Our Identity Comes From Being An Heir Of Christ
OPENING PRAYER:
Lord, help me understand what it means to be calm and focus on You during these turbulent times. Amen
“So the law was our guardian until Christ came that we might be justified by faith. Now that this faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian. So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.” Galatians 3:24-29 NIV
REFLECT:
As we come to the end of the election season with next Tuesday Midterm Elections, we may be feeling discouraged about the state our world is in at this time. Dr. David Jeremiah states, “We always expect life to be filled with ups and downs. Lately, it feels like the downs are winning. Like the hits keep coming—both harder and closer together. But God is right here with us! He is not shaken when inflation intensifies. He is not rattled when natural disasters strike. The lies of deceitful leaders do not threaten him. The news of the day is not a surprise to Him, nor is the condition of our culture.”
It is a comfort to know that what happens is not a surprise to God. As the focus Scripture states we are His heirs because we have been clothed with Christ. With God as our Heavenly Father, we know that we can relax because He knows what is going to happen and He will fight for us. Exodus 14:14 states, “The LORD Himself will fight for you. Just stay calm.” (NLT)
APPLY:
Staying calm and relying on God in these turbulent times is often difficult to do. But a good strategy to follow is in Colossians 3:1-2:
“[1] Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God's right hand. [2] Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth.”
The Life Application Bible adds a comment on how we can accomplish this. “Paul shifts from the negative (what teachings to avoid) to the positive (what we should seek). Setting our sights on the realities of heaven means striving to put heaven’s priorities into daily practice. We are to get our directions from Christ, not the culture around us. Letting heaven fill our thoughts means concentrating on the eternal rather than the temporal.”
CLOSING PRAYER:
Lord, help me to focus my thoughts and priorities on Heaven and strive to let them guide me. Amen
WORSHIP: