#DailyDevotion So Which God Is The Real God?

September 2nd

Read 1 Kng 18:20–40

1Ki 18:36-40 ESV  And at the time of the offering of the oblation, Elijah the prophet came near and said, “O LORD, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known this day that you are God in Israel, and that I am your servant, and that I have done all these things at your word.  (37)  Answer me, O LORD, answer me, that this people may know that you, O LORD, are God, and that you have turned their hearts back.”  (38)  Then the fire of the LORD fell and consumed the burnt offering and the wood and the stones and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench.  (39)  And when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces and said, “The LORD, he is God; the LORD, he is God.”  (40)  And Elijah said to them, “Seize the prophets of Baal; let not one of them escape.” And they seized them. And Elijah brought them down to the brook Kishon and slaughtered them there.

 

There are many gods or lords in the this world, though they are really are nothing.  They are not.  There be demons behind whatever idol man has ever erected who seek to tear us away from the loving hand the Lord Jesus Christ.

 

The Lord prompts Elijah to challenge the false prophets of Baal to a contest.  It’s simple, the god which is True will answer with fire to accept the sacrifice.  Well needless to say Baal does not answer.  The Lord answers magnificently.  I won’t say we should try to do the same unless we had a word from the Lord to do so like Elijah did.  Jesus teaches us that we have Moses and the Prophets, we should listen to them.

 

There are not many gods and there are not many ways to a better afterlife.  Indeed there is only One God and there is only One Way to a better afterlife.  As one author recently wrote, and I paraphrase, “To say these gods are all the same and that they all teach that we are all going to the same place even if by different routes, is to not take their teachings seriously.”  Every god is jealous for its worshippers and different faiths certainly teach completely different after-lifes.

 

The God of Israel, Jesus Christ, teaches us that He is the Way, the Truth and the Life.  No one enters eternal life apart from faith in Him alone.  The afterlife Jesus gives us is a resurrected body in a resurrected cosmos.  He raises our bodies perfect without sin or defect.  He raises us into a world where sin has had no effect.  Those who wish to get into this life or any other life apart from faith in Him is raised to everlasting perdition, an eternal lake of fire, where the worm does not die and fire does not go out.

 

Lord Jesus Christ, grant us such faith in you that we are raised to eternal life when you return. Amen.