Today’s
scripture: Hebrews 2:9
I’ll never completely understand this side of heaven why God’s plan for
salvation included Jesus Christ’s having to die for us.
Jesus, the Son of God, and in truth, God Himself, came to earth, took on flesh,
was betrayed and denied, was beaten and bruised, and died a horrible death.
According to God’s grace.
This is the mystery: God took grace away from a very part of Himself and gave
grace to us. Jesus did not deserve death; we do not deserve grace. Yet, He died
so we could live.
It is a mystery, but it is the
greatest truth! We are saved, redeemed, and justified through the undeserved
death of Jesus … God Himself.
Amazing …
Today’s scripture: Romans 3:23-24
It continually amazes me that grace is a free gift … a free gift. Even though, as Paul wrote, “all have sinned” (and that
does mean all, by the way), every
single person can be “justified freely by His grace.”
Later in his letter to the church in Rome, Paul wrote, “For the wages of sin is
death [what we do deserve], but the free gift of God is eternal life through
Christ Jesus our Lord [what we do not deserve]” (NASB, 6:23).
That’s grace.
We are “freely justified,” which means we are righteous in God’s eyes. Once we
accept forgiveness of sins through the death, burial, and resurrection of
Jesus, He no longer sees our sins. Jesus has paid our “wages,” and we are
gifted with eternal life with our Lord and Savior.
How amazing is that?
Today’s scripture: John 1:14
It’s a mystery beyond human comprehension. God, who created the universe with a
word, chose to come to earth and take human form.
He chose to walk among those He Himself created.
He chose to experience what we do: weariness, pain … betrayal and rejection.
He knew He would … and He did it anyway.
For flawed, fleshly us. For those who accept Him … and for those who don’t.
I don’t understand it. I honestly don’t. If I were Him (and we can all be really happy I’m not!), I would have had
a much different plan. Certainly, not one where I’d sacrifice myself for …
well, for someone like me.
But that’s grace. That’s how much He loves us. Even knowing who we’d be, our
God—“full of grace and truth”—came to earth … for us.
It’s a mystery …
Today’s scripture: Ephesians 2:8-9
So far this year, we’ve looked at verses about peace … and hope … and faith …
and now, we’re going to spend a few weeks on another of my favorite words:
Grace.
And we’re starting with one of my very favorite verses about grace.
Grace means “unmerited favor.” It’s not
getting what we do deserve.
What do we deserve? Death. Judgment. Eternal separation from God.
We are sinful, flawed, and unworthy. However, because of grace, God sees us as
clean, flawless, and worthy.
All because of grace.
There is nothing we can do to be saved. No works. No efforts. No service. No
penance.
Nothing.
Well, I take that back. There a few things we can do:
Accept the gift of grace. Surrender to Him. Live to bring glory to the Lord.
Today’s
scripture: Galatians 2:20
When a person chooses to surrender her life to Jesus Christ, accepting and
believing in His sacrificial death, burial, and resurrection, then she becomes
what the Bible says a “new creation” (2 Corinthians 5:17). She is brand new. No
matter her past. No matter her sin. No matter …
Not only is she a new creation, she is now the temple of Christ. He actually
lives in her.
The same is true for you, if you’ve done the same.
Christ lives in you. You live by faith in the Son of God, the One who “love[s
you] and gave Himself for [you].”
Let that thought permeate your heart and soul. You are loved so very much that
God the Son died for you. For you.
And He lives in you. In you.
Take a moment or two and thank the Lord Jesus Christ for what He did for you …
and for being in you.
Today’s
scripture: Acts 15:8-9
I’ve written this before, but I’m so grateful that the Lord had a plan to save
all people. All people.
God “made no distinction between us and them …”
The “us” here is the people of Israel. The “them” is the rest of us. Even
though God chose the Israelites as His special people, He desires that none "should perish” (2 Peter 3:9). When Jesus shed His blood on the cross, He
covered the sin of all people, “purifying their hearts by faith.”
When anyone—Jew or Gentile—accepts the gift of grace by believing in and
accepting the sacrificial death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, then
she is saved. She is redeemed.
She is purified.
No matter your background, not matter your heritage, you can be saved by faith.
You can be pure in the Father’s eyes. Have you accepted that gift of grace?
Today’s
scripture: Ephesians 4:4-6
We live in one of the most “spiritual” times in history. Throughout the world,
studies and statistics show that people consider themselves spiritual and
people of faith.
But what does this really mean?
For many, it merely means that they admit to a higher power or a spiritual
force beyond themselves—or sometimes within themselves.
People are seeking something, and the thing is, that Something is really easy
to find. The Bible tells us that Jesus is the “Way, the Truth, and the Life.”
Some would say that this is narrow-minded thinking, and in many ways, it is.
But truth is truth.
I find great hope in knowing that we can know, with confidence, that we serve
one Lord, that He is above all. And when I remember that He loves me so much
that He gave His very life for me, I have even greater hope.
We are children of the one and only God. He is the God and Father of all.
Do you believe in the one God and Father of all? Have you found hope in Him?
Thank Him now.
Today’s
scripture: Lamentations 3:25-26
We are ultimately saved by belief in and receipt of the gift of Jesus’ death
and resurrection. Once we are forgiven and become a part of God’s family, we
know that we are assured of spending eternity with Him in heaven.
So what does this mean, that we should “hope and wait patiently for the
salvation of the Lord”? If we’re saved when we accept Jesus, what is this
salvation for which we are told to hope?
This salvation is the daily protection and deliverance we have as God's
children. We can wait on Him and trust Him because of His faithfulness in the
past. In a cross reference from Exodus, Moses tells the children of Israel that
they don’t need to be afraid because they could “see the salvation of the Lord,
which He will accomplish for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today,
you shall see again nor more forever” (14:13). And then the next thing they
knew, God closed the Red Sea over the Egyptian army, allowing the Israelites to
move forward in safety.
It’s this promise of protection that is our daily salvation.
Do you sometimes get caught up in the trauma that life can be? Remember that
God protects His children, in each and every circumstance. Remember that He
provides daily salvation ... from whatever comes your way!
Today’s scripture: James 2:8-13
Many belief systems or religions believe that if your good outweighs your bad,
you’ll get to heaven or some kind of an eternal realm of peace or nirvana. What
that percentage of good over bad no one quite knows.
The Bible tells us something very different. All have sinned and fall short of
God’s glory (Rom. 3:23). There is none righteous (Rom. 3:10). Or as James
puts it, if we “stumble in one point, we have become guilty of all.” And each
of us has stumbled … at least once.
We are all deserving of judgment, and if it were up to us, we wouldn’t get
anywhere near heaven. But God is merciful. He, through His love and grace,
offers freedom from our sin. He offers liberty. He offers forgiveness. To
everyone:
“For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever
believes in Him will have eternal life” (John 3:16).
“If we confess our sin, He is faithful and just to forgive our sins and cleanse
us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).
We are sinners. We do deserve judgment. We do deserve eternal separation from
our God. We don’t deserve mercy. We don’t deserve grace.
But when we accept God’s gift of salvation, we don’t receive judgment or
eternal separation from God. Instead, we receive His mercy and grace.
What an amazing God we serve!
Today’s scripture: 1 Peter 3:18-22
Peter’s two short epistles contain a lot of richness and incredible wisdom.
Today’s verses are no exception, but I want to focus this morning on the true
gospel message in verse 18.
Jesus “died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, so that He might
bring us to God.” I often speak at women’s events, and each and every time, I’m
privileged to share the amazing truth that Jesus, God the Son, paid our penalty
for sin. We do not in any way deserve God’s grace and mercy, but we get it anyway.
All we have to do is except God’s free gift.
It’s available to anyone. Everyone.
No matter what you’ve done. No matter where you come from. No matter what. If
you accept Jesus’ sacrifice on your behalf—on
your behalf—you will be brought to God the Father.
Throughout history—and even today—many people have believed that what they do brings salvation. If they do that
certain ritual or keep a particular tradition, they’ll be saved. If they live a
good life, they’ll go to heaven.
But it has nothing to do with us. It’s only because of God’s love for us. His
grace. His mercy.
Have you accepted that gift? Have you stopped trying to make it on your own? If
you haven’t, send me an email (speakersauni@gmail.com),
and I’ll share with you how you can meet Jesus. Today.
Today’s scripture: 2 Timothy 1:8-11
I’m not sure where to begin. These four verses contain so much to encourage!
But I want to focus on three great promises.
We have been saved. If you’ve
accepted Jesus Christ as Savior and have committed your life to Him, you are
saved. The old fleshly self has died, and you are being transformed into the
new creature God has designed you to be. There is nothing you can do on your
own to be saved. It is truly a gift from God. He is so gracious and so merciful
that He desires all to be saved—but He’s also so loving that He gives us the
choice.
We have been called with a holy calling.
Each of us has been called to serve God uniquely. He has blessed us with gifts
that we can use to serve Him and others. Paul was a “preacher and an apostle
and a teacher.” Others of us are encouragers or are merciful or are hospitable.
It doesn’t matter what your gift is as long as you use it to bring glory to our
God
We will live eternally with God—Father,
Son, and Spirit. Oh, this is the greatest promise of all! If you’ve given
your life to Christ, you will never really die. The flesh you live in now will
certainly die and decay, but your soul, the true you, will live forever in the
presence of the Sovereign Lord God.
I pray you’ve accepted the gift of salvation. I pray you’re using the gifts God
has blessed you with. And I pray you’re anticipating eternity with God with
joy.
Today’s scripture: 1 Timothy 1:15-16
Yesterday, we talked about how we can find forgiveness and mercy and grace in a
relationship with our heavenly Father.
Today, Paul tells us how: “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.”
He came to this world for one reason only: to offer redemption to mankind and a
way back into fellowship with God.
He came to grant mercy and grace. He came so that we might joyfully anticipate
eternity with Him
Jesus can redeem the heart of the lowest of the low. There is nothing you have
done that cannot be wiped away by our Savior’s blood. You can be cleansed of
every sin you ever committed.
It just takes admitting you’re a sinner and that you need a Savior. It just
takes belief in Jesus as that Savior and acceptance of His sacrifice. And then
it takes surrender to God the Father’s will.
You cannot save yourself. You cannot hope that the good you do somehow
outweighs the bad. You can’t give more money or more time or more effort to
good causes.
Only one way to salvation and eternal life with God—Father, Son, and Spirit—is
available to you. Believe in Jesus. Accept the gift of His payment for your
sin. Give your life completely over to Him
And accept His amazing grace and abundant mercy.
Today's scripture: Colossians 1:21-23
Friday, we praised God because those of us who have accepted the gift of
salvation through God's grace are reconciled to Him.
Today's verses remind us of two things:
First, because are indeed reconciled to our God, we are "holy and
blameless and beyond reproach" in our Father's eyes. I don't know about
you, but there are days when I feel far from holy and blameless and beyond
reproach." Those days when I'm selfish or let pride rear its ugly head.
Those days when I get mad at other drivers or frustrated with a student. Those
days when the pain makes me grumpy, and I snap at my husband.
But because I know I've been reconciled to God, I know I can confess each sin,
and He will look on me through eyes of love and grace.
Second, we who follow Christ must "continue in the faith firmly
established and steadfast, and not [be] moved from the hope of the gospel
..." The enemy of our souls would like nothing more than to lure us away
from a daily, focused walk with the Lord. He is not all-powerful, so he certainly
isn't in control of a whole lot (although I'm sure he thinks he is). And he can
never, ever take our salvation from us.
But he knows if he can whisper lies that draw our focus from God, he may be able
to win a battle or two. He may keep us from seeking God. He may keep us from
sharing God's truth.
We need to stand firm in faith, and the only way to do that is to spend time in
God's word and in prayer. If you've been reading these devotionals for a while,
I might sound like a broken record, but I believe this so deeply. Just as we
must work to nurture our earthly relationships, we must work to nurture the
most important relationship of all.
We must know our God—really, really know Him. And when we do, our faith
grows, and the enemy can't get even a toehold.
Today’s scripture: Philippians 3:3-6
Saul was the most religious of the religious. Before meeting Jesus on the
Damascus road, he was a letter-perfect Pharisee. He traced his family tree back
to Benjamin, the son of Jacob. He followed the law with precision. He was, in
the eyes of man, “blameless.”
How often do we rely on our “pedigree” to save us? Even today, with
Christianity so reviled in the press, polls are taken in which a very high
percentage of respondents claim to be Christians.
I went to church as a kid, they say. I was raised in a Christian home, they
say. I’m an American, so I’m a Christian, they say. (Although the latter seems
to be said less and less these days …) I follow the Ten Commandments, so I’m
good, they say.
Saul—now Paul—thought he had everything under control. He thought he knew it
all. Then he met Jesus Christ, God the Son. And he recognized that nothing he
was, nothing he’d done, brought salvation. He met the true Messiah, the Savior,
the Redeemer.
And his life changed forever.
It’s not our heritage that brings salvation. It’s not our hard work. It’s not
who we know or where we come from. No. It’s a meeting with God. It’s the
realization that we cannot do anything to receive the blessing of forgiveness
and eternal life with God—Father, Son, and Spirit.
Have you met Jesus? If not, you can meet Him today. Just admit you’re incapable
on your own and ask Jesus to forgive you and to take over your life. Then get a
Bible and read the book of John. Find a church that teaches truth from the word
of God.
And your life will be changed forever.
Today's scripture: Ephesians 4:4-6
Today's devotional is short ... but not many words are needed to talk about this particular truth: There is one God. There is one faith.
One.
Many people would tell you that there are many ways to salvation. That it
doesn’t matter what you believe as long as you’re sincere. That as long as your
good outweighs bad, you’re set.
Even many who call themselves Christian say the same. They even say Jesus never
claimed to be the only way of salvation.
Now you can certainly choose to believe what you will, but if you believe in
the God of the Bible, you’re not given any other option but one: “Jesus said to him, ‘I am
the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me
…’” (John 14:6).
No other way.
Today's scripture: Ephesians 3:1-7
Anyone can receive the “gift of God’s grace.” Anyone. God doesn’t look at
gender, race, cultural background or socio-economic status. He doesn’t care if
you’re nine or ninety. He doesn’t restrict you because you’ve done shameful
things.
All He wants is a repentant heart, a surrendered life.
Anyone who believes in God and accepts salvation through the death, burial, and
resurrection of Jesus Christ—God the Son—will be saved (Acts 2:21). Jesus is
the Giver of eternal life (John 3:16; 10:8-10).
You don’t have to work for it. You don’t have to hope your good outweighs your
bad. You don’t have to wonder if what you did in a past life has brought you
one step closer to heaven.
You just have to believe and receive.
I don’t know about you, but I’m so very grateful that God loves each and every
one of us. I’m grateful that He had a plan for my salvation—a Gentile,
middle-class American woman. He has the same plan for each one of us. What a
good God He is!
Today's scripture: Ephesians 2:8-10
If you ask people if there’s a heaven, most will answer yes. If you ask those same people how you get to heaven, many will answer, “Be good” or “Do good
things.” And if the good outweighs the bad, they'll get through those pearly
gates.
While doing good things is certainly
important, the Bible makes it very clear: Doing good things (what Paul calls
“works”) doesn’t save us. Salvation comes only through faith. God’s grace—His
unmerited favor—is offered to us freely, and when we accept His gift, we are
saved from our sins and we can be confident of eternal life in heaven.
Good works are still important for those of who follow Christ, however. As
James wrote,
My friends, what good is it to say you have faith, when you don't do anything
to show that you really do have faith? Can that kind of faith save you? If you
know someone who doesn't have any clothes or food, you shouldn't just say,
"I hope all goes well for you. I hope you will be warm and have plenty to
eat." What good is it to say this, unless you do something to help? Faith
that doesn't lead us to do good deeds is all alone and dead! (CEV, 2:14-17)
But make no mistake, works alone won’t get you to heaven. They won’t save you
from your sins.
So if anyone asks you how to get to heaven, tell them the truth. Tell them the
good news of salvation through faith. Maybe you’ll be the one who leads them to
a relationship with their Savior!
Today’s
scripture: Galatians 3:25-27
I love, love, LOVE these verses!!!
The Law provided guidelines by which God’s people needed to live to obtain
atonement from sins. His people needed a tutor. We don’t need a tutor any
longer.
We are sons and daughters of the Father through our faith in Christ. We can
enter directly into the Father’s presence because of Jesus’ intercession for
us!!
And not only are we sons and daughters of our heavenly Father, but we are also
“clothed” with Christ. We take on His godly attributes when we are baptized in
the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
We can take off the influences of the flesh and put on the fruit of the Spirit
That’s what faith in Jesus Christ, our Messiah, does for us. And even though we
don’t need tutoring by the Law, our faith in Christ gives us the desire to
serve the Father and follow His commandments.
It delights Him when we choose to follow Him and His commands—not out of
compulsion, but with willing hearts.
Today’s scripture: Galatians 3:20-21
Jesus mediates between us and God. It was His sacrificial death and victorious
resurrection that paid our sin debt. And now He sits at the Father’s right hand
and intercedes on our behalf.
As we’ve said several times through our studies, the Son fulfilled the Law.
He was not contrary to it. The Law itself could not save us from our sins. It
could not “impart life.” Only the sacrifice of a perfect Lamb could do this.
I don’t know about you, but this gives me tremendous assurance and
encouragement. I know I couldn’t become righteous on my own. Even though I’ve
been walking with the Lord for a long time, and even though I do my best to
follow His commandments, I fall … more often than I’d like. If I had to
rely on my own abilities to be “good,” I’d be destined for eternal separation
from God.
But I’m not. I am confident I’ll spend eternity with my Father. I know my sins
are forgiven, and I know I’m righteous in my Father’s eyes.
Because I accepted the Son’s gift of payment for my sin. I committed my life to
God—Father, Son, and Spirit.
And He has given me life. Eternal life.
Today’s
scripture: Galatians 3:15-18
God always had a plan to reconcile us with Him. He knew the choice Adam and Eve
would make to follow their own path, so He instigated a temporary way of
atonement through animal sacrifice—the spilling of blood.
But when He cut covenant with Abraham, God promised fulfillment through a
“seed” of Abraham’s. One seed. Christ.
And Christ—God the Son come to earth—fulfilled God’s promise of redemption and
reconciliation. We can claim God’s promise when we accept Jesus’ gift of
salvation, when we commit ourselves to serving Him.
God always keeps His promises. Always. We can be confident as we pray for His
will, if He speaks to our hearts, He will do as He promised.
Always.
