As I mentioned in yesterday’s posting, this week we are featuring different articles submitted by members of our congregation at First Baptist Church as part of our Week of Prayer emphasis. Today’s posting was contributed by Brendan Burke, who serves as one of our deacons. Brendan and his wife Julie have been part of the First Baptist Church family for a few years, and during this time the Lord has blessed them with a beautiful daughter, Elizabeth. In today’s devotional, Brendan shares with us as believers the importance of being fully devoted followers of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Jesus said, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it‚Äù (Luke 9:23-24).
After Christ came into my life, the Holy Spirit showed me what this text meant. The more I turned from my old sinful ways, the more true joy and peace I would find. This is only found in our new life in Christ.
The apostle Paul reminds us, “For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory” (Col. 3:3-4).
Meditate on these words. We should have only one life and it ought to be hidden in Christ Jesus. Isn’t this one of the first steps of our Christian walk: Recognizing that we are not our own, but that we are God’s. We have been bought with a price. I believe we lack a great deal of peace in our lives because of the way we approach God each day. We can go through the motions of a daily quiet time: read the Word and say a quick prayer. All the while we plan our day and decide our own agendas. We forget the rest of Colossians 3:17, “And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”
Did you get that? Whatever. That means everything. Do not forget that when you lose your life you will find it. If God was big enough to save you from your sins as you trusted him for your salvation, which is for eternity, surely you can trust him when your day is simply not going very well. Do not forget that Jesus is the potter and we are the clay. Let Jesus mold you into something beautiful. Jesus was one with the Father. He trusted him even to the point of shedding His own blood. But look at the beautiful results from Christ’s life. Colossians 3:15 says, “Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.” If we are trying to hold on to our old self we will never find true peace. Is there anything attractive about someone who lives hypocritically? How quickly we can recognize when someone’s actions don’t line up with their words. Why then do we think it is acceptable when it comes to our walks with God? Please read Colossians3 in its entirety. It is a good chapter to put to memory.
We are not here to serve ourselves. ‚ÄúTherefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God‚Äîthis is your spiritual act of worship‚Äù (Rom. 12:1).
If you believe the Bible is God’s Word, please take Jesus at His word. Acts 2:42 says, ‚ÄúThey devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.‚Äù
God has not changed. He will still hear our prayers if we cry out to him. Like it says in Hebrews 12:1-2 “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”