Re: Verse reading- Psalm 24:1-6; Ephesians 5:1-16 (day four) Salvation is not passive…we do not accept God’s gift of grace and then sit back to enjoy the fruits. We surrender our lives. “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ lives in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.” (Galatians 2:20) As a result of our surrender, we seek to live a life that imitates Christ. Imitation means that we look like Him. There are things we do…walk in love, keep clean hands, maintain a pure heart, give thanks. There are things we don’t do…no immoral behavior, no filthiness or coarse jesting, no idolatry, no deceitfulness or disobedience. When we are imitators of Christ, His life shines through us to a lost world. Walk like Christ and be wise!
Author: Larry Soape
Larry Soape is the Associate Pastor for Median & Senior Adults, and Missions at FBCSA.
Better Than Sacrifice
Re: Verse reading–1 Samuel 15:1-35 (day four) 1 Samuel 15 gives us clear instruction about obedience. God expects full and complete obedience…it is more important than any sacrifice we can make. As believers, God expects our obedience. We cannot say we are followers of Christ and there not be a difference in our life as a result. Just like an athlete pushes his limit to be the very best he can be, we should push ourselves to excel in our obedience…excel in our witness… excel in our prayer…excel in our bible knowledge…and excel in our service. 1 Corinthians 9:24-25 says, “Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win. Everyone who competes in the games exercises self-control in all things. They then do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable.” Are you disciplining your life to be obedient in all that God has commanded you to do?
Freedom in Christ
Re: Verse reading–Proverbs 17:17; 1 John 4:7-21 (day four)
To know God is to obey Him…to become like Him. There are some who believe that when Christ sets them free, they are free to do whatever they want. Not so! When Christ sets us free, we are free to live a holy and righteous life. Before…we could not live like that. Sin prevented us from righteousness. Now, when we are in Christ, we can become more like Him. Through the Holy Spirit working in our lives, our character matures into Christlikeness. God is love. When we abide in Him, love becomes a hallmark…a badge of identification…in our lives. We can love, because He first loved us. Love is not an option for the believer. Romans 6:18 says, “And having been set free from sin, you become slaves of righteousness.” As slaves of righteousness, we must allow God’s love to work in us. You have been set free to love…exercise your freedom!
No Retirement
Re: Verse reading–Acts 2:42-47; Romans 12:3-13 (day four) We are one body in Christ…the church. Our scripture tells us that each of us has gifts, given to us by the grace of God. It also tells us that we are to use our gifts…to exercise them in the body. What is your gift or gifts? Are you using them for the good of the body? For the church to function to its full potential, each member must be at work. Working in the church is not an option. God places each member in the body to fulfill a specific task or tasks. Prophecy…service… teaching…exhorting… giving…leading…showing mercy…each of us must find our place to serve. Our scripture also tells us that our attitude when we serve is important. Love without hypocrisy, abhorrence of evil, brotherly love, honor, diligence, hope, perseverance, generosity, and prayerfulness…the Christian life is never static. It is always active. There is no retirement from serving the Lord or His church.
Seek First
Re: Verse reading–2 Chronicles 20:1-4, 13-15; Matthew 6:16-18; Acts 13:1-3 (day four) Crisis has a way of bringing out our true colors when it hits. Jehoshaphat had a crisis. Word came to him that a mass of armies was headed his way and they were not coming for a friendly visit. Verse 3 says he was afraid. The first thing he did was to turn his attention to seek the Lord. When crisis hits in your life, where do you turn. Do you begin to figure out your next move? Do you begin to calculate your own resources? Do you start contacting potential rescuers? Jehoshaphat made the right move…he sought the Lord. We may want that to be our first response, but in the middle of the crisis, we just don’t think about it. 2 Chronicles 19:3 says of Jehoshaphat, “and you set your heart to seek God.” Jehoshaphat had determined beforehand where he would turn in time of crisis. Don’t wait until crisis hits, decide before to seek the Lord!
Faith Equals Life
Re: Verse reading–Proverbs 3:5-6; Galatians 2:15-21; Ephesians 2:8-10 (day four)
Salvation by grace through faith…one of the major doctrines of Paul…did not originate with him. In Habakkuk 2:4, the key verse in Habakkuk, it says, “Behold, as for the proud one, his soul is not right within him; but the righteous will live by his faith.” This verse sets out two distinct paths that are placed before us…righteousness vs. unrighteousness. In these passages, Paul contrasts works vs. faith. It is the same picture that is in Habakkuk. Will we trust Christ or will we trust in the works of our hands…idols, laws, and good deeds? The proud one, meaning the one who trusts in himself, vs. the righteous, meaning the one who trusts in Christ. Which path will you choose? One leads to life while the other leads to death…choose life!
A Contrite Heart
Re: Verse reading–Psalm 51:1-19; 1 John 1:9 (day four) What kind of sacrifices do you offer the Lord? Church attendance…weekday bible study…special offering at Christmas…occasionally tell someone what church you go to…or even go on a mission trip? All of these are good things, but God does not delight in them if you heart is not right with Him. Verses 16-17 say, “For You do not delight in sacrifice otherwise I would give it; You are not pleased with burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and a contrite heart, O God, You will not despise.” A broken and contrite heart is a heart that recognizes the vast glory and righteousness of God and their own sinful and hopeless state. When Moses recognized he was in the presence of God at the burning bush, he hid his face. Isaiah, when he saw the Lord, said, “Woe is me, for I am ruined! Because I am a man of unclean lips, “ God delights in humility rather than sacrifice!
Be Adequate
Re: Verse reading–Psalm 119:9-16; Acts 17:10-12; 2 Timothy 3:14-17 (day four) The Bereans examined the Scriptures. They recognized the value. Timothy had been taught from his childhood that the Scriptures gave wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. Notice that the Scriptures themselves did not bring salvation…it was faith which is in Christ Jesus. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 tells us that there is great benefit to the man of God who studies and lives by the scriptures, but it is Christ who saves. Jesus said in John 5:39, “You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; it is these that testify about Me.” As a believer, we must invest our lives in the Scriptures…it is because of our relationship with Christ and the salvation He gives that we discipline ourselves for His service. The Scriptures testify of Jesus!
The Gospel Message
RE Verse reading–Ezekiel 10:18-19, 11:22-23; 40:1-2; 43:1-9 (day four)
At least two things permeate this passage…the glory of God and His promise of hope. Ezekiel’s visions are of the indescribable majesty and glory of the Lord. Israel’s disobedience has separated them from God’s glory. It was Ezekiel’s job to deliver God’s message to His people. If Israel would put away their harlotry and repent of their iniquities, God would dwell among them forever. This was 25 years into their captivity of 70 years…it was the beginning of Passover. Passover was a celebration of God’s deliverance of Israel from Egypt. Here He was promising to do it again. All Israel had to do was repent and turn from their disobedience and God would live among them forever. Forgiveness from sin, eternal life…what a promise. Don’t you wish we could have a promise like that?
Hope for the Impossible
Re: Verse reading–Ezekiel 37:1-14 (day four) Ezekiel had a vision…God caused him to see all over the valley. There were bones everywhere. Verse 2 says “they were very dry”. God wanted Ezekiel to that there was no hope for the resurrection of these people…at least, in his power. It was inconceivable to Ezekiel that there was any hope for life, but he knew that he was dealing with the Creator of the Universe. In verse 3, God said to Ezekiel, “Son of man, can these bones live?” and Ezekiel wisely answered, “O Lord God, You know.” Only the omnipotence of God could restore life to these very dry bones. There are times and events in our lives when it looks absolutely impossible. We cannot see any way out of our despair or predicament…the world seems too strong for us to survive, much less overcome. Read Matthew 19:26. We can have hope just like Ezekiel prophesied for Israel.