✝ Daily Encouragement (3/29/23) "The Just For The Unjust"

Published: Wed, 03/29/23

A daily, Bible-based perspective of hope, encouragement and exhortation. The online Bible teaching ministry of Stephen & Brooksyne Weber.

You are receiving this email because you have signed up to receive our Daily Encouragement messages or it was forwarded to you. Don't forget to add [email protected] to your address book so we'll be sure to land in your inbox! Having trouble viewing this email? Click here.

Home Archives About Us Listen

Listen to these messages

<Previous Message Web version of this message

Wednesday, March 29, 2023

These male and female cardinals each chose their own feeder yesterday in front of our picture window.
Click on photo to enlarge

"The Just For The Unjust"

Message summary: J.M.E. Ross writes that 1 Peter 3:18 is "one of the shortest and simplest, and yet one of the richest summaries given in the NT of the meaning of the Cross of Jesus".

Listen to our message on your audio player.

"For Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit" (1 Peter 3:18).

I was a wretch, I remember who I was
I was lost, I was blind, I was running out of time
Sin separated, the breach was far too wide
But from the far side of the chasm, You had me in Your sight

John Piper writes, “[Our sin] makes us guilty before God so that we are under His just condemnation and it makes us ugly in our behavior so that we disfigure the image of God we were meant to display. It damns us with guilt and it enslaves us to lovelessness. The blood of Jesus frees us from both miseries.”

When Jesus Christ died, He suffered as a substitute in the place of and on behalf of fallen humanity. Christ's death made it possible for men and women to be declared righteous, based on their faith in Him. As the song "Thank You Jesus For The Blood Applied" states, "Sin separated, the breach was far too wide". Brooksyne has been singing this song at home since the choir will be leading it in worship on Good Friday. She tells me when she gets to the line, "You paid the debt I owed, broke my chains, freed my soul" she feels like a bird in flight, all her sin being erased and her soul washed white as snow.

Here is a powerful illustration of the substitutionary nature of Christ's death.

"In a tribe of Indians, someone was stealing chickens. The chief declared that, if caught, the offender would receive 10 lashes. When the stealing continued, he raised it to 20 lashes. Still the chickens methodically disappeared. In anger the chief raised the sentence to 100 lashes--a sure sentence of death.

The thief was finally caught. But the chief faced a terrible dilemma. The thief was his own mother!

When the day of penalty came, the whole tribe gathered. Would the chief's love override his justice? The crowd gasped when he ordered his mother to be tied to the whipping post. The chief removed his shirt, revealing his powerful stature, and took the whip in hand. But instead of raising it to strike the first blow, he handed it to a strong, young brave at his side.

Slowly the chief walked over to his mother and wrapped his massive arms around her in an engulfing embrace. Then he ordered the brave to give him the 100 lashes."

Isn't that a powerful story! It's so illustrative of what Jesus did for us. In love He became our substitute and died in our place. He overcame our inability to save ourselves by taking the penalty for our sins. In our illustration, a mother's life was extended by the substitutionary love of her son; for us, everlasting life was bought through the substitutionary death of God's Son.

Consider the simple straightforward message in the daily Scripture text. There is so much spiritual richness in this verse. Word by word and phrase by phrase, it expresses the work that Christ did for us when he died on the Cross. J.M.E. Ross writes that 1 Peter 3:18 is "one of the shortest and simplest, and yet one of the richest summaries given in the NT of the meaning of the Cross of Jesus".

A seasoned minister of the Gospel concluded a meeting with prayer. He used an expression that stayed with me and I hope it will for you as well: "Thank you that you bore the cross of sin for us that we might bear the cross of service for you." Amen, and let us each do so.

So You made a way, across the great divide
Left behind, Heaven's throne, to build it here inside
There at the cross You paid the debt I owed
Broke my chains, freed my soul and for the first time I had hope

Be encouraged today, ( Hebrews 3:13)

Stephen and Brooksyne Weber

Daily prayer: Father, in denying ourselves we become Your servants, seeking to follow after You and learning Your will for our lives. We want to align our desires with that which honors You, for You told us, "If anyone would come after Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow after Me." We have now taken up our cross that has bridged the great divide that separated us when we were covered in darkness. But now we are covered by the blood of Jesus who washes us white as snow turning our darkness into light, for our sins are now forgiven and we are on our way to heaven. Thank You, Jesus, for Your precious, life cleansing and life saving blood shed on my behalf. Amen.

Today's Suggested Music and Supplemental Resources

"Thank You Jesus For The Blood Applied" Click to listen on YouTube Charity Gayle

"7 Reasons Jesus had to Die" David Guzik

Moments after I took the photo of the cardinals in our lead photo we had some horse and buggy traffic on Kraybill Church Road in front of our home. Look at how green covered lawn and pardon Mollie's smudges on the bay window (her favorite resting place is right at the base where she can watch for passersby including buggies which get all our pets very excited).
Click on photo to enlarge

Send a message to Stephen & Brooksyne

To receive the "Daily Encouragement" each Monday-Friday through email see here to sign up for our email list. You can also subscribe to the Wordpress rss feed or through a Wordpress email subscription. (See the email subscription on the right side after opening this page.)

About Us

Ministry Update

Permissions: Please feel free to pass on, reproduce and distribute any material on Daily Encouragement Net, in part or in whole, in any format, provided that you do not alter the wording in any way or charge a fee beyond the cost of reproduction. It is our desire to spread this material, not protect or restrict it. We do request that you keep the contact, copyright and subscription information intact.

We want to thank all who financially supported our ministry. We realize there are many fine ministries and causes requesting support but if you would like information about making a donation to our ministry see here.

In considering support we are so pleased when we hear from you, our readers, that our messages are a source of teaching and encouragement to you. We also urge you to consider the mission aspect of these daily teachings that are freely available and read by many all over the world.

To donate directly online click here. (This will open to a page that designates the offering to: STEPHEN & BROOKSYNE WEBER - 700001-237376 SERVING IN SPECIALIZED CHAPLAINCY)

I f you desire you can also donate directly through PayPal using this link . This will open to a page that states "Brooksyne Weber". We keep this option available due to the familiarity, convenience, for international supporters, and for those who may not need an official receipt. You can also set up for recurring donations.

Thank you,

Stephen & Brooksyne

2023 YTD offerings to Daily Encouragement Net: $5,490.00

Scripture references are from The Holy Bible: New International Version. © 1984 by International Bible Society; NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, Copyright © 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, New King James Version (NKJV) Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. and the King James Version.

Personal Mission Statement: "I am created by God to bring Him glory. Through God's Son Jesus Christ I have been redeemed and make it my life's goal to please the Lord. My mission in life is to honor God through my faith and obedience and prepare myself and all whom I may influence for eternity."

"Living securely today anchored in God's solid foundation"

Thanks for reading our message!

Stephen & Brooksyne Weber
717-823-0592
Daily Encouragement Net
https://www.dailyencouragement.net

Mail service provider is aweber.com

495 Kraybill Church Rd
Mount Joy PA 17552
USA

Unsubscribe | Change Subscriber Options