Tag: Galatians 5:6
Day 4–Peace and Love With Faith
Scripture reading for June 18: Ephesians 6:23-24“Peace be to the brothers, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Grace be with all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with love incorruptible.”
Today’s short blessing from Paul’s letter to the Ephesians is full of encouragement that reinforces the other blessings we already covered. The Aaronic blessing of Numbers 6:23-27 declared God’s smile of favor over His people giving them His peace. Jesus declared the blessedness of peacemakers being called the sons of God, reinforcing our identity as belonging to God’s eternal family. (Matthew 5:9) The blessing in Hebrews declared our Father as the God of peace Who made peace for us through the sacrifice of His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. This act demonstrates true love to us and enables us to have faith, which works by love. (Galatians 5:6) Paul declared peace to the brothers (and sisters) in this blessing for today.
Paul also declared love with faith to the believers from God the Father and the Lord Jesus. God’s love always acts for the highest good of the other, regardless of cost. God our Father in love gave us who believe the gift of the Holy Spirit Who confirms to us our identity as God’s children. God is love and true love is from God. His children should reflect His love. Jesus taught Holy Spirit becomes in us a river of God’s love flowing out of us. (John 7:38-39) (Romans 5:5) Because we know His amazing love, we can now respond by loving Him and loving our brothers and sisters. (1 John 4:10-12) This means working for their highest good, regardless of cost to us.
But love on our part can be corrupted. We can say we love God and yet hold hatred for our brothers or sisters. We can declare we love our brothers and sisters, yet close our heart to helping them in need. (1 John 3:17) When our love is corrupted, God’s grace to us is restricted by our own heart attitude. His flow of love through us is also restricted for those we are sent to help.
Prayer: Father God continue to reveal to me, a first responder, Your great love in Jesus Christ. Reveal any heart attitudes that corrupt my love for You or hinder Your love flowing through me to others. I receive this blessing of peace and love with faith from You and our Lord Jesus Christ and want to pass it on. Amen.
Day 2–The Greatest Lover
Scripture reading for February 3: John 10:11 “I am the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd lays down His life for the sheep.” John 15:12-13 “This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.”
Scripture reveals through the words of Jesus that He is the greatest Lover of all mankind. Our faith works by love. (Galatians 5:6) Jesus did not just tell us about love and then command us to love one another, He demonstrated that love;“. . but God shows His love for us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8) He acted for the highest good of all people by providing for them a full payment for their own sins. He willingly took our sins, personally and corporately, in His own body on the cross and gave His life blood as a payment sufficient for all. Our response is to willingly accept His payment and Him as Lord through confession and forsaking of our sins. This is how we are born again.
When we choose to believe in Christ, God saves us from the penalty and eternal punishment for our sins. We can only say ‘thank You’ to the Lord Jesus. Jesus had the power to willingly lay down His life for all sinners and because He was Himself, sinless, He had the power to take up His life again, defeating death, hell and the grave. (John 10:17-18) He demonstrated God’s love by His faithful sacrifice.
The very nature of our emergency response network and those who work in it is our willingness to lay our lives down for the sake of those in danger or trouble. Behind this response is human compassion–love coming from God towards the hurting and wounded. This love takes on a new dimension when we receive Jesus Christ’s love and allow Him to dwell in us.
Prayer: Father God, thank You for sending Your Love to us in Your Beloved Son, Jesus Christ! That You would lay down Your life for me, a sinner, is amazing and humbling. Thank You for cleansing me through Your shed blood and for praying for me now and always. Teach me today how to love You and allow Your love to flow in me. Amen.
Sunday rest and reflection
March 3, 2023
Greetings! Hopefully, you are spending part of this day with God’s family in a place of worship! God redeemed us from slavery to sin to lead a life of worship! We are to worship personally and corporately. We come together to meet with God and His family and prepare ourselves for a week of ministry and witness. We come together to hear the Word of God preached and taught by those with gifts of teaching and preaching. We use our gifts to encourage other believers and pray. The gifts in the body help us to become equipped to do the work God has for each person and the church family. (Ephesians 4:11-16)
Moses is one of my favorite Old Testament characters. He was strong and vigorous at 120 years of age. Evidently the manna and water diet kept him healthy and strong! Moses was greatly concerned for the next generation. He wanted them to be blessed and and take by faith all that the Lord had promised as their inheritance. He clearly understood how their sinful human nature was a danger to them. He shared that nature and because of his own anger and dishonoring of God would not be able to go into the promised land himself. Deuteronomy is the record of his last messages preached to this next generation before he died.
God chose the preaching of His Word to be the vehicle of teaching and inspiring this next generation. (1st Corinthians 1:21) Faith comes by hearing God’s Word! (Romans 10:17) Faith also works by love and God calls them to love Him and love each other! (Galatians 5:6) Love is not a feeling, but a commitment to act for the highest good of another. God’s promises show His love and our faith and obedience show our love in return! God’s love hasn’t changed! He is still using preaching to reach people and inspire faith in them. (Romans 10:14-15) He still desires faith and obedience as a show of our love for Him. (1st John 5:2-4) When we walk in faith and obedience and love Him, His face shines on us! (Number 6:22-27) Have a great day of rest and reflection! In His Love, Pastor John