This week’s devotions are based on the Week 2 “A Savior Born for You! (WATCH HERE)
Everyone likes a new start. With New Year’s Day just a few weeks away, perhaps it’s that time of year that you mentally and perhaps physically reset and feel like with a new calendar year, you have a new set of days, weeks, and months to do life differently than you did in the previous year. New things can energize us. A new job renews our joy of going to work. A new car feels less heavy than the old one that needs repair. A new friendship is invigorating to have new perspectives in your life.
When people came out to see John the Baptist, they were perhaps initially intrigued by his person and appearance. He was a bit quirky, wearing camel skins for clothes and eating locust and wild honey…not necessarily mainstream for even the time. Yet in their curiosity of his presence in the wilderness, was the opportunity for God’s Spirit to use John to change hearts and lives. He used his message of repentance to call them to change. He used the gift of baptism to remove the stain of guilt and sin and then used the call to produce fruits of repentance as the invitation to live differently than they had in the past.
People looked for direction to no longer live the way they were, but to honor the new life of forgiveness they have been given.
Luke 3:9 The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.”
10 “What should we do then?” the crowd asked.
11 John answered, “Anyone who has two shirts should share with the one who has none, and anyone who has food should do the same.”
12 Even tax collectors came to be baptized. “Teacher,” they asked, “what should we do?”
13 “Don’t collect any more than you are required to,” he told them.
14 Then some soldiers asked him, “And what should we do?”
He replied, “Don’t extort money and don’t accuse people falsely—be content with your pay.”
When the Spirit of God takes hold of our hearts, we begin to believe, think and live differently. We no longer allow the selfish, sinful nature to compel us to live for our self-pleasure, but we live to love God and love the people around us.
The Apostle Paul put it this way: 2 Corinthians 5:14 For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. 15 And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.
Like anything new, it may take some getting used to, but in this case the new life in Jesus underneath the reality of his love, grace and forgiveness is much greater and more enjoyable than living for self and taking advantage of people.
Enjoy living today in the new life that God’s Spirit has and is working in you!
Apply: What one thing in your life is the Spirit of God guiding you to change to conform more to the likeness of Jesus and producing the fruits of faith?
Prayer: Lord, thank you for giving me a new start to live for you! AMEN!