#DailyDevotion God Actually Expects Us To Live A Different Life
Hebrews 13 Christians, keep on loving one another. 2Don’t neglect to welcome guests. This is how some without knowing it had angels as their guests. 3Remember those in prison as if you were in chains with them, and those who are mistreated as if you could feel it. 4Everyone should think highly of marriage and keep married life pure, because God will judge those who sin sexually whether single or married. 5Don’t be greedy. Be satisfied with what you have, because He said: “I will never leave you or desert you.” 6And so we have the courage to say: “The Lord is my Help. I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?”
Well, now that we have been saved by grace through faith alone in Jesus Christ who has done everything for us to be saved, what shall we do? Yes, the fact that we cannot do anything to be saved or contribute to our salvation that doesn’t mean we go off and sit on our hands. It also doesn’t mean we go about sinning willy nilly. God actually expects us to be living a different life than the one we had before we were saved. He expects a different life than those who are still dead in their trespasses and sins.
Well for one, he wants Christians to keep on loving one another. That is to say, he wants us to serve each other humbly, looking into each other’s interest, not as busy bodies, but as people genuinely concerned for our fellow Christians.
We should be hospitable especially to strangers. Some have had angels for guests without knowing about it. Indeed, your fellow human being was made in the image and likeness of God. How you treat your fellow man is how you treat God. Those in prison the book of Hebrews refer to as those who have been locked up for the faith and are being mistreated. We should remember these brothers if we know about them and do our best to give them relief. Now if you want to minister to others in prison, that is still a laudable thing, remembering that they too are redeemed by Christ’s blood.
Despite what the world and even many in the Church have done to marriage and speak of it, we could think highly of marriage. God created marriage when he brought Eve to Adam. Marriage is also the image of Christ and the Church. For this reason it should be highly thought of and the marriage bed kept pure. Each man should have his wife and the wife her husband. Christians shouldn’t be having sex with anyone who isn’t their spouse of the opposite sex or themselves. There is a strict warning, God will judge those who are sexually impure whether married or single.
Don’t be greedy. There is no reason to hoard and not share with those in need what the Lord has blessed you with. He has given you more than you need, not so you can spend it on yourself but so you can help the image of God you meet who is need. There is no need to try to accumulate more than you need, fearing you won’t have enough for tomorrow. We have this promise from the Lord, “I will never leave you or forsake you.” And David says, “The Lord is my Help. I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?” If we believe these promises from our Lord Jesus Christ then we shall have nothing to fear. We need not fear having enough. We need not fear our fellow man and what they may do to us. We can be content with what we have knowing the Lord knows what we need and will provide it at the proper time. That doesn’t mean we will never be struggling at times. But it does mean we won’t have to sin when we may be in need. We can trust the Lord will provide for us what we need. If it isn’t provide, perhaps we should trust the Lord knowing it isn’t needed as much as we think it is.
We may fail occasionally in all these things. When we do, we should turn to Christ and to his blood and trust our sins for forgiven for his sake.
Oh Holy and merciful God, continually to strengthen our faith and give us your Holy Spirit that we not fall in great shame in vice but rather that we live holy lives in which we please you and show your glory. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.