“I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.”
– Galatians 2:20 NKJV
Welcome to the 16th weekly devotional recap of the year. This week, we learnt about the role of the Trinity in salvation, eternal life, walking in the Spirit, and the impact of Jesus’ resurrection.
On Monday, we studied the Holy Trinity (2 Corinthians 13:14). As Christians, we believe in one God with three distinctive but equally divine persons: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. The Father initiated salvation (Ephesians 1:4-6), the Son (Jesus Christ) died for us (Ephesians 1:7), and the Spirit substantiates our salvation on earth. Because of the sacrifice of the Son, we are justified, and the Holy Spirit seals us and signifies that we are God’s children (Hebrews 9:26, Ephesians 1:13-14).
On Tuesday, we learnt to walk in the Spirit. We learnt that this is the simple formula to not fulfilling the desires of the flesh (Galatians 5:16). To walk in the Spirit, we ought to feed on the Word of God (Psalms 119:11), guard our hearts (Proverbs 4:23), and become accountable to fellow believers and spiritual leaders (Galatians 6:1-2). Other things to do include speaking the Word of God in response to sinful thoughts and setting structures to maintain devotional fervour.
Wednesday’s article taught us about living for Christ. Christ bought us with His precious blood; therefore, our purpose is to live for Him (2 Corinthians 5:15). Contrary to popular belief, we do not ‘give’ our lives to Christ. We receive the life of Christ because we are dead to ourselves (Ephesians 2:1-4). So, we must consecrate ourselves to God and live as people who are submitted to Him. We are, after all, living sacrifices (Romans 12:1).
On Thursday, we were reminded that we have eternal life. There is a misconception that heaven is for only a few blameless people. However, that is not what the Bible tells us. According to the Bible, heaven is where God dwells. And by His Spirit, we are His temple, and the kingdom of God is within us already (1 Corinthians 3:16, Luke 17:20-21). By our belief, we have eternal life and heaven is our home.
Finally, on Friday, we discussed the impact of Christ’s resurrection. The death of Jesus is impactful, but without His resurrection, there would have been no salvation for us. That He resurrected gives us hope of doing the same on the last day! (1 Corinthians 15:12- 23). The same Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead lives inside us; therefore, we have hope (Romans 8:11). This same Spirit is how we live above sin and death.
As our anchor scripture says, Christ lives in us. Therefore, let us live worthy of this gift of salvation.
Happy weekend!
Bible Reading Plan: Joshua 4-6