Category: Devotions

“As God’s co-workers we urge you not to receive God’s grace in vain. ² For he says, “In the time of my favour I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you.”I tell you, now is the time of God’s favour, now is the day of salvation.” (2 Corinthians 6 v 1-2)

I am writing this devotion whilst the Elim Global conference is happening in London. 176 delegates from all over the world are gathered in London and there is this deep sense of being co-workers together. In fact that is the theme of the conference, Together for the Nations. But this theme has suddenly taken on a whole new meaning. We are not only co-workers together. But Paul says we are God’s co-workers.

Together with Him. Often we are asking Him to work with us. “Come and help me today” we pray and He does of course. But there is a greater call, “Come and join me in my work today.”

We work with the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit.

It isn’t that God needs us to help Him out. He doesn’t need our workmanship. But He wants us to work with Him. It reminds me of the story of the elephant and mouse crossing the bridge. The mouse said to the elephant, ‘Wow we really shook that bridge didn’t we?!’

It’s His mission and we join Him. As we do we find that it isn’t all about what we do but it is about what He does in us. Working in the mission of God with Him changes lives, our lives. We are never the same again. And as we change we desire for more so we respond to the call to be with Him.

This work within His mission is grace. This grace encourages us to respond to the call, not to be passive but active.

Today God is calling you again to His grace, the work of His mission. As you do then you will change, for this is the day of salvation, now.

In its simplest but most beautiful form: our sins are laid on Christ and His righteousness is laid upon us.

“God made him who had no sin to be sinfor us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” (2 Corinthians 5 v 21)

• Jesus was the only human  who lived without sin, the spotless lamb.
• This sinlessness was essential to His mission. It had to be a perfect sacrifice. If He had sinned even only once then He would have needed saving not been the Saviour.
• Jesus was made sin for us on the cross. There he took on the full consequences of our sin. He was our sin offering bearing the full weight of divine judgment for our sins. At that moment the Father treated His Son as if Jesus Christ had committed every sin of every person who had ever and who ever was going to live.
• Christ gave us His righteousness not because we had achieved or earnt it in some way. It is received by faith .
• When God looks at you now He sees you being clothes in the perfect righteousness of Christ.
• This great exchange is the gospel message and anything that is different in even the slightest way is not the gospel.
• Our righteousness is not by our works but Christ’s work on the cross.

Our world is divided, prejudiced and abusive. It desperately needs individuals who see things differently, and we do, the Church. There is a move of God currently across the world where it seems there is an escalation of lives being transformed, renewed, changed upside down and one of the first things that happens is that the person sees their world differently.

“So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. ¹⁷ Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! ¹⁸ All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: ¹⁹ that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. ²⁰ We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God.” (2 Corinthians 5 v 16-20)

When a person has been transformed by the power of Christ then their perspective on themselves, others and their world changes, they see things differently.

• They don’t see people as the world sees them, their appearances, their social status and achievements.
• They see people as God sees them, with eyes of possibility, seeing the divine in humanity.
• They see Jesus Christ more than a good man, more than a prophet or miracle-worker, but God in flesh Himself.
• They see Christians as new creatures in Christ. Everything is new.
• They see their past failures not as something that defines them anymore but it is the newness of life that gives them a new identity.
• They see the reconciling work of Christ as the key for a new relationship with God.
• They view reconciliation between people as the outcome of reconciliation with God.

May it be said of you and me, ‘From now on …” Let’s start today.

It really is the great exchange. Christ died for us all and in return we live for Him.

 ^“And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.” (2 Corinthians 5 v 15)

• So we don’t focus on our own comfort and pleasure as the most important factor of our life.
• So we don’t make decisions solely based on our own personal benefits.
• So we don’t view relationships through the lens of what we can gain from them.
• So we don’t own anything, it is all His.
• So we do adopt what is important to Christ into our lives.
• So we do offer all our time, talents and resources as gifts to serve Him.
• So we do find our identity in Christ not in this world.
• So we do embrace a life of gratitude which flows from the cross.

Much of this is countercultural, for we stop living for ourselves and start living for He who died for us.

This is discipleship.

Have you ever had someone ask why you are a Christian? Why you live the way you do?

Paul gives the greatest motivation for his life.

“For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died.” (2 Corinthians 5 v 14)

He is motivated, compelled, deeply moved into active living because of the love Christ had for him. That must be the foundation of our lives. It isn’t our love but His love for us. So we see that this love is powerful love in that it becomes a force that moves us to be a conduit of that love to others. When we have understood and received such love and when we know where it flows from (the sacrifice of God), then we have no choice but to bring thanksgiving and to live thankfully.

An old man is on the pier feeding the seagulls, they land all around him, on his shoulders, his hat, feeding off what he had in his bag. Why is this man doing this? Why does he come here every week?
The man is Eddie Rickenbacher, a famous pilot in World War 2. His plane the “Flying Fortress” was shot down in 1942 and no one thought he would be rescued. He and eight passengers survived in 2 rafts for 30 days. They fought thirst, the sun and sharks some of which were 9 feet long. But what nearly killed them was starvation, within 8 days they had no more food left.
But in these rafts they would have a daily devotion to God. One day after a devotion Rickenbacher leaned back with his hat over his eyes to get some sleep. Within a few moments he felt something land on his hat. He knew in an instant it was a seagull. They were hundreds of miles from land, where had it come from? In an instant he grabbed the seagull. They all ate the bird and the intestines they used as fish bait. Rickenbacher never forgot that sacrifice. Every week he went to the pier to feed the seagulls, to say thank you.

How much more should we carry the spirit of thanksgiving for what Christ has done for us?

Paul has just said that one day we will all stand before God as He judges what has happened in our lives, whether good or bad. This isn’t something to fear from a possible condemnation, we know there is none for Paul says that in his letter to the Romans (8:1), but we do carry a deeper meaning of fear, that of awe and deep respect, a strong desire to live out our lives in a way that will in the end be commendable by Him.

“Since, then, we know what it is to fear the Lord, we try to persuade others. What we are is plain to God, and I hope it is also plain to your conscience. ¹² We are not trying to commend ourselves to you again, but are giving you an opportunity to take pride in us, so that you can answer those who take pride in what is seen rather than in what is in the heart. ¹³ If we are “out of our mind,” as some say, it is for God; if we are in our right mind, it is for you.” (2 Corinthians 5 v 11-13)

So what is the overarching motivation of our life? Paul gives us his perspective:-

• God can clearly see everything.
• We will stand before God.
• We want others to be persuaded to live with the same motivation we do.
• Outward appearance never outweighs the matters of the heart. People only see what they see.
• His devotion to God and his service to people are the 2 major behaviour’s of his life.

The Holy Spirit is our guarantee of taking us home, to our house, once the tent (our body) collapses and we die. This truth leads to a therefore statement and here it is:

“Therefore we are always confident and know that as long as we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord. ⁷ For we live by faith, not by sight. ⁸ We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord. ⁹ So we make it our goal to please him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it. ¹⁰ For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due us for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.” (2 Corinthians 5 v 6-10)

Confidence in the future means we are certain in the uncertainty that pain and distress brings in our present.

Confidence to walk by faith in the present because we cannot be in two places at one time, at home with the Lord and live here on earth in our body.

Confidence to please Him in all that we are and do.

Confidence that when we stand before Him, we will not be condemned (for there is no condemnation), nor have our salvation taken from us, (for that is not possible).

Confidence that when we stand before Him, the goal of our life to please Him, will be rewarded and where we have failed will be a minimum loss of commendation.

Finally a confidence that is always. This means that nothing and no one will steal our confidence in God and our faith.

A simple truth that we all will face … our bodies decline. Eventually whether it is our body or our mind, that what has given us a wonderful life, will fail us. But I am not just being morbid. There is comfort.

“Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. ¹⁷ For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. ¹⁸ So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” (2 Corinthians 4 v 16-18)

Paul knew it. He experienced beatings, shipwrecks, imprisonments and was persecuted for much of his Christian life. However, Paul has discovered that what is happening inwardly, in his spirit, can continue to grow even as his body declines.

Secondly, when we view our difficulties through the lens of eternity and not just pain we realise that they are temporary and not as heavy as we first thought. The importance is our sight. What are we actually seeing? If our eyes are focused on our eternal home then what can suffering do to us?

Someone texted me overnight, part of which said this, “Please don’t be discouraged by what’s around you …” a beautiful message which I also want to say to anyone who is reading this short devotion: please don’t be discouraged by what’s around you … do not lose heart!

Paul carries in his life the belief of the death and suffering of Christ as he follows the Deliverer who also delivers him (2 Cor 4 v 7). He also carries the belief that the one who raised Jesus will also raise him (v14). The ultimate goal is mission (v15).

“It is written: “I believed; therefore I have spoken.” Since we have that same spirit offaith, we also believe and therefore speak, ¹⁴ because we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus from the dead will also raise us with Jesus and present us with you to himself. ¹⁵ All this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God.” (2 Corinthians 4 v 13-15)

We all know from our many and varied experiences of life that what is going on in our minds eventually determines how we live. What we believe is what we do … and what we speak?

What is the sound of your mind? What is it speaking? When you are going through a difficult season what are your thoughts believing? What words are formulating inside you? Is God’s Word declaring Truth at the time? You need to hear what you believe? The sound needs to resonate your whole being.

If you can change your thoughts, what you believe in that split moment, perhaps even now as you read this, then you can live differently.

If you believe it then speak it. If you believe in God speak it. If you believe in the suffering of Christ then speak it. If you believe in the resurrection of Christ then speak it. And if you believe in the power of those 2 truths in your own experience then indeed speak it!!