It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.
TO PONDER
I can almost see the apostle Paul, shaking his head in his hands as he writes the words from today's reading. Let me try paraphrasing Paul's sentiment into my own words.
"You idiots! Why can you not see that Christ set you free so that you could actually live and be free! All you have done is use your freedom to choose a new slave master."
It's not a unique problem though. Adam and Eve did it in the Garden of Eden making themselves slaves to their own desires, the Israelites did the same things after being freed and delivered from Egypt only to subject themselves to a golden calf statue. Then again they rejected God as their sovereign, and insisted upon a human king making themselves subject to a human rather than to God. The list goes on and on.
However, we cannot for a moment think that we are immune to this problem as modern Christians. All too often we see high profile Christian leaders fall to their self imposed slavery or servitude to power and influence, sexual immorality, greed and corruption. But it's not just the high profile Christians, they are simply the only ones we get to see and know about. Each of us, in our quite moments when we are being honest with ourselves knows the parts of our lives that we have allowed to be burdened again by a sense of guilt and shame, or by some selfish desire. These things stop us from really experiencing the fullness of the freedom Christ has won for us.
Jesus won you freedom so that you could be free. So what is stopping you from living in that freedom? Stand firm and do not let yourself be made a slave again.
PRAYER: Lord Jesus, help me to understand what true freedom is. Please help me to live each day in the freedom you have won for me and help my life to be one that brings the light of your redeeming love to the lives of others so they may also live as your free and chosen people. Amen
Today's devotion written by Mathew von Stanke, LifeWay Newcastle.
Because those who are led by the Spirit are sons of God.
TO PONDER
God is the Father of all because he created everything and so his provision and love is extended to all, but not all are called his children. We have seen this week that we come to God’s family only through our faith in and acceptance of Jesus as our saviour. The Holy Spirit enters our lives at our baptism and leads us, his agenda is to bring us closer to God; the Holy Spirit leads us back when we want to drift off on our own way. We cannot earn our way into God’s Family so it is the work of the Holy Spirit to keep us on track. Galatians 5:22,23 speaks about the fruits of the Spirit, one of those is peace, a gift we so often want in this troubled world. The faith we have, strengthened by the gift of the Holy Spirit ensures we are sons and daughters of God, this knowledge brings us peace and enables us to be peace makers in His name.
Prayer: Father, it is a blessing that I am your child, that you have made me part of your family. Thank you for your Holy Spirit living in me, he teaches and guides me as I walk with him until it is time to live with you in eternity. Amen
Today's devotion written by Maureen Macpherson, LifeWay Newcastle
Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become the children of God – children born not of natural descent, nor human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.
TO PONDER
I have come to expect some curly questions when speaking to a non-believer or someone who has doubts about Christian faith, but the first time I was asked “What is a Christian?”, my mind was scrambling for a concise answer, I didn’t want to end the conversation with too many words that led to how and why questions. Then it came to mind, “One who has God as a Father”
We can live perfect lives of good works and following God’s commandments but we cannot earn the right to become God’s dearly loved children. Rather, we need to believe that Jesus is God’s son, that he lived as a man on this earth, died bearing our sins, thus gaining our salvation. When we truly believe and admit this, God makes us his children, part of his family. It becomes easy for us to make our worship, our prayer and devotion times and everyday life focus on dad, to take our sorrows and joys to him knowing he is listening. We also know he will answer in his way and time.
Prayer: Father God, I know that experiences in earthly families make it hard for some people to come to you or accept that you could be a loving, caring father. Please help them come to know that they have the chance to become part of your family through faith in your son Jesus. I thank you for all who have led and taught me your ways, growing my faith so that I could confidently affirm my faith in you and my identity as your child. Amen
Today's devotion written by Maureen Macpherson, LifeWay Newcastle
When Jesus saw this he was indignant. He said to them, “ Let the children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.”
TO PONDER
On my fifth birthday I received a picture from Sunday School of Jesus sitting on a bench with happy children all around him, in the bottom corner some people looking happy, in the top corner some men who didn’t look at all happy.
Not understanding the explanation given by the teacher or my parents I took it to grandpa - he could tell a really good story. It was simple, the men had thought Jesus needed a rest, Jesus told them he wanted to bless the children because they couldn’t do anything for themselves, and in the bottom the parents happy because Jesus welcomed the children.
That picture fascinated me and I always went back to Grandpa with “But what does it mean?” He expanded as I could understand more fully. Just as children are very dependent on their parents for everything, adults need to rely completely on Jesus, his mercy for our salvation, indeed our every need, and then we can enter the kingdom of heaven. Just as children love to learn, adults in God’s kingdom should never stop reading God’s word and learning more about him and admit that they always need to rely on him. A warning though; Jesus would not be pleased if anyone tried to stop anyone learning about God. This is how I had got it sorted in my head and heart by my confirmation.
Prayer: Lord Jesus, I thank you for every good gift you give me, for people who introduced me to God’s great love and mercy, for your obedience to your Father and dying on the cross so gaining my salvation, the Holy Spirit who lives in me and is an ever-present helper. Me – nothing in my hand I bring, simply to thy cross I cling. Amen
Today's devotion written by Maureen Macpherson, LifeWay Newcastle
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God
TO PONDER
You will recognize this verse as one of the beatitudes, from the Sermon on the Mount, which is a call to ethical and moral living so high some have dismissed it as being completely unreasonable. Surely as members of God’s family we should continually strive for perfection as we follow God’s directions, seeking the help from his Holy Spirit to teach, direct and strengthen us.
Our world is crying out for peace on so many fronts but as individuals alone we are unable to be much help but to pray for leaders to show constraint and compassion. We are able to change situations around us, don’t just listen to an argument but hear what is really being said. Be gentle and non-judgemental if you ask questions to better understand the problem. Consider your actions and words in a crowd, when you are driving, in your family, with your church family, so that you don’t cause hurt or harm or division. Perhaps the Message Bible translation is clearer and less wordy – ‘You are blessed when you can show people how to co-operate instead of compete or fight. That’s when you discover who you really are, and your place in God’s family.’
Prayer: Gracious loving Father, you designed us to live in peace and harmony with you, but sin entered that peaceful garden and with it behaviours that destroy peace, harmony, communities and lives. Forgive me when I have failed to foster peace and give me the strength and wisdom to speak peace into difficult siuations. Amen
Today's devotion written by Maureen Macpherson, LifeWay Newcastle
How great is the love the Father has lavished upon us, that we should be called children of God. And that is what we are! The reason the world does not Know us is that it did no know him.
TO PONDER
I have heard some very odd ideas about God when trying to speak of his love to someone either just in general conversation or perhaps to encourage in a particular situation. They know about God but they do not know him, his boundless love for his creation, the comfort he brings in sadness, that he is always with us. It is sad to see someone outside God’s family when all that is needed is to recognize and believe the truth that Jesus is God’s son who died bearing our sins, that we are forgiven and now have become part of God’s family.
John, like Paul, was addressing a congregation facing division because of what those who ‘did not know him’ were saying, some were walking away from the church. Divisions have Satan rubbing his hands in glee so we must be careful not to give any time to the unbeliever’s words but remain in the Gospel, reading and hearing God’s word, meeting regularly with others of God’s family and taking your concerns to God in prayer.
Prayer: Father God give me the strength to refute the words of the unbelievers who push their ideas when I try to speak to them about you, your boundless love and saving grace. Protect me from their ideas and words that I don’t take heed of them and risk causing a schism in your family. Amen
Today's devotion written by Maureen Macpherson, LifeWay Newcastle
Because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out Abba, Father. So you are no longer a slave, but a son; and since you are a son, God has also made you an heir.
TO PONDER
A triumphant shout from the Spirit of God in our hearts is heaven’s affirmation of what had been written and proclaimed, we are all equal as members of God’s family, because Jesus was born and lived as a man, when he died he bore our sins and we were made right with God. We no longer need to slavishly follow the law, the demands of which we could never hope to fulfil. Now we can come to God praising him and thanking him and confessing our sins safe in the knowledge that he is a promise keeper and our sins are forgiven and to live with him forever is assured.
We can speak to God in prayer knowing that our prayer will be heard, as we pray, not only for ourselves, but our fellow brothers and sisters also. Use prayer at all times, it is another gift Jesus, by his death and resurrection has gained for us.
Prayer: Lord God, as the hymn begins, What a friend we have in Jesus, all our griefs and woes to bear, I thank you that I can come to you at any time or in any situation and tell you my concerns, forgive me if sometimes my faith isn’t strong enough or I simply forget and I don’t pray to you first and think I can fix things. May your Holy Spirit remain in my heart and teach me your ways. Amen
Today's devotion written by Maureen Macpherson, LifeWay Newcastle.
You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.
TO PONDER
I am so blessed that I was brought up in a Christian family who modelled what they were teaching their children. Those lessons were learned well, but not always carried out perfectly
In today’s verse Paul speaks of our adoption into God’s family and living with God forever.
Paul, aware of the Galatians wavering in how they conducted their lives, defining people by their race, position, or religion, pointed out God’s promise to Abraham and his seed, not seeds, and that seed was Jesus Christ and indeed everyone, including you and me, belong to that one family.
We need to have faith in God’s promises and truly believe that Christ died and rose again so that we have forgiveness of sins and gain eternal life.
Jesus taught and showed us how to live as a child of God,we have the Holy Spirit to guide and teach us to understand as we read God’s word. live a life that’s been taught and modelled by Jesus, a life so focussed it is noticed by those we meet each day as we walk in the joy of our salvation.
Prayer: Lord God, today I, not unlike the Galations, face distractions trying to keep me from living a life fully focussed on you, please give me the strength to live a joyful life according to your word and your Holy Spirit’s guidance. Amen
Toda's devotion written by Maureen Macpherson, LifeWay Newcastle
But I tell you, Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him, but have done to him everything they wished. In the same way the Son of Man is going to suffer at their hands.”
TO PONDER
…the Son of Man is going to suffer…
And he did. Big time. In fact, what Jesus went through on the cross, had to have a new word invented. ‘Excruciating’! This word was invented because there wasn’t a word that covered the pain and anguish he went through. ‘Excruciating’ literally means, ‘out of the cross’.
And the suffering included being spat on, humiliated, having the living daylights beaten out of him, and large nails rammed through his wrists.
And all this he did for us. Wow! That’s an amazing God, with an amazing love. But that’s who he is. God is love. The be all and end all. That’s his job. That’s why he sent Jesus to go through the stuff above. No other religion sends someone’s son to die. Love is his message. The whole of scripture is a love story – about God and humanity. Sure, there’s plenty of narrative of wars, (especially in Kings), but the overall message is one of love. He doesn’t know anything else. He can’t help loving all of us.
And our response? To believe. To have faith. And when we do, we cannot help but be moved, and to respond to others in love.
There’s an old saying that goes, I asked Jesus, ‘How much do you love me? He said, ‘this much’. And he stretched out and arms…and died’.
So anytime you feel pain, in any of the down times, among any of the crappy feelings you have, or any times you suffer, remember, that he’s been there – done that, for us.
PRAYER:Thank you, God, for doing the God-stuff because we sure couldn’t. Thanks for sending your son, to do the suffering, so we wouldn’t have to. Thanks for giving up a life, so we could have a life, with you, forever. Amen
Today's devotion written by Mark Simpfendorfer, LifeWay Epping