To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples."
TO PONDER
There is a problem that can occur for many people of Christian faith and manifests itself in two different ways. The problem comes from a misunderstanding of salvation by faith in Christ alone. Martin Luther knew how important it was to understand this correctly. On the one hand, God's grace gives us freedom freedom to live fully, without fear of judgement when we fail to live the way he has instructed us in his word. Historically, some groups of people understood this to mean that they could continue living in their rebellious and evil ways - Luther called this "cheap grace".
The other mistake people sometimes make is to hear a passage like this one and be caught up thinking that they still have to strive to live right, obey Jesus commands and always do the right thing, afraid that if they take a misstep that their access to God's promise of salvation could be in jeopardy. Rest assured, Jesus has done all that is needed for your salvation. Eternal life is yours through faith in him. However, he also promises us a greater and fuller experience of this life the more closely we follow him and and hold to his teaching every day of our lives on this earth.
PRAYER
Heavenly Father, thank you for those who help us to see more clearly your grace and mercy and for the work of Martin Luther. Help me to also be one who walks in your ways and strives to understand and live in light of the death and resurrection of your Son Jesus, so that I might also help others know the life and message of the gospel. Amen
This devotion was written by Mathew Von Stanke, LifeWay Newcastle
“Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves.
TO PONDER:
There were false prophets in the ancient days, but there are also false prophets now in churches. False prophets are like wolves in sheep's clothing. Prophets are supposed to be the messengers of God, serving him and his Church. But sadly, we hear time and time again, when those called to serve God and the Church of God use their position to gain prestige, or to impose on the generosity of local congregations, and so live a life of comfort, and even pampered idleness. They are dressed as sheep but live as wolves.
Pray that we might be alert for false prophets in our midst, to take heed that we are not deceived and imposed upon by them. Their aim is to destroy people, divide communities and draw people away from the life of Godliness which glories God and adds beauty to this world. Pray that we may test everything we hear against the truth of God’s Word that has been revealed to us in Jesus.
PRAYER:
Heavenly Father, keep me alert and awake in this world to anything that is not of you, that I may only receive your word, for you alone have the words of eternal life. Amen.
Today’s Daily Verse is written by LifeWay’s Chinese Pastor, Francis Leung.
See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the elemental spiritual forces of this world rather than on Christ.
TO PONDER:
We live in a world full of false teachings that believe Jesus Christ himself is not unique; that he is just one among many manifestations of God. That any belief in a divine power is valid, that any god can be served because they all contain truth that will lead us to the same destination. These false teachings would have us believe that the simple truth preached by Jesus and preserved in the gospel is not enough. That we need more to be saved, whether it is our work or effort or contribution. It is a tragic thing when people who have been liberated by Jesus Christ, could contemplate submitting themselves to a new and disastrous slavery. But sadly, we do. We listen to the lies of the world.
Pray for Jesus to give us the discernment to reject any teaching that tells us we need something more than the teaching of Christ and the words of the gospel. Pray that we might claim the truth of the Word alone that the triumph of Christ alone is all we need.
PRAYER:
Lord Jesus, help me to know the truth of your Word, that I may daily reject anything that is not from you, for you are all I need today and always. Amen.
Today’s Daily Verse is written by LifeWay’s Chinese Pastor, Francis Leung.
For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
TO PONDER:
A wage is what a person deserves for the work they do. As applied to sin, it means that death is what sin deserves; it is not arbitrary. A person will receive what they deserve. That’s the reality which confronts every single person born into this world. What we deserve is death. The suffering continues even in hell and there is not a more fearful and terrible consideration than this.
On the other hand, God has eternal life as a gift for us. It is not what we earn or merit. It is not what we deserve but purely because of the mercy of God, that he gratuitously confers this gift on us because God is all about life.
The contrast is extreme. It’s either/or. The wages of sin, the life after the flesh, it ends in death. The gift of God, the life after the Spirit, ends in eternal life. We are either a servant of sin, or a servant of God. Do you want to receive what you deserve, or receive the gift that gives life now and forever?
May the Lord be with us and bless and keep us in His love. May we receive the gift of God and walk in the Spirit, that God might use our redeemed life as His instrument to do His work in this needy world.
PRAYER:
Lord Jesus, thank you for the gift of life which I have done nothing to deserve or earn. Help me to live willingly for you in response to what you have given me. Amen.
Today’s Daily Verse is written by LifeWay’s Chinese Pastor, Francis Leung.
Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.”
TO PONDER:
The work of Jesus Christ is to seek and to save those who are lost. In the way He delivers His people from sin, freedom from all the ills to which sin exposes humankind. The attainment of that perfect peace and joy which will be bestowed on the children of God in the heavens is also ours now. This deliverance has been accomplished by the power of and in the name of Jesus.
This is the gospel we hear, understand and accept. We are recipients of the mercies of life, and the blessing of salvation. This is also the gospel that God calls us to proclaim to those who remain on the sideline, who need to receive the freedom that life with Christ brings. If Christ thus prepares the way, then we should not remain inactive or lazy but go with boldness, zeal, and encouragement, to enter into the fields God sends that are ready to harvest.
PRAYER:
Lord, give us an eagerness to proclaim the salvation that is available in your name, that more and more may discover the life and freedom you alone give. Amen.
Today’s Daily Verse is written by LifeWay’s Chinese Pastor, Francis Leung.
And God spoke all these words:
“I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.
“You shall have no other gods before me.
TO PONDER:
God made a covenant with His people by first recounting to his people what he had done for them out of His grace, that he alone was living and active in their lives. He alone was the only and true God; there was no other being or form that they should worship. These are the words of God addressed to the people whom He had redeemed, to those who had been in bondage, but were now free. We too, are now free from anything that stops us from glorying God and serving him, which is what we are first created for.
From the very beginning, people have been guilty of making their own gods. When we turn to things other than this one true God, it’s a sign that we are not living in the presence of God in our lives. It indicates that I have lost something vital in my relationship with God, something that will bind me and enslave me. Every day, I need to return to the relationship God has given to me in Jesus, to live consciously in the presence of God my Saviour.
PRAYER:
Almighty God, help me live today serving you the God who alone gives me freedom. Amen.
Today’s Daily Verse is written by LifeWay’s Chinese Pastor, Francis Leung.
And a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is my Son, my Chosen One; listen to him!”
TO PONDER:
We live in a world where voices are speaking all around – friends, family, parents, news, social media, the Church. Some have suggested that the average person hears around 30,000 words a day. We see and hear between 4,000 and 10,000 advertisements a day. We even have voices speaking with us, whether it is fear, shame, guilt or regret. It seems that everyone and everything has a voice and a message they want us to hear and act on.
So what are you listening to? How are you making the space to hear God’s voice in your life?
Luke’s version of the transfiguration, which is the broader text that our daily verse is couched in, is unique in what Luke tells us. The transfiguration of Jesus occurs in the context of prayer. Jesus is revealed in the context of prayer as the cloud of God’s presence envelops Jesus and the disciples. The disciples hear the voice of God speak to them in the context prayer. ‘Listen to him’, God says. He is the one, whose whole life, words, thoughts and actions will reveal the glory of God. He is the one who will show us what living in the presence of God is all about. He is the only one we need to look to and listen to in order to experience the powerful presence of God in our lives.
So what are you listening to? How are you making the space to hear God’s voice in your life today, to listen to him and follow him in obedience?
PRAYER:
Lord Jesus, give me ears to hear your voice as I live in your presence in every moment today. Amen.
“The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by human hands.
TO PONDER:
The setting for today’s verse is Paul in the city of Athens. He’s talking to the intellectuals of his day after walking through their temples with a smorgasbord of altars dedicated to the gods. There’s Zeus, the leader of the gods, in charge of rain and the sky. Hera, Zeus's wife, was the goddess of marriage and childbirth. Poseidon, the god of the sea. Aphrodite, the goddess of love. Hades, the god of the Underworld, where the dead lived. Ares, god of war and battle. Each god had their own distinct personality and area of life that they covered. But as Paul walks among them he finds one with an inscription: ‘to an unknown God’. The Athenians want to cover all bases. But as Paul points out, this unknown God, that they don’t know is the only powerful God. He is the one who created the world and everything in it. This God is alive and ruling in heaven and earth – a God so powerful that he isn’t confined to the temples they worship in, but is active in the world today. A few verses later, Paul declares that in him, we live (are created), move (are active and alive) and have our being (have a reason for living). This all powerful God who is “knowable”, longs for a relationship with his creation. This all powerful God reveals himself to his creation in Jesus Christ. This all powerful God, is the only true God who can save his people in every domain of life. This all powerful God is the God who is to be worshipped! So how will you worship him today?
PRAYER:
Almighty God, you're the only God whose power none can contend, you're the only God whose name and praise will never end. You're the only God who's worthy of everything we can give, so we worship you today. Amen.
The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth.
TO PONDER:
Have you been wondering where God is in your life lately? Or does he appear to be silent?
I’m certain each of us have days when it feels as though God is far away and he can’t seem to hear us!
So, what is it we need to do to be near God?
Even if it feels as though God can’t hear us or maybe it’s like he’s not listening, he is with us - that's his promise. Just call on him and talk with him. It can be just like you’re having a conversation with your best friend. It doesn’t have to be anything fancy or pre planned. We can pray to him anytime and anywhere and he will hear us. Call on him and he will come near.
Where in your life do you need to call on his holy name through prayer and listen to him through his Word?
PRAYER:
Thank you, Lord, for the promise that you have given to me, thank you for being close to me when I call upon you. I pray that you will teach me, correct me, guide me, and inspire me so that I might call upon you in truth. Amen.
Today's Daily Verse written by Josi Weiss, LifeWay's Office and Visual Display's Coordinator