Category: faith

No Longer Slaves to the Law

Galatians 4-6

Devotion by Juliet Taylor (Tennessee)

Prior to the New Covenant, the Jews were like slaves to the law, in the sense that children are slaves to their parents’ rules until the time has come to set them free to do what they’ve learned is right without their parents’ involvement. This is what Paul is trying to reiterate regarding the Law of Moses and the Law of Christ/law of liberty to the Galatians.

When Jesus ratified a new covenant with them (and us), the Jews were set free from the Law of Moses in the same manner that a child is set free from her parents’ rules/laws once she becomes an adult. Because Jesus came, the Jews are now free to walk by faith like Abraham did, without a law to teach him what to do, but with God’s wisdom about what to do, having already learned what is good from their “childhood.”

To make this point clearer, think of the things you still do as an adult because your parents taught you well when you were a child, like holding the door for the person behind you, or waiting patiently for your turn while in line, etc. They’re not things that you’re doing because you’re still under your parents’ rules and will receive consequences from them if you don’t (or do). They’re things you’re doing because they’re ingrained in you to do from their discipline of you, and because you’ve learned that they are good practices to help you live well (to keep yourself and others from harm and to do good to others).

If you engage in the good things your parents taught you once a “free to do as you please” adult, you will probably do well in life. If not, you will understand that you’re not really free, you’re just not under your parents’ authority anymore. They’re not going to be the ones providing you with consequences for your actions because you’re not under their yoke. You’re under a free society’s yoke – one that obviously still expects you to do what’s right so that you won’t harm yourself or others.

And there will be some behaviors that you’re no longer expected to engage in in your free society, such as not talking to strangers. Though your parents may have taught you to heed this rule when you were under their yoke to keep you from harm, it no longer applies in your free society. The opposite is actually expected for love and respect’s sake.   

If they (and we) now identify in Christ, they are free from the Laws of Moses (free from their “parent” Moses’s rules), its consequences, and its authority. They are adults, free to serve God without specific laws about how they must live, beyond what their new authority Jesus says to do, which is to love as Jesus loved, giving the world the royal treatment (love your neighbor as yourself).

What’s ingrained in a Christ follower is the Holy Spirit, not the laws from the Law of Moses. It is the Spirit that writes the law (of Christ) on our heart, urging us to do what pleases God. If we (both Jew and Gentile) listen to the urging of the Spirit, we are walking by the Spirit and pleasing God. If not, we’re walking by the flesh and pleasing ourselves (sinning/choosing our own will).

We will reap what our behavior sows in the end, either to the flesh, which leads to death, or to the Spirit, which leads to life. Jesus, our authority under the New Covenant, will be our judge.

So, how have you been doing in loving God and loving people?  

If you don’t know how to love like Jesus, ask God for his wisdom about how to love your neighbor (and God), or what actions you should take to love them. His desire is to give you his wisdom about what to do when you ask.

First Corinthians 1:30 says that Jesus has become wisdom for us, so look to him for wisdom; look at his words to help you to know what God’s will is. Look at the people that Jesus entrusted God’s word with, like Paul. At the end of almost all of his letters, he gives those he’s writing to some practical application in how to love like Jesus. James gave us a lot too!  

The more we follow the urging of the spirit to do God’s will, the more we become like Christ and will do God’s will. Becoming this type of person takes time, molding, and shaping. There will be times when we miss the mark and wander off the path. Isn’t it a blessing though to be under the law of liberty, free to make mistakes without the consequences from the Law of Moses when we do? What a burden that would be! Thank God that we won’t receive the consequences from the Law of Moses when we miss the mark on our race.

Under the New Covenant, God urges us to restore one who’s wandered off, gently, as consequence. We must help each other stay on the path of righteousness and bear each other’s burdens, like Paul is with the Galatians in his letter. This is how you fulfill the law of Christ/the law of liberty.    

So, should we follow the Law of Moses to be sure we are living well? No. We should read and understand all scripture, as it is all God breathed, “profitable for teaching, reproof, correction, and training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate” (2 Tim. 3:16-17), but we should apply what we read and do in light of the New Covenant we are under with our new high priest and mediator Jesus. It is a better way to live, with a lighter yoke. Jesus teaches us how to do this (seek God’s wisdom through him).

For example, before Jesus was crucified, he shared in the Passover meal with his disciples. The Passover was a meal shared to remember what Yahweh God had done for the Jews, leading them out of slavery from the Egyptians, to serving him. But at the last supper Jesus has with them, he tells them to remember something new when they have Passover. He says to remember him, remembering what he did for them in shedding his blood and breaking his body.

Gentiles don’t celebrate Passover, because it doesn’t apply to them. But many Christians do share a meal together once a year that they call communion, remembering Jesus’s shed blood and his broken body for us. God didn’t give Gentiles a law telling them they must celebrate Communion under the New Covenant, but his son told his disciples to remember him. We must remember what Christ did for us too.

Communion is a good practice to help us remember, but it is not a law we must abide by to be in Christ (identified as a Christ follower). What we must abide by is what Jesus said, which is to remember what he did for us. 

It is easy to forget what Jesus did for us when we don’t engage in practices that help us remember. However, if a Gentile chooses not to remember Jesus’s blood and body every year, he is not condemned to not enter the kingdom of God. But each year he forgets about Jesus’s sacrifice, the more off track he may get, which can put him in jeopardy of not entering the kingdom of God at the end of his race.

And Jewish Christians no longer need to celebrate Passover/Seder. But it is okay if they do, so long as they’re not doing it to separate themselves from Gentiles as righteous. But when they do, it would be good practice to primarily remember what Jesus did for them, which is much better than what Moses did for them. If they don’t, they are not condemned to not enter the kingdom of God in the end, but the more they forget about Jesus’s sacrifice for them, the more off track they may get, which can put them in jeopardy of not entering the kingdom at the end of their race.

The Galatians (and we) should understand that teaching anyone, even a Jew, to follow the Law of Moses for the purpose of being identified as righteous, is wrong. It is a false gospel. Doing what Christ says to do is the true gospel, and it identifies you as a child of God in Christ. Faith in Jesus, with the faith of Abraham/of Jesus, identifies you as a true child of God.

Paul emphasizes his point with an analogy of two women from the Old Testament. Hagar was a slave, Sarah was free. The enslaved woman will have no part of the inheritance of the free woman, so the Galatians need to get this right. Lives are at stake.

When Paul first preached the Gospel to the Galatians, they were fulfilling the Law of Christ because of their great love for Paul, not only listening to him and receiving his teachings, but also taking great care of him while he was sick. They treated him like he was a messenger from God, like Jesus himself. Paul said if it were possible, they would have torn out their eyes to give them to Paul if he needed them. That is loving like Jesus. It’s sacrificial love. It is giving their neighbor Paul the royal treatment.

There is no law about what exactly we must do to love like Jesus the way the Galatians did at first. But we know that to love like Jesus when we see a brother sick and in need means doing something to help that brother. Think on the wisdom we received from James to understand (James 2:15-17). Your faith is worthless if you don’t give a brother what he needs, and it makes you a sinner.  

Again, 1 John 3:16 tells us what loving like Jesus is, and that we should follow suit. This is how we know what love is, Jesus the Christ laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay our lives down for our brothers and sisters. What this verse is saying is that love is sacrifice. We are to sacrifice our lives to love someone else, in all of our doings under our new authority.

For Jesus, it looked like living a sinless life and dying on the cross to save us. For the Galatians when they first met Paul, it was to take care of him in his ill state. Paul is now loving them by urging them to remember their first love (acts of love towards him when he had a need) in the rest of their doings.

There are many things that we can do to love like Jesus. We are going to need to seek God’s wisdom to know the specifics and be led by the spirit in our various circumstances, but we can all heed this bit of wisdom at the end of Paul’s letter to the Galatians to remain on the path of righteousness under the New Covenant through Christ:

Instead of allowing someone to enslave you with their false teaching, a good practice is to serve one another through love, like the Galatians did at Paul’s first preaching. This is the freedom they have in Christ, to do good until Paul without a law that tells them so.

We are called to freedom, but we should not turn our freedom into an opportunity to sin just because there’s no law under the New Covenant. Remember, there’s wisdom! The whole Law (of Moses) is fulfilled in one word, the statement, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Under the new Covenant, this is also wisdom from God. But if you bite and devour one another, you may just be consumed by one another. You won’t be entering the kingdom of God if you’re doing this because you’re not loving your brother like Jesus taught. Instead, walk by the Spirit so that you won’t carry out the desires of the flesh.

The desires of the flesh (not God’s will) are whatever is opposed to the desires of the Spirit of God (God’s will). The spirit he put inside you urges you to do his will, while the flesh urges you to do your own will, or what you think is good for you to do.

If you want to know if you’re walking by the spirit or walking by the flesh, Galatians 5:19-21 gives you a pretty clear list of things that people do when they’re walking by the flesh. These are things that are going to harm yourself or others and if practiced (meaning ongoing without repentance), they’re going to make you forfeit your entrance into the kingdom of God.

Instead, walk by the Spirit’s urging about what you should do, and the fruit of the Spirit will follow. They are things that are produced by people who love like Jesus. If you want to know if you’re a disciple of Jesus, they’re great identifiers: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Gal. 5:22-23). If these characteristics are yours, you’re not under a law (you can call it the law of liberty if you really want to be under a law). You’re in Jesus’s free society (free to love like Jesus based on the needs of those you’re serving, based on God’s wisdom about it, not by a law outlining specifics you must do to be righteous).  

If you are a Christian, you crucified the flesh with its passions and desires when you entered the New Covenant. I think this means that since becoming a Christian, you have decided to live by the urging of the Spirit inside you, as opposed to your former ways following the desires of your flesh, just like Paul proclaimed of himself. But if one of you practices one of those things from the flesh list, then your brother who is spiritual should restore you gently. Be sure the restorer is spiritual though, being sure the one restoring the brother sinning doesn’t have a log in his own eye to clean out first, lest he also be tempted. And bear one another’s burdens. I love how Paul basically reiterated how to fulfill the law of Christ in this situation using the same wisdom that Jesus used when teaching his disciples how to live from the from the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7).

Some more wisdom to stay on track to the Kingdom of God include sharing good things with the one who teaches you the word. If the one teaching you God’s word took time away from doing other things to support their family, then in return you should support your teacher.   

Remember, God is not mocked. Whatever a person sows, he will also reap, whether to the flesh (ongoing sin/your own will) which leads to destruction or to the Spirit (God’s will), which leads to eternal life. The one preaching the false gospel will reap what he sows.

Don’t grow weary in doing good. This can be a hard one with all of life’s ups and downs. I remember when I knew I was growing weary, so I cried out to God to help me keep going. He simply reiterated it back to me through the prophetic word of a dear sister in Christ, and then told me what to prioritize.

In due time, if we don’t become weary, we will reap good things. While we have opportunity, let’s do good to all people, especially those who are of the household of the faith. Amen!

I find it hilarious that Paul says, “See what large letters I have written to you with my own hand!” It sounds like he’s saying that he’s using Caps Lock to shout out to the Galatians this point:  All who want to make a good showing in the flesh try to compel you to be circumcised, so that they will not be persecuted for the cross of Christ. In other words, they’re not trying to teach you their false gospel to help you, they’re teaching it to try to help themselves.

Wouldn’t we all like to be able to say this after trying to reprove a fellow Christian, “I boast in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me and I to the world. Circumcision and uncircumcision is nothing. What’s something is a new creation in Christ.” If you think and behave in a way knowing this, then peace and mercy to you who are now the Israel of God. 

Reflection Questions

1.      Have you witnessed the cry, “Abba! Father!” since receiving the Spirit of God’s son into your heart?

2.      How did the son who was born according to the flesh persecute the one who was born according to the Spirit (Gal. 5 29)?

3.      Gal. 5:1 says, “It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery. What do you think “freedom” means in this verse? Freedom from what and to what? (I think it means a little more to a Jew than to a Gentile). 

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Old Covenant Law or New Covenant Wisdom

Galatians 1-3

Devotion by Juliet Taylor (Tennessee)

When I began reading Paul’s letter to the Galatians, I noticed that this bold man had doubts and fear that he wasn’t preaching correctly at times after his initial conversion. It took him 14 years (after an initial 3 + years to talk to Peter for 15 days) to talk to those of repute about the Gospel. I can relate.  

We are called to preach the Gospel, but we don’t want to teach something that’s inaccurate if it leads others down the wrong path because lives are at stake. But that’s exactly what was happening with the Galatians.

The once fearful Paul boldly asks the Galatians who bewitched them, attempting to enslave them to a different gospel, which was a distorted gospel of Christ. The distortion was in teaching others to follow certain laws from the Law of Moses (commandments they must follow to be identified as righteous), instead of having the freedom in Christ to follow Jesus through the urging of the Holy Spirit to do God’s will. Paul goes so far as to say that the ones doing this should be accursed!

*Note, I believe the issue is not about salvation. You were saved (rescued) from sin and death and placed on the path of righteousness for the purpose of serving God through Jesus when you first believed. And you can’t “lose” your salvation. Said another way, no one can stop what was already done for you when Jesus rescued you (when you believed). But you can decide if you’ll remain on that path of righteousness (doing what Jesus says is right to do under the New Covenant terms) or not before you reach the Kingdom of God, when you’ll be saved from this present evil age.

Someone(s) was trying to lead the Galatians to look back to what was already fulfilled in Christ by teaching the Galatians to follow the Law of Moses, particularly to follow the law to be circumcised for the purpose of being made righteous, or as a member of the Jewish community. Though some may have been teaching this practice to save the Gentiles from Roman persecution that Jews were exempt from, Paul teaches them that it’s better to be persecuted for the sake of Christ than to be enslaved to the Law of Moses or to look back at our former life before Christ. We should all do well to remember Lot’s wife.

Aside from the issue dealing with circumcision, Paul recounts a similar issue when Peter was hypocritical, separating himself from eating with Gentile Christians in the presence of other prominent Jews (called “from the circumcision”). I believe this all happened after the record we read in Acts when Peter boldly recounted his experience with Cornelius, proclaiming that he was not to call any person unholy or unclean, and that God is not one to show partiality (Acts 10). This was really bad, as the rest of the Jews joined him in his hypocrisy, which led others astray.

Paul goes on to help clarify why the distorted version of the gospel was so devastating to the true gospel.

Jews by birth who now identify in Christ understand that they are not justified by the works of the law, but by faith (trusting) in Jesus the Christ (i.e., they do things that Christ says to do because they put their trust in him to tell them how to do what is good, not in Moses/the Law of Moses). But if the Jews sin under Christ, they are just as guilty as the “sinning Gentiles,” as such they defined them when under the Law of Moses (this statement makes me think that the main motive for teaching the Gentiles to become like Jews was pride).

When you entered the New Covenant with God through Jesus, you died to your old man/old ways of living (sinning). If you rebuild what you destroyed (the sinning person), you are quite the wrongdoer indeed! For Jews wanting to rebuild who they identify in via following laws from the Law of Moses, they’re sinning! They’re nullifying the work of Jesus, and even worse, teaching new Gentile Christians to do the same.

Through the Law of Moses, Paul died to the Law, so that he could live by letting Christ lead him via the Holy Spirit instead of the old man he was, who followed Moses.

The Law of Moses was beautiful, just read about what David says about it. But it should not be forced on anyone as necessary to be righteous or a child of God. If you are a Jewish Christian or a Gentile Christian who would like to engage in behaviors commanded from the Law of Moses (those that weren’t meant to separate Jew from Gentile regarding your identity in Christ) because you think if applied, they can help you live well in this age, you can, because they will, if you apply them as you would under the law of liberty/the New Covenant, like Jesus taught. But part of how to do that would be to first ask God for wisdom about them so that you’ll be led by the Spirit, and not your own will in doing them (especially so that in so doing, you won’t lead others astray with your behavior).

For example, under the New Covenant, Jesus applies a new way of thinking to many of the laws from the Law of Moses using the new commandment of love (as he loved) as motivation for all that a Christ follower should do. So, instead of abiding by a law that says don’t murder from the Old Covenant, Jesus teaches his followers not to have contempt in their hearts for their brother in the first place. If they can do that, they won’t even come close to murdering their brother.

But how does one really do that? Did Jesus just make a new law for us to follow that’s even harder to do than refraining from murder? No, he gave us wisdom about how not to murder, and that’s by not allowing contempt to be in your heart in the first place. You read about how to keep contempt out from the word, such as by acts of love towards your brother before contempt can grow, by prayer, by turning the other cheek, by gently correcting your brother, etc. Seek wisdom from God about how to keep contempt out by reading the Bible and asking him. Then don’t be surprised when you get an urging from the Holy Spirit to do what God wants you to do to keep contempt out. He is a good and faithful God who will give you the wisdom you desire when you ask.

Through Jesus, God always gets at the heart of the issues that led to the Law of Moses, to shape people into those who do good because of love for God and others. But doing good for love’s sake even under the New Covenant doesn’t save you. Christ’s works saved you. Doing good once saved keeps you on the path of righteousness.

So, we must be careful not to enslave someone with our preaching of a law from the Law of Moses that we must keep to be identified as righteous since we are under the New Covenant. We are righteous when we do what is right. What is right is what Jesus says is right to do (1 John 3:7), as opposed to what Moses said is right to do for his time, or what the other gods who the Gentiles formally served said was right to do, or what our own will desires for us to do. If you want to know what Jesus wants you to do, read his words and ask via the Holy Spirit.

A good question to ask someone who tries to enslave others to keep the Law of Moses for the purpose of identification as righteous is to ask them what Paul asks the Galatians, “Did you receive the Spirit by works of the Law, or by hearing with faith?” If the answer is the latter, don’t force a yoke on someone that Jesus carried for us.

Or ask them this, “Does he who provides you with the Spirit and works miracles among you do it by works of the Law or by hearing with faith?” The latter of course is the answer. The righteous one will live by faith, like Abraham did. Abraham did what God told him to do without a law to tell him.   

The point of this letter is to overemphasize to the Galatians that identification as righteous comes by way of faith (trust) in Jesus, not by faith in Moses (via works from the Law of Moses).

*Note, under the Law of Moses, before Jesus came and inaugurated the New Covenant, the Law of Moses did keep an Israelite on the path of righteousness, because that was God’s will at the time. But it could never save. Belief in Jesus’s work on the cross saves.

We mustn’t confuse faith in Jesus with hearing only either. We know what Abraham did to receive his title as faithful, with promises to his faithful seed. He did all that God commanded him (Genesis 26:5). Jesus is that promised seed, who did all that God commanded him. God made him both Lord and Christ. If we identify as “in Christ,” because of the works he did, it follows that we who have made Jesus our Lord by definition, will do what he says. Those are the terms we entered into under the New Covenant.

Why the Law of Moses then if what God promised to Abraham was what would last forever, as opposed to what God gave to Moses? The Law of Moses was added on account of the violations of God’s commands by the Israelites, until the seed would come to whom the promise was made.

I take this to mean that the Israelites weren’t living by faith (i.e., they didn’t trust God to be faithful to them, so they weren’t faithful to do what he said). They were sinning. They needed help to get on the path of righteousness. They needed something to guide them so that they’d live in such a way that it would be well with them and they’d stop sinning. They needed God’s wisdom about how to represent him well as his children, as lights to the world, rather than allowing them to continue to rely on their own wisdom about how to live (which never ended well). Even so, they still failed to be who God wanted them to be by doing their own will, and the Law of Moses came with a heavy yoke.

But since the promised seed has come, they are no longer in need of a guide (or a guardian to keep them on track) that separates them from the rest of the world who have decided to do God’s will. Instead, both Jew and Gentile under the New Covenant receive a guide inside them, guided by Jesus via the Holy Spirit. And it’s a much easier yoke to bear.

We have something in us that urges us to do the will of God. It urges us to do God’s will when we seek wisdom about it. We seek God’s wisdom about what to do because we’ve read his book and witnessed that what God says is good for us is good. We’ve witnessed that when people chose to follow the urging of their flesh to do their own will, their fall was great.  

We’ve witnessed that God’s wisdom is found in the man Jesus, not Moses, because Jesus always did our father’s will, because of his great love for everyone (even his enemies). We’ve learned that everyone who desires to be like Jesus, a person who desires God to be judge over our lives so that no harm will come to anyone, will be saved. We’ve learned that God made that man Jesus our Lord who will do the judging in the end. We learned that no one can enter who desires to do their own will because it will affect us all. See this current age as example.    

We don’t want to preach something that’s inaccurate, and we don’t want to fear preaching because we may lead others astray. Let’s start by asking God for his wisdom about what we should do, look at Jesus’s words, and do the things that the word says to do to be filled with the spirit so that we can walk by it/let it lead us, just like our Lord Jesus, because we desire life for all. But don’t enslave someone with laws they must do to be righteous. Show them how to love through your good works. To do that, seek God’s wisdom (it’s found in Jesus) and follow the urging of the Holy Spirit to do his will.

Reflection Questions

1.      Do you think those preaching a distorted gospel should be accursed?

2.      What is right is what Jesus says is right. What is wrong?

3.      How did Abraham know what was right to do without a law to tell him?

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God’s Wisdom

James 1-2

Devotion by Juliet Taylor (Tennessee)

How do you want to be known? James calls himself, “a slave to God and to the Lord Jesus the Christ.” Though we’re no longer slaves, but friends of Christ, it is a great grand opening to talking about how to be perfect, which is in doing the will of God until the end of our lives (because we’ve become people who really want to)!

James is writing to the 12 tribes dispersed abroad, so in other words, he’s writing to Jewish Christians in various lands. I’m not sure what persecution was going on at the time of James’s writing, but we have seen in other books of the Bible that spreading the Gospel put a target on Christians. James gives his brethren what they need to endure whatever happens to them to the end of their lives. He gives them God’s wisdom.

James encourages his brethren to consider various trials with joy, as a testing of their faith, as it produces endurance, which results in perfection. These words point my thoughts to Jesus in the garden. What was about to happen to him was happening because others hated him for what he spoke and did, and they wanted his influence to stop. They were jealous.

Jesus was in agony thinking about the cross and thinking about the disciples and early Christians who were about to be scattered for his sake, that James may be writing to now. He endured the cross by thinking about what would be accomplished because of this final trial.

This is how you endure hardships for the Lord; you think about all of the people you will influence by following Jesus’s example so that they too can desire to love like Jesus and be saved. This perspective can bring you joy. Changing your mind to have this perspective during various trials is wisdom from God.

But if we lack wisdom about what to do, especially during hardships, all we need do is ask and God will be generous to teach us his ways. But we must ask in faith, without doubting.

We shouldn’t doubt that he’ll give us wisdom about what to do when we ask because he’s proven that he’s a good God and father, who teaches us his ways for our own good. A good father won’t give his children something that’s going to harm them when they ask for something they desire, right (Luke 11:11-13)? Of course not. He’s going to give them what they need (though it may not always seem like it, such as in the case of Jesus going to the cross).

If you doubt that God is going to give you wisdom for your own good, and instead will give you wisdom that will harm you or make your situation worse (e.g., Massah & Meribah), you’re showing him that you don’t trust him. You’re like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind. You’re not going to get anything from him if you don’t trust him.  

James goes on to teach the dispersed brethren a bit of wisdom that we can all heed. I think it is the wisdom of God that’s of utmost importance for us to follow as his disciples. We’re not given a set of laws we must follow in the New Covenant, but we are given wisdom. Let’s desire it like Solomon did and do it like Jesus did:  

A poor man knows that God is his provider. He can glory in his humility (glory in that he seeks God’s wisdom for his survival). But a rich man that does not rely on God for his means and pursues what he wants for his own personal gain can glory in his humiliation. He’s not going to make it to the Kingdom of God without seeking the father’s wisdom about his provisions (or his abundance).

Know that this life comes with trials. Trust in God’s wisdom to get through it and let it shape you into the kingdom citizen God wants you to be, so that you won’t be a person that desires harm to come to anyone, rather, you’ll be a person who loves like his son. In the end, your crown of life will be waiting.

Understand that when temptation comes, it didn’t come from God. It came because our world has been shaped by people who didn’t always choose God’s will. It came because there is a devil lurking about, persuading people to choose to eat of the tree that’s choosing their own wisdom about what’s good and evil, and then they do evil, which affects everyone. It came because we ourselves don’t always choose God’s will. Our own lust breeds sin that will always lead to death. But choosing God’s wisdom about what we should do to overcome our lust (our own will) approves us as one who wants God as our judge when we do what God says is good.

Every good and perfect gift given comes down from the father above (meaning, it was given by God, and it was his will). It was his will that he brought us forth by the word of truth (his wisdom about creating us new in Christ), that we would be a kind of first fruits among his creation. So be the first fruits you were meant to be, as lights to the world like his son.

You already know God’s word, so put away what remains of filthiness in your life that will prevent you from seeking God’s wisdom and doing his will. Be quick to hear from God, slow to speak, and slow to anger so that you will be a person prepared to receive the word implanted, which is his wisdom about what you should do to save your soul (and your neighbor’s soul).

If you hear the word of God (God’s wisdom about what you should do) but then fail to do it, you’re like someone who looks at himself in a mirror (hearing the word only), but then walks away, forgetting what he looks like. I equate this with going to church, getting filled with the Holy Spirit to do God’s will, then forgetting that you are a child of God throughout the week, and that you were meant to shine for others to see through your works. We need to actually do what we hear. That’s the word implanted. It’s continually being filled by the holy spirit so that we can walk by it (action).

Instead of looking at yourself in the mirror, look intently at the perfect law of liberty, to love as Jesus loved, so that you won’t be an effectual hearer only of the word, but a doer. Notice in this example that there’s no walking away, in contrast to the mirror. You look intently at it so that you won’t walk away and forget. Your eyes are continually fixed upon the law that says to do something, for loves sake, to save others, just like Jesus did.

Bridle your tongue to let God’s wisdom about what you should do prevail and guide you (by being quick to hear when you ask, slow to speak so that you’re sure you’re speaking God’s will and not your own, and slow to anger – God’s will about what you should do isn’t going to be to tell you to get angry, for the most part, because anger does not bring about the righteousness of God). Your own tongue can deceive you into thinking that you’re doing God’s will, but it’s just lip service if you’re not doing what God says to do.

Pure and undefiled religion is in the doing of God’s will continually, instead of our own (which is sinning). Doing God’s will will keep us unstained by the world. For Jesus, pure and undefiled religion was laying down his life for us. For us, it may be to love orphans and widows in their distress by visiting them and giving them what they need. It can be loving anyone in distress by visiting them to help them, especially the brethren.   

Don’t just do good for those who society favors. If you do, you’ve chosen to be the judge of who’s deserving of God’s royal treatment, rather than relying on his wisdom about it. God favors those who favor him, who are generally the poor, because they’re humble (they rely on God for his wisdom instead of the rich, who generally rely on their wealth).

If you show partiality by way of how you treat the poor compared to the rich, then you’ve dishonored the poor. And for what? The favor you show to the rich goes to people who oppress you. They are those who have no problem dragging you into court when an issue arises, and will there blaspheme your name to win a case against you.

If you are fulfilling the royal law from scripture (Lev 19:18), “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing well, because that’s God’s will (and in so doing, you fulfill all the Law of Moses and the prophets (Mat. 7:12; 22:40 with the Shema)).

If you show partiality however, that is sin. It is sin because you’re using your own wisdom/being the judge of who’s deserving of God’s royal treatment (who gets your love and who doesn’t?). It is better to be merciful to the poor than to judge them unworthy of your mercy by way of how you treat them.

And if you sin in this way, you are guilty of sin and are convicted as a violator of the Law (of Moses, I think; but also of the law of liberty). Not showing partiality is a moral law we should still “follow” under the law of liberty because we want all people to enter the kingdom of God. Treating the poor as well as we treat the rich just may show them the love of Christ, planting a seed of faith/trust that will bring them to the kingdom.

Jesus explained how to do this with some of the laws from the Law of Moses in his Sermon on the Mount. Here it looks like James is doing it with the law against showing partiality. The wisdom from God then, is the same wisdom from God under the New Covenant regarding how to fulfill this commandment. It’s in loving your neighbor as yourself – not just the rich and influential.  

Under the New Covenant, we are to speak and act as those who are to be judged by the law of liberty, serving all with God’s royal treatment (treat them how you’d want to be treated because you are motivated by love to get them into the kingdom).

If you committed the sin of showing partiality under the Old Covenant, you would have to repent by making a sacrifice to cover the sin. Under the New Covenant, you need to repent to your high priest Jesus (a much easier yoke), and stop showing partiality because you realize that you want the poor to know the love of Jesus and enter the Kingdom of God as much as you want to. If you don’t show them mercy, God will not show mercy to you on the day of judgment.

You can’t rightly say you have faith without works that are evident of your faith. Your works are how you treat people based on whose will you decide to follow. If someone says he has faith but no works, it is like telling the cold and hungry person who asked you for food to, “Go in peace, be warmed and be filled,” without actually giving him anything. This is worthless if you don’t give him what he needs when you are able.

Belief that something is true is not enough for justification’s sake. Take the belief that God is one for example. The demons believe this to be true, but shudder. They know the truth, but their actions reveal that they follow their own will and oppose the preaching of faith in Jesus. They shudder because they know they are guilty before a powerful God and will face destruction soon.

Abraham (a Jew) had faith, and so did Rahab (a Gentile). They believed that God was able to fulfill his promises to them for their good (or that God’s people would fulfill their promise because of who their God was in Rahab’s case), and so they acted based on their belief. They are included in the promises of God because of this. Likewise, let’s prove that we have faith by our works, which are acts of love, proving that we are becoming a person like Jesus, who chooses to do God’s will for the good of all; for loves sake.

QUESTIONS

1. Do you think that the sins of others in times past have affected your walk with God? If so, how can you change that so that you will affect others with the good you do?

2. Do you think the Royal law is the same as the law of liberty/freedom?

3. If we are guilty of a sin (like showing partiality) under the law of liberty/freedom, how does our high priest Jesus differ in how our sin is handled from the high priest under the Old Covenant?

SGL.2025.NovemberFullPageDownload

Spirit Led to Do God’s Will

Acts 13-14 

Devotion by Juliet Taylor (Tennessee)

Acts chapters 13 and 14 are about the people of God continuing to do what Christ followers are supposed to do; to be led by the spirit to do God’s will.  

The prophets and teachers in Antioch were ministering to the Lord and fasting. Because of this, they were given revelation by the spirit to “set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” They confirmed this revelation by fasting and praying. They then laid hands on Barnabas and Saul and sent them on their way to do the Lord’s bidding.  

They started their proclamation of the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews and spread the word of God throughout the whole island. The proconsul (similar to a governor) wanted to hear the word but his magician/false prophet companion opposed the word, attempting to keep the proconsul from the faith.  

Paul, full of the holy spirit, rebuked the false prophet saying, “you who are full of all deceit and fraud, you son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, will you not cease to make crooked the straight ways of the Lord? 11 Now, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon you, and you will be blind and not see the sun for a time.”  

The consequence for opposing the spreading of the word to the leader of the region was blindness for a time! The proconsul believed after witnessing this miracle, but it was the teaching of the Lord that had him amazed. 

They continued their journey to Pisidian Antioch and on the Sabbath day, they were given the floor to preach the Gospel to the Jews in the synagogue. Read Paul’s words carefully, as the preaching of the gospel seems to highlight different aspects of it depending on Paul’s audience.   

To the Jews, he begins with God’s choosing of their fathers to be his people and ends with the good news of the fulfillment of the promise to their fathers, by raising Jesus from the dead so that he wouldn’t undergo decay. And because of this fulfillment, through Jesus, forgiveness of sins is proclaimed. And through Jesus, everyone who believes is freed from all things, which they could not be freed from through the Law of Moses.  

The response to this was to beg them to return the next Sabbath day to preach about these things. When they did, an even bigger audience gathered to hear the word. But when the Jews saw the crowds, they became jealous and tried to persecute them. Take note that this may happen when you’re doing God’s will. Be prepared and do what the early Christians who did better did; pray, fast, preach, keep seeking the Lord’s guidance to do God’s will.  

To them Paul and Barnabas said, “It was necessary that the word of God be spoken to you first; since you repudiate it and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, behold, we are turning to the Gentiles. 47 For so the Lord has commanded us, 

‘I have placed You as a light for the Gentiles, 
That You may [ab]bring salvation to the end of the earth.’” 

* I take note that these words were first spoken in the Old Testament, prophesying about Jesus. Here, the same words are applied to Paul and Barnabas. We should become comfortable understanding that this happens a lot in the Bible. It helps to cut through confusion. 

The Gentiles responded to this by rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord and it was spread throughout the whole region. But the jealous Jews incited the prominent women and men to persecute Paul and Barnabas and drove them out of the district.  

The disciples shook off the dust of their feet and went to another city, continually filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit. 

In the next region, both Jews and Greeks heard the word and believed. And as it happened in other cities, unbelieving Jews caused trouble. Here they “stirred up the minds of the Gentiles and embittered them against the brothers.” Instead of dusting off their feet and moving on, they relied on the Lord to speak boldly, remaining there for a long time. Here they were granted signs and wonders to be performed by their hands.    

It’s interesting to note, that even though we know they were filled with the Holy Spirit to do God’s will, here the Lord granted them the ability to do signs and wonders, indicating to me that just having the Holy Spirit doesn’t mean we can do signs and wonders whenever we think we should. It is for when the Lord has need of it.  

Some believed, some did not. Some persecuted them. When they tried to kill them (by stoning), they moved on to another region to preach the gospel.   

While preaching the gospel in the next place, Paul saw that a disabled man had faith to be made well so he healed him. Because of this, the Gentiles called Paul and Barnabas gods and attempted to make sacrifices to them. They tore their clothing and Paul preached the gospel, beginning with parts of the gospel that they could relate to from their culture. Paul told them that there was only one God, the God who created the heavens and earth, and everything in them, and that they must turn from their other gods to the one true God.  

He said that God permitted all the nations to go their own ways; yet he did not leave himself without witness, in that he did good and gave you rains from the heaven and fruitful seasons, satisfying your hearts with food and gladness. Even so, it was hard for those stuck in their tradition to refrain from offering sacrifices to them.   

Again, the Jews became jealous. They stoned Paul nearly to death and dragged him out of the city. He got up and went to another city to preach, continuing God’s work. He made many disciples. He was able to revisit a church to encourage them to keep the faith, saying that “through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God.” They ended back in Antioch and remained there awhile, reporting on what joyous events happened. They were primarily excited about the new revelation, how God had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles.  

REFLECTION QUESTIONS 

Fasting and praying seem to be great starters for hearing from the Lord so that you can be led by him in the spirit. Have you heard from the Lord after fasting and praying? 

When Paul preached the Gospel to the Jews, he talked about the fulfillment of the promise to their fathers, which was in raising Jesus from the dead so that he wouldn’t undergo decay. And because of this fulfillment, through Jesus, forgiveness of sins is proclaimed. And through Jesus, everyone who believes is freed from all things, which they could not be freed from through the Law of Moses. Gentiles weren’t freed from the Law of Moses because they weren’t a part of that covenant with God. What did Jesus accomplish on the cross for Jews vs. both Jew and Gentile? 

I love how Paul talks to the Gentiles about God’s goodness as a witness to them, even when they didn’t know him. How can we relate things like this to our friends who don’t know God? 

Jealousy seems to be a primary driver of opposition to the word. How can we guard our hearts from becoming jealous of others preaching what they believe to be true who may be gaining followers? 

SGL.2025.NovemberFullPageDownload

The Struggle With New Revelation

Acts 11-12 

Devotion by Juliet Taylor (Tennessee)

It is good to change your beliefs based on revelation you’ve received about God’s word and what it means as it applies to your life, though it can bring on emotions you may not be prepared for. The first revelation I changed my mind about regarding the word of God was hard to handle, as it was a deeply held belief I was taught to accept and defend as truth by trusted individuals (with good intentions). But it was wrong.  

I learned it was wrong by way of other trusted individuals who had studied and changed their minds. They were able to present a good case for the error originally taught. I accepted that I believed something in error, however I didn’t fully understand the new revelation. I was confused. My confusion made me rethink what I had been taught about God and his thoughts about me. Be careful, this can happen to you. 

Thank God for his constant workings in me. The process I went through to cut through the confusion taught me how to not fear being wrong. It taught me to seek God for his wisdom about truth instead of holding on to pride. Pride does come before the fall, but it was good, as I was humbled. I can now handle being wrong. 

What I love most about the things I learned from the reading for this week’s devotional is that God’s wisdom is blaring through the pages. We get to read about how the early Christians struggled with new revelation and what they did about it.  We read about those who fell, those who were humbled, and the approach of those who did better. The better approach was rewarded with more work and a more intimate relationship with God. He gave the humble more of what they sought – his wisdom and power about what to do to spread the Gospel. 

In Acts chapter 11, some Jewish Christians took issue with Peter for eating with uncircumcised men. To convince them that this was God’s will, Peter explained his vision and experience with Cornelius. They listened and responded with the right responses, “When they heard this, they quieted down and glorified God, saying, “Well then, God has also granted to the Gentiles the repentance that leads to life” (Acts 11:18). What a response. 

After Stephen’s persecution however, fear took hold of some, to the point of stifling the spreading of the Gospel to Jews only. But there were some who took it to the Gentiles in Antioch. To those who didn’t let fear lead them, “the hand of the Lord was with them, and a large number who believed turned to the Lord” (Acts 11:21).  

Barnabas was sent to witness the workings of God with the Gentiles by those in Jerusalem. When he witnessed the grace of God, he rejoiced and encouraged them to remain true to the Lord. Barnabas was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and faith. He brought Paul to them and together they taught the new Christians for an entire year.  

Doing God’s will (preaching the Gospel to the Gentiles, teaching them for a year, rejoicing, etc.) brought on many good things for those who were faithful to the news. They received a prophecy that there would be a famine so they behaved like Kingdom bound citizens and gave money to those in need. 

But we know that doing God’s will can also make us targets. King Herod killed the disciple James. This pleased the non-Christian Jews, so he also sought Peter’s life. The church used their powerful weapon of fervent prayer, leading to an angelic rescue of Peter from prison and death. 

Most in these chapters took the news of the new revelation from Peter very well. They rejoiced and accepted the news straight away. They got to work for the Lord, preaching the Gospel to the Gentiles and remaining with them for a time to help them grow.  

REFLECTION QUESTIONS 

There were many things the disciples did right when they heard the new revelation from Peter. What are some good actions you can take to help someone so that they don’t fall when learning something new? 

What do you think Barnabas and Paul taught the new Christians in Antioch for the year they stayed with them? 

Herod was eaten by worms and died after an angel of the Lord struck him because he did not give God the glory when the people he fed cried out, “the voice of a god and not of a man!” Why do you think he was met with this immediate consequence? 

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Unredeemable?

Acts 9-10

Devotion by Rachel Cain (Ohio)

Saul was hell-bent on getting rid of those pesky “little Christs” by any means necessary. But as he marched to Damascus to arrest any he could find, Saul was literally blindsided by Jesus. Ananias, aware that Saul was in the area to persecute The Way but willing to obey God’s call to reach out to Saul anyway, bravely befriended blind Saul, which ironically helped Saul to see more clearly than he ever had before. Just as Jesus spent three days physically dead and then was resurrected, Saul’s three days of visual darkness prepared him to be resurrected to a new kind of life as a bold follower of Jesus, one of the most prolific missionaries the world has ever known. Saul realized that though he followed the law and had an impressive resume, he was actually the worst of all sinners. It was this outpouring of God’s amazing grace that created such dramatic change. 

I always assumed that Saul’s name was changed to Paul to represent this big change in his life, much like Abram to Abraham, but in reality the two names were just different versions of the same name: Saul (or “Sha’ul”) was a Hebrew name, and Paul was the equivalent name in Roman circles. As a Jewish Roman citizen, he would have been called both names. The fact that the New Testament increasingly refers to him as Paul probably indicates his growing involvement in the Gentile world. 

Speaking of Gentiles… God gave Peter quite an obscure vision (Acts 10:9-16) which left him befuddled. Finally, in verse 28, he seemed to figure out the meaning: “God has shown me not to call any person common or unclean.” Jews had sometimes viewed Gentiles as unclean, but now Peter had confirmation from God that the hope of Jesus is for Gentiles too. 

Some Jewish people still thought that Jesus had come only for their race, their “clean” kind. This might sound silly, but some today still try to discriminate against those who can go to a church or be saved based on how “clean” their lives are. We too can be prone to unconsciously judge people’s faith by the unnatural color of their hair, the number of tattoos or piercings, clothing choices, marital status, past mistakes, etc. It’s important to remember that “man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart” (I Samuel 16:7). I suspect that some churches wouldn’t recognize or welcome even Jesus himself if he came through their doors. 

God had created Saul with such passion, and God knew if he could just channel that passion for saving Christians instead of killing them, the wonderful Gospel could spread. What a testimony! God brings Saul to my mind every time my finite, sinful, human, faith-lacking brain tries to label someone as unredeemable. 

What if we took the time to hear the stories of people who look different from us, to listen to stories of how Jesus has changed their lives, to experience their excitement as they learn things about Jesus that we take for granted because we’ve heard it so many times? Jesus came for all of us. We all are in need of the saving grace of Jesus.

I love to hear 180 stories – people who were completely changed, “flipped turned upside down” – because of Jesus. Some of us were raised in Christian homes and grew up in church and don’t have a dramatic testimony, but that doesn’t make our faith any less valid! We as humans can tend to think that someone is too far gone, but God… God can change the unchangeable, love the unloveable, save the unsaveable – and all of those would be all of us, if not for His mercy. 

Reflections: 

Listen to this song and consider how we might overlook Jesus if he were here with us today. 

Have you had a spiritual epiphany or eureka moment? It’s probably not quite as dramatic as that of Saul, but still very important. Write it down and share it with someone to show how your life has been changed by God! 

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Shifting Our Perspective

Acts 1-3

Devotion by Kaitlyn Hamilton (Michigan – and Indiana)

One of my close friends in high school, while dealing with the loss of someone she knew, asked me the question, “Is it a bad thing that I’m concerned about his soul for eternity?”  This question, this concern, about a soul’s place in eternity is something that many people often consider when faced with the loss of someone they know.  This is great and all, but there’s one big problem with this – for many people, this is the only time they seriously consider what is going to happen to people in the grand scheme of eternity.  Do you spend significant time considering the number of people around you who you know aren’t part of the church?  But, it’s not enough just to consider it; once we realize the large quantity of people that we care about who are currently on the path of destruction for eternity, we should be ready to do something about it.

In reading Acts 2, we see that Peter recognized what was at stake.  The same person, who earlier, was too afraid to be associated with Jesus for fear of his life, takes a stand before a large crowd of people, including a group who were mocking them saying, “They are full of sweet wine.” (Acts 2:13)  Peter chose to shift his perspective away from the thoughts of the world, of what this crowd could do to him if they disliked his message, of what these same people did to Jesus only 53 days earlier.  Instead, he shifted his perspective towards that of God’s will, focused on the message these people needed to hear.  In Acts 2:22-24, instead of focusing on how to keep peace with all the men who Peter knew, instead of trying to remain on agreeable terms as friends, Peter was willing to stand up for his faith, was willing to tell the Jews gathered in Jerusalem the truth of what their actions did.  The Messiah that they had been watching for all their lives and the lives of all their parents and grandparents and all their ancestors before them, they had put to death, they had crucified.  Can you imagine having the courage to stand before just one person and telling them that their actions, their sins, were the reason that an innocent man was put to death?  But, Peter didn’t just tell one person, he told a huge crowd – a crowd that should they be angry enough could easily turn into a mob and kill him.  This choice to tell everyone the truth about Jesus, the Messiah, and what they had done to him, took courage that comes only from shifting your perspective away from the worries of this world to that of the hope and peace that come from God.

What would happen if we all shifted our perspective like Peter did?  If we all chose to focus on God’s will for our life instead of the fears that try to stop us from seeking him?

What would happen if we were willing to all stand up for our faith to everyone we know?

What would happen if we let everyone know that we were Christians and weren’t willing to budge on any of our morals?

What type of revival would we see if we did all this?  

Peter saw a revival that day of 3,000 people.  Imagine just how big of a revival we would see if we all chose to stand up together and proclaim our faith.  It’s not going to be easy.  It means going against your human nature.  It’s not going to be automatic.  It won’t be a switch being flipped overnight.  But, it will change you and the world.  So, I encourage you to start shifting your perspective today, to start recognizing what is at stake, and to start standing up for your faith today!

Reflection Questions

  1. What could it look like for you to stand up for your faith today, and the rest of this week, month, year, life?
  2. What fears do you think Peter might have had to overcome that day? What fears do you currently have about boldly proclaiming your faith? How might Peter respond to you if you could discuss with him about your fears? How do you think Jesus, or Jesus’ Father, would respond if you were to tell them about these fears? Go ahead, tell them and pray about it.
  3. What “Helper” was assisting Peter? (Hint: it wasn’t wine.) What benefits does this Helper provide? Do you use the same Helper?
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Unmet Expectations

Luke 24 & John 20-21

Devotion by Rachel Cain (Ohio)

Unmet expectations are a leading cause of relational conflicts. 

Sometimes the expectations were simply not communicated, so the offending person had no idea what was expected. Other times the expectation was communicated but not met, such as a broken promise. Sometimes it is no fault of anyone, but life and happenstance got in the way of the anticipated outcome. 

In the case of Jesus’ resurrection, multiple prophecies and even Jesus himself foretold what would happen, but still the disciples had their expectations shattered: “We had hoped that he would be the one to liberate Israel!” (Luke 24:21). 

They were disappointed in Jesus because their expectations did not match his reality. The disciples, among others, had believed he was the Messiah, but then they were confused when he didn’t fix their political problem by conquering the Romans and establishing an earthly kingdom – even though he had never promised to do those things. He had a much larger spiritual plan to save all of humanity by conquering the sin within their hearts. Perhaps they didn’t understand God’s big-picture promise of an eternal Kingdom. 

Today we look back with disbelief on their disbelief. DUH! Of course he’s the Messiah! Why couldn’t they just listen to him and recognize him and his plan? But how many of us today fail to recognize Jesus and his mission because it looks different than we expect? 

I think sometimes we expect a clean-cut Jesus, tidy Christians, an easy life. But none of that is promised; in fact, following Jesus guarantees quite the opposite (see John 16:33). How often do we fail to recognize the gifts of God because they don’t come packaged the way we expect? Can we see the blessing of prayers that were not answered the way we asked? Do we see every person – annoying, incarcerated, stinky, unborn, elderly, troubled, or just plain “different” – as God’s precious children, and view every interaction with them as a mission for the Kingdom? 

It’s so easy to be hostile toward fellow Christians over all kinds of unmet expectations – differing doctrines or political views, whether or not Christians should be involved in this activity or celebrate that holiday, etc. We definitely should encourage each other to keep seeking Jesus in these and all areas of our lives, but if we just put half that energy we use fighting one another into uniting to spread the love of Jesus to a hurting world, united we could have a tremendous Kingdom impact. God’s ways are not our ways (Isaiah 55:8-9), so we should always expect the unexpected. 

Reflections:

Listen to this song. How have some trials turned out to be unexpected blessings? 

What are some things that you are waiting for with expectant hope, and how can you share that hope with others around you? 

SGL.2025.NovemberFullPageDownload

Just Like He Said!

Matthew 28 & Mark 16

Devotion by Rachel Cain (Ohio)

He is RISEN! 

Here’s where you respond aloud: “He is risen INDEED!”

PS It’s fine to say that phrase throughout the year, not only on a specific Sunday when we celebrate Jesus’ resurrection. This is the best news in all of history! Sure, every religion’s leader has died or will one day die. But Jesus? He died and was raised back to life eternal! Now THAT is the real deal and something to celebrate! 

I could end right here on such good news! … But I have a few more verses I want to point out. 

* Matthew 28:6 – “He is not here, because he has been raised – just like he said!” 

I used to read this verse in an excited tone, but now I imagine it in a slightly-annoyed, “per my previous email” tone. Have you ever had to mitigate the frustrations of people who are upset with you for something that was clearly stated, but you still have to remain professional? Like when you very clearly texted that you needed to cancel a meeting because you would be out of town – and the person acknowledged that they received the information – but they still checked in at the assumed meeting time annoyed that you were not present for the meeting, and everything in you wanted to just use the pointer finger emoji so they would refer to the previous text about your planned absence, but instead you assumed the blame and simply apologized that you’re still traveling and promised you’ll see them next week? Ok, maybe that was a too-specific run-on example, but that is how my human nature envisions the attitude of the angel in this situation. So it’s a good thing I’m not the translator for this text, because I would probably write this verse as, “GUYS! He is not here, because God raised him back to life, just like he said a gazillion times! Weren’t you paying attention?”

Everything happened just as Jesus said it would and as numerous prophecies had stated – his death, burial, and resurrection – and yet people still were surprised when he showed up alive. Maybe it was because they were too close to the situation and still felt the trauma of seeing their best friend and leader brutally murdered. Maybe it didn’t play out the way they had envisioned or hoped. Maybe they questioned whether or not they’d heard correctly. For some reason or another, maybe they really weren’t expecting the tomb to be empty. 

* Matthew 28:20 – “Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations… and surely I will be with you always…”

This eternal hope is for ALL nations, everyone! 

Most likely, the Jewish people would have assumed the Messiah to be only for them, or at least not for the whole world. But Jesus came to bring life to all people who would choose to follow him, not just the descendants of Israel. In this passage, called The Great Commission, Jesus gives the charge to carry on his mission for all time to the ends of the earth. I believe that the “go and make disciples” command still applies to us too. We can make disciples right where we are: in our own jobs, school, communities, homes, and cities.

I’ve always found great comfort in his promise to be with us always. Sometimes, this world seems so hopeless, but we have assurance that we are never truly alone! Praise God that Gentiles are welcome in the Kingdom, too! 

Reflections: 


How do you think you would have reacted if you had found the tomb empty? 

In what ways might God be calling you to actively make disciples? Pray that He would send people into your life to disciple – and you would faithfully disciple them.

SGL.2025.NovemberFullPageDownload

This is Eternal Life

John 16-17

Devotion by JJ Fletcher (Minnesota)

What is eternal life? According to Jesus in John 17:3, it is “knowing the only true God, and Jesus Christ”. 

John 17 is often referred to as “Jesus’ High Priestly Prayer”. Here we see Jesus praying for the deliverance of his disciples (that they remain in God’s name) and for them to have unity, the same kind of unity that Jesus has with God, his Father. 

John 10:29 quotes Jesus saying, “I and the Father are one”, and I see John 17 as giving that some context. God and Jesus are not one person, they are not one entity, they are not members of a godhead. They are one in purpose. They are united through the will of God and Jesus’ obedience to that will. There is clear subservience to God in Jesus’ words here, but God has also elevated and glorified him. They have a special relationship as we see through Jesus’ prayer life and language. 

Jesus wants his disciples to have that same kind of unity in purpose and in relationship. Jesus also points out that this is not just for the inner circle of his disciples; this unity and deliverance that Jesus is praying for extends to us. All those who came to faith because of the testimony of the Apostles.

There is also an exclusivity claim here. Eternal life is dependent on knowing the true God and his Messiah, Jesus. There are not many paths that lead to God, only one. 

Jesus emphasizes the importance of truth in 17:17-19. As Jesus’ father is the only true God, Jesus recognizes him as the source of truth. He says, “Your word is truth.” Jesus has been the truth bearer throughout the course of his earthly ministry, but soon, his disciples will be bearing that mantle of truth bearers. Jesus is sending them out into the world, just as God sent him into the world. This ties into the Helper that we looked at yesterday.

The Spirit of Truth, the power of God, God’s operational presence, the finger of God. There are a few ways that the spirit is described or defined. But it comes alongside, and that is in Jesus’ mind as he prays for the well-being of his friends and followers. God keep them safe, not from man, but from falling away. 

Reflection Questions:

1.        What jumps out at you from today’s reading? Is there anything here that has been particularly impactful in your faith?

2.        How should the unity that God and Jesus have impact the unity that we have as believers? If our oneness is supposed to be like theirs, how do we navigate disagreements?

3.        You shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free. I think we read that recently. How does the truth of knowing who God and Jesus are and having the word of truth from God motivate you? Do you often consider the importance of truth in this age of lies?

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