July 23

Morning

On the day you stood aloof while strangers carried off his wealth and foreigners entered his gate and cast lots for Jerusalem, you were just like one of them. — Obad 1:11 BSB

Brotherly kindness was expected from Edom toward Israel in their time of need, but instead, the men of Esau sided with Israel’s enemies. The emphasis in this passage is on the word you, as if God were saying, “Even you acted this way,” much like when Caesar turned to Brutus and said, “And you, Brutus?” A sinful action becomes even worse depending on who commits it.

When we, who are the chosen and favored of heaven, sin, we sin with special emphasis. Our offenses are particularly grievous because we have been given so much. If an angel were to stop us while we were doing wrong, all he would need to ask is, “You? How can you be doing this?” We have been forgiven much, delivered much, taught much, blessed much—how could we possibly stretch out our hand toward evil? May God forbid it!

Take a few minutes for self-examination this morning. Have you ever been like the wicked? Perhaps at a party, when someone told an inappropriate joke, you didn’t entirely reject it. Maybe you even laughed, making you no different from them. Or when harsh things were spoken about the ways of God, you stayed silent out of fear or embarrassment, blending in with the crowd. In the marketplace, when the worldlings were making sharp deals, were you just like them, chasing after gain with the same intensity? Is there any difference between you and them?

It’s time to be honest with yourself. Make sure you are a new creation in Christ, and once that is certain, walk carefully so that no one can say, “Even you were just like them.” You wouldn’t want to share their eternal fate, so why imitate them here on earth? Don’t join in their schemes, lest you share in their ruin. Stand with the afflicted people of God, not with the world.

Evening

But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin. — 1 John 1:7 BSB

The text says “cleanses,” not “shall cleanse.” Many people think they can only hope for forgiveness as a dying grace, something they may receive at the end of their lives. But how much better is it to have cleansing now than to rely on the faint hope of pardon when death draws near! Some believe that assurance of forgiveness is something that comes only after years of Christian experience. But the truth is, forgiveness is a present reality—it’s available today, a joy for this very hour. The moment a sinner trusts in Jesus, they are fully forgiven.

The word “cleanses,” being in the present tense, also suggests something ongoing. It was “cleanses” yesterday, it is “cleanses” today, and it will be “cleanses” tomorrow. This cleansing is always available to you, Christian, until you cross the river of death. Every moment, you can come to this fountain, for it continues to cleanse.

Notice the completeness of the cleansing: “The blood of Jesus Christ, His Son, cleanses us from all sin.” Not just some sins, but all. Reader, I cannot fully express the sweetness of this truth, but I pray that the Holy Spirit will give you a taste of it. Our sins are numerous, but whether our debt is great or small, the same payment can cover it all. The blood of Jesus is as sufficient for Peter’s denials as it is for John’s gentler failures. Our sins are gone, completely and forever. What a blessed, complete redemption! This is a wonderful thought to rest on as you lay your head down to sleep.

“Sins against a holy God,
Sins against His righteous laws,
Sins against His love, His blood,
Sins against His name and cause;
Sins immense as is the sea—
From them all, He cleanses me!”