MY LIVING WATER DAILY DEVOTIONAL
WEDNESDAY, MAY 24, 2023
WORK OUT YOUR SALVATION
MAIN TEXT – Philippians 2:12, “Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling.”
Ephesians 2:8-9, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—9 not by works, so that no one can boast.”
When we hear the phrase “work out your salvation”, the first thought that comes to mind is “working hard to earn our salvation by following a long list of laws and doctrines”. Sadly, many believers have run with this interpretation and are sinking under the unnecessary pressure to obey every doctrine so as not to “fall short of God’s glory”.
Fortunately, this is not the promise of God for us, nor is this the reason Jesus came to die for our sins. Salvation is a free gift from God to mankind. God knew it was impossible for the law to save mankind. Rather, the law will only make us sin even more. This was the situation of His children in the Old Testament, that moved them from one atonement to another without getting rid of the nature of sin.
Through the blood of Jesus, our sins were thoroughly washed away–a one-time event that justified us to sit with Christ in heavenly places as co-heirs. However, it doesn’t end there. We ought to continually and consistently work out our salvation by fully expressing the life of Christ in us. Expressing the life of Christ is not following the laws, but allowing the Holy Spirit to work in you and work out a perfect, purposeful life.
Our belief in the finished work of Christ is perfected when we allow the Holy Spirit to work in us and mold our lives into what God wants it to be.
MAY WE NEVER BE CARRIED AWAY BY THE WRONG DOCTRINES
PRAYER: Dear Holy Spirit, please work in me and teach me to fully express the life of Christ in me. Amen.
BY BISHOP DR NGOZI DURUEKE (HE REIGNS CHAPEL INT’L) mylivingwaterdevotional@gmail.com
BY BISHOP NGOZI DURUEKE (HE REIGNS CHAPEL INTERNATIONAL) To send your testimony, write us: mylivingwaterdevotional@gmail.com.