Who I Am In Christ Devotionals

  He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. But to all who did receive him, he gave them the right to be children of God, to those who believe in his name, who were born, not of natural descent, or of the will of the flesh, or of the will of man, but of God.  John 1:11-13 I have a right to be a child of God. What? I am so blessed to be a believer today. What grace He has given me to be able to open my eyes wide enough to see Him! Even many of His own people did not. Still, some did. Oh, and like me, He gave them the right... ...to be children of God. That is a phrase needs some of my attention. It says that He gave them the right. The right. What is a right? In the United States of America we talk about rights. We have a bill of rights. The people who wrote the constitution declared that Americans have these rights, meaning, they can't be legally taken away from you. I am a child of God by right. Not because I was born on one side of a border but by the declaratio

  For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace.  Romans 8:6 I believed a lie. There is flesh and spirit. Though he has the Spirit, the believer must still contend with his flesh. The grace I have, the blessing, is this: I can set my mind on the Spirit. It is possible. I'm not practiced at it. Why? Because I got it backwards. I once believed that to set my mind on the Spirit was boring. Yes, I know I said that out loud. I thought the mind set on the Spirit was monkish: sitting around in silence, contemplating my navel. That was my impression. I believed a lie. I can get the flesh and the spirit confused. There are two choices at any given time, flesh or Spirit. Being filled with the spirit is not that we must act however we think a monk is supposed to act. We get to talk to people. We get to have fun with them. We get to eat and enjoy life. None of that takes away from setting our minds on the Spirit. My mind set on the flesh = selfi

  But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is perfected in weakness.” Therefore, I will most gladly boast all the more about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may reside in me. So I take pleasure in weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and in difficulties, for the sake of Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong.  2 Corinthians 12:9-10 Boast About My Weakness His grace is plenty for me. His power is perfected in my weakness. What a concept! Good then, because I have plenty of that to go around! I will boast about my weaknesses: pride, jealousy, anger, worry, lack of faith, self pity. Boy, it stings for me to write that list. And of course there are more. But the verse says to BOAST about them! Why? So that His power may reside in me. I want that. Then, the writer of the verse really lays in on thick. He also says he takes pleasure in insults. I'm going to stop right there for a sec. Because I usually read through this verse like a motorcar.

  Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God who is working in you both to will and to work according to his good purpose. Philippians 2:12-13 I'm learning to trust that He is at work in me. God works in believers. I just want to mull over that. GOD WORKS IN BELIEVERS! He works in me, yet I barely notice sometimes. I'm all caught up in the first part of the verse that says, "...work out your salvation." I get worn out with the working out and the fear and trembling. Only because I forget about the second part that says God works in me for His good purpose. And I can be like a sailor who tries to huff and puff his own wind into the sails. And here's the dumb part, I've been known do huff and puff when God is already providing the wind! I'm learning to open my eyes to the fact that He is doing. Be still and know... Then, the working out my salvation with fear and trembling sounds more like this: take your salvation SERIOUSLY! God is w

  This is the day the Lord has made; let’s rejoice and be glad in it.  Psalms 118:24 Planting That Mustard Seed of Faith I am not God. I serve Him. I believe in Him. Each day, I think on that to one degree or another. Sometimes, I'm like that weekend sports warrior who wakes up so stiff feeling useless to God. Those days I don't feel like I'm any good to the kingdom. I'm slowly learning even on those days to take that mustard seed of faith, and plant it. For today. Why focus on today? Just one day of walking in the light is something I can wrap my mind around. Tomorrow? That's more than I have to give. I have today to give. "Exhort one another daily, while it is called today (Hebrews 3)." Daily. Today. Daily Bread God gives me today. "Give us this day our daily bread." Today. Psalm 143 "Cause me to hear Your lovingkindness in the morning, for in You do I trust..." In the morning, part of the day. Right? Psalm 118:24 "This is the da

  He gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to cleanse for himself a people for his own possession, eager to do good works. Titus 2:14 Bought With Blood Who am I in Christ? I am redeemed by the blood of the lamb. He gave Himself. That's not just words. That's gospel. To redeem, that means He bought me. I used to belong to lawlessness. That's a thought. I belonged to it. That's why I was dead in my sins and trespasses. It owned me. Not any more. Hallelujah! He is cleansing me to be part of a people for His own possession. So I am still owned. But by Him. I am not my own man. I never was. No one is. I belong, all of me, to Him. Sometimes I think I get to act like a sinner. But what a joke, right? I can't do it. It makes me miserable. I belong, all of me, to Him. I'm His possession. But is it miserable to do His bidding? Not even! He fashions me a new heart, one that is EAGER to do His good. Eager. That's an attitude change. When I am walking

  Sow righteousness for yourselves and reap faithful love; break up your unplowed ground. It is time to seek the Lord until he comes and sends righteousness on you like the rain. Hosea 10:12 Out of Darkness I believe in Jesus. He called me out of the darkness into His glorious light. Amazing love! Because of that, I can sow righteousness. It's not about being self-righteous. Any righteousness I live out comes from the one true God because He rescued me from death and destruction. And so I can sow. Now, I get to reap faithful love. What? I get to! Faithful love. What is that? That is love that doesn't shy at the moment things get hard or ugly. He keeps loving. Now the next part of the verse is parallel to the first statement. Break up your ground, plow it. Work it. But this is about planting righteousness, not grain. That suggests that righteousness starts tiny, a seed. I only start with a little. I break up the ground, plant a seed. That's all I have. He gives me the grace