1 Peter 1:3-4 (ESV)

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you,

Explanation:

If your house is under threat of fire, mildew, or water damage, would it not be good to know that the contents inside your house are imperishable – unable to be ruined or destroyed? Even if the house fell down around you, all the things that matter most inside are protected and kept safe.

In his first Epistle, Peter is writing to a church that is facing difficult times. Their lives are in danger at most, and uncomfortable at the least. They are facing struggles, trials, and persecutions, and all because they have chosen to put their trust in Jesus. These circumstances weaken the knees and resolve of most people, and begs the question, does it really pay to have faith in Jesus?

Peter answers with a resounding YES! Peter tells them that even though circumstances will come that may threaten their comfort, freedom, and even their lives, Jesus is the imperishable reward waiting for them. Nothing can take away or destroy the promise of His salvation, and the reward of eternal life in His presence. No amount of suffering, hardship, or even death itself, can take away what is theirs in Christ Jesus.

The only thing that would be able to take away that imperishable reward was their choice to abandon their faith because it was difficult or didn’t go as they expected. This is why Peter calls them desperately to hang on tight to Jesus, because even if the house that is their life is destroyed…the promise of eternal joy and life would remain.

Application:

1. Does it strike you as odd that Peter would dangle the proverbial carrot in front of his church, and beckon them to stay faithful for the reward they have in Jesus? Why do you think he is not bothered by this tactic?

2. Do you understand the rewards you are promised in Christ, and why it is important to remember them?

3. Have you ever been tempted to give up on faith because it was difficult, or because life wasn’t going as you expected?

4. What do you need to do to stay faithful despite hardships in your life?

Devo Plus:

Read the following passages to gain a greater understanding of the reward Christ won for us on the Cross: Colossian 3:23-24; James 1:12; Romans 6:23; John 3:16-17; 1 Peter 5:4; Revelation 21.

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, through the power of Your Holy Spirit, help us remain faithful to Jesus, so we may attain the everlasting, imperishable rewards of becoming His sons and daughters, eternal life, and all the joys that come from being in Your presence. I pray as challenges come our way that threaten our faith, You would give us the courage, strength, and insight to trust Your goodness, even in the face of difficult times. Thank You for Your grace and salvation that You won for us through Jesus! Amen.

1 John 4:9-11 (NLT)

God showed how much he loved us by sending his one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him. This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins.

Dear friends, since God loved us that much, we surely ought to love each other.

Explanation:

The love of God is something that is always amazing to me. We are a sinful, broken people. We mess up consistently. We dishonor God, and place other things as a higher importance. And yet, He still loves us. If anyone did the same to us, we would immediately shut them off. But not God. He sent His Son to pay our debt. He made the greatest sacrifice; He went to all possible lengths just to show us the depth of His unconditional love for us. We have done nothing to earn it. We clearly do not deserve it, but God still pours out His love on us.

This passage of scripture is motivating. It is a reminder of the incredible gift we have been given through the love God has for us. When we receive this unconditional love from God, it should cause us to share His love with others. I think the love of God is what this world needs now more than ever before. The love of God changes lives. Our world isn’t used to this kind of love, so when we share it with others, they notice. I want the love of God to radiate from me, so when others see me, they see Jesus. The love of God has changed my life, and I want others to experience this life-changing love. Just think how different our world would be if we all choose to love others the way Jesus loves us.

Application:

1. What does the love of God mean for you personally?

2. How has God’s love and sacrifice changed your life?

3. Who is someone you know that needs to experience the love of God?

4. What will you do today to share His love with others?

Devo Plus:

I encourage you to read 1 John 4:7-21 to learn more about God’s love and how important it is to share with others.

Prayer:

God, we cannot thank You enough for Your amazing love. Thank You for loving us so much that You sacrificed Your Son. Thank You for sending Him to pay the price for our sin and brokenness, so we might receive not only eternal life, but Your forgiveness and love. We long to share Your love with others. Please lead and guide us. Help us to always look for opportunities to share and love others with the same love we have received. Thank You for loving us! Amen.

Colossians 2:9-15 (ESV)

For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, and you have been filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority. In him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead. And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.

Explanation:

The church in Colossae was influenced by false teaching that questioned the deity of Jesus and His sufficiency for our salvation. With metaphors and vivid word pictures, the Apostle Paul explains why we have everything we need for salvation in Jesus Christ alone. Our sins—past, present, and future—were nailed to the cross Jesus died on, signifying that He paid the price for our sin debt. When Jesus arose from the grave and ascended to heaven, His work was complete and His victory over death was confirmed. There is simply nothing we can add to Christ’s sacrifice that will secure our eternal destiny.

Jesus fulfilled His role in God’s plan of salvation, and it is our privilege to walk in the victory He so graciously provides. The remainder of Colossians gives us practical instructions for character development, to help us live a victorious life in Christ. Salvation is free, but it is up to us to work out that salvation every hour of every day (Philippians 2:12).

In the Old Testament, God promised victory in battle to many of His leaders—Moses, Joshua, Gideon, and Jehoshaphat, to name a few. Every guarantee of victory came with instructions on how to get positioned to experience all that God had in store for them. Even today, the battle and the victory belong to God, but the blessings are ours to receive if we walk in obedience to His commands. We have everything we need in Christ Jesus for salvation and the abundant life He promises to those who follow Him.

Application:

1. What does it mean to be “dead in your trespasses”?

2. What is the difference between accepting God’s gift of salvation, and working it out in your life?

3. In what areas do you struggle to walk in the victory God gives you through Christ’s work on the cross?

Devo:

Meditate on the worship song “Every Victory” by The Belonging Co., featuring Danny Gokey.

Every Victory (feat. Danny Gokey) // The Belonging Co - YouTube

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, thank You for providing everything I need for salvation and an abundant life through Your Son, Jesus Christ, and His atoning work on the cross. Help me to live out my salvation so others can see Him in me. Amen.

Ephesians 2:1-9 (ESV)

And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience—among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.

Explanation:

This is one of the passages of scripture that encourages me the most when I need it. It tells of God’s amazing love for us, and of a mercy and grace that none of us deserve. In Paul’s teaching, he speaks of being “dead” in sin. Just as someone who is physically dead cannot revive themselves to life, we cannot save ourselves from our sin. We need a Savior.

Spoiler alert: COVID isn’t the biggest pandemic this world has ever seen–sin is! I want you to take a moment and think about this. For the last year, our daily lives have been lived under a cloud of a “deadly pandemic.” Grab some perspective…if you’ve been alive more than a year, you’ve been living under a deadly pandemic for much longer. The entire world was born into a global pandemic that causes eternal death.

BUT GOD, in His great mercy, gave us a path that leads to life. I’m at the front of the line of people who don’t deserve redemption. BUT GOD gives us His unmerited favor, that we can receive by faith in Him. Jesus took on my rotten sin to give me a beautiful future. In Cory Asbury’s song, “Reckless Love,” he has a lyric that says, “I couldn’t earn it, I don’t deserve it, still you give yourself away.” God’s love and mercy is never-ending and overwhelming. If you’ve not taken the step to embrace it, don’t wait another second. He’s waiting for you.

Application:

1. Take a moment and reflect on what the meaning of “mercy” is to your life.

2. Paul wrote this letter to the people of Ephesus, a place where the people were living in a culture that had been following the law to the letter, but had lost the “spirit” of the law (Romans 2:29). Do a “heart check.” Do you ever get caught up in following the rules and checking boxes (“I did a devo today-check” or “I prayed today-check”)? Does that cause you to forget about the amazing gift available to you by taking time to stop and LISTEN to what God’s trying to say to you today?

Devo Plus:

Go to YouTube or The Tree Church website, and watch Pastor Matthew’s introductory message from the series “Extravagant Love” that he taught on May 24, 2020. You’ll hear more about God’s deep love for His people, and the undeserved mercy He extends to us.

Devo Plus PLUS!:

Listen to the song “Reckless Love” by Cory Asbury. Look up the lyrics online and follow along while you listen to the powerful words about God’s love for us!

Prayer:

God, I am so thankful for Your amazing love and mercy. I’m sorry for the times I take for granted all of the blessings You pour out to me. I pray that You would help me continue to increase my faith, embrace Your love and mercy, and be a light to others. I give You my heart to use as Your instrument, and pray that You give me the ability to be strong in Your love as I walk through each day…and not just “check boxes.” Thank You for giving us Jesus, so that we have a hope of life with You that’s bigger than the death any pandemic can throw our way.

Galatians 2:15-16, 19-21 (MSG)

We Jews know that we have no advantage of birth over “non-Jewish sinners.” We know very well that we are not set right with God by rule-keeping but only through personal faith in Jesus Christ. How do we know? We tried it—and we had the best system of rules the world has ever seen! Convinced that no human being can please God by self-improvement, we believed in Jesus as the Messiah so that we might be set right before God by trusting in the Messiah, not by trying to be good.

What actually took place is this: I tried keeping rules and working my head off to please God, and it didn’t work. So I quit being a “law man” so that I could be God’s man. Christ’s life showed me how, and enabled me to do it. I identified myself completely with him. Indeed, I have been crucified with Christ. My ego is no longer central. It is no longer important that I appear righteous before you or have your good opinion, and I am no longer driven to impress God. Christ lives in me. The life you see me living is not “mine,” but it is lived by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I am not going to go back on that.

Is it not clear to you that to go back to that old rule-keeping, peer-pleasing religion would be an abandonment of everything personal and free in my relationship with God? I refuse to do that, to repudiate God’s grace. If a living relationship with God could come by rule-keeping, then Christ died unnecessarily.

Explanation:

Most of the prisons we live in, we are not conscious of. 

“Rule failure” was Paul’s. 

Smack in the middle of this passage, he just dumps his feelings about it.

“What actually took place is this: I tried keeping rules and working my head off to please God, and it didn’t work. So I quit being a “law man” so that I could be God’s man.”

Like a parent who skillfully trades their one-year-old toddler a dangerous item for a toy, God has helped Paul trade his “zeal for the rules” for the “unmerited love of God.”

It was in that trade, that Paul found the secret to POWER.

I was one of those who thought God would love me if I changed. 

How tremendous it was to learn that God would change me because He loved me. 

Like Paul, when that flip happened in my relationship with God, I came to know firsthand the power of God to change my attitudes, responses, and perceptions.

Here’s the thing. If you want to change yourself, God will let you try until you exhaust yourself and run out of “try.” He will release you into your own efforts and strategies.

He will patiently wait until your self-sufficient motor dies and your righteous mechanics lock up. Then, like the gentleman He is, when you open up for Him to take control, He lives in you. That means from the inside of your core He is guiding, enlightening, exposing, transforming, replenishing, nurturing, soothing, healing, modifying, replacing, exchanging, invigorating, and restoring you to live in a new energy...His grace. 

He does the entire makeover!


When God is free to do the work inside of us, 

the proof shows up on the outside of us, 

as we live by faith in the Son of God.

Application:

1. This isn’t a head knowledge thing. This is an invitation thing. You alone hold the key to the door of your life. Turn that key. Open that door. Have that conversation. Invite Jesus to begin something radically fresh in your heart that produces spiritual vitality. It’s always a good day for God to do something new.

2. Paul acknowledges that to be God’s man, he had to totally identify with God…completely. How are your secondary identities impacted under the umbrella of complete identity in God? (parent/spouse/relative/employee/boss/neighbor/friend)

3. The normal human struggle is to look for identity horizontally, when we are hardwired by God to get it vertically. God intended for us to identify as His creation and beloved children. How DO loved children live?

4. Let’s remember that Christ’s sacrifice has altered our lives for eternity. There is no greater gift. What is the proper thing to do with a gift?

Devo Plus:

“The law offends us because it tells us what to do—and most of the time, we hate anyone telling us what to do. But ironically, grace offends us even more, because it tells us that there is nothing we can do, that everything has already been done. And if there is something we hate more than being told what to do, it’s being told that we can’t do anything, that we can’t earn anything—that we are helpless, weak, and needy.” 

― Tullian Tchividjian, One Way Love: Inexhaustible Grace for an Exhausted World

Prayer:

Lord, sometimes the negative voices in my head and in the world speak louder than your voice. I constantly need reminding of who You are and who You say I am. On this day, I am feeling overwhelmed and discouraged with me. 

I need Your truth to penetrate my consciousness, to chip away the dead coping mechanisms I turn to, to stop the voices in my head.

In my floundering—reach for me. I need Your hand to grasp mine, and place my heart and emotions on the solid ground of Your unfailing love. I ask in faith. Amen.

Romans 3:19-31

Now we know that whatever the law says it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be stopped, and the whole world may be held accountable to God. For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin.

But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God's righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.

Then what becomes of our boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? By a law of works? No, but by the law of faith. For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law. Or is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles also? Yes, of Gentiles also, since God is one—who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith. Do we then overthrow the law by this faith? By no means! On the contrary, we uphold the law.

Explanation:

Growing up, every day in school we would start our day by reciting the Pledge of Allegiance. This must still be the routine, because early in the school year, my kindergartener was learning to memorize it as well. Within the pledge, there is a line that says, “with liberty and justice for all.” This is a great reminder to us that we live in a nation that assures us of these two great things. Well, if you think that is a great assurance, you should hear what the Apostle Paul has to say about a better assurance that comes through Christ.

In today’s reading, we see what assurance Paul is referring to. It’s this, that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” BUT “ALL who believe” in Christ as their Savior will be saved, “for there is no distinction.” Salvation is not just for those who have their lives altogether. Honestly, that thought is malarky to begin with, because nobody is sin free besides Jesus. The gracious gift of salvation that God offers to us through the work of Christ on the cross is available to all. This was the essence of Paul’s ministry. There are no credentials to being in relationship with God, other than simply believing in Christ and trusting in Him.

Friends, this is true the very first time you make this decision, and continues throughout your entire relationship with Christ. I say this because I think guilt and shame related to our sin can hinder us from approaching God with this same assurance, after we are in relationship with God. The truth still applies though; “all” includes even those who have sinned when in relationship with God. This is the best news you could ever hear, and as we celebrate Easter as a church, let us ALL celebrate the incredible love of our Savior!

Application:

1. Why is it such a big deal that salvation is a free gift for ALL, without distinction?

2. How have you sometimes believed you were not in the “all” group that Christ offers salvation and forgiveness to?

3. What does Christ’s sacrifice tell you about God’s love for you?

4. What truth about your relationship with Christ do you want to celebrate this Easter?

Devo Plus:

If you are looking for a good laugh, check out this video where the Easter story is told through the eyes of children: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wdn1R90kX9A

Prayer:

Jesus, there is no greater gift than what You offer us all through Your sacrifice. You, Christ, are worthy of our praise, and today and forevermore we want to worship You. I have read and believe that with You there is no distinction, and all of us, no matter who we are or what we have done, can come to You for salvation and forgiveness. Thank You for redeeming me. Help me to accept the new life You offer me, and to trust You with whatever You call me to do, this day forward.

1 John 2:3-6 (NLT)

And we can be sure that we know him if we obey his commandments. If someone claims, “I know God,” but doesn’t obey God’s commandments, that person is a liar and is not living in the truth. But those who obey God’s word truly show how completely they love him. That is how we know we are living in him. Those who say they live in God should live their lives as Jesus did.

Explanation:

I work in addiction recovery. The first thing I do for our clients is schedule an assessment with one of our counselors. At the end of that assessment, the client will be told what all will be required, what it will take, and what they will have to do while they are in treatment with us to go from addiction to recovery. They then have the option to be “in treatment.” They are still an addict, but they can begin a new life by being “in treatment.”

When our clients are in treatment, it includes private counseling, support groups, medical attention, learning new skills, replacing old habits with new, changing the way they think, and lots of falling and getting back up. They are literally learning a whole new life. Oddly enough, one of the things that makes our program successful is high accountability. Most of our clients are highly motivated by the court system being involved with their lives, and our urine screens don’t lie. Being in treatment includes great days of overcoming and tragic days of failure, but the ones who succeed are the ones who stay in treatment and finish the course.

The same is true with being “in God.” When we come to Him with our sins and repent, through the redemptive work of Jesus, we are now “in God.” He offers us high accountability because He knows everything about us, and His Holy Spirit is leading us into all truth. He offers us new ways of living and thinking, support, help when we fall, and the power to get up. We become new people as we stay in God.

On the flip-side, unbelievers are not “in God.” Any statement the Bible makes regarding those in God, or promises available in Christ, do not apply to every human being. They are reserved for those who are in Christ, who have become His children.


That is why the last line of our passage today is so powerful. “Those who say they live IN God, should live their lives as Jesus did.” The IN is so important because the only way we can live like Jesus is if we are filled with Jesus. 

As heartbreaking as it is, we will have clients who decide to go it alone and not stay in treatment. The worst is finding out they died. I know that is a heavy illustration, but if you don’t stay in God, you will lose the power to keep His commands, and you will die spiritually.  

God is calling all of us to stay in Him…so close to His heart that the natural manifestation of our lives is living the way He designed us.

Application:

1. What prevents you from wanting to keep all of Jesus’s commandments?

2. Do you see the power of the description “in God”?

3. Why does being enveloped in God and His unmerited favor transform us from knowledge gatherers into doers?

4, How beautiful is it to think that God calls us to something He is absolutely going to empower us to do, as long as we stay in Him?

5. “In” is the secret path to obedience. Our passage uses “in” three times:

           Living in the truth

            Living in Him (Jesus)

            Live in God

Devo Plus:

It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. 1 Corinthians 1:30 (NIV)

Prayer:

Jesus, I need You, to be like You. As my heart tiptoes into this new day, may it be different. May I be keenly aware that You have done the work on the cross so on this day, I can move about my day enveloped in You...full of You...empowered by You. As You push the unholy out of my heart, may my spirit be keenly aware of the holy responses and thoughts You have replaced them with. It is such fun to live in the freshness of Your work in my life. I relish living in Your power today, and I am eternally grateful for the grace that makes this even doable. Thank You for Your immense love, and for Your transformational work that continues as I choose to live in You.

Matthew 25:31-46 (ESV)

“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left. Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’

“Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ Then they also will answer, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?’ Then he will answer them, saying, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’ These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

Explanation:

I have known this passage of scripture for a long time. It is one that has resonated with me throughout my life. Jesus is telling the people what will happen when it comes time for the final judgment. Every person will come before Him, and will be separated into two groups. To His right will be the sheep. The sheep represent those who gave and lived their lives for Christ. It is the one who looked out for the needs of others, cared for others, sacrificed, lived with an eternal perspective in mind. It is the person who treated and loved others the way Christ does, who laid aside self to glorify Christ. It is the person who will inherit eternal life. Jesus even tells us that when we are doing things for others, we are doing things for Him, without even knowing it.

But to the left will be the goats. The goats represent the ones who were selfish, self-focused and lived life for worldly pleasure. It is person who does not know Christ, and lives for the here and now. It is the person who will consequently suffer eternal death and wrath. It is the person who sees the needs of others and does nothing about it, the person who puts self first and lives only for their selfish wants, success, and desires. This is the person who will miss out on the opportunity to live with God forever.

Every time I read this passage, it causes me to pause and remember that I’m not living life for myself. I’m not living life for worldly success or glory. I am living life with an eternal perspective in mind. God has called me to feed the hungry, care for others in need, and to be a light both to people I know and those I don’t. This passage is a great reminder to me to die to myself, to my wants and desires, in order that Christ may be glorified.

At the end of my life, I want to be a sheep. I want to end up on the right side, the side that gets to live with Jesus for eternity. The way I conduct my life now…the way I love others, care for others, and reflect Jesus…will make all of the difference when that final judgment comes. May we all look for ways to care for others and to be a light, so at the end of our lives, we hear the words, “well done, my good and faithful servant,” as we walk into eternity with Jesus.

Application:

1. What was your first response when reading today’s passage?

2. In what ways are you putting aside your selfishness to take care of the “least of these”?

3. How does a selfless focus make a difference in your actions?

4. What is something you can do today for someone in need? After you have thought about it, go and do it!

Devo Plus:

Take some time today to pray. Ask God to help you see others in a different light. Ask God to help you seek and find opportunities to serve others, to love others. And remind yourself that putting the needs of others above yourself is, in fact, serving Jesus. I’m praying that through serving others, you find incredible blessing.

Prayer:

God, oh how we long to hear the words, “well done my good and faithful servant” at the end of our lives. We want to be on Your right, to be Your sheep when the final judgment comes. Will You help us today to look for opportunities to take care of the sick, the poor, the ones in need? Help us to put our selfishness aside, and to continue on a selfless life that leads to You, that leads us to eternity. We know how we live now will determine where we spend eternity. Help us to live in such a way that we bring honor and glory to Your most powerful and awesome Name. Amen.

Matthew 7:21-23 (ESV)

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’

Explanation:

This passage is part of one of Jesus’s teachings called “The Sermon on the Mount.” In this teaching, Jesus commands listeners not to be hypocritically judgmental. Jesus describes God as a loving, generous Father who wants to give His children good things. There’s a stipulation, though—we must be willing to make some difficult choices and walk in obedience. He tells us that while we are following God’s will, our works and actions will reflect that we are following Him.

I want to be very clear on what this passage doesn’t say. It doesn’t say if I am “a good person,” that gives me a free pass into heaven. It doesn’t say if I serve a meal at the homeless shelter, put a few extra dollars in the offering at church, or help my neighbor mow his grass, then I’m going to go to heaven. Instead, it talks about walking in obedience and doing the Father’s will. Being “good” isn’t “good enough.”

When Jesus gave this teaching, He wanted to zero in and point out that the Pharisees, who were trying really hard to be “rule followers,” were missing the point of what it meant to walk in obedience. They were focusing on external behaviors and good deeds to get the praise of others, but they forgot to show love, kindness, and humility in the process. Their hearts were hard. Jesus wanted us all to understand that doing the Father’s will is something that comes from the inside. When we choose to obey God’s calling, our sincere faith and pureness of heart will bear good fruit. That’s the “doing” part of this teaching…walking in obedience to the will of the Father, and bearing good fruit in His name.

Application:

1. What does it mean to walk in obedience?

2. Imagine what it would have been like to be in the crowd of people who listened to Jesus’s teaching that day. How would your response to this passage change if you were hearing it as part of the crowd? Why is that different than how you may choose to respond today?

3. In this passage, it’s easy to get caught up in the fact that we fail. Take a moment and reflect on this statement, and re-frame today’s passage in this light: “When we follow Jesus, we put our trust in who HE is and not what we are capable of.” (Meg Bucher)

Devo Plus:

Spend some time reading or listening to the three chapters in Matthew that are known as the Sermon on the Mount: Matthew 5-7.

Prayer:

God, I ask for Your guidance today and every day to walk in obedience. My flesh is full of faults, and temptation surrounds me constantly. I ask that You keep me in Your will and guide my steps. Allow my heart to be pure, and my actions to bear good fruit. Allow all those who I encounter today to know me by my Father, and to know me by a love that can only come from You. I ask that You continually pour Your Spirit on me, so my decisions are pleasing to You, and I am able to rest in the promise of Your love. Thank You for being my good, good Father.

James 2:14-17 (NLT)

What good is it, dear brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but don’t show it by your actions? Can that kind of faith save anyone? Suppose you see a brother or sister who has no food or clothing, and you say, “Good-bye and have a good day; stay warm and eat well” but then you don’t give that person any food or clothing. What good does that do?

So you see, faith by itself isn’t enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless.

Explanation:

Meet James. With his short but very powerful letter comes a summary of his wisdom for any and every community of Jesus followers. Unlike Paul, his goal is not to explain or teach new theological ideas, but to boldly, and at times bluntly, challenge how each of us who say we have faith in Jesus lives. His primary theme is living out one’s faith, and he is interested in action, rather than mere belief, as the distinguishing characteristic of Christians.

In this portion of his letter, James explains that once a person professes to be a follower of Jesus, it should result in a life of doing God’s work. James believes our deeds don’t need to be added to faith (just like Paul explains the Gospel needs nothing added to it to save us), BUT good deeds should instead naturally grow from our faith. For both Paul and James, faith is simply trusting God to keep His promises; specifically, that through His Son, Jesus Christ, we are declared in right standing with God on the basis of Jesus’s life, death, and resurrection in our place. James is not contradicting Paul, and he never questions the truth that it is GRACE ALONE, THROUGH FAITH ALONE that saves us from our sins; he simply targets a certain kind of faith–dead faith–and says it will not save.

James concentrates on those whose actions betray what they say they believe. Good deeds are not the basis of our salvation, but the result, the evidence. If someone says they have faith but lacks the good deeds that result from having faith, one must doubt that their salvation is genuine. Deeds follow faith, in that the more we accept our new status as sons and daughters, and seek the things God has for us in our lives, the more opportunities He will place in front of us for good deeds to be done. Living faith will express itself in obedience and good deeds; dead faith brings about no results, and this is not God’s plan for our lives. Being saved by Jesus is too good not to change our lives every day in every way!

Application:

1. James uses the word faith three times in four verses, BUT in each context, he is actually talking about something that is less than genuine faith. Picture James as the original user of air quotes when he says, “If you say you have faith…” IF faith is truly alive in us, it will eventually produce good deeds. Can you look back in your walk with God and see the progression of good deeds in your life? Or have your deeds gone unchanged since deciding to follow Jesus?

2. What are “good deeds” as God expects them from us? James gives practical examples of providing food and clothing, and contrasts that with proffered words that are cop-outs if not followed by action. What are some good deeds you have already been asked to pursue? Ask God for clarity, and see if He doesn’t show you even more ways you can live out your faith.

3. Who does God expect us to do good deeds for? As broken people, we tend to show favor to people who can benefit us and neglect those who can’t. This is opposite of how Jesus loves, inviting the lowest of society to walk with Him daily. Look around this week at who God may be calling you to help, starting with those closest to you who may not be able to do anything for you in return.

4. How we do these good deeds also matters. We can make grand gestures and give thousands of dollars to those in need without ever letting it affect our heart. God has always been interested in why we do what we do: it is faith in His provision of all we truly need that allows us to do and give generously.

Devo Plus:

1. Read the entire book of James, which “The Bible Project” calls “a beautifully crafted punch in the gut for those who truly want to follow Jesus.”

2. Re-read Ephesians 2:8-9 and see that James picks up where Paul leaves off. Both agree we are not saved by our deeds, BUT we are saved FOR the good deeds that the Bible tells us God has already prepared us to do. Isn’t that exciting?!

Prayer:

Father God, thank You for choosing to include the important and complementary teachings of both Paul and James in Your Word. May we always be aware that all of scripture was meant to work together to help us live a life of wholeness in You. A fragmented, fractured life is the result of not genuinely following You, so please help us connect our hearts with our actions, this week and always. Bring people and opportunities into our lives that clearly show us Your way to care, and forgive us when we miss those opportunities the first time around. Help us to be more like You every day, in every way, something we were designed to do only with Your help. We love You, and are so grateful for all You’ve done, and continue to do, in our lives. Amen.