Wednesday, August 12
By means of him we have the release by ransom through the blood of that one, yes, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his undeserved kindness.—Eph. 1:7.
As a perfect man, Jesus was the equal of the first man, Adam, before he sinned. (1 Cor. 15:45) So by Jesus’ death, he was able to atone for Adam’s sin, that is, to replace what Adam had lost. (Rom. 5:19) Jesus thus became “the last Adam.” There is no need for another perfect person to come and pay for what Adam lost. Jesus died “once for all time.” (Heb. 7:27; 10:12) What, then, is the difference between the atonement arrangement and the ransom? The atonement arrangement is the action God takes to restore a good relationship between him and mankind. The ransom is the price paid to make atonement possible for sinful mankind. This price is represented by Jesus’ precious blood poured out in our behalf.—Heb. 9:14. w25.02 6:12-13
Thursday, August 13
God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear, but along with the temptation he will also make the way out so that you may be able to endure it.—1 Cor. 10:13.
Seeing Jehovah as a living Person will allow us to view our trials properly. How so? We begin to see our trials as part of a bigger issue between Jehovah and Satan. The Devil claims that when we suffer hardship, we will abandon Jehovah. (Job 1:10, 11; Prov. 27:11) But when we deal with our trials successfully, we show our love for Jehovah and prove the Devil a liar. Are you facing government opposition, economic hardship, negative responses to your preaching, or some other trial? If so, remember that your situation gives you an opportunity to make Jehovah’s heart rejoice. Remember, too, that he will never let you be tested beyond your limits. He will give you the strength to endure. w24.06 25:9
Friday, August 14
Each one is tried by being drawn out and enticed by his own desire.—Jas. 1:14.
Do you know in which areas you are most easily tempted? It does us no good to fool ourselves by denying our weaknesses or concluding that we are too strong to fall into wrongdoing. (1 John 1:8) After all, Paul indicates that even those “who have spiritual qualifications” might give in to temptation if they do not keep on guard. (Gal. 6:1) We must be honest with ourselves and acknowledge the areas in which we are not strong. (2 Cor. 13:5) Once we have identified those areas in which we are most susceptible to temptation, what should we do? Strengthen our resistance! To illustrate, in Bible times the most vulnerable part of a city wall was its gates. Therefore, the gates were the most heavily guarded. Similarly, we need to give special attention to any areas in which we know that we are especially weak.—1 Cor. 9:27. w24.07 29:5-7