Open the Bible UK Daily

Colin Smith

3 minute daily Bible reflections from Open the Bible UK, authored by Colin Smith, read by Sue McLeish. read less

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The Righteousness Jesus Calls Us to Pursue

The Righteousness Jesus Calls Us to Pursue

“For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” MATTHEW 5:20 The scribes and Pharisees devoted their entire lives to the pursuit of righteousness. To follow the law was their vocation. So, how could our righteousness ever exceed that of the scribes and the Pharisees? Jesus was scathing in His critique of the Pharisees because their “righteousness” was arrogant. The Pharisees liked to pray where they could be seen, but Jesus told His disciples to do their praying in private: “When you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you” (Matt. 6:6). The Pharisees also liked people to know what they were giving, but Jesus said to His disciples, “When you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing.” (Matt. 6:3-4). Jesus also criticised the Pharisees because their righteousness was external: “You clean the outside of the cup and the plate, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence” (Matt. 23:25). People look at the outward appearance, but God looks on the heart. Jesus was saying, in effect, “If you are going to enter heaven, you need a better righteousness than the Pharisees.” At this point, someone might say, “This is why we need to trust Jesus as Saviour so that we will have His perfect righteousness, which is better by far than that of the Pharisees.” That is true. But it is not what Jesus is saying here. Jesus is calling His disciples to the pursuit of a righteous life: “Unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matt. 5:20). Jesus calls us to pursue a better righteousness, one that is humble and comes from the heart. Where do you see glimpses of arrogant or external righteousness in your own life? Written by Colin SmithRead by Sue McLeish www.openthebible.org.uk

The Righteousness Jesus Calls Us to Pursue

The Righteousness Jesus Calls Us to Pursue

“For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” MATTHEW 5:20 The scribes and Pharisees devoted their entire lives to the pursuit of righteousness. To follow the law was their vocation. So, how could our righteousness ever exceed that of the scribes and the Pharisees? Jesus was scathing in His critique of the Pharisees because their “righteousness” was arrogant. The Pharisees liked to pray where they could be seen, but Jesus told His disciples to do their praying in private: “When you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you” (Matt. 6:6). The Pharisees also liked people to know what they were giving, but Jesus said to His disciples, “When you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing.” (Matt. 6:3-4). Jesus also criticised the Pharisees because their righteousness was external: “You clean the outside of the cup and the plate, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence” (Matt. 23:25). People look at the outward appearance, but God looks on the heart. Jesus was saying, in effect, “If you are going to enter heaven, you need a better righteousness than the Pharisees.” At this point, someone might say, “This is why we need to trust Jesus as Saviour so that we will have His perfect righteousness, which is better by far than that of the Pharisees.” That is true. But it is not what Jesus is saying here. Jesus is calling His disciples to the pursuit of a righteous life: “Unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matt. 5:20). Jesus calls us to pursue a better righteousness, one that is humble and comes from the heart. Where do you see glimpses of arrogant or external righteousness in your own life? Written by Colin SmithRead by Sue McLeish www.openthebible.org.uk

How Jesus Fulfilled the Law in His Death

How Jesus Fulfilled the Law in His Death

“I have not come to abolish [the Law or the Prophets] but to fulfil them.” MATTHEW 5:17Jesus came into the world to fulfil the Law and the Prophets, and He did this in His death.The prophets had spoken of a suffering servant who would be “pierced for our transgressions” and “crushed for our iniquities” (Isa. 53:5). And in the Psalms, David described the suffering of a man whose hands and feet would be pierced (22:16). He would be mocked (22:7). His bones would be pulled out of joint (22:14). His clothes would be divided by casting lots (22:18). He would cry out in agony, “My God, my God why have you forsaken me?” (22:1). And when Jesus went to the cross, these prophecies were fulfilled.The law prescribes penalties as well as requirements. Blessings would follow obeying God’s law. Curses would follow breaking God’s law. “Cursed be everyone who does not abide by all things written in the Book of the Law, and do them” (Gal. 3:10). We have an obligation to the law of God that we have not fulfilled, and our failure to fulfil the law brings a curse.But Jesus came on a mission to fulfil the law. He fulfils the requirements of the law in His life, and He paid the penalties of the law in His death: “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, ‘Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree’” (Gal. 3:13). The curse that would have been on us, fell on Him. That is why, “there is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Rom. 8:1).Are you still living as if you are under the curse of the law with all its guilt and condemnation? Or are you resting in the finished work of Jesus?Written by Colin SmithRead by Sue McLeishwww.openthebible.org.uk

How Jesus Fulfilled the Law in His Life

How Jesus Fulfilled the Law in His Life

“I have not come to abolish [the Law or the Prophets] but to fulfil them.” MATTHEW 5:17Jesus came into the world to fulfil the Law and the Prophets, and He did this in His birth and in His life.The prophets had spoken about the One who was to come, on whom the hope of the world depends. The prophet Isaiah said that a virgin would conceive and bear a son (Isa. 7:14), and when Mary bore Jesus, this prophecy was fulfilled. The prophet Micah said that the One who would rule and shepherd God’s people would come out of Bethlehem (Mic. 5:2, 4), and when Jesus was born in Bethlehem, this prophecy was fulfilled.The law tells us what God’s revealed will is for us. Jesus said to the disciples on one occasion: “My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work” (John 4:34). Jesus loved doing the Father’s will. It was food to Him, and He could say supremely, “I delight to do your will, O my God; your law is within my heart” (Psa. 40:8).Another time Jesus said, “I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me” (John 6:38). He also said, “He who sent me is with me. He has not left me alone, for I always do the things that are pleasing to him” (John 8:29).By God’s grace, we can sometimes say that we do things that please the Father, but only Jesus could say, “I always do the things that are pleasing to him.” Jesus could honestly say, “I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love” (John 15:10). Jesus fulfilled—lived out—everything that the law requires of us.Can you imagine how much joy and peace Jesus must have had, knowing that He was fulfilling everything that His Father required of Him?Written by Colin SmithRead by Sue McLeishwww.openthebible.org.uk

Jesus Came to Fulfil the Law

Jesus Came to Fulfil the Law

“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfil them. MATTHEW 5:17This is Jesus' first statement about why He came.A good teacher anticipates misunderstanding, and here, Jesus corrects a false assumption. Many people think the Bible says: 1) we are all sinners under the condemnation of God’s law; 2) Jesus came to pay the price of our sins; and 3) now we can get on with our lives much as we did before, but we must always remember to thank Him.But this is a complete misunderstanding of the Bible. Jesus said that He did not come to abolish the Law and Prophets. And then He adds, “For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished” (5:18).One day, heaven and earth will pass away. On that day, God will create a new heaven and a new earth. This old planet will be renewed and restored, and it will be finally released from its pain and groaning. And when that day comes, the law will pass away, because its work will be done. The righteous will be declared “not guilty,” and the wicked will be condemned.When that day comes, the prophets will pass away because all that they predicted will be accomplished. Faith will be turned to sight. God will be with His people and He will wipe all tears from our eyes. The new heaven and the new earth will be the home of righteousness, and the wicked will be outside forever.But until that day comes, the Law and the Prophets remain. Jesus did not come into the world so that we might say, “There is no more law.” The law stands as God’s definition of righteousness. God tells us what a good life looks like, and it would be a complete misunderstanding to think that because Jesus came, we have no more duty toward the law of God.Did you include this in your top three reasons why Jesus came? Why or why not?Written by Colin SmithRead by Sue McLeishwww.openthebible.org.uk

“I came that they may have life.” John 10:10It will soon be Christmas when we celebrate the coming of Jesus Christ. God came down from heaven and entered our world. “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us” (John 1:14).Why did Jesus come? The entire New Testament answers that question.Paul tells us that Jesus came to reconcile us to God:“In Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them” (2 Cor. 5:19).John tells us: “The Father has sent his Son to be the Saviour of the world” (1 John 4:14).The book of Hebrews tells us that Jesus came to “destroy the one who has the power of death” and to “bring many sons to glory” (Heb. 2:14, 10).The book of Revelation tells us that Jesus came to ransom “people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation” (Rev. 5:9).Did Jesus Himself ever speak directly about why He came into the world? Did He ever say “Here is the reason why I have come into the world”? Yes, He did. Perhaps the best-known example is when Jesus said, “I came that they may have life and have it abundantly” (John 10:10). What a marvellous promise!We are going to look at six occasions when Jesus spoke directly and personally about why He came into the world. There were other occasions when Jesus spoke about this indirectly: “The Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost” (Luke 19:10). “The Son of Man came… to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45). But in these six examples, we are going to hear, in Jesus’ own words, why He came into the world.What would you say are the three most important reasons why Jesus came into the world?Written by Colin SmithRead by Sue McLeishwww.openthebible.org.uk

What the World Needs Most from Jesus

What the World Needs Most from Jesus

And he began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes and be killed, and after three days rise again… And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. But turning and seeing his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said, “Get behind me, Satan! For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.” Mark 8:31-33 When Jesus spoke about “the things of God,” He was referring to what He had just said: that He must die and rise again. Satan did all that he could to prevent Jesus from going to the cross. He must have known that this would spell his ultimate defeat. But what the world most needs from Jesus is that He should suffer, be rejected, be killed, and on the third day rise again—and this is what He has done! Why was this so important? Because, at the cross, Jesus made atonement for our sins. He bore the punishment that would have been ours. He made peace with God. He reconciled us to the Father. This is the reason why Satan did everything in his power to prevent Jesus from going to the cross. He laid hold of the mind and heart of Peter and cried out through his voice, “This shall never happen to you!” But despite all the opposition of Satan, and even of His own disciples, Jesus set His face to go to Jerusalem, and there He laid down His life for us. What the world needs most from Jesus is the atonement He made for our sins. And this He accomplished through His death and resurrection. He is the Christ. And He offers grace, mercy, forgiveness, and peace to all who will trust in Him. What do you think you most need from Jesus? Written by Colin SmithRead by Sue McLeish www.openthebible.org.uk

Learn to Take Appropriate Responsibility

Learn to Take Appropriate Responsibility

He rebuked Peter and said, “Get behind me, Satan!” Mark 8:33 When we sin, there is always a story of how we came to do what we did. Someone says, “This person put me in an impossible position. I was provoked, and that is why I acted as I did.” When Eve was tempted and committed the first sin, she said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate” (Gen. 3:13). The serpent was responsible for the deceiving; but Eve was responsible for the eating. And God dealt with both according to their responsibility. Satan tempted Jesus through the well-meaning words of His friend, and when Jesus recognised the activity of Satan, He rebuked Peter. But Jesus also held Peter accountable for what he said and did. God is just. The judge of all the earth will hold others accountable for what they did and for the effect it had on you. Nonetheless, God will hold you accountable for what you said and did. It is easy to put the blame on others who played some role in causing you to sin. God will deal with them for what they did. Your part is to take responsibility for what is yours. Notice Jesus said, “Get behind me, Satan!” (Mark 8:33). Peter was in front of Jesus, and Jesus commanded Satan to get behind Him. If Peter were here today, he might say, “At first I thought Jesus was telling me to get behind Him. He’s done with me. He never wants to see me again.” “Then I realised, He didn’t say, ‘Get behind me, Peter.’ Satan was the one who had to move, and my choice was simple: cling to Satan and separate from Jesus or cling to Jesus and separate from Satan. Jesus put Himself between me and the enemy. And in removing Satan, He restored me.” Is there a sin in your life you’ve been blaming on others? Written by Colin Smith Read by Sue McLeish www.openthebible.org.uk

Learn to See the Blessing in This

Learn to See the Blessing in This

But turning and seeing his disciples, he rebuked Peter. Mark 8:33 When Peter rebuked Jesus, he was trying to stop Jesus from going to the cross—we should be very thankful that Jesus rebuked Peter. Imagine Peter standing at the pearly gates of heaven. If Jesus had followed Peter’s counsel, what would have happened to him when he arrived? Peter knocks on heaven’s door and an angel answers, “Who are you?”“I’m Peter. I was one of Jesus’ disciples.” “Yes, but why are you here?”Peter confesses, “Well, these are the gates of heaven, and I’d like to come in.”“I’m sorry,” the angel says, “but you are a sinful man. Don’t you remember you said that yourself when you were with Jesus? Heaven is a holy place. There is no room for sin of any kind here.” Then pointing to a dark and foreboding gate, the angel offers, “There is another gate just across there. Knock on that door. They will have room for you.” No one could stop Jesus from fulfilling His mission of bringing blessing to the world through the cross. When a person is on a self-destructive path, a sharp rebuke is an expression of love. Peter could not see that what he was suggesting would lead to his own destruction. Just as he needed Jesus’ rebuke, there will be times when we need Jesus’ rebuke, too. How does Jesus rebuke us? “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness” (2 Tim. 3:16, NIV). Christ rebukes us through His Word, and His rebuke is always an expression of His love. When you read the Bible, do you only look for and apply God’s promises? Or do you also look for and receive God’s rebukes? Written by Colin Smith Read by Sue McLeish www.openthebible.org.uk

Learn Discernment

Learn Discernment

“Far be it from you, Lord! This shall never happen to you.” Matthew 16:22 If ever there was a moment when you would feel you could have full confidence in what someone said, this would be it. Peter was blessed by God. He had been walking with God in the flesh. God has opened his eyes to the truth about Jesus—surely what this man says must be right! But Peter’s well-meaning counsel to Jesus was completely wrong. When Peter said to Jesus, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God,” he was right (Matt. 16:16). And when he said to Jesus, “Far be it from you Lord! This shall never happen to you,” he was wrong. The wisest believers can sometimes be wrong, so learn discernment in what you hear from others. The wisest counsellor you know may sometimes be wrong. Remembering this truth will keep you from putting someone you trust in the place that belongs to Jesus alone. So, here is what we learn from Peter’s presumptuous rebuke to Jesus: Learn to recognise when you are especially vulnerable to temptation.Learn humility in what you ask of Jesus.Learn discernment in what you hear from others. “It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in man” (Psa. 118:8). Is there someone in your life that you are trusting more than Jesus? Is there someone in your life that you are looking to for approval more than Jesus? Ask God to examine your heart and reveal to you the “counsel” you are truly trusting. Written by Colin Smith Read by Sue McLeish www.openthebible.org.uk

Learn Humility in What You Ask of Jesus

Learn Humility in What You Ask of Jesus

“Far be it from you, Lord! This shall never happen to you.” Matthew 16:22 If you have faith in Jesus, there will be times when you are tempted to tell Him what you think He must do. That is what Peter was doing. Telling Jesus what He must do might sound like faith, but it is the opposite of faith. Here is the great contradiction: on the one hand, to confess Jesus as the Christ means that you embrace Jesus as your teacher, saviour, and master but, on the other hand, when Peter confessed that Jesus is the Christ, he presumed to tell Jesus what He must and must not do. Jesus is the teacher, but Peter presumed to teach Jesus a better way. Jesus is the saviour, but Peter wanted to save Jesus from going to the cross. Jesus is the master, but Peter felt that he was able to tell Jesus what He must do. Peter was blessed with wisdom and insight, but it had gone to his head. He thought he knew better than Jesus. He wanted to teach the teacher, save the saviour, and master the master. “Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him” (Mk. 8:32). Have you ever done that? Have there been times when you have been so sure of the best outcome that you have presumed to say, “Jesus, this is what you must do!”? There is a warning here against presumptuous prayers. Learn humility in what you ask of Jesus. This is how Jesus taught us to pray: “Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven” (Matt. 6:10). Think about your own prayer life. On a scale of 1 (humble “your will be done”) to 10 (presumptuous “you must do this”) how are you talking to God right now? Written by Colin Smith Read by Sue McLeish www.openthebible.org.uk

Learn to Recognise When You Are Vulnerable to Temptation

Learn to Recognise When You Are Vulnerable to Temptation

Peter took [Jesus] aside and began to rebuke him. But turning and seeing his disciples, [Jesus] rebuked Peter. Mark 8:32-33 This is a story about two rebukes: Peter rebukes Jesus, and Jesus rebukes Peter. There are certain times when we are especially vulnerable to temptation. One obvious example is when we are tired. When we are tired, we do not see things clearly and we are less careful in what we say. We are less patient and more easily provoked. For example, when the disciples were in the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus said to them, “Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation” (Matt. 26:41). It was late at night and they were tired, so they did not watch and they did not pray, and they fell into temptation. But what we find here in this story is that we are more prone to temptation when we are blessed. Peter had just confessed faith in Jesus, and Jesus said, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah!” (Mat. 16:17). Peter experienced the blessing of God, and that’s when he fell into temptation. It is not hard to see how this happened. Jesus said, “You are blessed,” and Peter thought: That’s right. I am blessed. Jesus said, “My Father in heaven has revealed this to you,” and Peter thought: That’s right. The Father is revealing things to me. The blessing of God goes to his head, and pride comes before a fall (Prov. 16:18). The blessing of God comes, and arrogance and presumption follow. You are so sure of yourself that you are no longer listening to Jesus. Watch and pray so that you do not enter into temptation. When do you find that you are especially vulnerable to temptation? Written by Colin Smith Read by Sue McLeish www.openthebible.org.uk

The Mission of Jesus

The Mission of Jesus

He began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes and be killed, and after three days rise again. Mark 8:31 There are four things that Jesus must do: suffer, be rejected, be killed, and rise again. When Jesus told this to the disciples, Peter “took him aside and began to rebuke him” (8:32). Jesus “said this plainly” (8:32). Peter’s problem was not that he did not understand; it was that he did understand—and he was adamantly opposed to what Jesus had said. Peter had a good heart. He loved Jesus, and he wanted the best for Him. Peter wanted what’s best for the world, and he felt sure that he knew what that was. In Peter’s day, as in ours, there were sick people who needed to be healed, hungry people who needed to be fed, and oppressed people who needed to be set free. The needs of the world press in every day, and Peter knew that Jesus had the power to meet these needs. He had seen Jesus feed the hungry, heal the sick, and set oppressed people free. Like any good leader, Peter was already framing the next phase of the vision in his mind. Jesus did all these things in a small rural area of Galilee. “Now,” Peter probably thought, “we take this thing on the road! We go to Jerusalem, then Judea and Samaria, and then to the ends of the earth. This is what we must do.” But Jesus said something different. The One who healed the sick, fed the hungry, and freed the oppressed, must give Himself to a higher calling. He has come to do a greater work; and, to do it He must suffer, He must be rejected, He must be killed, and after three days, He must rise. Why do you think it was so hard for Peter to accept Jesus’ true mission? Can you relate? Written by Colin Smith Read by Sue McLeish www.openthebible.org.uk

Tell Someone That You Believe in Jesus

Tell Someone That You Believe in Jesus

Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah!” Matthew 16:16 Peter did not come to this confession of faith suddenly. He had been in the company of Jesus for eighteen months. Faith in Jesus had been forming; convictions about Jesus had been settling. Faith is formed by walking with Jesus, and it may be that for some time faith has been forming in you. This was a decisive moment in Peter’s journey of faith—blessing came to him when he confessed faith in Jesus. Faith in Jesus, however faltering, will always bring blessing. Imagine a woman telling you about her journey to faith. She learned some Bible truths from her father growing up, but she never made a commitment. She had been loosely connected to various churches over the years, but she remained on the fence. Then one night she had a harrowing experience in which she was aware of the protection of God. The following morning, she got into a taxi, when some words pressed into her mind and heart: “Tell the cab driver that you believe in Jesus.” Not being able to shake off these words, she leaned over reluctantly and said to the driver, “I don’t normally do this, but I want to tell you that I believe in Jesus.” It may be that you have never told anyone that you believe in Jesus. But God has been opening your eyes and softening your heart, and you have come to the place where you believe: If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. (Rom. 10:9) In confessing, you will be blessed. Here is your invitation: tell someone, “I believe in Jesus.” Who will it be? Written by Colin Smith Read by Sue McLeish www.openthebible.org.uk

What Foundation Is Jesus Building On?

What Foundation Is Jesus Building On?

“And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” Matthew 16:18 What is the rock on which Jesus will build His church? Some say it’s Peter. Some say it’s faith. Some say it’s Jesus. When there is debate over how to understand a verse, a good question to ask is whether there are other Bible passages that shed light on this one, and there are. Some believe the answer is Peter, since Ephesians 2:20 teaches that the church is “built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets.” However, the writer immediately adds, “Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone.” Others teach that the answer is faith, and they point to 1 Peter 2:5, where believers are “like living stones… being built up as a spiritual house.” But this comes right after Peter describes Jesus as a living stone: “As you come to Him, a living stone” (1 Pet. 2:4). In support of Jesus, 1 Corinthians 3:11 says, “No one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.” All three answers probably went through Peter’s mind. If he were here today, he might say: My first thought was that Jesus was referring to me. But that would be a very shaky foundation! Then I thought, maybe He is referring to the faith I’d just confessed. But that didn’t sit right with me. Jesus does not rest on what our faith can do; our faith rests on Jesus and what He can do. Then it dawned on me: I’d just said to Jesus, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God,” and then Jesus said, “On this rock I will build my church.” Perhaps Jesus was referring to Himself. If the church is built on Jesus, it has a firm foundation. It is safe and secure. What are you building your life on? Written by Colin Smith Read by Sue McLeish www.openthebible.org.uk

Who Is God Using in Your Life?

Who Is God Using in Your Life?

And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven.” Matthew 16:17 Jesus said to Peter, “Flesh and blood has not revealed this to you.” You didn’t work this out for yourself. And you didn’t get this faith from someone else. As you think about your own journey to faith, if you are a believer, you will be able to think of people who helped you along the way. Maybe your mum played a role in you coming to faith, or your dad. Maybe a close friend in college or later in life encouraged you to open the Bible. God works through means—mums and dads, churches and friends, and He even uses strangers. But here is what you need to remember: however great the influence of your mother, father, church, or friend in your coming to faith, you did not get your faith from your mother, father, church, or friend. Flesh and blood did not reveal Jesus to you. Then who did? Jesus said, “My Father who is in heaven” (16:17). Yes, your mother taught you, or your friend helped you, but God opened your eyes. God caused your dead soul to live, and He gave you a heart that loves and trusts Him. Here is the faith we confess: Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; faith is a believing response to Jesus; and this faith is a gift from God (Eph. 2:8). Will you confess faith in Jesus today? If you are a Christian believer, what “means” did God use to bring you to faith? If you are not yet a Christian, who is He using to open your eyes to Jesus Christ? Written by Colin Smith Read by Sue McLeish www.openthebible.org.uk

You Don’t Need to Have Your Whole Life Sorted Out to Do This

You Don’t Need to Have Your Whole Life Sorted Out to Do This

“You are the Christ.” Matthew 16:16Confessing faith in Jesus does not mean that you have your whole life sorted out—that you never have doubts and that all your questions are answered. What it does mean is that you embrace Jesus as your teacher, your saviour, and your master.Your teacherEmbracing Jesus as your teacher means that you give up your right to disagree with Him. When you commit to learning from Jesus, you are saying, “Jesus, your teaching in the Bible is my creed. Even when I do not fully understand what You are saying, and even when what You call me to do is difficult and costly, I will obey.”Your saviourEmbracing Jesus as your saviour means you give up any other hope of saving yourself. When you trust Jesus to save you, you are saying, “I fall short of what You call me to be, and becoming what God calls me to be is beyond my ability. So, I look to You to give me what I do not have.”Your masterEmbracing Jesus as your master means that you give up the right to rule your own life. You recognise the right of Jesus Christ to direct you in whatever way He chooses: “You are the King who calls me into your service. So, I place myself entirely at your disposal, knowing that in giving up my life to You, I will find it.”Confessing that Jesus is the Christ does not mean you do all these things perfectly. No one is a perfect Christian.But it does mean that these are the commitments of your life. And they are non-negotiable.This is what it means to confess that Jesus is the Christ.Will you join Peter and the great company of all who believe by confessing faith in Jesus today?

What Faith Is—Part 2

What Faith Is—Part 2

“You are the Christ.” Matthew 16:16Faith is a believing response to Jesus in which we confess two things: 1) who He is in relation to God, and 2) who He is in relation to us. Let’s look today at who Jesus is in relation to us.Peter called Jesus the Christ, and the name means “Messiah” or “Anointed One.” But this raises the question: anointed, chosen, set apart, for what purpose?Throughout the Bible story, God is engaged in three activities. First, He reveals Himself, so that we may know Him. Second, He reconciles us to Himself, so that we can come to Him. Finally, He rules the world, so that His plans will be fulfilled and His people will be blessed.In the Old Testament, three kinds of people were anointed. The prophets spoke the Word of God, and they were anointed for God’s work of revealing. The priests offered the sacrifices, and they were anointed for God’s work of reconciling. The kings guarded and led God’s people, and they were anointed for God’s work of ruling. Prophets, priests, and kings were anointed to carry out on earth what God was doing in heaven.Each one, in their own way, pointed to the Anointed One—who would accomplish these three things: make God fully known, reconcile us to God, and bring in God’s kingdom by delivering His people from their enemies and by bringing them into the joys of life under His rule.When Peter said, “You are the Christ,” he was saying, “You are the One in whom all that God is doing is fulfilled.” Jesus is the Christ because He came to fulfil God’s work of revealing, reconciling, and ruling.Do you confess today that Jesus is the Christ? 1) Are you learning from Jesus as your teacher (who reveals God to you)? 2) Are you trusting in Jesus as your saviour (who reconciles you to God)? 3) Are you serving Jesus as your master (who rules over your life)?

The Question That Really Matters

The Question That Really Matters

“Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” Matthew 16:13Son of Man was a favourite name that Jesus used for Himself. And this was a question about culture. Jesus was inquiring, “Tell me what people are saying about Me. What are the prevailing ideas about Me in your culture?”Opinions about Jesus were all over the map. “Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets” (16:14). There was no consensus or agreement.You could hardly have two characters more different than Elijah and Jeremiah. Elijah was known for his triumphs and Jeremiah was known for his tears. The world never changes. It is always confused about Jesus.Then Jesus asked the one question that really matters: “But who do you say that I am?” (16:15). The “you” is plural. Jesus was looking at His twelve disciples, and He was asking a question of the entire group.Peter stepped forward and answered for himself, for the other disciples, and for all believers. “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God” (16:16).Do you think people today are as confused about Jesus as they were during the time of the disciples? What do people think today? Does this match what you think about Him?

What Faith Is—Part 1

What Faith Is—Part 1

“You are… the Son of the living God.” MATTHEW 16:16Do you have faith? Faith is not confidence in ourselves. Faith is not confidence in the church or in other Christians. Faith is a believing response to Jesus.You may say, “I’ve been disappointed by Christians and hurt by the church.” The good news is that Jesus does not ask you to confess faith in other Christians or to confess faith in the church. Jesus invites you to place your faith in Him.Faith is a believing response to Jesus in which we confess two things: 1) who He is in relation to God, and 2) who He is in relation to us. First, let’s consider who Jesus is in relation to God.Jesus is “the Son of the Living God” (Mat. 16:16). When Jesus was baptised, God spoke in an audible voice, just as He had done when He gave the Ten Commandments at Mount Sinai. The Spirit of God descended on Jesus like a dove, and a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased” (Mat. 3:17).Jesus is the Son of God. What does that mean? The fullness of God dwells in Him (Col. 2:9). The glory of God shines from Him (2 Cor. 4:6). And He is the image of God, the exact representation of His being (Col. 1:15 and Heb. 1:3).Jesus said to Thomas, “Whoever has seen me has seen the Father” (John 14:9). On another occasion, Jesus said, “I and the Father are one” (10:30).So, to honour Jesus is to honour the Father, to trust Jesus is to trust the Father, to love Jesus is to love the Father, and to worship Jesus is to worship the Father. When Christians confess that Jesus is the Son of God, they are confessing who He is in relation to the Father.How would you have described the relationship between Jesus and God the Father before reading this? How does this clarify or add to your understanding of this relationship?

When You Realise That Jesus Is with You and for You

When You Realise That Jesus Is with You and for You

And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased. And those in the boat worshipped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.” Matthew 14:32-33The disciples probably still had a thousand questions. Why did Jesus allow this storm? Why did He tell them to get in the boat when He knew a storm was coming? Why did Jesus leave the disciples straining at the oars for so long? Why did He not come in the first watch of the night, or the second, or the third? What if there is another storm?These men had something better to do than agonise over unanswered questions. They realised that the Son of God was with them, and that led them to worship. When you realise that the Son of God is always with you and for you— that He will never let you go, then you will worship too.This is God’s promise in the storms of life: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you… For I am the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Saviour” (Isa. 43:1-3).Pray and ask God to strengthen your faith and deliver you from fear. Ask Him to hasten the day when all storms will cease, and we will worship with great joy in His holy presence.Written by Colin SmithRead by Sue McLeish