Romans 7:14-25 (The Message)

I can anticipate the response that is coming: “I know that all God’s commands are spiritual, but I’m not. Isn’t this also your experience?” Yes. I’m full of myself—after all, I’ve spent a long time in sin’s prison. What I don’t understand about myself is that I decide one way, but then I act another, doing things I absolutely despise. So if I can’t be trusted to figure out what is best for myself and then do it, it becomes obvious that God’s command is necessary.

But I need something more! For if I know the law but still can’t keep it, and if the power of sin within me keeps sabotaging my best intentions, I obviously need help! I realize that I don’t have what it takes. I can will it, but I can’t do it. I decide to do good, but I don’t really do it; I decide not to do bad, but then I do it anyway. My decisions, such as they are, don’t result in actions. Something has gone wrong deep within me and gets the better of me every time.

It happens so regularly that it’s predictable. The moment I decide to do good, sin is there to trip me up. I truly delight in God’s commands, but it’s pretty obvious that not all of me joins in that delight. Parts of me covertly rebel, and just when I least expect it, they take charge.

I’ve tried everything and nothing helps. I’m at the end of my rope. Is there no one who can do anything for me? Isn’t that the real question?

The answer, thank God, is that Jesus Christ can and does. He acted to set things right in this life of contradictions where I want to serve God with all my heart and mind, but am pulled by the influence of sin to do something totally different.

Explanation:

In all honesty, if Paul had emojis, he would have used

Hebrews 10:1-4 (NRSV)

Since the law has only a shadow of the good things to come and not the true form of these realities, it can never, by the same sacrifices that are continually offered year after year, make perfect those who approach. Otherwise, would they not have ceased being offered, since the worshipers, cleansed once for all, would no longer have any consciousness of sin? But in these sacrifices there is a reminder of sin year after year. For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.

Explanation:

Have you ever stood outside on a sunny day and examined your shadow? It is an amazing little glimpse of our outward exterior, but it stops there. A shadow can only show you the figure and outline of a person, not the person as a whole. You can’t learn anything about their personality, their likes or dislikes, or the intricate features on their face. You know there is more to the person, but a shadow will never give you the whole picture. It is only when you turn around that you recognize there is so much more to the person behind the shadow. This is what this passage is trying to help us understand.

The law was very similar to our human shadow. It was only a glimpse of the good things that would come when Jesus entered the scene. The law helped the people find a way to live within God’s boundaries. The law also gave them a way for their sins to be covered through animal sacrifice. However, they could never find true freedom through the law and sacrifices alone. When Jesus entered the scene, the whole picture was then revealed. Jesus made the ultimate sacrifice so that we could walk in freedom and no longer be bound to the shadow of the law. I am so thankful for Jesus, that His sacrifice paid the price for our sin. I no longer have to try to live my life perfectly through the law, but I get the opportunity to be in constant relationship with Him. There is no longer just a shadow, but light and freedom when I walk with Jesus.

Application:

1. What stood out to you in today’s passage?

2. What do you think it would have been like to live under the law instead of under the grace of Jesus?

3. How does the example of the shadow help you understand this passage better?

Devo Plus:

I encourage you on the next sunny day to stand outside and study your shadow. Make note of the characteristics and details you can see. Then take time to reflect on how different the shadow is from you as a whole person. Allow this to take you into a time of reflecting on the difference between the law (the shadow) and Jesus (the whole person). Journal your thoughts or share what you discover with someone else.

Prayer:

God, I am so thankful that we are no longer bound to living in the shadow through the law, but instead You sent Jesus to give us the whole picture. Thank You that through Jesus our sins are not only covered, but are forgiven completely. We long to continue to live our lives as people who have found true freedom through Christ. Help us each and every day. Amen.

Hebrews 12:1-3 (NIV)

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

Explanation:

(I use the mower as a metaphor in my devo, insert your own desire.)

You ever get so caught up in something or someone that you lose sight of life? You allow it to consume you. You think about it, dream about it, constantly read about it. You get so lost in stuff that you miss many opportunities to be like Jesus. But our passage today says to throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. Everything that hinders.

That doesn’t sound like the stuff we get lost in. A new mower isn’t bad; neither is a vehicle, a bike, a manicure, mulch for the house. These items are random things we start looking at, and months later we are still dreaming and fantasizing about them. Instead, we should take them to God. Sounds silly, I know. Why am I going to ask God about buying a mower, a vehicle, a bike, mulch? That seems weird. But God may tell you to wait, or go to a totally different store than you normally would, see someone you would never see otherwise. Then once you listen to Him, He may have you do something amazing for that person. He may use you to bless someone, or maybe you will be the one getting blessed. Point is, even small things can distract us from being imitators or God.

The sin that entangles you are the things that steal you from God, the things you spend hours and days thinking about. Maybe even hiding from people in your life. It’s the sin that robs your blessing and others’ blessings. You are to run with perseverance the race marked out for you, fixing your eyes on Jesus. But how can you do that if you are only thinking about yourself and that mower? Your search for that perfect mower isn’t going to get you to heaven. It’s stealing from you; it is stealing your Jesus time. The one thing we all need every day and every second of every day. Don’t lose your God time for stuff that isn’t going to help you save lives or be a blessing. This mower is now your sin.

Jesus died on that cross for you. God sent His one and only Son down here to earth to be an example for you and me. Jesus endured it. So, what’s your excuse? What is robbing your Jesus time? You need to talk to God about everything, and I mean everything! So…You think, you pray, and you ask God, where do you want me to buy that mower?

Application:

1. What is hindering you?

2. What sin are you entangled in? Talk to God about it.

3. Are you speaking with God? Are you listening, too?

4. Are you imitating Jesus?

Devo Plus:

Spend some quiet time today with God. Put on some worship music, and give God the things that are hindering you. Fix your eyes and attention on Him. Take away any distractions and just sit with Him.

Prayer:

God, thank You for today. Thank You for loving us and chasing after us. Help us to be more like You, and show Your love and grace to people around us. Show us the hinderances and sin of our lives so we can give them to You. Lord, reveal to us what we need to do to run the race You have put before us. Guide our steps this week. In Your holy Name we continue to pray. Amen.

Titus 2:11-14 (ESV)

For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.

Explanation:

I don’t think anyone ever starts the day saying, “Today I’m going to be terrible. I’m going to cause the most havoc in as many lives as I can.” I think most generally, we try to be “good” in our daily lives. Unfortunately, just doing or being “good” isn’t enough. We are still sinners, based on bad decisions made by Adam and Eve. Their decision to disobey God resulted in each of us being born into sin. It’s only because God extended His grace and His unmerited favor to us through the death of Jesus that we have hope.

John 10:10 tells us that the enemy comes to steal, kill, and destroy our lives. The battle to live a godly life is not one that’s full of sunshine and rainbows. It’s hard. However, if you apply God’s grace and accept Jesus as your savior, you can have grace in every moment. Grace isn’t meant to be abused; we have to put forth effort. Godly living means that we will work to deny all of the things that culture says is “right.” Accruing power and wealth, and obtaining status, isn’t God’s objective for us. He wants us to obey His commands and teaching so we can be in right standing with Him.

Living in obedience changes our perspective. Our desires shift away from what feels good or right to our human selves, to wanting to please God and live in the manner that Jesus modeled for us while He was on earth. Confessing our shortfalls and failures to Him daily, and changing our former worldly behaviors in order to focus on God, becomes our priority. We must make conscious, constant decisions to walk the path that God lays out. If we make the appropriate “heart change,” God helps us make the necessary behavior changes.

Application:

1. When you think of the concept of living a “godly life,” what does that mean to you?

2. Are there obstacles in your life that keep you from walking down the path God wants you on? What changes can you make to eliminate these obstacles?

3. What tools can you use, or habits can you begin, to help you live a godly life?

Devo Plus:

Read Proverbs 3:5-7. Reflect on the meaning of “acknowledging Him in all your ways.” What does that look like in your life?

Prayer:

Today in your prayer time, ask God to reveal anything that is keeping you from living a life that reflects Jesus. Ask Him for help seeing and removing these obstacles, and helping you make better choices. Ask Him to help guide your steps and your actions.

Romans 6:15-23 (The Message)

So, since we’re out from under the old tyranny, does that mean we can live any old way we want? Since we’re free in the freedom of God, can we do anything that comes to mind? Hardly. You know well enough from your own experience that there are some acts of so-called freedom that destroy freedom. Offer yourselves to sin, for instance, and it’s your last free act. But offer yourselves to the ways of God and the freedom never quits. All your lives you’ve let sin tell you what to do. But thank God you’ve started listening to a new master, one whose commands set you free to live openly in his freedom!

I’m using this freedom language because it’s easy to picture. You can readily recall, can’t you, how at one time the more you did just what you felt like doing—not caring about others, not caring about God—the worse your life became and the less freedom you had? And how much different is it now as you live in God’s freedom, your lives healed and expansive in holiness?

As long as you did what you felt like doing, ignoring God, you didn’t have to bother with right thinking or right living, or right anything for that matter. But do you call that a free life? What did you get out of it? Nothing you’re proud of now. Where did it get you? A dead end.

But now that you’ve found you don’t have to listen to sin tell you what to do, and have discovered the delight of listening to God telling you, what a surprise! A whole, healed, put-together life right now, with more and more of life on the way! Work hard for sin your whole life and your pension is death. But God’s gift is real life, eternal life, delivered by Jesus, our Master.

Explanation:

I was raised in a very stark understanding of what it meant to be a Christian. The way I processed it as a child was that if it was fun, it was a sin. I can’t swim to this day because swimming suits were considered a sin, and this girl wasn’t going to swim classes in a dress pinned with a safety pin between her legs. Early in my life I had a deep desire for God, but in all seriousness wondered if I could serve a God who would supposedly send me to hell for wearing lipstick, slacks, and earrings? Finally, as a young adult, I discovered three authors who mentored me through their books, and taught me deep concepts about the love of God, grace, and total surrender to Him. I learned the true heart of God, and the luxurious life of grace and obedience.

Grace and obedience are so conjoined, you can’t experience one without the other.

I had the desire to please God. I just needed a sound understanding of God's unmerited favor to build my life on. Just like the Christians Paul was writing to in our passage, I was finally out from under the law. What a wonderful door that opened for me, which in turn gave me a craving for God’s Word and a passion for His presence. Finally, I clearly understood how to live a vibrant life. I changed through saturating in grace and participating in obedience. To this day, I am so grateful for the foundation those Christian authors gave me.

Paul is giving you the same through his written words in our Romans passage today. You ARE going to have a master in your life, and the choice is yours: God or sin.

If you pick God, He will empower you through grace to overcome sin and inherit eternal life.

Application:

1. God wants to give you the power to obey Him with all of your heart. Are you open to that, or are you holding on to a mixture of “law and grace”? Have you ever tried mixing oil and water?

2. To obey full heartedly means to give yourself fully to God, to love Him with all of your heart. Why is this heart connection more inviting than a legislated relationship?

3. Read this again. “But now that you’ve found you don’t have to listen to sin tell you what to do, and have discovered the delight of listening to God telling you; what a surprise! A whole, healed, put-together life right now, with more and more of life on the way!” Does that not sound inviting?

Devo Plus:

“A man can no more take in a supply of grace for the future than he can eat enough today to last him for the next six months, nor can he inhale sufficient air into his lungs with one breath to sustain life for a week to come. We are permitted to draw upon God's store of grace from day to day as we need it.” Dwight L. Moody

Prayer:

Lord, today as I go out in the world to represent You, may I breathe in Your grace. I realize I am never beyond the reach of Your grace and I am never beyond the need of your grace. May Your grace be my power today. Amen.

Footnote:

The authors of these deep freeing truths based on scripture were Elisabeth Elliot, Catherine Marshall, and Ruth Graham. On the book jackets were pictures of them... wearing lipstick and earrings, and one referenced swimming.

Colossians 3:1-10

If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. On account of these the wrath of God is coming. In these you too once walked, when you were living in them. But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator.

Explanation:

Two of my favorite activities to do with my kids both have to do with the skies. The first is cloud watching and the second is star gazing. For me, there is an awe in both things. I can appreciate a sky filled with white fluffy clouds that you can imaginatively create figures out of, but I can equally appreciate a dark sky filled with stormy clouds. More so, the night sky is an absolute place of fascination for me. It always has been. The stars, the planets, the moons, all speak to me of God’s ultimate display of His power. I love seeing it from my perspective, but then when I see the same thing through my kids’ eyes, it transforms it into something even more exciting. If ever I find myself in struggle town, there is something very comforting to me to look to the sky.

Clearly, it is not the sky that truly comforts me; it is the One who commands the skies who I seek comfort in. The skies remind me of that, and draw me back into that frame of mind. I am not sure about you, but I need this often…and I mean often. Today’s reading is a perfect word to direct our hearts and minds to keep our focus and energies toward living for and with Christ.

Friends, this is not a dream or a reality that is far off. When we are in Christ, we have died and have been raised with Him. This is an every day, every moment opportunity to follow Christ. Look to Him, seek refuge in Him, draw near to Him…not only to get your cares met, but to know the best way to live. Be renewed into the image of Your Creator. It all starts by looking to Him, so find whatever way possible to keep your mind on the things that are above.

Application:

1. What ways have you found that help you keep your mind and heart on Christ?

2. What challenges our ability to keep our minds on Christ, and not on earthly things?

3. Why do you think Paul encourages us to seek Christ in this way?

4. What can be a cue for you in life that can remind you to “set your mind on the things above”?

5. How can you start to apply that cue today?

Devo Plus:

Read Psalm 121:1-2. Why does the psalmist ask this question?

Prayer:

Jesus, You are in Your rightful place…above all. In humility, we come not only to worship You, but to seek You for guidance on how to keep our minds fixed on You. Thank You for raising us along with You, and letting us remain hidden in You. We need that. We want to start by seeking You today, and we need Your Spirit to help us in knowing You more and following Your ways better.

Colossians 1:9-14 (NIrV)

“That’s why we have not stopped praying for you. We have been praying for you since the day we heard about you. We keep asking God to fill you with the knowledge of what he wants. We pray he will give you the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives. Then you will be able to lead a life that is worthy of the Lord. We pray that you will please him in every way. So we want you to bear fruit in every good thing you do. We pray that you will grow to know God better. We want you to be very strong, in keeping with his glorious power. We want you to be patient. We pray that you will never give up. We want you to give thanks with joy to the Father. He has made you fit to have what he will give to all his holy people. You will all receive a share in the kingdom of light. He has saved us from the kingdom of darkness. He has brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves. Because of what the Son has done, we have been set free. Because of him, all our sins have been forgiven.

Explanation:

In the above scripture, Paul is telling the Colossians that he prays for them to live the way God calls them to live, with knowledge and understanding from the Holy Spirit, without giving up. The reason they can have faith in God is because He has chosen them and redeemed them (and us) through His Son Jesus Christ, and now all sins throughout history have been forgiven. Everyone has an opportunity to spend eternity with Him.

This scripture is still relevant for us today. When we choose to follow Jesus, He gives us His Holy Spirit to guide our lives. Reading God’s word, we see the way He wants us to live and react to things throughout our day. Praying and worshipping God makes us slow down to get into His presence. We start to thank Him for everything He has done for us each day, and ask for His understanding and wisdom in our situations. We start to get different perspectives on our life and lead a life worthy of the Lord.

Application:

1. What situation in your life do you need to ask God for wisdom and understanding?

2. What things in your life are not pleasing to God? How can you change them?

3. Have you chosen to follow God and let Him be Lord of your life? If not, ask God to be the King of your heart and to forgive you of your sins.

4. Look at everything around you and have a thankful heart to God today.

Devo Plus:

Read 2 Thessalonians 1:11.

Prayer:

Father, help me today to put You first in everything. When things of this world come up and I start to worry, let me stop and come to You. Thank You for choosing me and allowing me to follow You. Thank You for Your blessings, let my eyes be open to them today. Love You, Father. In Jesus‘s Name I pray. Amen.

Romans 6:8-14 (NRSV)

But if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. The death he died, he died to sin, once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God. So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.

Therefore, do not let sin exercise dominion in your mortal bodies, to make you obey their passions. No longer present your members to sin as instruments of wickedness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and present your members to God as instruments of righteousness. For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace.

Explanation:

Sometimes we can read passages like this and think that the instant we choose to follow Jesus, all our problems and all our sin just disappear, and that life will be easy from that moment on. But the truth is that although the moment we dedicate our lives to God we instantly receive His grace, His forgiveness, and eternal life, we still have to live in this world. As we all know, this world is full of temptation and full of sin. Just simply by being human, we are prone to sin and fall to temptations.

This passage is a great reminder that when we accept Jesus as our Savior, every single day we have to make a choice. The choice will be to either continue to live in sin that does not reflect the new life we have in Christ, or to die to ourselves daily so we can walk in freedom with God. The sin and temptation will still be there, but there is a sense of freedom in knowing we get to make the choice to no longer live in it. Instead, we get new life by living in constant pursuit of Christ. Sin no longer has a hold on us, because we have a God who is bigger than our sin, and is there to help us live our lives in freedom.

How amazing is it to know that when Jesus enters the scene, we get new life?! We no longer have to walk in the way of sin, but we get the opportunity to walk side-by-side with Jesus every single day.

Application:

1. What does it mean to you to “die with Christ?”

2. How have you discovered and found new life in Christ?

3. In what ways are you choosing to no longer live in sin, but to live in the new life you have found in Christ?

Devo Plus:

Check out these passages that are a great reminder of the new life available when we walk with Christ: 2 Corinthians 5:17 and Ephesians 4:17-24.

Prayer:

God, we are so thankful that You offer and give us new life when we choose to follow You. Help us to daily die to ourselves so we can walk in freedom with You. We are so thankful that Your Spirit is with us, walking with us, and helping us. We long to live our lives in a way where we are no longer slaves to sin, but to live in a way that leads toward life. Thank You for being with us every step of the way. Amen.

Romans 6:1-7 (NLT)

Well then, should we keep on sinning so that God can show us more and more of his wonderful grace? Of course not! Since we have died to sin, how can we continue to live in it? Or have you forgotten that when we were joined with Christ Jesus in baptism, we joined him in his death? For we died and were buried with Christ by baptism. And just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also may live new lives.

Since we have been united with him in his death, we will also be raised to life as he was. We know that our old sinful selves were crucified with Christ so that sin might lose its power in our lives. We are no longer slaves to sin. For when we died with Christ we were set free from the power of sin.

Explanation:

Salvation is the most life-changing event we could ever experience. It is by grace we are saved, but Paul gives a most emphatic response to anyone who thinks such grace allows us to continue living the same sinful lifestyle we did before we accepted Christ as our savior.

When I committed my life to Christ, I began looking at life differently. My identity is no longer tied to the perspectives and beliefs I held before I said yes to Jesus; I have new outlook and a new goal—to live a life pleasing to God. My identity is now linked to the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, and the sin that I was helpless to resist no longer dictates my decisions.

We are no longer slaves to sin, but that does not mean we will never sin again, because we will, and that’s why we need God’s grace. What salvation does mean is that now our decisions are filtered through a different grid—instead of asking what will make me happy, the Christ follower asks what will please God in this circumstance. That, my friends, is the power of the Holy Spirit living in our hearts to guide us through this life. A sinless life is not realistic on this side of eternity; otherwise, Christ died in vain, and we would still be living under the Old Testament law. But a pattern of progressive obedience that changes us to be more like Jesus with each passing day should be evident for everyone to see.

Application:

1. In what ways has salvation changed your identity from your “old sinful self”?

2. To identify with the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus means we recognize that sin no longer has power over our lives. We can choose obedience over satisfying our flesh. Are there any sinful behaviors or thoughts you find difficult to overcome?

3. Based on today’s passage, how can God’s grace help you to get victory over sin?

Devo Plus:

1 Corinthians 10:13-14

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, thank You for Your grace that is greater than all my sin. Thank You for providing a way of forgiveness through the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Help me to understand my identity is now in Christ alone, and not in my past life. Amen.

John 10:7-10 (ESV)

So Jesus said to them again, “Truly, truly I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. All those who came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. I am the door; if anyone enters through Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came so that they would have life, and have it abundantly.

Explanation:

God created us with a need, a desire to find something to worship, something to be in awe of, to pursue, to find value in. To find our value in. Something where we can find salvation, freedom, and satisfaction.

There are two directions in life where we can look to find something to worship: vertically or horizontally. Through the horizontal view, we look to things that the thieves and robbers have on their hit list. These are things they want us to choose so they can come and steal, kill, and destroy them. Things like money, houses, sex, love, acceptance, power. Jeremiah 2:13 refers to them as broken cisterns, cisterns that can hold no water.

Paul tells us of Demas (Colossians 4:14), who originally chose the vertical view of Jesus, and followed along with Paul. But satan, the greatest thief and robber of them all, offered him a horizontal view of the love of this world, and Demas took it (2 Timothy 4:10).

In this passage, Jesus is calling us to search for something vertically…Jesus Himself, the true door to salvation, freedom, and satisfaction.

Lastly, Jesus tells us that He came to give us abundant life, but what did He mean by that? The only thing that salvation, freedom, and satisfaction can give us…abundant peace with God.

Application:

1. In what direction are you looking for something to worship? A horizontal view of things that will ultimately be stolen, killed or destroyed, leaving you with a shallow, empty worship.

2. Or are you looking vertically to Jesus, the true door, the only One truly worthy of our worship? He is the only door who will provide salvation, freedom, and satisfaction. He is the only door who will give you abundant peace with God.

Devo Plus:

Genesis 3:1-7; Deuteronomy 32:15-18; Isaiah 31:1; Jeremiah 13:25; 2 Timothy 4:9-15.

Prayer:

Dear God, help me to see the doors that the enemy puts before me, the doors that my heart loves and doesn’t want to let go of. Help me only and always look to Jesus, the true door, the only door who will give me salvation, freedom, and satisfaction. The only door for peace, abundant peace. Amen.