This Man Jesus

It is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment.
–Hebrews 9:27

Faith can sometimes be harmful. If you do not believe that, ask the relatives of the seven people who were killed in 1982 when somebody randomly laced Tylenol caplets with cyanide. Seven unsuspecting victims purchased the pills and took them in good faith–not realizing that, in fact, they were ingesting poison. They had faith in those pills, but it was a misplaced faith, and the results were catastrophic. Our faith is only as good and as trustworthy as the object of our faith.

What are you trusting in to lead you through the dark tunnel of your death one day? Hebrews 9:27 says we are all going to die; no one gets out of this world alive. Not only that, but everyone is going to face God’s judgment, which will end either in eternal heaven or in eternal separation from God in hell. What are you trusting in to survive God’s evaluation of your life?

Some people are trusting in their relative goodness. They say, “I may not be perfect, but I am not a murderer, a rapist, or a drug dealer. I am a pretty good person.” That is a misplaced faith. Romans 3:10 says, “There is none righteous, not even one.”

Some people are trusting in the fact that they grew up in a Christian home. They say, “I had a Christian mother and father, and my granddaddy was a pastor.” That is a misplaced faith. John 3:3 says, “Unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” There is only one way to be a part of God’s family. It is not through another person; it is by being a child of God yourself.

Some people are trusting in their church membership or their baptism. That is a misplaced faith. Titus 3:5 says, “He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit.”

Some people are trusting that God is different than we have been taught He is. Maybe God is going to change His mind and decide not to send anybody to hell. That is a misplaced faith if you think God is going to contradict His Word. Exodus 34:7 says, “He will by no means leave the guilty unpunished,” and we are all guilty.

What are you trusting in to survive death and God’s judgment? The life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ make Jesus the only object worthy of our faith for life and for eternity.

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Today’s devotion is excerpted from “This Man Jesus” by Dr. Robert Jeffress, 2012.

Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. www.lockman.org