Morning Devotion

Jan 31 2021

Today's Bible Verse
Romans 6:14 (KJV)
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For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.

Today's Bible study

In this verse from Romans, we are reminded that we are free from sin once and for all. Before we knew Jesus, we were like slaves to sin, bound up in our inability to please the Lord. Now we are free from sin and live no longer under the law, but under grace.

Before Jesus came, the Hebrews lived under very strict law. That law, which makes up much of Leviticus, included rigorous deity instructions, rituals for cleansing, and many other regulations. The highly detailed instructions about sacrifices had to be followed perfectly; if they were not, sacrifices would be rejected and people could be struck dead. The law was necessary because the people needed to be perfect before approaching a holy God. The holiness of the Lord could not mix with sin or any imperfections; the law was intended to show the Hebrews how they could approach Him.

However, the law only revealed their need for a savior. They could not keep all the laws and please the Lord, and thus landed in exile and without the blessing of a holy God. What was intended to help them stay near to the Lord ended up only condemning them further.

The Lord knew this would happen. He anticipated that grace would be the only hope for His people. However, as a holy God, He could not simply give grace without meting out justice. So He sent His son, Jesus, who finally followed the law perfectly, living a sinless life, and then gave His own life, the final and perfect sacrifice that offers justification to each of us today.

Because of Jesus, we no longer live under the law but under grace, as the verse in Romans reads. We no longer have to sacrifice animals before coming to the Lord because Jesus has covered our iniquity. We are able to get to know the Lord through His Word and His work in our hearts, and we can rest in His grace for all of our days.

Today's PrayerAdd to Favorites

Dear Lord, thank you so much for grace. You are so good to me and have given me more than I could ever deserve. Thank you for Jesus, who made my relationship with you possible in the first place. I adore you, God. In Jesus' name, amen.

If we find ourselves with a desire that nothing in this world can satisfy, the most probable explaination is that we were made for another world.

-C.S. Lewis

God will not look you over for medals, degrees or diplomas but for scars.

-Elbert Hubbard

The Christian does not think God will love us because we are good, but that God will make us good because He loves us.

-C.S. Lewis

"If you want to know what God thinks of money, just look at the people he gave it to.

-Dorothy Parker

Yesterday's Devotional

Jan 30 2021

Yesterday's Bible Verse
John 8:36 (KJV)
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If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.

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Yesterday's Bible study

This verse tells us that if Jesus has freed us, then we really are free. Jesus gets the final word regarding our bondage to sin. Once He sets us free, nothing on Earth (or beyond) has the power to bind us up. Jesus defeated sin for us on the cross; we are able to enjoy the spoils of the battle forevermore.

However, sometimes the greatest enemy against this freedom is found within ourselves. We might hear that we are free from sin but then struggle with temptation. We might intellectually assent to our freedom, but never feel the joy that it is supposed to give us. To live in this freedom is very different from merely acknowledging that we have it.

So how do we live in freedom? There are many practical ways to embrace it in your life. The first is to memorize this Bible verse. As you memorize, pray for the Lord to use it in your heart when you find yourself being defeated by sin. Then, when you are tempted to return to your old ways, you can repeat the verse to yourself, reminding yourself that you have a choice between embracing sin or turning your back on it.


As we make this a habit, the benefits of living in freedom will come. Over time, we will not view sin as something desirable or pleasurable. Instead, we will see it as it really is: an abomination against the Lord. Collaborating with the Lord to grow in our sanctification produces intimacy with Him. As we get to know Him better, the thought of doing something that displeases Him becomes more and more repulsive to us.

Indeed, while we are free from sin, we are not without a master. Jesus is our Lord, and He has set us free from sin—not that we are able to live morally good lives on our own, but instead, that we would embrace His goodness, kindness, and love. In Him, and in Him alone, there is true freedom.

Yesterday's Prayer Add to Favorites

Dear Lord, I thank you so much for freedom. Thank you for your sweet, sweet kindness to me. You're above everything I could ever want, and you are so much better than the sin that sometimes seems to ensnare me. Help me to remember that when I face temptation. I love you, Jesus. In your name, amen.



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