Pastor Stephen Dedman

Tag: christ

Jesus Is Judge

Faith

For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.
II Corinthians 5:10

Aren’t you glad you have the forgiveness of Jesus Christ? It’s all because of Jesus that our sins are washed away and our lives are pure and righteous before God.

Reading 2 Corinthians 5:10 with the mindset that our sins are not forgiven is terrifying. While it is true we will stand before the judgment seat of Christ one day, we must also keep in mind that our sins (past, present and future) are forgiven and forgotten.

I pray you stand before Jesus one day and He looks you in the eyes and says, “well done good and faithful servant!” Those are the words that every Christian strives to hear from our Lord.

If a believer is freed from all sin then what will we be judged for when we appear before the judgment seat of Christ? Since Jesus took upon Himself the punishment of sin (death) what is left to be judged?

We will be judged on how we lived our lives here on earth. The moment that Jesus came into our lives and transformed us we started living for Christ.

Remember this… every tree is judged by its fruit. You are known for what you produce. It’s either good fruit or bad fruit. If you produce good works you are rewarded and if you do bad deeds, you will lose your rewards.

As a Christian your citizenship is secured in heaven. Praise God! Nevertheless, God expects His children to live godly to glorify our Father who is in Heaven.

Pray

Lord, thank You for saving my life and forgiving me of my sins. Help me to appreciate the free gift of salvation that has been graced upon me. Help me to live my life for Jesus today.

Let It Sink In

Encouragement

But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.
Galatians 4:4-5

Jesus was born as a man but if He had been born of Adam, He would have inherited the sin nature of Adam. Hence the reason for the virgin birth. Mary gave birth to a son but He was also the Son of God. Let that sink in for a minute.

Jesus was fully man and fully God at the same time. He was in the form of a man but not of man. God had a plan from the very beginning to save mankind from sin.

Here is an interesting viewpoint. Jesus defeated sin and death as a perfect man not as God. Jesus went to the cross fully man and defeated Satan’s power and authority. He could have done it easily as God but He chose to do it as a man.

God could have spoken a single word and Satan would have fallen in the blink of an eye. But instead, God chose to become man to defeat Satan’s dominion.

Animal sacrifices of the old covenant system were unable to provide complete remission of sins. But the blood of Jesus Christ was the complete atonement of sin.

Here is the point to today’s devotional. Jesus, being fully man and fully God, defeated Satan on your behalf. As a believer in Jesus, you no longer belong to Satan. You belong to God!

You have victory over sin, over temptations, over anything that grips you. You do not have to battle Satan and his demons. They were defeated by your Lord and Savior. Let that sink in!

If Jesus is in you and you are in Jesus, you are one. Let Jesus give you His peace and love so that you can live the “abundant life” today.

Pray

Lord, I know You defeated sin and Satan upon that cross. Give me the mindset of victory today so that I will complete this day with joy. Fill my heart with Your love and compassion.

By Grace Alone

Faith

‘Since we have these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit, bringing holiness to completion in the fear of God. ‘
2 Corinthians 7:1

Our acceptance by God is on the basis of grace through faith. We can’t earn it and we definitely don’t deserve it. God offers His righteousness so that we may be accepted through His Son, Jesus Christ. That’s grace!

Paul told the Philippian jailer, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved…” (Acts 16:31) There was nothing that he needed to do but believe and receive. Grace secures our position in Christ as being right with God.

Paul ultimately says in today’s verse, “Since we have been given grace we work toward complete holiness because we desire to honor God.” We honor God when we are practicing holiness. The day that we accepted Christ as Savior, our sins were forgiven but it doesn’t mean we are sinless.

Everyday we grow and mature in our faith. Our lives reflect what we believe. Are you working towards holiness? Are you becoming more like Christ?

The good news is that as a Christ follower, you have already been accepted by God. The pressure is off in regards to living a perfect life. When God looks at you He sees the perfection and righteousness of Jesus in you. In return, we desire to please Him in everything we do and say. We work out what God has worked in you through His power and grace.

Pray

Lord, I desire to please You with my life. Thank you for giving me the free gift of grace. I strive to live my life holy unto You.