MY LIVING WATER DAILY DEVOTIONAL
THURSDAY, MAY 25, 2023
BE CHRIST’S CONSCIOUS
MAIN TEXT: Hebrews 10:1, “For since the Law has merely a rude outline (foreshadowing) of the good things to come—instead of fully expressing those things—it can never by offering the same sacrifices continually year after year make perfect those who approach [its altars].”
Hebrews 10:3, “But [as it is] these sacrifices annually bring a fresh remembrance of sins [to be atoned for].”
Sin consciousness has to be the greatest undoing of believers. Instead of focusing on the finished work of Christ, the complete sacrifice of the blood of Jesus, we focus on validating and earning our salvation by fulfilling the law (MSG translation calls it flexing our moral muscles). We strive to do for ourselves what Jesus has already done for us freely. Just like our second text says, these sacrifices (earning our way to salvation by following the law) only brings fresh remembrances of sins. Instead of helping us avoid sin, it makes us fall into sin the more.
What is sin consciousness? It is a conscious awareness of your every step, action, sin, that makes you walk on eggshells around God (instead of being comfortable and feeling safe with your Father) and makes you need forgiveness every day (even after we have been forgiven and justified already).
Have you noticed that when you become so conscious of lying, stealing, backbiting, etc., you’re faced with situations that make you fall into these temptations even more? This is why many people think and believe that living a sin-free life in a world full of temptations is impossible.
Furthermore, down in Hebrews 10:12 tells us that Christ made a one for all time sacrifice for our sins and has reconciled us back with God, forever. To embrace this sin-free life that Christ has already paid for, we must focus on the giving grace of God.
Grace stands for God in the race; reminding us that in this journey of life, we cannot get it right by striving on our own. We will stumble more times than we can count, and we don’t have the capacity to lift ourselves up after that.
Grace enables us to obey God’s commandments and live by the leading of the Spirit. That grace takes away our focus from sins and fixes it on the enablement we have received through Christ.
That grace teaches us to embrace the life of Christ, and to accept help from the throne of God, instead of trying to figure out life and Christianity on our own. Sin consciousness is a tool of the devil to rob us of our rights in God. When we understand who we are in Christ because of the blood of Jesus, we can be free of sin consciousness once and for all.
DON’T TAKE YOUR FOCUS OFF THE GRACE OF GOD.
PRAYER: Dear God, teach me to embrace the grace of God, so I won’t stumble through sin focusing on the wrong things. I live boldly on Christ’s work in my life in Jesus name, 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.