Day Twenty-Five (of 31 Daily Reminders)

Who God Is…

God is Just! (fair and impartial; always does what is right)

[God who is just sentenced His own Son to bear the punishment for our sins!]

 

Who I am/we are in Christ…

I am a Victor in Christ! (victor over sin, death and the devil)

“What a wretched man I am. Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God (who gives us the victory) through Jesus Christ, our Lord! Rom 7:24-25

It is agonizing situation; who will rescue me from this body dominated by sin that is taking me to death? Thanks be to God alone who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ!

[The tension between the old and new natures can be agonizing and leave us feeling miserable and defeated. It is war – a spiritual civil war – that rages inside me. Our old, sinful nature is constantly pulling us toward death and destruction. Christ has defeated sin, death and the devil and gives us the victory through faith… I, {state your name}, have been given the victory through my Lord Jesus Christ!]

“The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
1 Cor 15:56-57

It is sin that gives death its sting and it is the law that gives sin its power. God be praised, then, who gives us the victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ!

[By His death on the cross and His Resurrection, Christ has won the once-and-for all victory! By faith His victory has become ours. The war is over! …I, {state your name}, have the victory over sin and death because of Jesus!]

“The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work.”
1 Jn 3:8

Now Jesus, the Son of God, came to earth for the express purpose of destroying the devil’s work.

[God’s enemy has been overcome! He is caged! As long as we stay out of the cage, he has no power over us… Jesus has set me, {state your name}, free from bondage to the devil.]

 

His promises for me/us today…

“We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.”
Rom 6:3-4

For surely you know this: when we were baptized into union with Christ Jesus, we were baptized into union with His death. By our baptism then, we were buried with Him and shared His death, in order that, just as Christ was brought back from death to life by the glorious power of the Father, so also we might live a new life.

[This is the Christian life: I, {state your name}, died with Christ and now live in Him. With baptism begins the daily rhythm of dying and rising. I confess my sins and am renewed by the power of the Spirit.]

“You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.”
Gal 3:26-27

You are all Christ’s children through believing in Jesus Christ. And all who have been united with Christ in baptism have been made like Him.

[Paul uses the analogy of being clothed: the old dirty clothes come off; He gives us new clothes to wear. As we live in Him, our lives become more and more like His… I, {state your name}, have been clothed in Christ, covered with the robe of His righteousness.]

“He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit , whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ, our Savior, so that having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs, having the hope of eternal life.”
Titus 3:5-7

He saved us by His mercy and compassion – not by virtue of, not because of anything we had done to gain His approval. He saved us thru the washing (baptism) that gives new birth and new life by the Holy Spirit. This generous gift of grace has made us His children and heirs now having the confidence of eternal life.

[This is definitely about baptism. The focus is on what He has done, not on what we have done… I, {state your name}, have been given new birth and new life in Christ!]

 

His callings/my vocations…

As you reflect on these words from the Lord, what do you sense God calling you to be or to do? How do these words and promises from the Lord speak to you today with the particular joys and struggles that are part of your life and life of faith?

Think of the people who are closest to you in the vocations He has given you?  [husband/wife; family; friends; neighbors; others]. What are some of the “take-aways” from these verses that you could share with them to encourage or support them in the challenges they face as they live in this broken world?

Now take a moment to pray, using the words of some of these Scriptures to shape your prayer, as you pray them back to Him. Pray them specifically for those things that you or those you love are dealing with today!

 

This is from the devotional tool, “31 Daily Reminders”, that I have designed to help you begin each day aware of Who God Is, of Who We Are In Christ, of His Promises That Sustain and Empower Us, and of the Various Callings/ Vocations He Has Given Us.  If you would like a hard copy of these devotions, just let me know!