SIGN
UP
Part
five of five in Serving God Series
Luke
6:27-38
Luke
6:35: “But love your enemies, do good to
them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will
be sons of the Most High, because He is kind to the ungrateful and wicked.”
Rarely does anyone read the full text of official contracts. Legal documents cause most eyes to glaze
over. But one owner of a one-of-a-kind
online software has a different strategy for potential users. He offers a simple blessing for people to use
it for good. It reads:
“May you do good and not evil. May you find forgiveness for yourself and
forgive others. May you share freely,
never taking more than you give.”
WOW!
What if more “terms of service” agreements were like
this?
Oh wait…Jesus’ contracts are like that!
Let’s see: Jesus
offers His believers forgiveness of sins.
Acts 10:43 says, "All the prophets testify about Him that everyone who
believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins through His name.” Jesus offers believers peace with God. Romans 5:1 says, “Therefore, since we have
been justified by faith, [accepted by God], we have peace with God through our
Lord Jesus Christ.”
And Jesus gives believers the gift of the indwelling Holy
Spirit. Acts 1:5 says, “For
John baptized you with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the
Holy Spirit.”
Our part of the contract is: to serve God doing good deeds.
“Therefore, as we have the opportunity,
let us do good to all people; especially those who belong to the family of believers.”
(Galatians 5:10). We’re to forgive as
we’ve been forgiven, from Luke 6:37b: “Forgive, and you will be forgiven.”
And we’re to love others as He has loved us. Jesus commands believers in John 13:34: “A new command I give
you: Love one another. As I have loved
you, so you must love one another.” Jesus
explains in verse 35: “By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you
love one another.”
Take
Home Nugget
The really cool thing is
that even if we don’t do our part, Jesus will still keep His end of the contract! Won’t you sign up as a Jesus follower today?
“Bestowed with benefits daily,
Sent from the Father above;
Mercies and blessings abounding,
Gifts of His marvelous love.” --Anon.
The
information for this devotion was found in Our Daily Bread. RBC
Ministries. Grand Rapids, MI. Zondervan.
2014. Julie Ackerman Link. August 29.
See the lesson linked below for
specific commands that Jesus gives His followers. They, like the opening Scripture, are radical. But obeying them give believers an abundant
life of victory.
J.D.
Griffith
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