The Tree Church Daily

2 Corinthians 5:17-21

This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!

And all of this is a gift from God, who brought us back to himself through Christ. And God has given us this task of reconciling people to him. For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them. And he gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation. So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, “Come back to God!” For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ.

Explanation:

“Sin is a devastating reality of the human condition. At the heart of sin is a rejection and rebellion against God, that when lived out leads to devastating consequences because God abandons us to our own ways and desires.”

Chris Reed

Where would you be without the redemptive love of Jesus that completely makes you a new person...a person with surrendered desires and ways? How would your life look without the transforming love of God?

I am going to tell you a very odd thing I experience.

For some reason, all of my adult life I have randomly seen people in very depraved situations who will physically look like someone I know who is serving Christ. Maybe it’s the strung-out panhandler who reminds me of my missionary friend, or a cruel TV commentator who reminds me of my godly uncle. Every time it happens, I immediately think of our passage today, “Christ makes us new creatures.” It’s a little phenomenon that drives home the point to me that Jesus makes all the difference, and without Him, sin overtakes us and leads us into destruction. I will immediately think, “That’s what the person I know could be and look like without Jesus.”

Yes. Without Jesus, we are crumpled by life.

In fact...sin will make you stupid!

But.

Jesus.

When we accept His offer of belonging to Him, we are made right with God, PLUS

He guides and directs our lives!

Reconciliation is focused on rebuilding and repairing, so it keeps us from wasting our hours, days, weeks, months, and years. His reconciliation includes wisdom for our decisions, solutions for our struggles, exit plans for our captivity, freedom from our past, vision for our future, peace in our pain, redemption from our sin, and eternity with Him.

Because reconciliation is focused on rebuilding and repairing, and since we are reconciled to God, we now have the task of allowing God to make His appeal to the world through our lives.

Will you let Him?

Application:

1. Perhaps you have wondered how to explain reconciliation to God in simple vernacular.

These are five steps to reconciliation with God:

We must desire it, and verbally express that desire.

We must acknowledge sin and how it separates us from God.

We must want forgiveness for it.

We must ask for forgiveness.

We must accept forgiveness.

2. Why do you think accepting forgiveness might be the hardest part of reconciliation? It is almost unfathomable to think of God not holding a grudge against us, but He doesn’t. It clearly says once we are reconciled, He no longer holds sin against us.

3. Do you practice saying thank you? Are you diligent about expressing gratitude? You have been given the gift of reconciliation with God. It’s a good day to have that thought on your mind, in your heart, and on your tongue as you go about your allotted hours!

Devo Plus:

“These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33, NKJV)

Prayer:

Jesus, THANK YOU! Thank You for being so gracious to us that You would pay the price for our sins, make us into a new creation, plus use us as ambassadors! It is truly mind boggling that You lavishly love us so much...and only ask for love in return. I want to see who YOU want me to see today. Help my eyes find the one I need to represent You to today, and give me the wisdom to do it well. I love You and thank You for all You have done for me and the world. Amen.

Psalm 14:1-3 (ESV)

The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.”

They are corrupt, they do abominable deeds;

there is none who does good.

The Lord looks down from heaven on the children of man,

to see if there are any who understand,

who seek after God.

They have all turned aside; together they have become corrupt;

there is none who does good,

not even one.

Explanation:

As a child growing up, I always loved it when my mom would tell me I was a “good” girl. And in all reality, I have tried my best to keep that mentality. I want to be looked at as good. I’m always striving to be good, but then I read this passage and it hits hard. I have always thought of myself as a good person, but then in one sentence, God tells me the exact opposite. Because I am human, not only am I not “good,” but I’m considered corrupt. I definitely do not like that. When I think of someone as being corrupt, I think of someone who is sketchy, who does illegal things and the like. But God tells us that all humans are corrupt…because we are all sinful, we are all broken. And although, compared to others I may be good, when I compare my goodness to that of God, He will win every time. Only God is good at all times, in all moments. There is no corruption when it comes to God.

This passage really challenges me as I process it. I still long to be good and to do good things, but after reading this passage, does it mean that is a lost cause? Should I just give up, because this side of heaven I will never be good? The answer is no. I’m still called to strive to become more like Christ. To grow in my relationship with Him, to challenge myself to walk in obedience, to study His Word, and to change my behaviors so I can be like Him. I have to die to myself daily, and I have to release my selfish desires and sinful nature to God. I then allow God to make me new, to make me whole, and to help me become like Him. He helps me learn how to replace my sin with His grace and His goodness.

It is not easy. It is a constant battle, but it is a battle worth fighting, a sacrifice worth making. I am not good, but God is, and through Him, I can become better. When I recognize my own brokenness and sinful nature, it is a great place to be, because it helps me realize how desperately I need a good God to be in charge of my life.

Application:

1. Before reading this passage, would you have considered yourself to be a good person? Why or why not?

2. How does this passage change your perspective on our human nature?

3. How has the goodness of God changed your life?

Devo Plus:

I encourage you today to spend time in prayer. First, ask God to show you the areas where you are indeed corrupt. Next, invite Him into those places. Lastly, seek God and His wisdom on how you can become more like Him.

Prayer:

God, today I am so thankful that You are good, that goodness is Your nature, it is who You are. We recognize that we are corrupt, we are evil. But we are thankful for the fact that we are created in Your image, and because of that, we have Your goodness. Will You please help us every day to lay down our sin, to lay down our selfishness, and to become more like You? We long for more of You and more of Your goodness in our lives. Lead us and help us today, and every day. Amen.

Isaiah 64:6-7 (ESV)

We have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment. We all fade like a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away. There is no one who calls upon your name, who rouses himself to take hold of you; for you have hidden your face from us, and have made us melt in the hand of our iniquities.

Explanation:

In this passage, Isaiah is crying out to God and really confessing that Israel has brought on its own destruction because of sin. This is a sad passage of scripture to read. The whole chapter is sad. It’s always a sad thing when people have turned their hearts away from God, and brought on their own pain and their own destruction in their lives. When we ignore who God is, when we choose to live a life separate from Him, the natural consequence is a life where we “fade.” We cannot experience a fulfilled life when we allow sin to separate us from a relationship with God.

I think one of the saddest parts of the passage above is when it says, “There is no one who calls upon your name, who rouses himself to take hold of you.” I never want that to be said about me. I pray that I always have a heart that calls on the name of God. I cannot do this life alone. I am a sinner who needs God’s forgiveness in my life. I daily need to “rouse myself” to take hold of God. In order to experience a fulfilled life, I have to be in relationship and connected to the One who is the giver of a fulfilled life. Only a relationship with God can satisfy us and give us what we need.

So, what do we do if we find ourselves in a place where we haven’t confessed our sins, or we aren’t calling on the name of God? It’s a simple answer; we turn to God. God promises to always be faithful when we turn our hearts toward Him. No matter how far away we feel, no matter how great our sins are, God is available and faithful. He desires for us to “rouse ourselves and take hold of Him.” Call on His name today. Ask God for forgiveness. Ask God to work in your heart and in your mind. He is faithful, and desires to be in relationship with you. That’s great news!

Application:

1. Why do you think that at times, we try to do life alone?

2. If you have tried to do life alone (apart from God), how has that played out in your life?

3. What prevents you from confessing your sin?

4. Is there any sin in your life that you need to confess? If so, take some time to confess it to God and ask for His forgiveness. Remember that He is faithful to forgive us!

Devo Plus:

Be challenged today (and hopefully past today) to turn your heart to God. When you find yourself frustrated, sinning, faced with a choice, pause and ask God for guidance. When you sin, confess it and ask for forgiveness. Ask God for what you need in the moment you turn to Him. Be aware that we need to rely on God daily, and a relationship with Him is constant!

Prayer:

God, we are so thankful that You are faithful. We are so thankful that You have made a way for us to be in relationship with You. No sin is too great for You. No matter what state we find ourselves in at this moment, help us to remember the truth that we can turn our hearts toward You, ask You for forgiveness, and You are faithful to forgive us. Help our hearts to always be soft toward You!

Romans 3:9-18 (NLT)

Well then, should we conclude that we Jews are better than others? No, not at all, for we have already shown that all people, whether Jews or Gentiles, are under the power of sin. As the Scriptures say,

“No one is righteous—not even one.

No one is truly wise; no one is seeking God.

All have turned away; all have become useless.

No one does good, not a single one.”

“Their talk is foul, like the stench from an open grave. Their tongues are filled with lies.”

“Snake venom drips from their lips.”

“Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness.”

“They rush to commit murder. Destruction and misery always follow them They don’t know where to find peace.”

“They have no fear of God at all.”

Explanation:

Paul doesn’t mince words in this passage; he level-sets with everyone by making sure they all understand that NO ONE is righteous. NO ONE is worthy. I’m thinking that he probably didn’t win any friends when he delivered this message, but he spoke in truth. Sin is a terminal diagnosis. The thing that sets sin apart from the terminal diagnoses we hear about in the physical realm is this: God has a remedy. Our terminal illness is curable through Him and the plan for redemption He gave us through Jesus.

Paul talked about the Romans being “under the power of sin.” They were rebelling against God, trying to do things on their own. Sound familiar? How many times do we think we can handle a situation by ourselves and don’t turn it over to God? We have to remember that just trying to be “good” doesn’t cut it. We are broken, unholy, and undeserving. Without God, we’re doomed. His perfect plan to redeem humanity is the “fix” we all need. Apart from God, we are just like the Romans—rebels who are on a path to destruction.

I don’t know about you, but I don’t need any help getting myself into trouble. Because I am broken, I need to remember that God is the only one who can set my path straight in every situation. No one is righteous, but thanks to the sacrifice that Jesus made, we are given a chance to be reconciled if we choose to accept the grace that has been placed before us! Day after day, doing our best to walk in obedience and confessing our sins when we fall short, is what can set us apart from the power of sin and its terminal diagnosis.

Application:

1. When you read this passage, what do you think it means for us to be “under the power of sin?”

2. In the last verse, Paul says, “They don’t know where to find peace. They have no fear of God at all.” How do you think these two sentences go together? Does fear of God equal peace?

3. Since we know we aren’t righteous, what can we do to be in right standing with God?

Devo Plus:

Additional scriptures about the unrighteousness of man: Psalm 14:1-3, Psalm 53:1-3, Ecclesiastes 7:20

Prayer:

God, today I ask for Your guidance. Help me remember that I can’t do anything on my own, and all of my strength comes from You. Forgive me of my sins and failures and the things that dishonor You. I ask for Your grace and forgiveness, and pray that You will help me remember to lean on You to get through each day.

Romans 3:1-8 (ESV)

Then what advantage has the Jew? Or what is the value of circumcision? Much in every way. To begin with, the Jews were entrusted with the oracles of God. What if some were unfaithful? Does their faithlessness nullify the faithfulness of God? By no means! Let God be true though everyone were a liar, as it is written,

“That you may be justified in your words,

and prevail when you are judged.”

But if our unrighteousness serves to show the righteousness of God, what shall we say? That God is unrighteous to inflict wrath on us? (I speak in a human way.) By no means! For then how could God judge the world? But if through my lie God's truth abounds to his glory, why am I still being condemned as a sinner? And why not do evil that good may come? —as some people slanderously charge us with saying. Their condemnation is just.

Explanation:

The question that Paul addresses in today’s reading is one we have all wrestled with at some point in time in our faith. The question is, if I am unfaithful to God, will He then be unfaithful to me? Wow! Do we really want to know the answer to this question? Do we need to fear the response that is coming when we ask this question? The audience during the time period when Paul was writing certainly was curious about the answer. Paul tells us the astounding truth, “no!” God’s faithfulness is not dependent upon our faithfulness. This is true for the Jews who were first called to be in relationship with God, and also for anyone else who chose, by faith, to be in relationship with God.

God is always faithful to His promises; this includes every word He has spoken. Not just the promises for blessings, but also the promises for His judgment. He is faithful to them all. When someone puts their faith in God and in the works of Christ on their behalf, God is faithful to uphold His promise to view them through that promise. Then again, when someone chooses not to place their faith in God and the works of Jesus, the judgment that God has spoken regarding this will also be upheld.

Paul must have been coming under much heat during the time when he was writing this. Many must have been misconstruing his words, and trying to manipulate the Jews and the Gentiles to believe that Paul was misrepresenting the truths of God. Paul then had to encourage the church in Rome, which was made up of mostly Gentile believers, as well as Jews, to hold firm to the promises of God. He encouraged them not to let anyone sway their beliefs in a damaging direction.

My encouragement would be the same for you today, friends. When you put your faith in God and believe in the promises that come through Christ, God will carry out His promise to be faithful to you. Even when you find yourself being unfaithful to Him. God’s promise, though, is not an excuse for us to remain in our unfaithfulness, but to repent and return to the life that is found in Christ. Trust in the faithfulness of God.

Application:

1. What does it mean to be unfaithful?

2. Have you ever been unfaithful to God?

3. What promises did God give us in Christ?

4. In what ways have you ever been led to believe that God would not remain faithful to you, if you were not always faithful to Him?

5. Why does it matter that God is faithful to all of His promises (blessings and judgments)?

Devo Plus:

What damage might have been caused in the church in Rome, if they would have believed the slanderous words of doing “evil so that good may come” (Romans 3:8)?

Prayer:

God, we can never thank You enough for Your promises and Your faithfulness. I have been unfaithfulness to You and recognize that I need You in my life. Without Your faithfulness, I would be devastated. Forgive me for the times when I have not been faithful to You, and help me to live my life out of Your promises. Let it be Your faithfulness that I put my trust in, so I can move forward and live the life You have designed me to live.

Romans 1:26-32 (NIV)

Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural sexual relations for unnatural ones. In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed shameful acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their error.

Furthermore, just as they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, so God gave them over to a depraved mind, so that they do what ought not to be done. They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; they have no understanding, no fidelity, no love, no mercy. Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them.

Explanation:

Today’s passage is one of the most depressing descriptions of sin in the Bible. I typically love to give an optimistic slant to things. The only problem is…this passage doesn’t have an optimistic slant. What’s sad is everything listed in this passage is part of our culture today. Romans 1:26 portrays the most horrid picture of what happens when we abandon God altogether, and fall deeper and deeper into awful wickedness. An even scarier thought is found in verse 32: “Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them.” But if there is an optimistic area to this entire list, and it’s a long list, it dramatically illustrates our need for salvation from sin through faith in Jesus Christ. And Christ offers that freely…if you believe.

In Romans 1:24, Paul says God’s wrathful response to ungodliness was to give humanity (us) up to the unchecked expression of our sexual lust and impure desires. As a result, people were increasingly dishonoring their bodies. Paul’s words were not a blanket condemnation of sexual desire and expression. God gave us this gift to be enjoyed between a husband and wife. Genesis 2:24 says, “That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh.” Like all other things in our lives, if we want to honor God, there is a time and place for sexual expression and sexual desire (1 Timothy 4:4; 1 Corinthians 7:4-5). What Paul is describing is the corruption of this beautiful gift.

This passage illustrates that unchecked desires can lead to death. But the Good News is…God has a better plan for us. Not because He demands His own way. God wants us to submit to His will and plan because He loves us. And wants the best for us. And what do we receive? Again, “Whoever submits to God in this world will keep it for eternal life.” Now, that’s great news.

Application:

1. Are there any areas of sin in your life you still need to release?

2. Spend a few minutes asking God to reveal those areas of sin.

3. Confess those areas and then ask God to help you release them.

4. Now give thanks to God for His forgiveness and grace.

Devo Plus:

God wants us to see that “all have sinned and fallen short of His glory” (Romans 3:23). We need to acknowledge that our sin problem is too big and unfixable through our own efforts before we can understand our desperate need for Jesus.

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9)

Prayer:

Father, thank You for Your loving grace. Help me to follow Your plan daily, so I can live in peace with You. Thank You for Your strength and direction.

Romans 1:18-25 (NRSV)

For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and wickedness of those who by their wickedness suppress the truth. For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. Ever since the creation of the world his eternal power and divine nature, invisible though they are, have been understood and seen through the things he has made. So they are without excuse; for though they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their senseless minds were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools; and they exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling a mortal human being or birds or four-footed animals or reptiles.

Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the degrading of their bodies among themselves, because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.

Explanation:

At the heart of Sin sits a desire to control our own lives, to achieve life at its best on our own terms and our own ways. The problem with the self-achieving life is eventually we have the aching feeling that no matter how hard we work, no matter how much pleasure we enjoy, no matter how much we own…we can’t achieve what we are striving for. The ability to stop the inevitable loss of income, loss of relationship, loss of health (and ultimately death) is outside our realm of power.

Instead of turning back to God, who created us for life and to share in His glory, we choose to create gods in our image and in the image of the nature we see around us. Though not truly gods, these idols are human-controlled attempts to fill the ache of spiritual emptiness in our lives, and give the illusion of a way to control and manipulate the places that seem out of control to us. In the end, idol worship and self-achieving flow from a heart that distrusts God, and would rather be led around by lifeless objects we can control rather than acknowledge God’s way is good. The natural result of such a life results in an eye opening “reality check,” where we discover that for all our attempts to gain life, we only find destruction and death. Even if we live comfortably and can insulate ourselves from the consequences now…these results eventually do come.

Romans says that this is God’s wrath, the removal of His presence and hand on the lives of those who have no desire to have it. The heart of Paul in Romans is that we would recognize and acknowledge that we all have tried this path to life, and it is no life at all. Rather, God desires we would repent—stop walking away from Him and start walking with Him—and allow Him to show us the path to new and everlasting life. God does not desire wrath, destruction, and death for His creatures, but He will not keep an insistent heart from walking that path.

Application:

1. Where have you recognized in your life a desire to do it your way?

2. What would it look like to give that to God and walk in His way?

3. Is there a place in your life where you don’t fully trust God? It is good and right to confess that. We all experience moments where it is true, and confession starts the process of overcoming that distrust.

4. Pray and ask God to help you in the places where you distrust Him.

Devo Plus:

Read the story of the Golden Calf in Exodus 32. Pay attention to the ways in which the people chose to try and control who Yahweh was and the way He would work in their community.

Prayer:

Father, Sin has so pervaded our hearts that it makes it hard to believe You truly are for us. Instead of seeing Your invitation to life, all we see are rules, restrictions, a tyrant who doesn’t let us do what we want. Help us to exchange that image for the true image of who You are…the loving, giving, self-sacrificing Father who wants to invite His creatures into life and abundance. Help us to repent of our distrust and our pursuits of an autonomous life. Give us tangible ways of knowing Your love and desire for us, and help us begin to walk in Your ways. Amen.

1 Corinthians 1:18-25 (NIrV)

The message of the cross seems foolish to those who are lost and dying. But it is God’s power to us who are being saved. It is written,

“I will destroy the wisdom of those who are wise.

 I will do away with the cleverness of those who think they are so smart.”

Where is the wise person? Where is the teacher of the law? Where are the great thinkers of our time? Hasn’t God made the wisdom of the world foolish? God wisely planned that the world would not know him through its own wisdom. It pleased God to use the foolish things we preach to save those who believe. Jews require signs. Greeks look for wisdom. But we preach about Christ and his death on the cross. That is very hard for Jews to accept. And everyone else thinks it’s foolish. But there are those God has chosen, both Jews and Greeks. To them Christ is God’s power and God’s wisdom. The foolish things of God are wiser than human wisdom. The weakness of God is stronger than human strength.

Explanation:

Do you remember what life was like for you before you experienced the power of the risen Christ? You probably experienced what Paul is talking about in this passage. Before you come to know God for yourself, the things of God seem weird, strange, even foolish. If you haven’t experienced the power of God in your own life, then the things He does, the things He calls you to do, don’t make sense. But once you have experienced the power of the risen Christ, your thought process changes. Before God, you have an earthly perspective that is focused solely on the here and now, but when God gets added into your life, everything changes. You now have an eternal perspective. So now, the ways of the world seem foolish, but the things of God feel wise.

The deeper we grow in our relationship with God, the more we will recognize that the ways of this world truly are foolish. I think we can all point this out in the world around us right now. There is so much anger, so much hate, so much disunity, so much tension, so much confusion swirling around us. It seems like nothing is working, nothing is helping, nothing is making a difference. But when we look to God and what He calls us to do, the way He calls us to live, it makes more sense. It’s a better way than what we see going on around us.

So even when it feels as though those who live for the world are “winning,” I can look to Jesus and be reminded that God’s ways will always be better. God will always be wiser. Trusting and obeying God will always lead me on a path toward eternal life. It is hard, especially in the culture we currently live in, to live out God’s call. But don’t give up, friends. Keep trusting His wisdom, keep taking steps of obedience, keep trusting that God knows what He is doing, and His way will always be better. His way will always lead to life.

Application:

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

2. Why are the ways of God foolish to those who don’t know Him?

3. How has God changed your perspective?

4. Why are God’s ways always better?

Devo Plus:

For some extra encouragement, read Romans 8:31-37.

Prayer:

God, it is often hard to live out the calling You have placed on our lives. It can often feel as though those who are living for this world are winning, are doing better, and are “succeeding” quicker. Will You constantly remind us that Your way will always be better? That You are wiser, more powerful, and stronger? Keep our eyes on things that are eternal, so we can continue to focus and live our lives in a way that honors You. Help us to always look at Your wisdom first, instead of the foolishness of the world. We long for You to be glorified in our lives. Amen.

Galatians 2:19-21 (NLT)

For when I tried to keep the law, it condemned me. So I died to the law–I stopped trying to meet all its requirements–so that I might live for God. My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I do not treat the grace of God as meaningless. For if keeping the law could make us right with God, then there was no need for Christ to die.

Explanation:

The above verses are a portion of a letter from the apostle Paul to the church in Galatia, where the new Christians were being presented with teachings contrary to the gospel. In short, they were being taught that the gospel plus (fill in the blank) equals salvation. For the Galatians, “works of the law” included traditionally Jewish ways of living, like the requirement of circumcision, kosher food laws, and the Sabbath. For us, “the law” is the impossible burden of trying to earn acceptance with God through our own efforts. Paul explains that he has already tried to walk this life, and he admits it didn’t work out for him. He essentially tells the Galatians that if the law is still the standard, then we are ALL doomed. HOWEVER, if we choose to die to the law, the law can place no demands on us.

Obviously, Paul has not literally been crucified, but he has chosen to put an end to his proud and self-exalting ways. And just like any other major decision we face, staying true to it takes an initial commitment, support, and a plan for success. This plan will require lots of moment-by-moment decisions to trust God, and ultimately, it means we no longer do with our lives whatever we want. Instead, we allow Christ, who now lives in us, to direct and empower all we do.

Paul closes these verses by reminding us that the law was always meant to be a placeholder until God sent His Son, Jesus, as His perfect, atoning sacrifice. Our sin was, and continues to be, too big. We were not created to make ourselves righteous, so if we continue on with this thinking, we will always fall short. While we should still seek to live in a manner that pleases God in order to show our gratitude for His life-saving grace, we can NEVER earn grace, which is God’s free gift to His children.

We, too, are often tempted to add to the gospel, but Paul reminds us that the message of the gospel is simply this: The work of Christ is finished, and therefore, the grace we receive is in and through Christ alone, by our faith in Him. A truly liberated life is only found in Jesus.

Application:

1. The biblical definition of grace is unmerited favor…something we receive that we did not earn, we did not participate in, and we don’t deserve. How does thinking about grace in this way help you to live freely, knowing this was God’s intention from the beginning?

2. Instead of shying away from the truth, take comfort in the fact that God already knows the very ugly places of each of our hearts. He knows our pride, our selfishness, the areas we want to keep hidden. But there is power in laying them at His feet once again. This week, pray and make a plan of what it practically looks like to let Christ live in you.

3. Galatians 2:20 says Jesus “gave himself,” yet we know Jesus was the sinless Son of God who was crucified for our sins. How are both of these statements true?

3. We are told elsewhere in scripture that “Christ is the end of the law” (Romans 10:4). We also know the law included good moral laws, like the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:1-17). In light of this, what might it mean to live by faith rather than by the law?

Devo Plus:

Read this scripture in The Message version of the Bible, in which Paul declares, “I am no longer driven to impress God.” He goes on to say he is done with “rule keeping” and “peer pleasing” because “to go back to this way negates Jesus’ sacrifice.” How do these somewhat commonplace behaviors sit heavy on your heart when you think of them as rendering Jesus’s sacrifice on the cross meaningless?

Listen to the rendition of the song “Champion” by Dante Bowe, specifically as to what can happen once we decide to “let all of the striving cease.” Be encouraged by the power that comes in that freedom!

Prayer:

Father God, how can we begin to thank You for the grace You give us each and every day? What an amazing way to show us just how much You love us and want to be in a relationship with us. Help us to identify the areas of our lives where we are still trying to earn Your love, and gently remind us how this was never Your plan for us. Jesus was Your perfect plan, so let us never cheapen His sacrifice by forgetting that this free gift of grace was not free to Him. Prepare our hearts for the coming season, and help us focus on what it truly means to live a life in You. Amen.

1 Peter 1:18-23 (NLT)

For you know that God paid a ransom to save you from the empty life you inherited from your ancestors. And it was not paid with mere gold or silver, which lose their value. It was the precious blood of Christ, the sinless, spotless Lamb of God. God chose him as your ransom long before the world began, but now in these last days he has been revealed for your sake.


Through Christ you have come to trust in God. And you have placed your faith and hope in God because he raised Christ from the dead and gave him great glory.


You were cleansed from your sins when you obeyed the truth, so now you must show sincere love to each other as brothers and sisters. Love each other deeply with all your heart.


For you have been born again, but not to a life that will quickly end. Your new life will last forever because it comes from the eternal, living word of God.

Explanation:

I have certain people in my life who I feel very indebted to because they went above and beyond when I was in great need. To this day, their sacrifices touch my heart in a way that challenges me to love others better and more generously. 

When I moved to Lancaster in 2005, a lady who did not even know me heard of my situation through a relative. She made contact with me and told me I could live in her house, free of charge, for a year, while I restarted my life. 

Who does that?


Because she made a huge sacrifice, I was able to begin a new life. 

It is so moving to think of such sacrificial love.

Then I think of Jesus.

I remember sobbing at the end of “The Passion of the Christ.” To have it so graphically illustrated was life altering for me. I had been raised in church, and had done everything from color Jesus on the cross in Sunday School, to taking communion as an adult. But to have it visually illustrated with such realism sobered me in a way I never forgot. 

The blood. The anguish. The pain. The abandonment. 

He gave it ALL.

Jesus didn’t whip out gold and silver to pay our debt, but paid for it with His life's blood, a currency of limitless value. He bought us out of emptiness, to save us from worthlessness, which is all the world has to offer.

His sacrifice was not just for a ticket to heaven, but also for an all-inclusive, solutions-filled life now. It is impossible to overestimate our worth in God's eyes. The value God placed on us cost Him. 

He gave His life, so we could have a new life. Through His love, we can love others by following His example and giving ourselves sacrificially in return. Christ’s love and forgiveness free us... to take our eyes off ourselves and to meet others’ needs. By sacrificing His life, Jesus showed that He loves us so very deeply. In return, this empowers us to love others deeply. This is called cyclical love.

Peter's point in all of this was that our choices now, after that transaction, truly matter. As people of great value to God—holy people—we should be terrified that we will squander our days continuing to invest ourselves in worthless things.

Application:

1. What do you imagine when you think of the empty life Peter mentions?

2. Think of tangible things that have changed since Jesus ransomed you from that meaningless life.

3. Why does being loved by God cause us to love better? Why does this create cyclical love?

4. What does it mean to you to be loved deeply? In your answer...you will discover what you must do for others.

Devo Plus: 

We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in his love.

God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them.

(1 John 4:16, NLT)

Prayer:

Jesus, open my eyes. 


Reveal to me the worthless things I am investing in today. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, start a seismic shift in my heart, to grasp Your sacrifice and the example it offers me. I desire a fresh outlook. Soften my heart. Sharpen my gaze to see need. Enlarge my capacity for care. Slow me down to stop and listen. Enlighten my tongue with grace. Cause me to cross paths with someone who needs Your magnificent love today. May I be ready. In Jesus's lovely name. Amen.