You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love.
TO PONDER
When I began nursing, eons ago, we had to abide by very strict rules. There was always someone to ensure they were adhered to. From our workplace to the dining hall, attending lectures [on our days off!!], even the nurse’s home didn’t escape. There were curfews and spot checks on our rooms. Free time, if we weren’t too tired, was cherished and spent walking beside the river and the nearby gardens, or if funds allowed, walking to the shops to enjoy one of the great drinks migrants had introduced -cappuccino! So entrenched were these rules that we were quite sure that there was someone watching us and who would report back that we were always on our best behaviour and correct anyone who wasn’t – so precious were those few moment of freedom.
In today’s text, Paul is speaking to the Galatians who were struggling under the complex Jewish laws. He told them that Jesus had freed them from those laws; only one remained -to love your neighbor. He warns them to cherish this freedom and not give in to their sinful nature, rather, use this freedom to serve God and one another in love. The Holy Spirit and faith would help them to do this; and, at the end of this chapter we can read what the fruits of the Spirit are that to help us in a life of service.
At great cost, Jesus has won us freedom from sin, death, and the devil, so that we can, with renewed faith and strength, serve God and our community with loving care. The evil one is not pleased with this situation and will try his hardest to entice us to abuse our freedom and slip back into bad habits. Part of our loving needs to be watching out for and encouraging each other to live and cherish the freedom Jesus has won for us.
Prayer: God of love and forgiveness, you sent Jesus to teach us how to live and serve you and others with love and to have freedom from old laws. Through his death you have given us freedom from sin and death, and granted us eternal life. Give me the strength to encourage others, so that together, we are not tempted to abuse that freedom and slip back into bad habits and unloving ways. Amen
Today's devotion written by Maureen Macpherson, LifeWay Newcastle
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
TO PONDER
These are often referred to as the wedding verses, but the situation at the church in Corinth, whom Paul was addressing with these verses, was very different from the one where two happy people are cementing their love, making their vows before the altar and a peaceful congregation. The church at Corinth was made up of Jews who had held positions in the synagogue, Greeks who were proud of their heritage and culture, slaves [it was said there were 4000 slaves in Corinth] and passing traders. The congregation was divisive and did not have love at it’s centre; it was conflict-ridden. Paul does not romanticize love; he says it is something we have to work at, and he goes on to explain what love does and what love does not do. He was asking the Corinthians to create an accepting attitude: one of love, faith and hope – the three things renewed in us following Jesus’ resurrection.
In our everyday life, we can experience difference and division in our families, our workplaces, our communities, and sadly, in our churches. Paul was saying to the Corinthians that to show love was to begin to understand each other, to accept that differences can heal divisions, which will lead to acceptance and a healthy, growing church that non- Christians will take notice of. Today’s world has many challenges, including a lack of understanding and tolerating differences and regular segregation and exclusion. May we follow Paul’s exhortation to put Love first and shine it into the divisive and difficult situations we may face.
Prayer:Father God, you loved us first, and we just need to look at the risen Jesus’ nail-scarred hands and feet and the wound in his side to really know what love is. Please help me to always work at loving others, whether they are in my family, workplace, community, or church. Help me to foster acceptance, understanding and peace. Amen
Today's devotion written by Maureen Macpherson, LifeWay Newcastle
Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.
TO PONDER
I needed some time to consider these verses and their context; I always like finding a new fact or two. In this case, it is that John mentions love in various forms 43 times in this letter.
God has always loved us. Even from 'the fall,’ he has had plans to reconcile us to Himself and when the time was right, He sent His only beloved Son, Jesus, to live among us and teach us, then to suffer and die on the cross. Our sins were forgiven, and we are right with God – that is love! In Scripture, God reveals much of His nature to us; His goodness, faithfulness, love and mercy, all this and more, so that when we come to Him, we may truly know Him and grow to be more like Him.
We are aware of the bitterness, greed, and many other negative attitudes in the world today because people refuse to love. The person who refuses to love doesn’t know the first thing about God because God is love – so you cannot know him if you do not love. One thing I learned from the new Christians in the group I mentioned in yesterday’s devotion is, that for our love and knowledge of God to grow, it needs feeding. Saying I have faith and trust in God is not enough; we need to feast on God’s word, meet with other believers to strengthen and encourage each other so that we know more intimately the goodness of God and show his love to others, and our lives are a testimony that God is love and love comes from Him.
Prayer: God of love, thank you for the many people you have placed in my life who have taught me, through your word and by their nature, that you are love, that love comes from you, and that this knowledge helps me love others. May I always use this knowledge to lead others to know your love. Amen
Today's devotion written by Maureen Macpherson, LifeWay Newcastle
Jesus replied: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbour as yourself.”
TO PONDER
Some years ago, the study group I was part of was studying John’s Gospel. There were several new Christians attending the group, and they had many questions, making me think, “Oh, I never thought of that!” This was especially true when we came to the verses in our devotion today. Loving your neighbour was a huge block to climb over. It seemed everyone experienced difficulties with those living around them.
The group leader read the parable of the Good Samaritan, and we were asked to describe who our neighbour is. As I recall, the response was anyone who needs our help and care, regardless of background or status. Our neighbour is not limited to those near to us or who share our beliefs, ethnicity, or social class. The discussion then took off about how we love ourselves and translate that to caring for our neighbour. We show our love of self by caring for our bodies, we value our possessions as they are gifts from God, we maintain a good reputation so hopefully no one will speak badly about us. We read and share God’s word, and we maintain friendships. If you look at your copy of Luther's catechism, you will not only read how not to treat your neighbour but also how to help him in keeping commandments seven to ten. Add to that the care we take of ourselves, and we are on track to help and care for our neighbor.
It is not always easy; we might want to cross the road or pretend we can’t see; but we have fresh in our minds Jesus’ dying on the cross so that we might have our sins forgiven. We have our hope and faith renewed; we want to thank and serve Jesus. He has shown throughout his ministry how to connect with all people. We too, can do this because we have Holy Spirit living in us to give us words and strength in those awkward encounters. The more we, with Jesus’ help, practice being good neighbours it will become easier and we can claim “Good Neighbour” as our ID
Prayer: Father God, you created us to love and live in unity with one another; to speak well of each other and to welcome and help the stranger. I have sometimes ignored this; I ask for your forgiveness. Help me see when my neighbor needs help so that, with your help, I can supply his need. Amen
Today's devotion written by Maureen Macpherson, LifeWay Newcastle
“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.
TO PONDER
The disciples were aware of Old Testament commands to love because that command was given in Leviticus 19:18 – "Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against one of your people, but love your neighbour as yourself. I am the Lord."
While, in a formal sense, this wasn’t a new command, Jesus gave it a deeper meaning, and his life showed us how it is to be done. It means that as we show a deep and genuine love for others, it becomes part of our Christian faith –and our ID.
We are resurrection people; we have examined ourselves and asked for forgiveness during Lent, walked those last final steps to the cross with Jesus, and then experienced Jesus’ triumph over death on Easter Day. We cannot help but be changed as we look to the future with hope and a deeper understanding of the injustice and inequality in the world around us, and none of this is conducive to peace.It is easy to love those who agree with us and whom we are partial to, but we need the help of God and His Holy Spirit to reach out to the unlovely.
Jesus showed love to those the world rejected. It is unlikely that we will ever need to express our love by dying for someone as Jesus did for us so that our sins would be forgiven, but we need to continue in the Gospel to understand just how Jesus loved. The service of love we are to show is not just words, it is to become a way of life. It can be difficult to show God’s love and forgive a person who has wronged us, but that is what Jesus is asking us to do. When love prevails, our world can change. We are fully living that love when we work for mercy and equality.
It is said that in his old age, John continued to remind those around him to love one another. When asked why he did this so often, his reply would be, “Because it is what our Lord commanded. If it is all you do, then it is enough”
Prayer: Loving Father God, thank you for your Son Jesus, who displayed perfect obedience to you; as He lived on this earth, He taught us to love everyone, that forgiveness is essential to promote justice, equality and peace. Forgive me for the times I have not always loved as Jesus taught me. Amen
Today's devotion written by Maureen Macpherson, LifeWay Newcastle
He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God.
Many will see and fear the Lord and put their trust in him.
TO PONDER
If there was one creative skill I wished I could learn or had some natural ability in, it would be composing music. I have learned a basic level of competence with one or two instruments and have always enjoyed singing, particularly singing with others in choirs and small vocal ensembles, but I have always had to sing other people's songs. I would love to have the creative ability to put some of my own thoughts, experiences and ideas to music in a way that helped me to communicate more powerfully, in the way that only music can, the deep things of life and faith.
I'm not sure that today's verse should be understood only in terms of actual sining songs and hymns of praise. I think that it's more about a change in attitude or outlook; it's about a new perspective.
In life we really have to choices. We can whinge and moan when things don't go the way we want or might have planned and that seems to be the approach of many people in the world today. The alternative is to choose to focus on the things that have gone right, to direct your gaze and focus towards those things we have to be grateful for. For those of us with faith in Jesus, we have one thing we can always be thankful for regardless of our circumstance. We can give praise and thanks to God for the assurance of our salvation in Christ.
It's when a world obsessed with whinging and complaining and demanding that their individual rights be upheld even at the cost of others, sees God's people just getting on with business and doing so with a thankful heart for all that God has done, that they begin to sit up and take notice. So are there some things that you have been moaning and complaining about to God? It's okay to do that, but in doing it, be prepared to let him put a new song on your lips, a new refrain of prise and thankfulness for what he has done and let that song be the one the world hears as you live your life in Christ Jesus.
PRAYER: Jesus, I'm sorry for the times that the demands of life cause me to grumble and complain and to lose sight of all the wonderful things you have done for me. Please give me a thankful heart and a song of praise to sing so that I can show and tell the world the greatness of all that you have done not only for me, but also for them. Amen
Today's devotion written by Mathew von Stanke, LifeWay Newcastle.
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!
TO PONDER
Some days I don't feel very new. In fact since turning forty a couple of years ago, I have begun to feel my age a bit more acutely. I have again had faltering attempts to improve my fitness by going to the gym, I have found that I need to be a little more discerning when it comes to eating spicy food and there are certainly more grey hairs on my head than have any right to be there. All the things one might do to change or reverse the slow progression of time are a process, they take time themselves. I may be able to cover up the grey hairs with some kind of hair colouring treatment but it's just a cover up. I might slowly improve my fitness over time, but if I stop exercising, the unfit me reasserts itself.
I think we often think of our lives as disciples like this also. We know that there is a process, something that we often call 'sanctification', the process of being conformed into the likeness of Jesus, of becoming more like him. We know that we don't always get this right, we sense that somehow it is harder that it should be to live and love like Jesus did, that we somehow have not quite achieved the ultimate goal. An yet when we are in Christ, Paul tells us that the old is gone and the new has come. We are not both sinner and saint as Martin Luther often said, but in Christ we are no longer sinners and we are made whole and righteous in Christ.
The challenge it think is not in striving to be more holy or to sin less or to love more. It is simply this, to remain in Christ. For when we are in Christ, the old is gone - completely gone, 100% removed and the new is here - completely here installed, uploaded and ready to go. Find creative ways to remain in Christ every day and see what He can do with the new you!
PRAYER:Lord Jesus, so much of life seems to be designed specifically to distract me and to keep me from remaining in you. Help me to remember that in you, I am a new creation. Help me to learn what it means to be made new and restored. To be free from my sin and the fear of death and to know that I have eternal life in you. May the way I live each day show something of my confidence in the new life I have found in you to all those you bring my way. Amen
Today's devotion written by Mathew von Stanke, LifeWay Newcastle
Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.
TO PONDER
I mentioned yesterday that creativity is one of God's characteristics. He created the heavens and the earth and everything in them, he took a day off at the end of all that creating and then began creating his plan of salvation and redemption for everything he had just made.
Being made in the image of God, we all have at least some spark of creativity in us. It might be more obvious in some people than in others, and it might not be the artistic kind of creativity we usually first think of; it might be the ability to find creative solutions to difficult problems. (It's okay mathematicians and scientists we know you can be creative too!)
But too often we take these creative gifts and turn them to our own selfish and dishonest ends. The example in today's reading is lying. Any parents out there will instantly recognise how quickly children learn to use their creativity to concoct the most imaginative and creative stories in the hopes that they might shift the blame of some unfortunate incident onto someone or something else and weasel their way out of trouble with mum or dad. And kids out there reading this, don't be fooled, your parents see right through your stories!
But today's reeding encourages us to surrender even our creativity to God and to allow him to sue it and us to partner with him in his work of creation and renewal. It basically tells us to stop using our creativity to find loopholes and to create interesting ways of getting ourselves out of trouble. We are now new creations in Christ, we have no need to get ourselves out of trouble, Jesus has already done that for us. Instead, let God inspire you with his Holy Spirit and use the creative gifts he has placed in you to work wit him to bring his plans to fruition both in your life and in the lives of those around you. You might be amazed at just how creative God gets when you let him call the shots!
PRAYER: Heavenly Father, the wonders of your creation are without end, and you have given us the ability to recognise the beauty and wonder of your creation by placing creativity in us. Please help me to use my creativity only in ways that bring glory and honour to you and help me to always see your creative fingerprints at work in the world around me. Amen
Today's devotion written by Mathew von Stanke, LifeWay Newcastle
“Forget the former things;do not dwell on the past.
See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?
I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.
TO PONDER
Our God is a creative God. Not only did he create the heavens and the earth, but he is still at work re-creating and making all things new.
I think sometimes Christians can forget that. We have a tendency to look back all the time an remember how things were. We get all nostalgic for the things of the past and often fail to pay attention to what God is doing here and now. We quite literally fail to perceive the new things God is doing.
Of course we should be aware of the past and learn from it and take the best bits but we can't be trying to recreate it all the time. Even if today feels like you are walking through a wasteland keep moving forward. God took the Israelites through the wilderness for 40 years before they arrived at the promised land and nearly every step of the way they complained and wished to be back in Egypt. It's true that the wilderness can be tough, but if you just keep trying to get back to where you were before the wilderness, you never arrive at the promised land God might be trying to lead you to.
Don't fear the new things God might be doing in your life, or in your church, or in your community. Pray and ask him to help you perceive and understand what he is doing. You might even ask if there is a role for you to play in this new thing God is up to.
PRAYER:Heavenly Father, You are the Lord and creator of all things. Help me to remember that I am not the one who decides how things are going to go but that you have all things, including my life in your hands. Help me to perceive the new things you are doing and to work with you to see your will done both in me and through me. Amen
Today's devotion written y Mathew von Stanke, LifeWay Newcastle