simple and profound as this truth has been twisted into what has literally become the motto of way too many people. I am talking about the perversion of this passage into the saying “Do unto others first.”

What have we become as a society when God’s Word is changed to reflect the exact opposite of what He intended?

It is no wonder that we have increased crime. It is no wonder we have increased divorce rates. It is no wonder we have sex in public schools. It is no wonder we have allowed God to be removed from all aspects of our public life. He has been made fun of and ridiculed using twisted words that mock His truth. We have literally chased Him away.

We, as a society, need to seek after God and earnestly seek His forgiveness. Perhaps, then we can truly turn this country back to the strength it once knew when its citizens were not ashamed to humble themselves and pray.

if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.
( 2 Corinthians 7:14 (NIV))

I honestly believe that we need to turn to God in prayer and ask for His guidance in all that we do, personally and as a nation. If we, as citizens of this country, would spend half the time in prayer that we spend complaining, we could see the fulfillment of this passage. We must seek God in prayer and earnestly repent of our sins. We must turn to Him in all things and not just the things that we are willing to give to Him.

In all things we must seek God!

Copyright 1998 – 2020 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
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What is the condition of your heart?

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living ©

The LORD detests men of perverse heart
but he delights in those whose ways are blameless.
(Proverbs 11:20 (NIV))

Have we become a people of perverse hearts? Do we accept what the world calls okay even though God’s Word tells us that it is not okay? Do we have a desire to intentionally disobey God’s Word? How can we truly call ourselves part of the Body of Christ when we do not do what He tells us to do? Basically, how can we ignore the fact that we are not obeying His command to go and sin no more as He told the woman caught in adultery?

When we have perverse hearts, we think that we can do whatever we want. We think that God will overlook what we do. Sadly, many in today’s church and in the non-believing world think this is how God works. Proverbs 11:20 tells us differently.

But wait!

Didn’t Jesus come to forgive our sins?

Jesus did come to offer us grace and mercy. The key word is offer. We have to accept that offer and accept the terms that go with that offer. We are to repent. Just like what Jesus told the woman caught in adultery, we are to go and sin no more. He did not tell us that to get salvation we turn to Him and beg for forgiveness and then keep on deliberately sinning. Too many people falsely believe that believing in Jesus will earn them salvation no matter what they do from that point on. Jesus told us that He would tell these type of people to get away from Him because He never knew them.

With so many passages telling us that we are to turn away from our sin, how can anyone honestly believe that Jesus condones a perverse heart? How can we believe that people who simply give lip service to Jesus will actually see the salvation and grace that they think they will get?

Jesus did not come into this world, live as one of us, teach us, and die on the cross so that we can continue in our sin. We have to have a change of heart. We have to accept all conditions of the offer of grace.

What is the condition of your heart?

Copyright 1998 – 2020 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
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