As Befits the Saints: Devotion for Wednesday October 7, 2020

MY DAILY COVENANT WITH GOD DEVOTIONAL

Devotion for Wednesday October 7, 2020

Topic: As Befits the Saints                              

Text: Ephesians 5:3 – 5                              

There are things that befit Christians and there are things that shouldn’t be associated with Christians and Christianity. In our text for the day, Paul is saying to us that filthy lusts must be rooted out of our lives. These immoral sins mentioned in Ephesians 5:3 – 6 must be dreaded and detested by Christians. Most of us find pleasure in obscene stories and coarse jokes that we begin to take them for granted.

However, Paul cautions that outside immorality Ephesians 5:3, improper language should have no place in the Christian’s conversation because it does not reflect God’s gracious presence in us (Ephesians 5:4). How can we praise God and remind others of His goodness when we are speaking coarsely? These shouldn’t be associated with us who are Christians because by our call, we are made holy unto God and such acts of immorality defiles us.

Our society today is a liberal one. People do what pleases them. Sexual immorality includes any kind of sexual perversion and many people have claimed some bible passages to back up their sexual immoralities. Sexual immorality was tolerated in the pagan Roman society (see Romans 1:24 – 32), but it should not exist in the Christian community especially our own. Neither should there be any impurity amongst us. No matter the name some Christians call sin to cover their evil, true Christians should be different. We must hate sin because God does so.

Food for Thought: Ephesians 4:17 – 19

Memory verse: Ephesians v 3

Prayer: Help me to mortify, O Lord, every immoral desire in my life in Jesus name.

There Are Rewards For Sin

Devotion for Tuesday April 3, 2018

Topic: There Are Rewards For Sin

Text: Romans 6:12 – 23

After the admonition to walk in newness of life by Paul as we read yesterday, he went further to speak about the just reward for sin. By just reward, he means that punishment which is right for a sinner who continues to live in sin. He started by saying, “Therefore, do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts” (6:12). That was a conclusion of his exhortation in Romans 6:1 – 11. He gave this charge because of the consequences and reward for sin. Most people play with sin as if it has no consequence. If we are dead to sin, how can sin still control us? Christians ought to die to sin, but as long as they live in their mortal bodies, they will have the compulsion to sin. But it is expected that we should develop the willpower to no longer let it control us. Worthy of note is the question in Romans 6:15. Refusal to obey the law in pretence of being under grace and still living in sin is turning the grace of God into wantonness. We shouldn’t use our Christian liberty as an occasion to satisfy the desires of the flesh. This reward of sin is not just physical death; everyone dies physically, believers and nonbelievers alike. This refers to eternal separation from God in hell. This is the wage that a person receives for his or her rebellion against God. But instead of wages, those who believe receive a free gift from God, eternal life. Just as the laborer is worthy of his hire and feels it to be his due, so death is the due for sin, the wages the sinner has formed for himself. The good news is that God has offered us eternal life as a gift. Have you received yours?

Sing A&M 87; Abu 173

Food for Thought: Are you working for a wage or gift from God?

Memory verse: Romans 6:23

Prayer: God your gift for me is eternal life. Grant that I will not miss out in Jesus name.

One Secret Of Abundance

Devotion for Friday October 27, 2017

Topic: One Secret Of Abundance

Text: James 4:1 – 3

Yesterday’s food for thought was James 4:1- 3, which speaks that we ask amiss and don’t get from God. James mentioned the reason for this in that verse as avarice. Charles Caleb Colton said that, “Avarice has ruined more souls that extravagance.” A greedy person is like a bottomless pit which never gets filled.  Such a fellow will exhaust all efforts to get satisfaction but can never be satisfied. The story of Ahab and Naboth’s vineyard is an example. Lust and greed are inseparable twins. It leads to covetousness and murder as James made us to understand. He reprehends them who are not ashamed to make God the minister and helper of their lust and pleasures, in asking for their wicked motives and uses.

We pray amiss and don’t have when our aims and ends are not right with God. In prayer, we must consider three things; 1) the object, 2) the manner and 3) the end. We must not only guard our affections, but secure our intentions; for prayers that want a good aim, do also want a good issue. What is you aim for the 7 days, 21 days or 40 days fasting and prayers? Is it aimed at expanding the kingdom of God or for worldly satisfactions in cars, husband, job, money, children, etc? If any of these or many others not mentioned here is your reason for the fasting and prayer, you are not getting it right or you may be asking for what God will give you that you will regret at the end. Remember the case of manna the Israelites had with God in the wilderness. Have you ever considered why God don’t answer all the prayers we say?

If we intend to pray and have what we ask for in abundance, then we should always consider our object, manner and end before praying. Certainly, God will answer you, and your joy will be full (John 16:24).

Food for Thought: “If your desires be endless, your cares and fears will be so too” – Thomas Fuller

Memory verse: James 4:2

Prayer: Re-order my motives in prayer O Lord, so I will not do things wrongly and end up without a reward in Jesus name. Amen.