FEBRUARY 5 DEVOTION BIBLE READING: ROMANS 12:1-8
It is easy in the Christian life to define ourselves by what we do rather than who we are. We fall into the trap of trying to prove our worth and value by the things we do, rather than by the fact that we are the children of the living God. I have sat in pastor's conferences where the whole discussion was centered around how many people were at church last Sunday, how big was the church, how many baptisms and what size was the offering. Rarely have I heard at these conferences anyone talking about the presence of Christ and what the Holy Spirit was doing in the church. The conversations almost always talked about what people were doing for the Kingdom rather than what the Lord was doing in the church.
Biblically, a Christian, first and foremost, is who you are...not what you do. Who we are impacts what we do. We must be careful not to get "the cart before the horse.” If what we do defines us and makes us what we are, then that is man-centered and man-made. It is a work of the flesh and not the Spirit. If who we are in Christ defines who we are, then that is a work of the Holy Spirit and what we do is a result of His work in us. The first glorifies man and the second brings glory to God. We are what we are by the grace of God, anything accomplished in our lives is due to Him and He receives all the glory! When it all comes to an end, only those things that God did through us will remain. All the man-made accomplishments will be burned as "the wood, the hay and the stubble." The good work done by the Christian is always a result of the Holy Spirit working through who He has made us. It's all by His Grace. Now go out there and be who you are in Christ and see the great things He will do!
Please share your thoughts.
Kommentare