[When available, audio recordings of these devotions are posted at http://www.redeemerclc.info/audio-devotions]
Tuesday, July 5, 2016
John 3:16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
TWO DECLARATIONS
The Declaration of Independence is a hugely important document in the history of the United States. Parts of it are often quoted, such as this statement from the second paragraph, "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all Men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness."
"When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them..." When I was in grade school we children were encouraged to memorize these opening words of the Declaration of Independence. Long before that I was taught to recite from the heart another declaration:
The Declaration of Redemption found in John 3:16.
Both the Declaration of Independence and the Declaration of John 3:16 have a back story of unrighteous acts demanding decisive action. About half of the document penned by Thomas Jefferson lists the actions of King George that stripped Americans of their civil rights and imperiled their property and lives. As a result the colonies "dissolved the political bands" which had connected them with Great Britain.
The Scriptures record a far worse list of unrighteous acts, demanding a far more serious response on the part of the holy God. They spell out the sinful words, thoughts and actions of every sinner who ever lived -- and would live -- in our world. God had every reason to sever His relationship with the sin-ridden human race. But John 3:16 declares that God did not do this. In fact, this statement outlines the extreme lengths to which God went to restore a family relationship between Himself and us. His love moved Him to give (sacrifice in our place) His only begotten Son that sinners the world over might have life with Him forever.
Every American would do well to know the Declaration of Independence. It is our fervent prayer that countless Americans know and believe God's Declaration of Redemption in John 3:16.
