Above Only Devotional Saturday 8th February 2020 *Holiness produced by the Grace of God*

Above Only Devotional
Saturday 8th February 2020

*Holiness produced by the Grace of God*

2 Corinthians 5:14-15 (LB) Whatever we do, it I … because Christ’s love controls us now. Since we believe that Christ died for all of us, we should also believe that we have died to the old life we used to live. He died for all so that all who live – having received eternal life from him

– might life no longer for themselves, to please themselves, but to spend their lives pleasing Christ who died and rose again for them.

Romans 12:1 (NIV) … I urge you, … in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God – this is your true and proper worship.

Real and genuine holiness is produced only by the revelation of the love and kindness of God towards us in Christ Jesus. In 2 Corinthians 7:1 (NIV), the Bible says, “Therefore, since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God”. It is our reverence for God that makes us to grow and mature in our expression of holiness. The King James Versions says, “… let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God. This fear here is not dread or terror, but reverential fear. It is a deep respect, awe and honour for someone you hold in very high esteem. Filthiness of the spirit has to do with wrong doctrines and filthiness of the flesh has to do with the works of the flesh.

What makes us have reverential fear for God? It is the revelation of the unconditional love that God has shown to us in Christ. Psalms 130:3-4 (NIV) says, “if you, Lord, kept a record of sins, Lord, who could stand? But with you thee is forgiveness, so that we can, with reverence, serve you”. The King James Version says, “If thou, Lord, shouldest mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand? But there is forgiveness with thee, that thou mayest be feared”. On his own Zacchaeus decided to restore everything he had wrongfully taken from others and to give half of his goods to the poor, Luke 19:1-10. The love he had experienced from Christ created a desire in him to do what was right. God’s mercy makes us surrender our bodies to Him, Rom. 12:1 (NIV). Apostle Paul said their consciousness of God’s mercy made them renounce all evil, craftiness and deceitfulness in handling God’s Word, 2 Cor. 4:1-2.

Prayer:

I thank you Dear Father, for the great love and mercy you have shown me in Christ. I yield and surrender myself to honour and please you always.

Bible in one year reading plan: Leviticus 4-5, Matthew 24:29-54.