Tag: beloved

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Luke Devotionals

Well-pleased

Luke

When all the people were baptized, Jesus also was baptized. As he was praying, heaven opened, and the Holy Spirit descended on him in a physical appearance like a dove.

And a voice came from heaven: “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well-pleased.” (Luke 3:21-22)

It’s interesting to me that right after this, Luke talks about the genealogy of Jesus, which concludes with these words:

…Adam, son of God. (38)

And it made me think, when God created Adam, did he say to Adam what he said to Jesus? 

“You are my beloved son; with you I am well-pleased.”

I’m not sure, but my guess is that God did. 

Jesus is of course God’s perfect Son. But Adam at his creation was also perfect. 

So it seems only natural that God would say to him, “You are my beloved son. With you I am well-pleased.”

What’s amazing to me, though, is that God looks at us, flawed though we are, and he tells us, 

“You are my beloved child. With you I am well-pleased.”

Why can he say that? Because Jesus paid for all our sins on the cross.

Now when he sees us, he doesn’t see us clothed with our sin. Rather, he sees us clothed with Jesus’ righteousness. 

And so he smiles at us, and says, “You are my beloved child. With you I am well-pleased.”

Not angry. 

Not disappointed. 

Well-pleased. 

Categories
Deuteronomy Devotionals

Beloved and righteous in his sight

Deuteronomy

I suppose I’ve known for some time that the name Jeshurun was another name for the nation of Israel. But until today, I never thought to actually look up what it means.

It basically means “upright” or “righteous.”

But when the Old Testament was translated into Greek, it was translated as “beloved.”

It is the same word used in the New Testament to describe Jesus (Matthew 3:17), and Christians (2 Thessalonians 2:13).

Israel didn’t always live up to the name “upright one.” (32:15)

And because of their sin, God did not always treat them as “beloved ones”. (Deuteronomy 32:19-21)

Nevertheless, he ultimately showed his grace to them. (Deuteronomy 32:36)

In the same way, we don’t always live up to the name of “upright one,” and God will discipline us when we sin.

And yet, because of Jesus’ work on the cross, we are beloved by God, holy, faultless, and blameless before him. (Colossians 1:21-22)

So let us remember Moses’ words.

There is none like the God of Jeshurun,
who rides the heavens to your aid,
the clouds in his majesty.

The God of old is your dwelling place,
and underneath are the everlasting arms. (Deuteronomy 33:26-27)

Categories
2 Corinthians Devotionals

Because we are loved

2 Corinthians

Something struck me as I read this passage for perhaps the thousandth time.

A single word: beloved.

Paul says in chapter 7, verse 1,

Since we have these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit, bringing holiness to completion in the fear of God. (ESV)

The CSB and other translations often translate “beloved” as “dear friends,” which of course gives the impression that it is Paul who loved the Corinthians.

And certainly Paul did love them.

But I wonder if perhaps in this case, he did not primarily mean “beloved of God.”

When you look at the previous verses, he says,

For we are the temple of the living God, as God said:
I will dwell
and walk among them,
and I will be their God,
and they will be my people.,

Therefore, come out from among them
and be separate, says the Lord;
do not touch any unclean thing,
and I will welcome you.

And I will be a Father to you,
and you will be sons and daughters to me,
says the Lord Almighty. (6:16-18)

All these reflect the special relationship, we have with God, and the love that he has for us. And it is immediately after this, that Paul says,

Since we have these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit, bringing holiness to completion in the fear of God. (7:1)

It is because we are God’s temple, and he dwells and walks among us that we are to be separate from this world.

It is because he is our God and we are his people that we are to cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit that comes from sin.

It is because he is our Father, and we are his beloved sons and daughters, that we are to fear him, longing to be holy as he is holy, not being satisfied where we are as Christians, but bringing holiness to completion in our lives.

That is our motivation for holiness. Or at least, it should be. Is it yours?

Categories
Psalms

The people of God

Psalms

Psalm 87 is talking about Jerusalem, but as I read it, I really see the love God has for his people, and how he rejoices over us.

The psalmist says of Jerusalem,

He has founded his city on the holy mountain.

The Lord loves the gates of Zion more than all the other dwellings of Jacob.

Glorious things are said of you, city of God (Psalm 87:1-3).

I suppose the question is why does God have such love for the city?

I think the answer is found not in the physical structure of the city itself, but of the people who lived there.  Namely, the people that God had chosen for his own.

And because of his great love for his people, he established this city for them, and made it a place of of renown.

He then talks about how even those who had been enemies of Jerusalem, even the ancient ones  such as Egypt (Rahab, as mentioned in this psalm), Babylon, and Philistia would come to acknowledge God because of her.

And people would be proud to say, “This person was born in Zion.  And that one too.”  Not only that, God himself would write their names in his register.

I can’t help but think that this is a picture of God’s intention for his church here on earth.

We know, of course, that the church is not simply a building.  The church is God’s people, and as God poured out his love over Jerusalem, he now pours his love over us.

And he desires us to make a difference in those around us.  That even those who hate us because of Christ, would come to know him through us.

That when we all reach the new Jerusalem, God can point to his book, and say, “This one was born here in the church I established.  And this one.  And this one.”

Somehow as I read these words, I detect a sense of pride as he proclaims each name.

And after God’s roll call, every one of us will sing and cry out to him, “All my fountains are in you.”  (7)

That is, “Lord, you are the source of life, love, and joy in my life.”

You and I, as God’s church, are the people of God.  God loves us and rejoices over us.

But let us make it our goal to bring in as many people to his kingdom as we can.  Let us be that beautiful city on the hill that cannot be hidden.