December 18 Daily Devotional

Bible Reading

Acts 4:1-12:

¹And as they spake unto the people, the priests, and the captain of the temple, and the Sadducees, came upon them,
²Being grieved that they taught the people, and preached through Jesus the resurrection from the dead.
³And they laid hands on them, and put them in hold unto the next day: for it was now eventide.
⁴Howbeit many of them which heard the word believed; and the number of the men was about five thousand.
⁵And it came to pass on the morrow, that their rulers, and elders, and scribes,
⁶And Annas the high priest, and Caiaphas, and John, and Alexander, and as many as were of the kindred of the high priest, were gathered together at Jerusalem.
⁷And when they had set them in the midst, they asked, By what power, or by what name, have ye done this?
⁸Then Peter, filled with the Holy Ghost, said unto them, Ye rulers of the people, and elders of Israel,
⁹If we this day be examined of the good deed done to the impotent man, by what means he is made whole;
¹⁰Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole.
¹¹This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner.
¹²Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.

Devotional

There is only one Saviour, and He is a complete Saviour. In him we have all things necessary unto salvation. "Therefore no salvation is to be either sought nor found in any other." Heidelberg Caatechism 29. The angel said to Joseph, "Thou shalt call his name JESUS: for He shall save his people from their sins." This has been the testimony of the prophets of old. "To him give all the prophets wit­ness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins." And Paul tells us, "For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time." The testimony therefore is clear both in the Old Testament and the New Testament, that there is salvation only in Christ.

We must be saved by his name. It is necessary. There is no other way. God has so decreed it. How foolish then to seek sal­vation in anyone else, or anywhere else? "Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else." "In the Lord shall all the seed of Israel (the whole people of God) be justified, and shall glory." "But Israel shall be saved in the Lord with an everlasting salvation: ye shall not be ashamed nor confounded: world without end." O let us "give unto the Lord the glory due unto his name."

Prayer

O Lord help us to pray and to praise Thee with Thy servants of old: sing unto the Lord, all the earth; show forth from day to day his salvation. Declare his glory among the heathen; his marvelous works among all nations. For great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised. Give unto the Lord, ye kindreds of the people, give unto the Lord glory and strength. Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice, and let men say among the nations, the Lord reigneth. Blessed be the Lord God of Israel for ever and ever. Amen.

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Scripture in Devotional: Matt. 1:21; Acts 10:43; 1 Tim. 2:5, 6; Isa. 45:22, 25, 17; 1 Chron. 16:29.

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