Living For Christ Part 1

My, Devotion to Him #298

Christianity would be nothing without Christ. However, there’s more to christianity than just knowing about Christ and Christ Himself wants more than that for you. We have been created to not only know Him but to actually live a life for Him. Living for Him does not bound us to a form of slavery. In fact, it is the complete opposite. A life without Christ only results in slavery to the world. Let’s dive into some principle areas that will help us as Christians to live for Christ.  

1. Trust and Acknowledge Him

Verse Passage: Proverbs 3:5-6 “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.” – ESV

Solomon is prominent within the writing of Proverbs. He has been esteemed to be one of the wisest men to ever live. Interestingly more is that this would have most likely taken place around Israel’s united kingdom. Peace and prosperity were tied to the development of wisdom and literary. 

This Proverb tells us to TRUST in the Lord with all your heart. 

Definition of Trust: Firm belief in the character, strength, or truth of someone. 

We must put a firm belief in the character, strength, and truth of God with every fiber that is within us. We are not to lean on our own understanding. This in practical usage means do not rely on trying to understand all that God is doing. We do not need to understand everything if we have a firm belief in Him.

The verse continues onward by saying that in all our ways we are to acknowledge Him. How do we do that? 

Definition of Acknowledgement: Accept or admit the existence or truth.

Acknowledging God is giving Him recognition for who He is. Give Him the proper recognition in our thoughts, actions, prayer, praise, worship, business operations, and so on. In doing so the Bible states that He will make our paths straight. Another way we can say this is that He will direct us in what we do, how we do it, and where we go when acknowledge and trust Him. 

2. A Willing Heart

Verse Passage: 1 Chronicles 28:9 “And you, Solomon my son, know the God of your father and serve him with a whole heart and with a willing mind, for the LORD searches all hearts and understands every plan and thought. If you seek him, he will be found by you, but if you forsake him, he will cast you off forever.” – ESV

The Lord does not want people to serve, worship, follow, or praise Him out of obligation. He doesn’t want someone just doing it to get by and being half-hearted about it. He wants the whole heart and the only way that comes is by someone doing this out of willingness. A desire to come to Him and live for Him as He directs. God searches the hearts and knows everything. He is seeking and longing to find those who have a genuine heart for Him. 

This goes even further than just someone who wants to praise Him. Because someone who serves Him with their whole heart does so in the good and not so good times. Not only acknowledging who He is but admitting that He is still Lord in every single situation that we may encounter in this life. God has not stumbled off the throne which resulted in bad things happening. He remains seated above all!

3.  Recognize God’s Grace

Verse Passage: 1 Corinthians 15:9-10 “For I am the least of the apostles and do not even deserve to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them —yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me.” – NIV

Verse Passage: Ephesians 2:8-9 “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith —and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.” – NIV

Baptism, good works, behaving good, serving, tithing, obeying the laws of the land or even obeying God’s own commands can’t save us. It is by His grace through our faith that allows for this amazing transformation to occur. 

However, recognizing God’s grace is important. Because grace means He loves us, forgives, and saves us willingly. Not because we are good people. Not because we have chosen to follow Him. It is by His grace, the unmerited favor through our complete trust (faith) even without seeing the proof that brings salvation. 

Grace is the kindness from God that we don’t deserve. There is nothing we have done or could ever do to earn this favor. It is a gift from God. And because it is a gift we as Christians are able to live an abundant life in Christ. 

Verse Passage: 2 Corinthians 9:8 “And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work.” – ESV

Verse Passage: Romans 6:14 “For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace.” – ESV

Graces frees us from the slavery to sin, the guilt, the shame. Sin has no dominion over you because you are under grace. This does not provide allowances for a life of sin but a life free from sin. Furthermore, this does not mean that someone who stumbles does not have grace. But rather they are not controlled by sin itself. The power of sin and the result from sin is no longer burdened on us. God has given us a way out from its grasp. 

Recognizing God’s grace throughout our lives in all that He has done and continues to do is well deserved in our recognition of Him and in another manner it honors Him. When we recognize Him we willfully admit there is more than us. There is a power far greater. Not only is it better than us and vastly stronger than us but to recognize God is to recognize His supremacy over all things. 

Verse Passage: 1 John 2:1-2 “My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.” – NIV 

Another way to recognize God and His grace is the fact that we are what we are through Christ. Understanding that you are not saved by your own merits, by your own accord. It is only because of Christ that we are saved. It is only by Christ that our sins in the past are forgiven. It’s only Him that can wash us clean of mistakes, failures, or short-comings. To recognize Christ is to also recognize the Father. This is His only Son whom He sacrificed to change your destination!

God bless, 

Copyright © 2022 by Jacob Olinger