Pray:
Ask God to orient or reorient you to Himself. Confess any known sin. Thank Him for His forgiveness. Be still and reflect on Jesus and His sacrifice for you. Ask the Holy Spirit to open your heart and mind to God’s Word. Pray for others in your life that they, too, would know and love God today.
Read:
Rom. 1:16-17, “16 I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. 17 For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: ‘The righteous will live by faith.’”
Understand:
Justification by faith is a “legal” transaction. In the New Covenant, God made a promise based purely on His love, power, and authority. Our faith is not something we contribute; it is simply how we access the gift. Our standing before God is by faith from the start to the finish. God began the relationship and God will keep the relationship intact. If you have been born again, you cannot and will not lose relationship with God.
Apply:
What is the difference between relationship and fellowship? Marriage is a covenant relationship. That covenant is independent of the feelings and practices of intimacy and closeness within the marriage. So…a couple could lack marriage fellowship (closeness) while the marriage relationship could remain intact. Over time, a persistent lack of fellowship can lead to a dissolution of the marriage covenant…divorce.
Because of our actions and attitudes, we also can lack close fellowship with God. However, this is where the analogy breaks down. If you have been born again, you cannot break the covenant relationship with God. You remain His son or daughter. There will be no “divorce” for the one who has been redeemed; God has secured the covenant. It is our privilege to enjoy relationship with God without the fear that He will someday say “Enough, I’m done with you!” He will never do that.
What does that kind of confidence mean for you today?
From what you have just read and considered: What is a personal implication/application for your life today?
Live:
(Personalize this prayer today; make it specific to the circumstances that face you.)
Ask God to lead you through His Spirit as you go through your day. Ask Him to bring to mind the truth of the gospel and its implications for what you will encounter today. Tell Him “Yes” to His will and ask Him for His power and protection to live this “yes.” Ask God to create and reveal opportunities to proclaim the good news today. KEEP PRAYING THROUGHOUT YOUR DAY.