Prophetic Prospective Daily Devotional

Paul, in his letter to the Corinthian Church, lays out the guidelines for the use of the liberty that the Lord has given to us for our Christian life. The apostle writes to a very "carnal church," the church in Corinth, that everything is lawful for him, verse 23, but He gives them then four guidelines for living by the "law of love" in the liberty that God gives.

Paul says that though everything is lawful, everything is not expedient. In other words, everything is permissible but it is not always beneficial. Then Paul sets another standard for what he does. It must edify - it must build up those around him, verse 23.

Paul's lifestyle is not to promote himself or to do those things that bring attention, glory, or advancement for him, verse 24. Paul's goal is to promote the good of others. This type of lifestyle, serving others, is chosen by Paul so that he might bring many people to Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior, verse 33. Paul's standard sets the bar high for each of us to set as our goal for the life we lead daily in front of others.

These principles in our passage from Paul's writings are worth our reading for today. But before we leave, let me share another principle, a "prophetic principle" as well as a "personal principle". Paul says in verse 32, in light of his chosen lifestyle, that he will not be an offense to the Jews, the Gentiles, or the Christians. This verse goes along with the theme of our reading for today but it also is a key component as you start to study prophecy.

Paul divided humankind into three members of the "human family", Gentiles, Jews, and Christians. Every person on earth is one of these family members. For the first 2,000 years of human history, from Genesis 1-12, there were only Gentiles on the earth.

When God brought Abraham to the Promised Land, He made this Gentile, Abraham, the first Hebrew, Genesis 14:13, and started another people, the Jewish people.

Then, for the next 2,000 years from Genesis 12 to Acts 1, there were Gentiles and Jews on earth, but no Christians. A Jew or a Gentile that believed God for righteousness was a believing Jew or Gentile.

On the Day of Pentecost, Acts 2, the Lord started the Church and there then was a third member of the human family, Christians. All these members of the human family are in play from Acts 2 to Revelation 22.

This information is key to understanding Bible prophecy. As we read the Word, the prophetic Word, we must keep this "prophetic principle" in mind. It will help us to know who the Lord is addressing in His prophetic plan and for what time in history.

PRAYER THOUGHT: Dear Lord, help me to approach my study of Your word with the principles that will give me understanding of Your prophetic plan.

Paul is writing to the church in Rome, in chapter 14, at least the first part of the chapter, about a problem among the people of the church.

There are those who are saying, "We can eat this or that but we must not eat the other." Then there are those who say, "We esteem this day more important than any other and you don't do that." Paul addresses these issues in several ways.

Paul says whatever we eat, if we are Christians, it's unto the Lord, verse 6. Also, what day we esteem, that will be done unto the Lord as well. In fact, Paul says, if we are alive we are living unto the Lord, or we should be doing so, verse 8.

Then Paul exhorts the Romans, as well as each of us today, to stop judging one another any more. Paul says what must be judged is that we must not put a stumbling block or occasion to fall in our brothers way, verse 13.

Paul then asks the question, "Why doest thou judge your brother, verse 10, especially in light of the fact that we are all going to stand before the "Judgment Seat of Christ" one day.

This is not a judgment to determine whether we are saved or lost. That will be determined before we ever get to the "Judgment Seat of Christ". There will be only "saved" people at the "Judgment Seat of Christ".

Verse 12 states that "Every one of us shall give an account of himself to God". The "Judgment Seat of Christ" takes place right after the Rapture of the Church. When we leave this earth at the time that Jesus shouts to call us up to join Him in the "air", I Thessalonians 4:13-18, we stand before the Lord right at that moment, in the "twinkling of an eye", I Corinthians 15:52.

After departing earth we are "face to face with Jesus", in order that we can give an account of ourselves. It's at the "Judgment Seat" where we are judged to determine that our works are those which qualify as our "righteous acts", Revelation 19:8. These "righteous acts" make up our "wedding garment" for the "marriage ceremony" and the "Marriage Supper of the Lamb".

Also at the "Judgment Seat" we will be given "crowns" as rewards, crowns for bringing our bodies under subjection, I Corinthians 9:27; for being soul-winners, I Thessalonians 2:19; for not yielding to temptation, James 1:12; for helping young believers grow in the Lord, I Peter 5:1-14; and for eagerly looking for the Second Coming of Jesus Christ, II Timothy 4:8.

We will then take these crowns to the throne, where Jesus is seated, and we cast them at the feet of Jesus in thanksgiving for what He has, is, and will do for us, Revelation 4:10.

Paul has a great question for each of us as we close our time in the Word for this devotional, why do we judge our brothers and sisters?

Romans 10 is a very important passage as it relates to someone coming to faith in Jesus Christ, and in fact, the passage also reveals how each of us develop faith. As you read through the extended reading I am sure you will recognize the verses that are used when leading someone to faith in Jesus Christ, as Lord and Saviour.

In verse 9 we see the gospel, the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The gospel is the power of God to all that believe, the Jews first, and also Gentiles, Romans 1:16, which is confirmation of verse 9.

Verse 13, states the phrase, which is used by those who want to be saved, inviting Christ into their heart. I can remember the day I quoted Romans 10:13 and asked Jesus into my heart. The verse is not only an invitation for Him to save us, but a guarantee that He will do so if we call upon Him. What a blessed promise.

By the way verse 12 says that this is the method of salvation, confessing and believing that Jesus rose from the dead, verse 9, and calling upon Him to save us, it is the method of salvation to the Greek, the Gentile and to the Jews.

Some today say that Jews do not have to come by the way of the cross and through Jesus Christ to be saved. That is heresy. All must come to salvation, only through Jesus Christ.

There is so much I could share with you from this passage, let me notice with you two more great truths.

Verse 17 says that we are able to obtain faith by the Word of God and our hearing of the Word of God. We can help others have "faith" by speaking the Word of God so that they hear it and attain "faith". We must go and speak the Word to those who need Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour.

Romans 10 is a message that is technically focusing on the Jewish people, as is Romans 9 & 11.   Notice that we who come from a Gentile background, instead of a Jewish background, God has given us salvation so that we might be able to provoke Jews to jealousy, that they might want what we have in Jesus.

Even though God has a plan for the Jews in the future, we can be used of the Lord today to bring the message of salvation to His chosen people, the Jewish people. This work of bringing the "gospel message" to Jewish people must be done even as we watch the Lord preparing the Jews for His future program for them.