Matins Devotion: December 11, 2023

1 John 5

Once the world was your enemy, snarling at you, growling against you, threatening to do the bidding of its master the devil and devour you. But then Jesus Christ came into the world and conquered it. Through water and blood, He overcame it. In the waters of His baptism, He took on the task of destroying the sins that gave this world and its master power over you. And at Calvary, He completed that task with the blood that poured out from His veins.

There, with His baptized, nail-pierced foot, Jesus Christ crushed the head of the serpent. He pried open the talons of the dragon and wrested this world from his now lifeless clutches. Every snarl, every growl that this world uttered at you, Jesus silenced with His blood. Every thrashing, rageful outburst of this world, Jesus pinned it to the ground in the moment that He gave His life for you and conquered everything.

Through the water, through the blood, Jesus overcame the world. And now, through the testimony of the Holy Spirit, Jesus Christ has placed that victory into your hands. Now there is no sorrow that can conquer you because every sorrow has been defeated and will be utterly destroyed on the great and glorious day of His return for those who believe. Now there is no cruelty and persecution this world can use to enslave you because, through faith, Christ has set you free and made you a co-heir of everything His Father placed into His hands.

Once this world of sorrows had you pinned to the ground, snarling in your face. But now, through faith, you have overcome the world, which means that now you can sing Easter hymns in the face of everything that grieves you and trust that you and your songs of victory will be the only thing left standing on the Day of Judgement. Once the world was your enemy. But now, through faith in Jesus Christ, the world is your inheritance.