Worthy is the Lamb

{Daily Selah}

Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing (Revelation 5:12). 

Have you ever noticed how much importance our society places on concepts such as self worth, and self esteem?  Did you know God never mentions or even hints at either one in His Word? 

Both ideas are the result of humanistic thinking. In other words, it's me-focused thinking. God has never once told us to focus on ourselves. He has never told us to worry about how we feel about ourselves, nor has He told us to focus on ourselves in any way. In fact, He has told us the opposite. The only One who is worthy to be esteemed is the Lord Jesus Christ. Worthy is the Lamb that was slain. Our attention should be always focused on Him and what He has done for us, not on ourselves. 

Jesus is worthy of far more than just the praise of our mouths. The apostle Paul had experienced an encounter with Jesus that transformed his life. He lived out the rest of his days with one goal in mind: to esteem Christ by living for Him and proclaiming Him to the world. Paul wrote...

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God (Romans 12:1-2). 

Our "reasonable service" could be translated as "it's the very least we can do." The very least we, as recipients of the grace of God because of the Lamb who was slain, is to live for Him, esteeming Him in every area of our lives every day. 

Its not about our self worth. Its not about our self esteem. Its about esteeming the Lamb who alone is worthy. 

Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing (Revelation 5:12). 

{Daily Selah} is a mini-devotional, a pause to ponder about the Lord and how He wants us to live.

So, let's get out of the way

{Daily Selah}

Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me (John 15:4).




Christians often wonder what Jesus meant when He said, Abide in me, and I in you. Entire books have been devoted this subject and some are well intentioned and useful. But, our human minds tend to over-analyze and complicate even the most basic of scriptural principles. For example, God tells us that salvation is a free gift of His grace for all who will believe yet millions have tried to add their own thinking, works and even ritual to His grace. 

The apostle Paul clearly understood Jesus' meaning when He said, Abide in me, and I in you. Take a look at Galatians 2:20:

I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

Paul understood that, at the very moment he believed on the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation, Jesus came to live within him.  He understood that his life was not his own (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). Paul realized, like John the baptist that he needed to get out of the way. John said, He must increase, but I must decrease (John 3:30).

Abide in me, and I in you. Jesus wants us to simply get out of the way and allow Him to live His life out through us. The fruit of the Spirit (love, joy, peace, etc) is evidence of a life lived out in this way. When we abide in Him, we allow Him to love others through us, to express His joy through us, and His peace is expressed both in us and through us, in our relationship to the Father and to the world around us. 

Abide in me, and I in you simply means we have to get out of the way and let Jesus live through us, for our own good and for His glory. 

So, let's get out of the way. 


{Daily Selah} is a mini-devotional, a pause to ponder about the Lord and how He wants us to live.

Redeemed? Proclaim it!

{Daily Selah}

In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace (Ephesians 1:7). 

The first couple of chapters of the book of Ephesians are among my favorite passages in all of scripture. They detail all the blessings given us in Christ. 

The Bible makes it clear that we could never do anything to meet God's standards of righteousness on our own. In grace, mercy and love, God chose to step in and make way - a way for us to be forgiven, a way to be redeemed, a way to be forgiven, a way to be free, a way to know Him and to be assured of a home in heaven. 

But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) (Ephesians 2:4-5).

Ephesians 1 and 2 tell us that all those who have placed their faith in Him for salvation have been made alive, chosen, adopted, accepted, redeemed, forgiven, given the Holy Spirit, seated with Christ, been saved, brought near to God, granted access to the Father, been made part of the household of God and built up together with other believers to form a dwelling place for Him. 

None of this is based on who we are or what we have done, nor could it ever be. 

Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot...  In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace (1 Peter 1:18-19, Ephesians 1:7). 


Many years ago, Fanny Crosby wrote the now beloved hymn, Redeemed...


Redeemed—how I love to proclaim it!
Redeemed by the blood of the Lamb;
Redeemed through His infinite mercy,
His child, and forever, I am.

Redeemed, redeemed,
Redeemed by the blood of the Lamb;
Redeemed, redeemed,
His child, and forever, I am.

Redeemed and so happy in Jesus,
No language my rapture can tell;
I know that the light of His presence
With me doth continually dwell.

I think of my blessed Redeemer,
I think of Him all the day long;
I sing, for I cannot be silent;
His love is the theme of my song.

I know I shall see in His beauty
The King in whose way I delight;
Who lovingly guardeth my footsteps,
And giveth me songs in the night.

When Jesus said, "Go ye...", He was telling us to tell the world about redemption through His blood, the riches of His grace and His great love.

We have been granted great and precious spiritual blessings in Christ. As those who have been redeemed by the blood of the Lamb, we shouldn't be keeping God's wondrous grace and love to ourselves. We need to proclaim it.  

Redeemed? Proclaim it!

{Daily Selah} is a mini-devotional, a pause to ponder about the Lord and how He wants us to live.