Created For Good Works: Devotion for Sunday August 2, 2020

MY DAILY COVENANT WITH GOD DEVOTIONAL

Devotion for Sunday August 2, 2020

Topic: Created For Good Works

Text: Ephesians 2:1 – 10                  

God created us for some purposes even as He told Jeremiah. Unfortunately, sin has distorted the fulfillment of some of these purposes in the lives of many people. For this reason, Paul asserts in our scriptural reading for the day that Christ’s death was to make us alive in order to fulfill our life’s purposes.

Sin is the death of the soul. Someone in a state of sin is in a state of conformity to this world. Thus the person is a slave to Satan. However there is still hope for such people because God out of His rich mercies and love (Ephesians 2:4) made us alive (Ephesians 2:1, 5). He also raised us up to be with Christ (Ephesians 2:6).

The reason for our salvation is that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 2:7). All these are acts of grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8) and not works. Therefore, we shouldn’t boast about them.

Paul also stated that we are God’s workmanship, created for good works. From the beginning, it was the purpose and will of God that those to whom He gives spiritual life should be holy and abound in good works. Out of gratitude for this free gift (our salvation), we should help and serve others with kindness, love, and gentleness, and not merely to please ourselves. While no action or work we do can help us obtain salvation, God’s intention is that our salvation will result in acts of service. We are not saved merely for our own benefit but to serve Christ and build up the church (Ephesians 4:12).

Food for Thought: Titus 2:14

Memory verse: Ephesians 2:10

Prayer: Almighty God, grant me the enabling grace to fulfill the purpose of my creation in Jesus name.

No Excuse (I)

MY DAILY COVENANT WITH GOD DEVOTIONAL

Sunday March 12, 2017

Topic: No Excuse (I)

Text: Revelation 2:1 – 7             

Today and in the next six days, we shall be looking at letters to the seven churches in Asia as we have in the book Revelation. This church at Ephesus had steadfastly refused to tolerate sin among its members. This was not easy in a city noted for immoral sexual practices associated with the worship of Artemis. God noted their patience, not bearing those who were evil and how they tested those who say they were apostles but were not. They were liars (Revelation 2:2).

He acknowledged them for their perseverance and not being wearied in their labours for Him (Revelation 2:3). Yet, He had something against them: They had left their first love for Him (Revelation 2:4). This was a church Paul once praised for their love for God and others (Ephesians 1:15). After the death of foundering members, the next-generation believers lost their zeal for God. They became a busy church to benefit themselves and the community, acting out of the wrong motives. The work for God motivated by love, last long.

We are also living in times of prevalent sin and sexual immorality. In our time, some people are open-minded to sin and calling them personal choices or alternative life-styles. Such societal influence should not be an excuse to join them. However, when the church begins to tolerate sin, it is lowering and compromising the standards set by Christ. Today, we have become too busy to attend church programmes and activities. This is evidence, that we, like the Ephesians, have lost our first love. The moral decadence in our society should not be an excuse to turn against God. That everybody is doing it doesn’t mean you should. Romans 2 verse 1 warns us.

Food for Thought: Have you lost your first love for God as a result of societal influence?

Memory verse: Revelation 2 verse 4

Prayer: Restore me to my first love for you, O God, and help me to reorder my motives in your service in Jesus name. Amen