RHAPSODY OF REALITIES DAILY DEVOTIONAL
HOLY AND WITHOUT BLAME.
Monday, February 11th , 2019
Pastor Chris Oyakhilome;
According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love (Ephesians 1:4).
Hebrews 3:1 says, “Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus.” Did you notice that we’re called “holy brethren”? Only God can say that! Your neighbours, friends, family members, etc., may not consider you holy; but God says you are, and His verdict is what counts. Aren’t you glad about that?
You’re not holy or righteous because of your actions, but because you live in the presence of God, and have His nature of righteousness. He gave you His righteousness as a gift: “…they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness…” (Romans 5:17). Before God, you’re justified; there’s no record of sin or wrongdoing against your name. That’s the reason He says you’re without blame.
Sadly, some haven’t been able to put away self-blame. They’ve rendered their faith and life ineffective due to excessive self-recrimination; that’s wrong. Your conscience isn’t supposed to keep you in bondage of guilt and condemnation, because Jesus, the Son of God, died in your place. He paid the ultimate price for your sins. The Bible says in Acts 13:38-39, “…by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses.”*_
Do you know what it means to be justified? It means to be declared righteous; to be acquitted; the charges against you were dismissed because you never sinned. How is that possible? It’s because Jesus took your place, and now you’re in His place. So how does God see you now? He sees you holy, sanctified, and separated unto Him. Hallelujah.
Until and unless you realise that God has made you holy, you’ll never live a holy life. You can only live the life that God has given you. A dog lives the dog life; humans live the human life, because they have the life of human beings. Likewise, because we have the life and nature of God, we’re holy and can live holy. Blessed be God!
PRAYER
Dear Father, I thank you for presenting me faultless, perfect, holy, unblameable, and irreproveable before you in love! Thank you for the death, burial and glorious resurrection of Jesus Christ, by which I now stand forever justified in your presence, in Jesus’ Name. Amen.
FURTHER STUDY:
Colossians 1:21-22 AMPC And although you at one time were estranged and alienated from Him and were of hostile attitude of mind in your wicked activities, 22 Yet now has [Christ, the Messiah] reconciled [you to God] in the body of His flesh through death, in order to present you holy and faultless and irreproachable in His [the Father’s] presence.
Ephesians 2:8-9 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: [it is] the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.
DAILY SCRIPTURE READING
1-Year Bible Reading Plan=> Matthew 27:27-44 & Exodus 40
2-Year Bible Reading Plan=> Matthew 13:44-52 & Genesis 42