Thought from today’s Bible reading from Joel 1-3.
In prophesying of the “great and awesome day of the Lord” (Joel 2:31), the prophet Joel indicated who it was that would be delivered:
“And it will come about that whoever calls on the name of the Lord will be delivered…” (Joel 2:32).
Paul reminded the saints in Rome of this promise as well, as it had a direct impact upon their salvation.
“Whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved” (Romans 10:13).
Thought from today’s Bible reading from Ezekiel 13-15.
“‘Son of man, if a country sins against Me by committing unfaithfulness, and I stretch out My hand against it, destroy its supply of bread, send famine against it and cut off from it both man and beast, even though these three men, Noah, Daniel and Job were in its midst, by their own righteousness they could only deliver themselves,’ declares the Lord God.
“‘If I were to cause wild beasts to pass through the land and they depopulated it, and it became desolate so that no one would pass through it because of the beasts, though these three men were in its midst, as I live,’ declares the Lord God, ‘they could not deliver either their sons or their daughters. They alone would be delivered, but the country would be desolate’” (Ezekiel 14:13-16).
The three individuals mentioned – Noah, Daniel, and Job – were known for their trust in God and their obedience to Him. Each one was delivered from some great ordeal: Noah from the flood, Daniel from the lion’s den, and Job from his severe hardship and loss.
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Thought from today’s Bible reading from Jeremiah 28-40; Psalm 74, 79.
Jeremiah’s message was one that was filled with warnings of destruction. As we might expect, his “negative” message was generally not well-received. The attitude of his opponents is very similar to the attitude of those today who oppose the truth.
“‘Thus says the Lord, “This city will certainly be given into the hand of the army of the king of Babylon and he will capture it.”‘ Then the officials said to the king, ‘Now let this man be put to death, inasmuch as he is discouraging the men of war who are left in this city and all the people, by speaking such words to them; for this man is not seeking the well-being of the people but rather their harm’” (Jeremiah 38:3-4).
Jeremiah’s message, though unpopular and uncomfortable, was one that the people desperately needed to hear. The ones who would heed his words and obey them would deliver themselves (Jeremiah 38:2). For those who rejected him, there would be punishment. But the officials did not like Jeremiah’s message and tried to turn the king against him by making two accusations:
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Thought from today’s Bible reading from Isaiah 54-58.
The Lord abounds in mercy and is willing to save us. Yet we must appreciate the urgency of the salvation He offers. Notice what Isaiah says:
“Seek the Lord while He may be found; call upon Him while He is near. Let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts; and let him return to the Lord, and He will have compassion on him, and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon” (Isaiah 55:6-7).
God is willing to show “compassion” and is able to “abundantly pardon,” but there is a time limit on his mercy. He does not offer salvation indefinitely. We must seek Him “while He may be found” and “call upon Him while He is near.” Otherwise, we will be too late.
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Thought from today’s Bible reading from Isaiah 49-53.
The Lord offers some words of comfort for all of His people who must suffer for their faith.
“Listen to Me, you who know righteousness, a people in whose heart is My law; do not fear the reproach of man, nor be dismayed at their revilings. For the moth will eat them like a garment, and the grub will eat them like wool. But My righteousness will be forever, and My salvation to all generations” (Isaiah 51:7-8)
Persecution is inevitable for the child of God (2 Timothy 3:12). Yet we must not fear those who would persecute us (cf. Matthew 10:28). The Lord gives two reasons why we should not fear or be overcome by them:
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Thought from today’s Bible reading from Isaiah 35-36.
“A highway will be there, a roadway, and it will be called the Highway of Holiness. The unclean will not travel on it, but it will be for him who walks that way, and fools will not wander on it. No lion will be there, nor will any vicious beast go up on it; these will not be found there. But the redeemed will walk there…” (Isaiah 35:8-9).
This analogy of a highway for the redeemed is in some ways similar to the analogy used by Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount:
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Thought from today’s Bible reading from Isaiah 5-8.
“Let me sing now for my well-beloved a song of my beloved concerning His vineyard. My well-beloved had a vineyard on a fertile hill. He dug it all around, removed its stones, and planted it with the choicest vine. And He built a tower in the middle of it and also hewed out a wine vat in it; then He expected it to produce good grapes, but it produced only worthless ones.
“‘And now, O inhabitants of Jerusalem and men of Judah, judge between Me and My vineyard. What more was there to do for My vineyard that I have not done in it? Why, when I expected it to produce good grapes did it produce worthless ones? So now let Me tell you what I am going to do to My vineyard: I will remove its hedge and it will be consumed; I will break down its wall and it will become trampled ground. I will lay it waste; it will not be pruned or hoed, but briars and thorns will come up. I will also charge the clouds to rain no rain on it.’
“For the vineyard of the Lord of hosts is the house of Israel and the men of Judah His delightful plant. Thus He looked for justice, but behold, bloodshed; for righteousness, but behold, a cry of distress” (Isaiah 5:1-7).
What does “propitiation” mean? How is “justification” connected to salvation? What does “sanctification” look like in our day-to-day lives? The Bible uses some powerful words to describe God’s plan to save mankind. However, these words are not always easy to understand, especially when they are not part of our everyday vocabulary. This book explores key Bible terms that unlock the message of the gospel.
Big Words in the Bible examines five important words – Propitiation, Reconciliation, Sanctification, Justification, and Resurrection – using plain language to see how the Scriptures describe these concepts and how the apostle Paul employs them in his letter to the Romans. This book also contains an appendix with eleven additional articles to explore these topics further.
Whether you are new to the Bible and want to grow in your understanding or want a simple way to explain these core gospel doctrines to others, this book will be helpful. With a focus on the Scriptures, Big Words in the Bible helps break down these fundamental topics to shed light on the life-changing message of the gospel and the salvation found in it.
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