Loving Jesus Style

Scripture: Galatians 3:27-29 (ESV) 27  For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. 28  There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29  And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to promise. Devotion: What does it mean to put on Christ? Paul uses this metaphor to describe the radical transformation that takes place when we are baptized into Christ. Baptism is not just a ritual or a symbol, but a powerful act of God, a divine intervention that unites us with Christ in his death and resurrection. Our old identity no longer defines us, but by our new identity in Christ. This new identity transcends all the divisions and distinctions that the world makes. There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female. These categories are not erased, but they are no longer the basis for our status, value, or belonging. We are...

  Scripture: Galatians 6:1-2(NIV) Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted. 2  Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way, you will fulfill the law of Christ. Devotion: We all, as human beings, make mistakes and fall into sin at some point in our lives. No one is perfect, except Jesus Christ, who died for our sins and rose again to give us new life. But how do we respond when we see a fellow believer struggling with sin? Do we judge them, ignore them, or condemn them? Or do we follow the example of Christ, who came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance? Remember, we are all equally vulnerable to sin, and it is our shared humanity that calls us to respond with empathy and understanding. Paul tells us in Galatians 6:1-2 that we who live by the Spirit should restore those caught in sin gently and humbly, without being self-righteous ...

  Scripture: Galatians 6:2 (ESV) 2  Bear one another’s burdens and so fulfill the law of Christ. Devotion:             Americans have always prided themselves on their independence. We claim to be a nation of self-made men and women who can pull ourselves up by our bootstraps if the occasion warrants. However, Paul, in this verse and the verses that surround it, proclaims that the Christian life is not a solitary journey but a community affair. When we see a brother stumble and fall under the load they bear, we are not just obligated, but we are called to render aid out of a genuine desire to help. In the same way, we are to accept aid graciously when difficulties befall us, not as a sign of weakness but as a testament to our humility and trust in our fellow believers, strengthening the bonds of our community.             Even our Lord Jesus allowed Simon of ...

  Scripture: Romans 10.9 (ESV) if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. Devotion:             These words Paul addressed to the church in Rome are a precious confession of the simplicity of our salvation in Jesus Christ. Sometimes, we allow the Christian faith to become complicated. We are, despite our protestations to the contrary, much like the Pharisees of Jesus Day. We like to multiply the things necessary for salvation without Biblical warrant. It is good for us to remember the story of the crucifixion of Jesus. A thief hanging on the cross next to Jesus asks Jesus to remember him when Jesus comes into His kingdom. Jesus responds that the thief will be with Him in paradise that very day.             However, in some churches today, membership standards are so low that eve...

Scripture: Galatians 2:19-21 (ESV) 19  For through the law I died to the law so that I might live to God. 20  I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. 21  I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness were through the law, then Christ died for no purpose. Devotion:             The Old Testament law caused the death of all who tried valiantly to obey it. With its rules and lists, following the law in every detail was a full-time job. In these verses, Paul makes it plain that there is a new way to be right with God that does not depend on obedience to the law of Moses to perfection. A new day of righteousness has dawned for those willing to accept that God had come to live, die, and be resurrected for our salvation.     ...