Sep 04 2024

Today's Bible Verse

Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.

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In this verse, Paul tells the church in Rome that they are free from sin and are now servants of righteousness. Having a relationship with God has transformed the way that they live their lives. Instead of living in sin and self-centeredness, they seek after righteousness and dwell in the knowledge of God's love for them.

When we surrender our hearts and minds to Jesus, we are freed from sin. Our old idols and habits no longer control us. Jesus helps us say no to temptations and, over time, we become more and more like Him. When we struggle with sin, we can remember that we are not in bondage to it. Jesus has made us free once and for all! If you feel yourself slipping, recite this verse to yourself: I am free from sin. Jesus made me free from this sin 2,000 years ago. We can take on the power of our salvation and see our lives change.

Because we had seen the goodness of the Lord, we want to become more and more like Him. We get a new perspective through which we evaluate our actions and desires, and he empowers us to see things as He does so we can make the right decisions. We become servants of righteousness, devoted to pleasing God.

Rejoice in the fact that you are not defined by your sin! Jesus has broken the chains of gossip, stealing, lying, and jealousy, and as we bring those sins to Him again and again, He will take them away from us. He will replace them with a desire to know Him better and more and more deeply, transforming us into the servants of righteousness that we were created to be.

Today's Prayer

Dear Lord, I am so glad that I am not a slave to sin! Help me to remember that when I feel as though I'm drowning in bad decisions. Help me to rest in your great love for me. I want to become a servant of righteousness as I seek after you. In Jesus' name, amen.

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Sep 03 2024

Yesterday's Bible Verse

And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins.:

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Yesterday's Bible study

In this verse, Peter is encouraging the Christians in Asia Minor (modern-day Turkey) to continue in love for one another. He knows that love (referred to as charity in the KJV) will be the most important part of the church. Love is the glue that holds everything together—without it, the church will fall apart.

I find it interesting that Peter made sure to articulate this in the letter. It can be easy to see love as a given; of course we love one another! But Peter wants to emphasize its importance. "Above all things", the church should strive to love one another. This means all disputes, questions, and concerns should be made in love. Reproofs and corrections should be made, but always in the spirit of love. If there is love, the church will not have division because love will cover their offenses against each other.

If you looked at your life, would you say that love is the defining aspect of your interactions with other people? A life characterized by love means you are quick to encourage and help others. You don't fault-find, and you are careful to follow the promptings of the Holy Spirit when you feel moved to offer correction.

While we are cleansed from sin because of Jesus, we are not perfect creatures. There will be times in our lives when we will sin and hurt other people. Even in these situations, love can intervene. Love, Peter writes, "shall cover the multitude of sins." Love gives us the ability to respond to the person behind the sin instead of the sin itself. It helps us view the other people around us with grace because it acknowledges that we are all unmerited recipients of God's love for each of us.

When we recognize the love that the Lord has shown us, we will be able to show that love to each other in greater and greater abundance. We will know that nothing we experience in our lives will take away the truth that we are loved by God. We are forever secure in His name and His love—and we can help others experience this as well.

Yesterday's Prayer

Dear Lord, I thank you for the great love that you have shown me. You are merciful and good to me. Help me to show love to the people around me, responding in kindness and mercy even when they wound me. Help me to be quick to forgive because you were quick to forgive. I love you, Jesus. In your name, amen.


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