DAY 10: RESPONSIBLE CHRISTIANITY

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 PHRONESIS DEVOTIONAL

 

30 DAYS DEVOTIONAL WITH PREACHER SAM





September 10, 2023.

Topic: RESPONSIBLE CHRISTIANITY

Bible Reading: Romans 12:1-13

Verse for Meditation: Philippians 1:21 NKJV

For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.


At salvation God gave us His life (Rom. 6:23); Jesus Christ gave us His righteousness (Rom. 5:17); and the Holy Spirit gave us Himself (Acts 2:38).

Death simply means being separated from life source. When man fell, man died. Man was separated from God the life source, that was why he hid himself when God came down to the Garden of Eden; shame and death are of sin (Gen. 3:8; cf. Isa. 59:1-2).

“Surely die” means, “in dying you will die.” That means the spiritual death has resulted to a physical death; man being separated from the living. This is another effect of sin (Gen. 3:19; cf. Heb. 9:27).

In the book of Revelation, there’s what is called a second death (Rev. 20:14); this is an eternal death and separation from God.

But what Christ did restored God’s eternal life back to us, which assures us of eternity. The finished works of Christ also restored the image of God that bears true righteousness and holiness (Eph. 4:24). Holiness simply means being separated unto God. So in Christ death ended, and holiness was imparted into our spirits. The gift of righteousness that Christ gave us at our new birth is so that we can practice righteousness (1Jn. 2:29; 3:7, 10). And by the way, living a life of true righteousness and holiness is not a life of behavioural modification, but a life lived out by God’s standard (Mat. 5:20).

Then the Holy Spirit gave us Himself, first as a seal; a symbol of assurance of salvation (2Cor. 1:22; Eph. 1:13; 4:30). Then as a helper; advocate; comforter; intercessor (Jn. 14:16); and teacher (Jn. 14:26; 1Jn. 2:27). That was what Ezekiel prophesied in Ezekiel 36:26

Ezekiel 36:26 KJV

A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.


The Spirit within us will take away the stony heart and give us a heart of flesh. That is, He will not come to give us some new regulations of do’s and don’ts, but to be our new regulator; teaching and helping us live out by God’s standard.

God is no longer counting the sins of the new man in Christ (2Cor. 5:19). This was what David called a blessing (Ps. 32:2). So does that mean we can go on sinning? God forbids it (Rom. 6:1-2). We have been dead to sin and you must reckon it dead (Rom. 6:11-12). We live by the Spirit and so we must mortify the actions of the flesh (Rom. 8:13); that is you must intentionally starve and kill every desires of the flesh. And that’s what make you a responsible Christian.

And Paul, from our devotional text urges us in view of the mercies of God, that we present our bodies as a living sacrifice unto the Lord, because that is our reasonable service or worship. That is consecration.

At salvation God justifies us (Rom. 3:24; 5:1); that is, He declares that we are not guilty of sin. This is not like one that was found guilty as charged and was later set free; he will be regarded to as an ex-convict. But that was not our case, we were guilty of sin, but in Christ that past is gone, we saw that yesterday.

And also we have been sanctified forever (Heb. 10:10); that is, He made us holy by separating us unto Himself.

And consecration is the vital side of holiness; we must walk with God in total obedience and submission.

The first place worship was mentioned in the Bible, it refers to sacrifice (Gen. 22:5), so our reasonable sacrifice is our life. The life we have is Christ’s so we are not to live for ourselves but for Him. And by the way, we do this by the help of the indwelling Spirit (Phil. 2:12-13).


PRAYER:

DEAR FATHER, PLEASE HELP ME BY YOUR SPIRIT TO CONTINUALLY RENDER MY LIFE AS A SACRIFICE UNTO YOU. AMEN!


DECLARATION:

MY LIVING IS CHRIST; I LIVE FOR HIM ALONE.


Bible Reading Plan: John 8:31-9:12; Romans 10; Proverbs 10


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