Daily Devotionals

Grace for Today

Devotional: August 11th

John 6:66-69

A searching question and a satisfying answer

Read 1 John 2:12-29

Our Lord had pressed upon his hearers the great truths of the gospel. He told them plainly that he was God the eternal Son. He taught them man’s complete spiritual depravity and inability. He explained to them the fact that salvation is altogether by God’s sovereign grace. And he insisted that no man is born again except that man who is joined to Christ by a living and vital union of faith. But those men who followed Christ only for material gain, or out of a religious curiosity, or because they had eaten the miraculously produced loaves, were offended at his doctrine. And ‘from that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him’.

Then our Lord turned to the twelve and asked this searching question: ‘Will ye also go away?’ Now I put the question to you. Many have gone away. It is likely that many more will yet do so. I fear that some who appear to be devoted today might become offended because of the gospel tomorrow and go back, go back to the world’s way. Will you?

But this I know, those who are truly born again, those who have experienced the grace of God, been redeemed by the blood of Christ and been called to life by the Holy Spirit cannot go away. Those who truly know Christ can never leave him. We know our desperate need of him. Therefore God’s elect return with this satisfying answer: ‘Lord, to whom shall we go?’ Sometimes we are tempted and the world tugs hard at our hearts. But we know that no one can satisfy our need and our heart’s desire but Christ. Christ alone has the words of eternal life. He is the life itself and the way to life. We believe and are sure that Jesus of Nazareth is that Christ whom God has sent. He is God’s anointed Prophet, Priest and King. He is the promised Redeemer. He is the Son of the living God. The law cannot help us. The world cannot satisfy us. We must cling to Christ. He is all.