Daily Devotional

LIVING BELOW OUR POTENTIAL

The flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Sprit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please (Galatians 5:17).

Are you stymied in your growth because of feelings of inferiority?

To whom or to what are you inferior? You are a child of God seated with Christ in the heavenlies (Ephesians 2:6).

Do you feel insecure? Your God will never leave you nor forsake you (Hebrews 13:5).

THE FLESHLY PERSON

I gave you milk to drink, not solid food; for you were not yet able to receive it. Indeed, even now you are not yet able, for you are still fleshly. (1 Corinthians 3:2,3).

THE SPIRITUAL PERSON

The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control; against such things there is no law (Galatians 5:22,23).

SATAN'S DEFEAT

He [Christ] disarmed the rulers and authorities [and] made a public display of them, having triumphed over them through Him (Colossians 2:15).

In Colossians 2:15, Paul identifies something very important that happened at the death, resurrection and ascension of Christ. Not only were we made alive in Christ, but Satan was also disarmed and defeated. His defeat is not pending, nor is it future; it has already happened.

THE NATURAL PERSON

And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience (Ephesians 2:1,2).

LOVING OTHERS

If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them (Luke 6:32).

For many people, loving others is a nebulous concept. Fortunately, agape love is very clearly defined in the Scriptures. When love is used as a noun in Scripture, it is referring to character. For example: 'God is love' (1 John 4:8); 'Love is patient, love is kind,' etc. (1 Corinthians 13:4-8).

A REBELLIOUS GENERATION

Rebellion is as the sin of divination, and insubordination is as iniquity and idolatry (1 Samuel 15:23).

We live in a rebellious generation. Many feel it is their right to sit in judgment of those in authority over them. Christians are no exception. We critique the choir and criticize the sermon. We would be far better off if we entered into the worship experience and let the Word of God sit in judgment of us. Rebelling against God leads to nothing but trouble.

A PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP

The Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth (John 1:14).

What effect did the Fall produce in Adam's mind? He and Eve lost their true perception of reality. We read in Genesis 3:7, 8, that they tried to hide from God. Doesn't that reveal a faulty understanding of who God is?

THE DEFINITION OF DISCIPLINE

It is for discipline that you endure; God deals with you as with sons, for what son is there whom his father does not discipline? (Hebrews 12:7).

PERCEPTIONS AND EMOTIONS

The Lord’s loving kindnesses indeed never cease, for His compassion’s never fail. They are new every morning; great is Thy faithfulness (Lamentations 3:22, 23).

In a general sense, your emotions are a product of your thought life. If you are not thinking right, if your mind is not being renewed, if you do not perceive God and His Word properly, it will be reflected in your emotional life.