March 27th

March 27th  

Maybe life has been so busy or you have been so focused on all the things you have to DO that you just haven’t taken time to let the gospel of salvation fall fresh on you. Perhaps you have just not taken time to remember your rescue so you have neglected being grateful.

Now we are all sinners and all sin is equally evil, it all nailed Him to the cross, but for demonstration purposes let’s do a mental exercise together. Think of the most evil person you can think of, I don’t know, Hitler or Ayatollah Khomanei or someone like that. Now imagine you decide to become that evil person so that they can become you. Not just trading places, but actually becoming good/evil. Now we aren’t good like Jesus but still just the thought of that is nauseating; but this is what Jesus did for you even though He is truly righteous. He became sin for you so that you could become righteousness.

2 Corinthians 5:21 God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

He did it even though you didn’t deserve it. He did it even though He knew you would look the other way and do your own thing at times, even after receiving His free gift of salvation. He did it knowing that you would not always be faithful. He did it knowing that you would take it for granted and neglect being grateful sometimes.

Today let that gospel fall fresh on you and revive the grateful heart within you. Let the perfect love of Christ reign in your heart and shine to those around you. He deserves our gratitude. Let your gratitude keep you close to His heart today. Tell Him how grateful you are today and let that gratitude drive your day.

We have so much to be thankful for today. Salvation of course is the ultimate gift but beyond that there are so many things that He does for us daily. Let us not become so accustomed to His gifts that we take them for granted or don’t notice anymore. Let us not become so focused on our duties that we forget the magnitude of who He is and what He has done for us!

Romans 5:8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

While we were yet sinners, He came behind enemy lines to rescue us. This freed us from sin and death but it also gave us the right to be called the children of God, heirs to inherit the kingdom of God and His righteousness. It brought us out of darkness into glorious light. It gave us the opportunity to have Him live and move and have His being in us and us in Him. It lifted us up to a whole new life and in that life we have purpose in Him to declare this same opportunity and hope to others around us.

1 John 3:1 See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! 

Romans 8:17 Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.

1 Peter 2:9 But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.

Acts 17:28 ‘For in him we live and move and have our being.’ As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are his offspring.’  (Peter preaching to the crowd in Acts.)

He has given us so much, much more than salvation, let us be grateful and thankful today and let that reflect in our lives as we live not for ourselves but for Him!

2 Corinthians 5:15 And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.

Jesus, thank you so much for your sacrifice for me. Thank you for taking my place and my sin so that I could be righteous. Thank you for going beyond that to be involved in my everyday life. Forgive me for taking you and your sacrifice for granted and for not being grateful everyday for all that you are to me and all that you do for me. Help me to live grateful and live for you not for myself. Holy Spirit please remind me throughout my day of your presence and your hand in my life.