The Tree Church Daily

1 Corinthians 15:45-49 (ESV)

Thus it is written, “The first man Adam became a living being”; the last Adam became a life-giving spirit. But it is not the spiritual that is first but the natural, and then the spiritual. The first man was from the earth, a man of dust; the second man is from heaven. As was the man of dust, so also are those who are of the dust, and as is the man of heaven, so also are those who are of heaven. Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the man of heaven.

Explanation:

Paul gets down to theological business in today’s passage. He’s trying to show us the connections between the “natural born” body we live in now and the “spiritual body” we’ll be raised to after God transforms us. In the simplest of terms, we have to progress, with God’s help, from the physical body that was built to live on earth, to a spiritual body, built to exist in heaven and eternity. I think of the phrase “it’s the same…but different.” One of these bodies follows the pattern of the Adam in Genesis: a living, earthly being who was formed from dust. His bones eventually returned to dust after his life on earth was finished. In the same way, our current bodies are just temporary shells that we live in here on earth.

The other body follows the pattern of the “last Adam,” who is Jesus. Jesus is a life-giver. He was raised from death back to life by God. It’s only through Him that we can be born again and look forward to eternal life. Our bodies will be transformed to eternal, heavenly forms, made not from dust, but from the materials of heaven. (I’ll admit that my head swirls a little when I try to comprehend this piece—What will we look like? What are the “materials of heaven”? Will we all look like angels? Will we fly? How will we know each other?) Here’s the thing: God doesn’t want me to understand everything. He wants me to put my faith in Him and focus on living in a manner that shines Jesus to others.

Application:

1. If you’re struggling to understand today’s Scripture, use biblegateway.com to read it in some different versions. In the NLT, it says “Just like we are now like the earthly man, we will someday be like the heavenly man.” I cannot imagine what it will be like to be like those who are already in heaven, but I can’t wait to find out!

2. Take a moment and think about Paul’s comparison of Adam version 1 and Adam version 2. I love how Paul uses the “first Adam” and the “second Adam” in this passage. Adam 1.0 was fully human, created perfectly by God. He had only human nature and possessed free will, which he used to sin. Adam 2.0 was a fresh start. The first and last man to be without sin. He was the heavenly model, sent to be a sacrifice for sin.

3. Is there anything in today’s passage that stands out to you, as you think about it and meditate on its words?

Devo Plus:

Read Genesis 2 and reflect on the differences between the first Adam and the one who we read about in the New Testament. Take a moment to thank God for the opportunity we’ve been given through Jesus to allow the Adam of our humanity to be transformed into the Adam of our future heavenly selves.

Prayer:

God, help me to be more like the second Adam. Help me to throw away the sins of my flesh, and focus on walking in faith to become more like You. Take my thoughts and actions captive, so I may shine the light of Jesus to others.

Ephesians 4:20-24 (ESV)

But that is not the way you learned Christ!—assuming that you have heard about him and were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus, to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.

Explanation:

You are not the same person you were ten or even twenty years ago. I know what you’re thinking…I am older and wiser. Right? Well, this may be true, but my point is we all grow from experiences we have had in our life. All of us have made good and bad choices throughout, but we can agree that we are not the same as we once were. We are different from our past selves by the way we think and the actions we take.

This is similar to what the Apostle Paul is talking about in the above scripture. When we decide to trust and follow Jesus, a transformation takes place in our hearts and minds. We begin to act, think, and talk differently. To be a Christian does not mean we have it all figured out, but we should look different than our “old self” did before we followed Jesus. Our old behaviors and desires should change as we pursue our new life in Christ.

This transformation was particularly evident for me. When my wife and I fully began to put our faith in Jesus, things began to change in my life. I was not staying out late into the night, like I once did on the weekends, and we started to make attending church a priority. I began studying the Bible like I never had, and joined several ministries at church. I met new friends who were honest with their struggles and then held each other accountable. One of the biggest transformations for me was the way I talked. I never realized how much I used foul language when talking to others, until my wife confronted me about it. Factory work and college life have always had an atmosphere of cussing, to the point it was normal to me. That is, until I openly used it regularly around my wife. I decided to make the choice to change that behavior, because honestly, it was ruining my testimony to people who didn’t know Jesus. I wanted to act differently, because people would notice and begin to ask questions. Now, I am far from perfect and my tongue is not always tamed, but I am much more careful about the way I talk than I once was. Knowing Jesus has changed my thought process, and I have learned to pause and consider what I want to say to someone. My “old self” can be an example of growth for others to see, and so can your past experiences.

Application:

1. How has God challenged you to act differently than you once did?

2. What is God asking you to change about your “old self” and the actions that once defined you?

3. What does to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God mean in the way you conduct your life?

4. It is important to remember your “old self” so you can gauge how you have grown in your faith, from where you were to where you are now. How can your past experiences help others who may be struggling with past sins?

Devo Plus:

Colossians 3:9-10

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, thank You for Your forgiveness and grace. Thank You for saving me when I needed You the most. I know I still make mistakes, but You don’t hold that against me because I put my trust in Jesus! Help me to have the mind and heart of a Christian who has been redeemed and set free. In Your mighty and powerful Name. Amen

Galatians 3:23-29 (NLT)

Before the way of faith in Christ was available to us, we were placed under guard by the law. We were kept in protective custody, so to speak, until the way of faith was revealed.

Let me put it another way. The law was our guardian until Christ came; it protected us until we could be made right with God through faith. And now that the way of faith has come, we no longer need the law as our guardian.

For you are all children of God through faith in Christ Jesus. And all who have been united with Christ in baptism have put on Christ, like putting on new clothes. There is no longer Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male and female. For you are all one in Christ Jesus. And now that you belong to Christ, you are the true children of Abraham. You are his heirs, and God’s promise to Abraham belongs to you.

Explanation:

Can you imagine what it would have been like to have lived in the time before Jesus came? Imagine what it would have been like to have the law as the only way to God. When I think of it, I imagine it would have felt unattainable and hopeless. To try your best to live a life that honored God, but knowing you would never perfectly live out everything required of you. The people of God who lived before Jesus experienced this constant tension. No matter how hard they tried, they would fall short every time. Yes, the law was there to give them protection and to help them know what God expected of His people, but it would never bring forth the redemption, grace, and salvation they so desperately needed.

Then Jesus entered the scene. He was sinless, He was perfect, and He made the ultimate sacrifice that changed everything. Jesus’s life and sacrifice made a way so we no longer would have to be “slaves” to the law, but rather children (sons and daughters) of God. Because of Jesus, salvation was made available to all, not just the Jews. All people, through faith, now had access to God. And the promises God made to His people and to Abraham are now promises for us, too.

God had a plan of redemption all along. It wasn’t just for the Jews; it was a plan that would give ALL people the opportunity for salvation. This speaks so much to me about who God is. He knew we couldn’t save ourselves, yet He wanted all of us to have the opportunity to be saved. And through that salvation, we get the title child of God. That, my friends, is amazing. That is how much God loves you. He could have left it so we still had to strive to walk out the law perfectly, but instead, made it easy on us. He made a way, and all He asks us to do is trust Him and walk our lives out in faith.

Application:

1. What do you think it would have been like to live under the law before God?

2. How does it stir your heart to know that God had a plan for salvation the whole time?

3. How does Jesus change things?

4. What is one way this passage has challenged you today?

Devo Plus:

Check out the following passages as a reminder that we are indeed called children of God: 1 John 3:1, John 1:12, 1 Peter 2:10.

Prayer:

God, I am so thankful You had a plan for salvation from the beginning. Through Jesus, You gave every one of us the opportunity to be called Your child. Thank You that we no longer have to live out our faith through the law, but simply by trusting and living our lives for You. We cannot thank You enough for all You have done. Amen.

Romans 5:20-21 (NLT, emphasis added)

God’s law was given so that all people could see how sinful they were. But as people sinned more and more, God’s wonderful grace became more abundant. So just as sin ruled over all people and brought them to death, now God’s wonderful grace rules instead, giving us right standing with God and resulting in eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Explanation:

Because your greatest problem in life resides inside of you, and not outside of you, grace reaches you where you are and takes you where God wants you.

Grace is the most powerful force in the universe because it has the power to change your heart and secure it for eternity, while ensconcing you in peace. Grace has no limits, and oddly enough, its only prerequisite is that you need it. There is no expiration day and no fine print to exclude you. God doesn’t punk us or use loopholes to disqualify us. He clearly makes His love known, through His death, resurrection, and gift of grace.

The singular result of grace is right standing with God, and it is all about what God has done for you, in spite of you.

Religion is about your faithfulness to God. Grace is about His faithfulness to you.

In other words, God does not love you because you are good, but because He is good.

Application:

1. If God's love for you is about His grace, not your grit, how does that energize you?

2. God’s commitment to clean things up is infinitely greater than your capacity to mess things up. Why does that understanding feel empowering instead of defeating?

3. Jesus forever cancelled the stigma of not being good enough. He didn’t tolerate Pharisees or “better thans” before His death, and with His resurrection He handed you grace. Grace is now your passport of power. Will you use it …...or squander it with self-pity and victimhood? It is fully up to you.

Devo Plus:

“But here’s what’s amazing about God’s outrageous grace: This isn’t merely what God the Father would do; it’s what he did do. God could have chosen to save anyone, everyone, or no one from Adam’s fallen race. But what God did was to choose a multi-hued multitude of “someones,” and — if you are a believer in Jesus Christ — one of those “someones” was you. God in Christ has declared over you, “I could have chosen anyone in the whole world as my child, and I chose you. No matter what you say or do, neither my love nor my choice will ever change.” That’s grace that’s truly amazing.” (Daniel Montgomery, pg. 84 in Proof)

Prayer:

Father, I know I only have grace because I am yours. Your tender love and generous grace flood my heart with hope. There is such confidence when I know You aren’t beside me, but inside me. Thank You for that gift, and for the realization I am always and forever Yours. Amen.

Romans 5:15-19 (NLT)

But there is a great difference between Adam’s sin and God’s gracious gift. For the sin of this one man, Adam, brought death to many. But even greater is God’s wonderful grace and his gift of forgiveness to many through this other man, Jesus Christ. And the result of God’s gracious gift is very different from the result of that one man’s sin. For Adam’s sin led to condemnation, but God’s free gift leads to our being made right with God, even though we are guilty of many sins. For the sin of this one man, Adam, caused death to rule over many. But even greater is God’s wonderful grace and his gift of righteousness, for all who receive it will live in triumph over sin and death through this one man, Jesus Christ.

Yes, Adam’s one sin brings condemnation for everyone, but Christ’s one act of righteousness brings a right relationship with God and new life for everyone. Because one person disobeyed God, many became sinners. But because one other person obeyed God, many will be made righteous.

Explanation:

In the recent past, there was a short-lived television show called “Adam Ruins Everything.” I never watched it, but this is how I would title this passage from Romans. In theological terms, Adam’s sin is called “original sin,” the idea that all people inherit a sinful nature because of Adam’s first sin in the Garden. This sin caused separation and condemnation, and nothing good did or can come of it. Paul, the writer of Romans, goes on to contrast the effects of Adam’s original sin with God’s free and gracious gift through His Son. I love that Paul repeatedly refers to grace as a gift. I typically read a few different Bible translations, but across them all, grace is consistently called a gift. The adjectives describing the gift change from free, rescuing, gracious, generous, life-giving, extravagant…but always a gift.

So, what do we do with a gift? We choose to receive it. And Paul is clear here: we must accept this gift. We are promised that “all who receive it will triumph over sin and death” through Jesus. Who wouldn’t want to accept this gift?!

And if you are still unsure whether God’s grace is real, go back to Adam’s story. In Genesis 2:15, God CLEARLY told Adam that he could eat of any tree in the Garden EXCEPT one, to which God explained, “[i]f you eat of its fruit, you are sure to die.” How does this prove that God’s grace is real? ADAM DIDN’T DIE. We may argue that spiritual separation from God is far worse than physical death, but I would say that God didn’t want Adam to experience either. God gave Adam, and everyone after him, a way back to Himself. Instead of wiping him out, God chose Adam’s original sin to show original grace. He started then and He continues today; God is grace, they are one and the same.

Paul closes by touching on the ripple effects of obedience and disobedience, how Adam’s “no” brought death to many people, while Jesus’s “yes” made it right and gave us life. This contrasting view of the lives of Adam and Jesus goes to show there really is no comparison: “Jesus Fixes Everything.” Now THAT is a show I would watch!

Application:

1. How does it make you feel to know each of us are described as “guilty of many sins”? Does that bring pause? Shame? Indignation because you aren’t “that bad” of a sinner? Take a moment and ask God to help with you any feelings that statement brings up. Ask Him to gently remind you that even as guilty as you are, through Jesus’s sacrifice, He has never loved you any more or any less than He does right now.

2. So, what is our appropriate response to this gift of grace? As with any gift, our first response should be to thank Him. We are now given a new life, which is enough to celebrate. But when we accept God’s gift wholeheartedly, we can look forward to an even bigger and better gift to come.

3. As The Message version of the Bible puts it, what if we were to think about Jesus as not only “getting us out of trouble but getting us into life”? What changes do you need to make in your life to prove you acknowledge and accept God’s gift of grace?

Devo Plus:

1. Read The Grace of God by Andy Stanley for a beautiful picture of just how all-encompassing God’s grace truly is. He’s been that way from the Garden and He continues with us!

2. Listen to “Run to the Father” by Cody Carnes for a reminder that God NEVER tires of brushing us off when we fall, and asking us to go again!

Prayer:

Father God, in Your grace there is such freedom. How my heart swells when I think about how much You love us. Thank You for offering Your own Son so we could “try it again” every day. Help us never forget that You are our biggest champion, and Your grace never gives up on us. In Your Holy Name, Amen.

Romans 5:12-14

Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned— for sin indeed was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not counted where there is no law. Yet death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those whose sinning was not like the transgression of Adam, who was a type of the one who was to come.

Explanation:

My family and I recently went mushroom hunting for the first time this season. For those of you who have never heard of or been mushroom hunting, you probably are thinking, “You did what!?!” Yeah, it is as fun as it sounds. We walked into the woods in search of fungus. Not just any fungus though, we were in search of Morchella esculenta, also known as the common morel. More information probably than you ever wanted to know, but I have a reason. We have our secret spot where we go to each time, like all mushroom hunters, but we had not been there for a couple years and things have started to look dramatically different. The site is getting really overgrown, not as accessible as it once was.

When I imagine the impact of sin on mankind, this is how I imagine it. Like a small weed that eventually takes over, sin crept into the world, into the lives of humanity, and many things were dramatically changed from that point on. Not only did the garden and the world around them begin to die, but they too were given a death sentence. They would no longer be immortal, and none of their offspring would be as well.

Paul is setting up for an incredible contrasting reality that he will mention in verses to come. For now, though, just know that Adam’s sin was not this tiny weed that could be simply pulled out of mankind’s lives. It was not just a slight mishap that could be easily corrected, and unfortunately, the law that would come in Moses’s time made this reality even more apparent. Mankind was forever destined for death, unless something greater, Someone greater, came along and changed it.

Application:

1. Why is it important for us to remember the devastating condition that sin leaves us in?

2. Why do you think God did not want mankind to experience death?

3. How might the law of God expose sin all the more?

4. How does death reign in our lives today because of sin?

Devo Plus:

Read Genesis 3:16-24. How were Adam and Eve’s lives changed after they sinned? How do you now see that “death reigned” in their lives?

Prayer:

Jesus, we know that without You, death would continue to reign in our lives. In You, and You only, is there life. Life now and life everlasting. Jesus, we need that life in our mortal bodies. We feel the devastating of sin each day, and we need You to be our Savior. We see from Your word that sin was more than a slight mishap; it would have forever left us separated from You. However, You changed that, and we praise You

2 Corinthians 5:17-21 (ESV)

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

Explanation:

My favorite intelligent feature in humans is their ability to create. To take something in one form and make it into a completely new form. We all have this ability in some capacity, and this is truly godly. Some can create new designs, new art pieces, new buildings, new languages, new machines, new types of food, new just about anything. There is one thing, even in all of our intelligence, we cannot create, and that is a new life for ourselves. Sure, we can make major changes that impact the physical condition of our lives. However, there is one deeper condition that we cannot change, and that is our spiritual condition. We are designed for many things, but changing our spiritual condition is not one of them. This is a power given to only One.

Being creative isn’t just one of my favorite features of humans; it’s also one of my favorite features about God. One of the most amazing promises that God gives us is that in Christ we can be one of His new creations. One of the major things that changes when we place our lives in the hands of Christ is our purpose. It does not matter what purposes we lived for in the past, whatever new purpose that God gives us now becomes our new focus. The past still remains the past, but as a new creation, we now have the power in us through Christ to make a better future in every area of our lives. Ultimately, every purpose will be to glorify Christ in all we do and speak. Let us live as God’s new creations!

Application:

1. What happened in order for you to become a new creation in Christ?

2. Do you believe that you are a new creation in Christ? Why?

3. Why does it have to be God who makes you a new creation?

4. What “old” way in you passed away when you chose to put your faith in Christ?

5. How have your purposes changed now that you are Christ’s new creation?

Devo Plus:

Grab a notebook, journal or a computer, and dedicate some time to writing out your story. Focus specifically on how your purposes have changed since becoming a new creation in Christ.

Prayer:

Jesus, You have made all things new. You have become my sin, my shame, the weight of my past sin and life, and have now given me a new way of living. A better way of living. Help me to walk as a new creation, and receive the free gift You have given me. Like Paul, I want to be an ambassador for You in my everyday life.

Colossians 1:21-23 (ESV)

And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him, if indeed you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, became a minister.

Explanation:

We love superhero movies in our house. We have at times discussed the characters and where we would see ourselves in the movie, who we identified with. Never have I heard someone say they identified with the villain. I would say that is typically how we view ourselves. What I mean is, when we read or watch a story, we typically identify with the hero. When we read scripture, we typically see ourselves in the hero’s place. For example, I do not know anyone who reads the story of David and Goliath, and puts themselves in Goliath’s shoes.

Unfortunately, in the story of scripture we appear not as the hero, but the villain, the traitor, the cowardly, and the faithless. Scriptures like our passage today make it abundantly clear that we are more Goliath than David. We are more Ahab than Elijah. We are more Sodom than Eden. Yet, God in His goodness and love changed our story. God sent His Son to be beaten, to be crucified, and to have His blood shed, so He could reconcile His enemies, and make them His daughters and sons.

In today’s passage, Paul reminds the Colossians of this amazing truth. He calls them to keep in front of them their rescue story. Why? So that when following got hard, when they wondered if the payoff was worth the pain, when the temptation to go back to being an enemy arose, they would stay rooted and grounded in this truth…that God loved them, His enemies, so much that He was willing to pay the greatest price to make them all His children.

Application:

1. How does understanding that you are the villain hit you?

2. What does it mean that God invites us into a relationship with Him, since we aren’t simply people who make mistakes, but are actual enemies of God?

3. Can you identify the ways in which you have acted like an enemy of God?

4. How can the gospel help you stay faithful when tempted to give in to sin?

Devo Plus:

For further study, read 1 Samuel 17 and imagine yourself as Goliath. Think through the words he says, and the way he behaves toward God and His people. Then take a minute, and think through the fact that even though you have said and done those things, God still sent Jesus to rescue you.

Prayer:

Jesus, help us to remember that we were not just imperfect people, we were not just “generally good” or “not that bad,” but rather we were enemies, yet You still rescued us. Keep in front of us the depth of Your love for us, and how undeserving we are of that love. May it be the motivation of our hearts and the fuel of our love for You, as we allow that truth to transform our lives! Amen.

Hebrews 10:19-23 (ESV)

Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful.

Explanation:

The writer’s call to approach God with confidence is an enigma to those who knew the Temple system. Every good Israelite knew that they did not draw near the Holy of Holies unless they wanted to die. Rather, there were walls, barriers, curtains, and rules that kept them safe, out of the innermost place where God’s presence dwelt. Once a year, the High Priest would be allowed to approach this place with the blood of a sacrificed lamb to atone for the sins of the people. It was such a guarded space that they would tie a rope to the priest, so if he died while in the Holy of Holies, he could be drug out without anyone else having to enter. Why? Because sin was a serious matter.

But everything changed when Christ became that sacrificial lamb. It’s not that our sin became less serious, but that Christ is all the more able to make us right with God. When the sin of those who trust in Jesus is covered by His blood, their sin is no longer seen…only the blood of Jesus, a once and for all satisfying sacrifice for sin. Not only is Jesus the sacrifice, He is also the priest who opens the curtain and invites us into the Holy of Holies, into God’s presence. Not because we are deserving, but because God loves us, and Jesus is faithful and able to reconcile us to God, so we can confidently have access to God’s presence.

Application:

1. What is one thing that stood out to you in today’s passage?

2. Has shame ever kept you from going to God?

3. How can knowing that Christ is faithful to forgive you and make you right with God, give you confidence in approaching God?

Devo Plus:

Read Leviticus 16 to read more about the Hebrew holiday Day of Atonement.

Prayer:

Father, the only reason we can confidently know that You will not punish our sin is because of the faithfulness of Christ. We trust in Jesus’s sacrifice as we draw near to You. May the cross always stand as a marker in our lives, reminding us of how You were just and faithful, You were righteous and merciful. And we can trust our faithful priest Jesus to always come through for us.

Romans 5:6-11 (NLT)

When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners. Now, most people would not be willing to die for an upright person, though someone might perhaps be willing to die for a person who is especially good.  But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.  And since we have been made right in God’s sight by the blood of Christ, he will certainly save us from God’s condemnation. For since our friendship with God was restored by the death of his Son while we were still his enemies, we will certainly be saved through the life of his Son. So now we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God because our Lord Jesus Christ has made us friends of God.

Explanation:

I want you to take a few moments and think with me. Think of the most vile, horrible, awful person you’ve ever heard of. It can be real or fictional, but whoever you choose, make sure they’re your depiction of the absolute worst possible human ever. Got it? Don’t lose that thought. Now, I want you to think of someone who is totally the opposite. For the purposes of this exercise, you can’t choose Jesus. I’m looking for a human, real or fictional, who you would consider the best. This could be someone you know, wish you knew, saw in a movie, read about in a book, etc. Got that one?

If you followed along, you’ve now identified two people: one who is the very worst ever, and one who is the best. I’m about to tell you something that may shake you at your core. These people, when stripped down to their core, aren’t different. They are sinners. Without a Savior, they are enemies of God, destined to be apart from His love forever. I’m thinking of my two people right now, the good and the bad. I would never, ever put my sweet, loving grandmother (my epitome of “good” for this example) in the same category as someone like a serial killer. It completely blows me away to know that without God, even the “best” of humans will spend eternity with those who lived their lives on the fast track to hell.

But God, in His immaculate love for us, made a way. He took me, an enemy, and made me a friend. He sent Jesus to redeem the sin of the worst of the worst and the best of the best, and all we have to do is repent. With a humble heart, blackened with sin, we turn our eyes to heaven and beg God to forgive us. We beg Him to be our friend, to show us the path to righteousness and godly living, and commit our faith to His ways. There will be speed bumps along the way, but as we learn to navigate with God’s help, we can consider ourselves a friend of the Almighty, the friend who saved us from death.

Application:

1. “Sin is sin.” It’s a simple phrase, but I want you to think about it for a moment. Do you ever try to justify your sinful actions as “not that bad” or “it’s not like I killed someone”? I’ve been guilty of that before. God doesn’t have a rating scale for sin. It’s all out there in Romans 6:23, “The wages of sin is death.” Does this shift your perspective on sin?

2. When you think about being an enemy of God, how does that resonate with you? What about changing that perspective because of salvation, and being a friend of God instead? What an amazing gift you’ve been given!

Devo Plus:

Read Romans 6:23 and reflect on what it means to you. If you have access to different versions of the Bible (using a tool like Biblegateway.com), look at the different ways this verse is translated. Think about each of the key words…wages, sin, death, gift, God, eternal, life, Jesus…and how your life has changed because of the amazing gift you’ve been given through salvation.

Prayer:

God, today I ask for Your forgiveness. I know that every day, I walk where there are hundreds of decisions I can make. I want my life to reflect that I’m a friend of Yours, not an enemy. Please forgive my sinful actions, the sin in my heart, and help me to walk on a path that You’ve laid out in front of me. Give me the wisdom to know where I can make changes in my life to serve You better. Thank You for giving me the gift of Your Son, Jesus, so I don’t have to be separated from You and can live with You eternally. Help me to be a light to others, and show them what it means to be a friend of God.