Non-Perishable

eDevotion

Encouragement for your daily walk with God

With age comes deterioration. Take the Dead Sea Scrolls. for example. For a couple of thousand years, they remained in clay jars, hidden in caves in the Judean desert. The dry, arid condition was the perfect spot to preserve them. But upon their discovery, and subsequent removal, they deteriorated very rapidly. 

Special measures were taken to create storage facilities that would mimic the conditions of those caves in order to slow down their catastrophic decay. The Shrine of the Book at the Israeli National Museum is one of those facilities. Ancient manuscripts are stored with state of the art technology that will enable scholars to study the fragments without physically handling them, safeguarding the texts for future generations.

Although stringent measures are taken, it impossible to display them on a continuous basis.  After a scroll has been exhibited for a few months, it is removed from the showcase and returned to the special storeroom, where it “rests” from exposure.

Deterioration does not just strike ancient manuscripts, of course. Everything in this sin-sick, fallen world deteriorates. Everything wears out. Everything is perishable.

When God chose to pay the price for our sins, payment could not be made with something perishable. Whatever the payment, it couldn’t be of temporary value. Enter Jesus, the only begotten Son of God. He shed His “non-perishable” blood, meaning the forgiveness of sins will never deteriorate. 

Everything that you have in Christ will not decay. The Fruit of the Spirit — love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,  gentleness, self-control — that are yours in Christ, have no expiration date. They will never expire. Not because of modern, preservation technology, but in the perfect life, death and resurrection of Christ Jesus.  

For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. 20 He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake. 21 Through Him you believe in God, who raised Him from the dead and glorified Him, and so your faith and hope are in God. 1 Peter 1:18-21