“But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
Acts 1:8 NKJV
Welcome to the 17th devotional recap of the year. This week, we learnt about baptism, the assurance of salvation, the gospel’s perspective to life, the joy of salvation and the Great Commission.
We started this week by learning about how the practice of water baptism is a symbol that points to the real thing: baptism of the Holy Spirit. The baptism of Christ by John the Baptist symbolised Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection. It also pointed to our justification and the advent of the Holy Spirit.
Through faith in Christ; we are baptised with the Holy Spirit, and adopted into God’s family. As Jesus instructed, we should raise disciples and baptise them with the Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19-20).
On Tuesday, we studied the assurance of our salvation. We received salvation by grace, meaning we cannot secure it by works. God initiated salvation and gave us His Holy Spirit as a non-refundable deposit of our inheritance in Christ! Therefore, we must rest assured that He will come for us on the Last Day.
Wednesday’s article instructed us to live worthy of the gospel we’ve received. Since we have new life in Christ, we do not conform to worldly standards. Instead, we embrace the power of the Holy Spirit in us to live above sin. We must also preach the Gospel and constantly renew our minds through the Word and prayer.
On Thursday, we learnt that our salvation in Christ is worth rejoicing over! We who were once dead in sin and headed for destruction, were redeemed by Christ’s sacrifice and given eternal life. We are children of God through adoption; therefore, we ought to live purposefully for Him by declaring this Good News.
On Friday, we were charged to preach the gospel to everyone, because with salvation comes the responsibility to share the message. God wants all people saved, and our purpose in life is to know Christ and to make Him known. So, we must abandon all excuses and go as we’ve been sent. Jesus promised to be with us as we go, armed with the Holy Spirit and the gospel that saves.
You have been encouraged to live purposefully, empowered by His Spirit. As you meditate on the teachings of this past week, endeavour to share the gospel with others. Christ did it, we tell it.
Have a great weekend!
Bible Reading Plan: Joshua 19-21