DRAWING NEAR
November 8
The First Disciple
"Cain brought an offering to the Lord of the fruit of the
ground. And Abel . . . brought of the firstlings of his flock
and of their fat portions. And the Lord had regard for Abel and
for his offering; but for Cain and for his offering He had no
regard" (Gen. 4:3-5).
True discipleship is characterized by obedience to God's Word.
In John 8:31 Jesus issued an important statement to a group of people
who were showing an interest in Him: "If you abide in My word, then
you are truly disciples of Mine." Sadly, they rejected His words,
proving themselves to be less than true disciples. Jesus went on to
explain why: "He who is of God hears the words of God; for this
reason you do not hear them, because you are not of God" (v. 47).
They listened but didn't really hear. They were interested but not
truly committed. They were hearers of the Word but not doers (James
1:22).
In contrast, Abel did what God told him to do. He was, in effect, the
first disciple. He was probably a better person than Cain--more
friendly, moral, and dependable--but that's not why God accepted his
sacrifice and rejected Cain's. Abel trusted God, and his faith was
counted as righteousness. Like Abraham, whose faith was evidenced by
his willingness to obey God and sacrifice his son Isaac (James 2:21
-22), Abel's faith was evidenced in his obedient offering. He didn't
rely on his own goodness but acknowledged his sin and made the
prescribed sacrifice.
Perhaps God indicated His acceptance of Abel's sacrifice by consuming
it with fire, as He did on other occasions in Scripture (Judg. 6:21;
1 Kings 18:38). But whatever means He used, God made his pleasure
known to Abel.
Abel's brief life conveys a simple three-point message: we must come
to God by faith; we must receive and obey God's Word; and sin brings
serious consequences. If you hear and heed that message, you'll walk
the path of true discipleship and be assured of God's pleasure.
Suggestions for Prayer:
Make it your goal to please the Lord in everything you do today. Seek
His wisdom and grace to do so faithfully.
For Further Study:
Read these verses, noting what they say about pleasing God: 2
Corinthians 5:9; Ephesians 5:6-10; Philippians 2:12-13; Hebrews 11:6;
and Hebrews 13:15-16, 20-21.
Drawing Near, Copyright 1993 John F. MacArthur, Jr.
All rights reserved. Used by permission.
http://www.gty.org
~~~
James 1:22
22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving
yourselves.
James 2:21-22
21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered
Isaac his son on the altar?
22 Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by
works faith was made perfect?
Judges 6:21
21 Then the Angel of the LORD put out the end of the staff that was
in His hand, and touched the meat and the unleavened bread; and fire
rose out of the rock and consumed the meat and the unleavened bread.
And the Angel of the LORD departed out of his sight.
1 Kings 18:38
38 Then the fire of the LORD fell and consumed the burnt sacrifice,
and the wood and the stones and the dust, and it licked up the water
that was in the trench.
2 Corinthians 5:9
9 Therefore we make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be
well pleasing to Him.
Ephesians 5:6-10
6 Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these
things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience.
7 Therefore do not be partakers with them.
8 For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord.
Walk as children of light
9 (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness,
and truth),
10 finding out what is acceptable to the Lord.
Philippians 2:12-13
12 Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my
presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own
salvation with fear and trembling;
13 for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His
good pleasure.
Hebrews 11:6
6 But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes
to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those
who diligently seek Him.
Hebrews 13:15-16
15 Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise
to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name.
16 But do not forget to do good and to share, for with such
sacrifices God is well pleased.
Hebrews 13:20-21
20 Now may the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the
dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the
everlasting covenant,
21 make you complete in every good work to do His will, working in
you what is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom
be glory forever and ever. Amen.
These devotions are posted with permission from John MacArthur's
first (1993) devotional work, _Drawing Near_, and they are also sent
out daily for free to several folks via e-mail.
In addition, John's second (1997) devotional, _Strength for Today_,
is also available free via e-mail only. _Strength for Today_ follows
the same format as what you have seen here from _Drawing Near_, but
with different monthly themes.
If you would like to receive daily devotions via e-mail from either
of these series, just let me know (via e-mail), and I will gladly add
you to the list(s) of your choice.
You can hear John MacArthur daily via the Internet by visiting:
http://www2.oneplace.com/Ministries/Grace_to_You/
and
http://www.gty.org.uk/
You may email John MacArthur in care of Grace to You at:
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NOTE for those of you reading via newsgroups: If you wish to reach
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In Christ,
Peter
Peter G. Chase :: Columbus, Ohio, USA
pchase1@wideopenwest.com
STOP! Who do you think Jesus is?
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To forgive is to set a prisoner free, and to discover that the prisoner was you. -Alistair Begg
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