John 5:24
Thoughts from Katie Fox
Dive Deeper
“I tell you the truth, those who listen to my message and believe in God who sent me have eternal life. They will never be condemned for their sins, but they have already passed from death into life.”
John 5:24
Behind the Scenes
What is grace? God’s grace is Him giving us new and eternal life even though we don’t deserve it and are helpless to earn it on our own. There was a time in my life when I looked at God’s grace as you might look at someone handing out water. I knew I wasn’t perfect but compared to others, I ranked myself pretty good. I had not murdered anyone. I wasn’t a career criminal. I was even a Dallas Cowboy’s fan so I must be pretty good in God’s eyes. I looked at Jesus and thought to myself, “I know I’m not perfect, so perhaps I need about a cup of that grace.” Other people might need a gallon or a barrel or maybe a whole swimming pool. Not me. Just a cup, thank you.
Oh man. The arrogance and pride! God has journeyed with me since those days and showed me that I not only need a cup of grace but dump truck loads of it. He has shown me the depravity of my heart filled with greed, envy, hatred, selfish lusts, and perversions of every type. Truth is, we all fall way short of God’s standard. We all stand before Him a fallen people.
We can see that the world is broken with sickness, evil, death, and tragedy. If we are truly honest with ourselves and pull back the veil on our heart, we realize we are also broken, and we are part of the reason the world is in its current situation. We like to blame others; we may like to blame God, but we know deep in our hearts that we bear some responsibility. We want to do our own thing; we want to be our own masters; and if we are honest with ourselves, we want to be God.
It hurts when we finally get to the point where we grow up and stop blaming God and start to realize that humans are the reason we live in a fallen world. But when despair hits, remember that God loves us, and He sent His Son Jesus into the world to heal and restore our relationship with Him and to restore our world. This means that we will live forever with God. It also means that God’s Kingdom is at work right now. Although we still live in a fallen world, saying yes to Jesus starts the process of healing in our own lives. Today’s verse is a promise. When we believe Jesus and say yes to him, we gain this new andeternal life.
Make it Real
When you say yes to Jesus, you are saying you believe Him. You believe that He is the Son of God, you believe that He died for your shortcomings and made things right between you and God. You believe that He will walk with you and that His Spirit lives within you. You believe that He will restore and heal you. These things you know in your head, and you know them in your heart.
The Christian life is not easy. You will have doubts. You will still make mistakes. You will have both great days and dark nights. But know this: God loves you on your good days and your bad days. God walks with you through the good times and through suffering. God will start healing you now with a promise that one day all will be totally restored: yourself, your community, all creation.
After you say yes to Jesus, go out and tell others about him. They too are broken and need to hear about Jesus. He saves people. And after He saves us, He lets us help spread the news and bring light to those around us. God’s grace is beautiful and plentiful. More than a cup.
Johnny Spence
ACF Devo Team
End in Prayer
Father, thank you for your grace and your love. Lord, let my heart see the truth about myself and about our world. Give me the humility to say yes to Jesus and to never let my love for Him grow cold. Give me the passion to share the good news about Jesus with others. Thank you, Lord, for all you have given me. Amen