Sunday Devotional..... 9/25/16

Good Morning...

Today's devotional is written by Jan Andersen. The title is "ALL DEAD"  Jan writes about sin and how it makes us completely dead and unable to save ourselves.  The only way to be completely alive is through faith in Christ.

Have a wonderful, sweet Sunday
God blesa
Corinne & Jan

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  Today's Devotional   

"ALL DEAD"

written by

Jan Andersen

Many of us probably remember the movie "The Princess Bride" with all of its fantasy, adventure and humor.  There are certain scenes that are particularly memorable, like the one where Miracle Max has this quote about the hero, Westley:  "... your friend here is only mostly dead.  There's a big difference between mostly dead and all dead...  Mostly dead is slightly alive.  All dead, well - with ALL dead there's usually only one thing to do - go through his clothes and look for loose change!"  

Sometimes we trick ourselves into thinking that way - that if we can get away with something small it is ok, like stealing a few pennies from a dead man.  Especially if it doesn't hurt anyone.  Breaking a law like going over the speed limit shouldn't count against us.  Or telling a little "white lie" doesn't really matter, right?  Constantly giving in to little temptations like eating too much all the time, that's just affecting us, not anyone else.  So a little gluttony should be alright.  Or letting the eyes wander, just a little "look, don't touch," that's not wrong, right?  As long as the rest of the time we are "good" for all the big stuff - like not murdering anyone, etc.  God surely sees us as better than "those people." 

Sometimes we feel we have the ability to earn God's favor because we are living right, at least for the most part.  Or we feel God won't care about the little things.  But with God there is only Pass/Fail when it comes to earning salvation, and to pass you need 100% - perfection - to get into heaven.  With God there is no "mostly dead."  He tells us that we are completely dead in our trespasses without him because of our sinful nature.  We all do, think or say things that we shouldn't.  None of us are without sin - not one!  And that makes all of us "ALL dead" and unable to earn that perfect Passing grade.  A dead person can do nothing - they are completely dead.  The only way to live again in eternal life is to believe in Christ, the Savior, and not reject the faith that the Spirit plants in our hearts.  Only Jesus lived a perfect life on earth.  He did that to fulfill the law for us, and then he paid the price for our sins for us on the cross.  It is only because of his sacrifice that we are able to go from being ALL dead to completely alive!  It is because of this free and undeserved gift that we continue to strive to follow God in righteous living.  Doing the next right thing is our thanks to God for eternal life, not our payment to receive it.  In the process of thanking God for being made alive, we witness to others of his amazing grace and forgiveness for all.

Ephesians 2:1-5 (NIV)  As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient.  All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh and following its desires and thoughts.  Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath.  But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions - it is by grace you have been saved.

Dear Jesus in heaven, thank you for your saving grace, for fulfilling the law of perfection, dying in our place on the cross, and rising again to bring us new life.  Help us to live a life worthy of that free gift and to witness to others, that they too might be alive in you.  In your name we pray,  Amen.  

Song: Made Alive, by Citizens & Saints

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Prayers are lifted up daily for 

you by the Devotional Writers 

and the Monthly Writing Staff

of Women's Focus Ministries.

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