Only through the atoning blood of Jesus!

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living ©

But those sacrifices are an annual reminder of sins. It is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.
(Hebrews 10:3-4 (NIV))

With all of the talk about the Temple Mount and the building of the Third Temple, as followers of Jesus, we must remember that Jesus was the perfect sacrifice!

And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.
(Hebrews 10:10 (NIV))

We do not worship in a temple. We worship in spirit and in truth. We do not make sacrifices to atone for our sins. Jesus paid the price once for all. We do not need to sacrifice bulls or goats. All that we have to do is sacrifice our sinful pride and accept the gift of salvation freely given through the sacrifice that Jesus made on the cross! Through His sacrifice we can have our sins washed white as snow! We can be made holy and righteous by the Blood of Jesus!

For by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy.
(Hebrews 10:14 (NIV))

We have been purchased!

We have been redeemed!

We have been made sons and daughters of God through the amazing grace freely given at the cross.

Are you a son or daughter of God? If you have not made this profession of faith, 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.

Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.”
(Acts 4:12 (NIV))

Only through the atoning blood of Jesus!

Copyright 1998 – 2023 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
https://www.dailylivingministries.org
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You will never find greater riches than this!

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living ©

In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace
(Ephesians 1:7 (NIV))

What do you think of when you think of riches?

Is it the typical human nature responses such as money, big house, fancy cars and expensive toys?

Let me ask this another way.

What is it that you value the most?

Did you answer family and friends? Perhaps you thought of the gift of life itself. These are valuable to most people, yet, there is something that has far greater worth. It is of far greater worth than all of the riches of the world.

What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul?
(Mark 8:36 (NIV))

Everything in this life is here today and gone tomorrow. With that said, how can we place value on something that does not last? How can we spend our lives striving for something that can be taken from us in the blink of an eye?

We are trapped in a world of sin and death. A world that we allowed to fall away from God. It is a world badly in need of something that is eternal, something that will not rust or decay with time. That something is God’s grace.

I know of nothing in this world that can bring eternal life, even though man has searched for just such a thing for a long time. I know of nothing in this world that can bring peace, even though we all long for it. I know of nothing in this world that can bring everlasting joy, even though there are things that bring us fleeting glimpses of joy. Nothing in this world can redeem us. Nothing in this world can provide forgiveness, and nothing in this world can give us grace.

With that said, the greatest riches of all is the very thing that can bring all of this. It is not of this world, for this world is fallen. It is from the very One who created this world. It is designed to bring each and every one of us back into the pre-sin relationship that we were supposed to have with God.

Let me ask a few more questions.

Does money make you happy? Do big houses make you happy? Do expensive toys make you happy? All of these things soon become the reason for living and then you discover that they leave you cold and empty. Only one thing can leave you joyfully filled and warm with the love of God.

Have you accepted the riches that God offers through His glorious gift of grace? Have you accepted the gift of salvation that was purchased at the cross by Jesus?

You will never find greater riches than this!

Copyright 1998 – 2020 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
http://www.dailylivingministries.org
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Which do you seek, righteousness or worldly gain?

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living

Better a little with righteousness than much gain with injustice.
(Proverbs 16:8 (NIV))

How many of us, when first reading this passage, try to figure out if there is a happy medium where we are willing to compromise on righteousness in order to increase our gain?

I hope that if you did ask yourself if you could find a happy medium it was a short-lived question and you quickly came to the conclusion to never compromise on righteousness. If you stop to realize what compromising on righteousness entails, it means that you are willing to sin. To be righteous in the eyes of God means that you are free from sin. If you compromise on righteousness, then you are willingly opening the door to your life to allow sin back in.

Is this what you want to do?

Is this what God wants you to do?

Salvation was purchased with a very high price. It took the sacrifice, the crucifixion, of a sinless man in the form of Jesus, the only begotten Son of God, to allow our sins to be forgiven. The cost was too great. What we would lose is too great!

There is nothing in this world that is worth losing what was so highly valued that it took the death of the Son of God to purchase it for us. Still, human nature tries to figure out how to have the proverbial cake and eat it, too. We want the treasures of heaven, but we are too easily enticed by the worldly treasures.

For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
(Matthew 6:21 (NIV))

Which do you seek, righteousness or worldly gain?

Copyright 1998 – 2017 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
http://www.dailylivingministries.org
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There is no greater gift!

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living ^©

“Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!”
(2 Corinthians 9:15 (NIV))

Short, sweet and to the point!

This passage gives us a very concise reason why we should praise God.

Another translation states it as follows.

Thank God for his Son—a gift too wonderful for words!
(2 Corinthians 9:15 (NLT))

Either way you translate the original words, it boils down to a very definable and unwavering declaration.

Thank God for Jesus!

Even if you have nothing else in this world to be thankful for, your salvation was purchased by Jesus when He died on that cross to pay the price for your sins.

Even if you have everything in the world, your salvation was purchased by Jesus when He died on that cross to pay the price for your sins.

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

The amazing gift that Jesus willingly gave is readily available to any and all who will simply receive. No matter your status in the world, no matter your financial resources, no matter how sinful, Jesus paid the price that brings the only way to redemption from our sins.

There is no greater gift!

Copyright 1998 – 2016 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
http://www.dailylivingministries.org
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