Walking in the Truth
Today's Scriptural Truths
[Jesus said], "For God so loved the world that He gave His one & only Son that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life." John 3:16"For it is by grace you have been saved through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God--not by works, so that no one can boast. Ephesians 2:8-9
"Thomas answered [Jesus], 'My Lord & my God!' Jesus said to him, 'Have you believed because you have seen Me? Blessed are those who have not seen & yet have believed.'" John 20:28-29
Today's Devotional Thoughts
I entitled this series of devotionals "Walking in the Truth," because that was the chapel theme for Lutheran High Northeast in 2014-2015. I was privileged to write most of the devotionals for the LHNE Daily Bulletin last year, & many of these devotionals have been adapted from them.
When I speak about walking in the Truth, I want to establish something very important right away. The Truth is to be found in Jesus Christ: The Way, the Truth, & the Light, as revealed to us in God's Holy Word . . . NOT revealed to us in Paul's devotional thoughts.
My devotional thoughts were originally meant to provide insights & provoke high school-aged students to think about the words of Scripture. In my devotionals written for my blog, I've attempted to adapt them to provide insights & provoke a wider audience to think about the words of Scripture, but I will never pretend to be a Bible scholar. And I digress . . .
When I started writing my devotions last year I emphasized that it was fundamentally, absolutely essential to know & believe The Truth before we started discussing what difference it makes in our everyday lives. . . and the Truth is to be found in the Scriptural Truths shared above.
- God the Father loved humankind so much that He sent His Son Jesus to deliver us from sin & damnation.
- We can't deliver ourselves from sin & damnation, because God is holy--absolutely just & without sin.
- We are absolutely unholy & riddled with sin, so it takes God's grace--His undeserved love--to save us.
- We are saved by God's grace through faith in Jesus which is given to us as a free gift.
- There is nothing we can do to earn it. We can't do anything to make God love us. We can't do anything to make God hate us.
- We can't do anything to earn our forgiveness . . . & so Jesus takes care of that huge problem for us . . .
- And then provides it freely through the gift of faith.
- Don't understand it? Me neither! . . . Praise Christ that we don't have to understand it!
So, ever wish you could have been present to see the actual empty Tomb that first Easter morning? To see, hear & touch Jesus "in the flesh?"
- You don't need to! We don't need to! We've been blessed by the faith He's given us as a free gift to believe in Him . . . to be forgiven & saved without the need to see Him in the flesh just yet.
- We will see Him in the flesh some day . . . Believe it! He always keeps His promised! There is a resurrection from the dead!
- And don't forget another promise . . . We actually still touch Him through the miracle of His body & blood . . . given & shed for us . . . as we eat the bread & drink the wine in the Holy Sacrament.
Today's Prayer Thoughts
Give thanks for God's great love in sending His Son Jesus to be our Lord & Savior. Thank Him for calling you to be a child of God. Ask Him to bless you as you continue to read Scripture & grow in your relationship with Him. Ask Him to especially bless someone near & dear to you who may yet be seeking Him.
Addendum
This is a devotional I wrote in 2016.
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