Honor the LORD with your possessions, And with the firstfruits of all your increase; Proverbs 3:9 (NKJV)
In Part 1 of this devotional series titled, "Firstfruits" we took a look at God's original covenant with His people - a series of 613 commandments. A covenant set up by God to ensure the success and blessing of His children. We looked at the concept of firstfruits - the first and best of the crops being harvested - and the command given by God for man to bring forth a certain percentage of these firstfruits and offer them to the Levitical Priests.
We learned we are a type of firstfruits of Jesus Christ - the first and best of the crops (Christian Believers) being harvested - people who have confessed their faith in Jesus and have accepted His payment for sin.
Q: So what does this mean to us as Christians?
Q: What application should this bring to our life?
It means we have been redeemed by the blood of Jesus Christ, and as such, we are not our own - we have been bought and paid for.
Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's. 1Corinthians 6:19-20 (NKJV)
Knowing this Biblical truth,
This is exactly what the Apostle Paul was saying to the church in Rome. Listen to what he exhorted the believers to do as recorded in Romans 12:1-2.
I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. Romans 12:1-2 (NKJV)
Paul is saying, "Hey, since you know how merciful God has been to you, I am exhorting you to use your physical life here on earth as a living sacrifice to serve others and to share the Gospel message." He then lays it all out when he says, "which is your reasonable service." Think about what he is saying when he uses the word reasonable - he is saying it is, logical, rational, sensible, sound, and levelheaded to present our bodies a living sacrifice.
Q: What does this mean to us today?
A: it means that:
This is exactly what Ephesians teaches us as well.
But you have not so learned Christ, if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus: that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness. Ephesians 4:20-24 (NKJV)
I want to encourage you today to take periodic self-examinations. I am not asking you to see if your works are good enough to be saved or loved more by God - that's not possible. I am asking you to see if the fruit in your life lines up with the fruit in Jesus' life. If it doesn't, ask God to show you areas where you need to lay things down. Spend some time at the feet of Jesus.
STUDY QUESTION: According to the Scriptures contained within this devotional, what can we learn with regard to our being bought and paid for, and how we are to live as a result of our being firstfruits of Jesus?
PERSONAL INVENTORY: Are you allowing yourself to be transformed by God, or are you being conformed to this world and the desires of this world?
APPLICATION: Take periodic self-evaluations. Honestly ask yourself, "Am I different this week than last; different this month than last; different this year than last?"
In Part 1 of this devotional series titled, "Firstfruits" we took a look at God's original covenant with His people - a series of 613 commandments. A covenant set up by God to ensure the success and blessing of His children. We looked at the concept of firstfruits - the first and best of the crops being harvested - and the command given by God for man to bring forth a certain percentage of these firstfruits and offer them to the Levitical Priests.
We learned we are a type of firstfruits of Jesus Christ - the first and best of the crops (Christian Believers) being harvested - people who have confessed their faith in Jesus and have accepted His payment for sin.
Q: So what does this mean to us as Christians?
Q: What application should this bring to our life?
It means we have been redeemed by the blood of Jesus Christ, and as such, we are not our own - we have been bought and paid for.
Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's. 1Corinthians 6:19-20 (NKJV)
Knowing this Biblical truth,
- It should change the way we look at our lives
- It should change the way we live our lives
- It should change the things we choose to participate in
- It should change the way we talk
- It should change the things we choose to think upon
This is exactly what the Apostle Paul was saying to the church in Rome. Listen to what he exhorted the believers to do as recorded in Romans 12:1-2.
I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. Romans 12:1-2 (NKJV)
Paul is saying, "Hey, since you know how merciful God has been to you, I am exhorting you to use your physical life here on earth as a living sacrifice to serve others and to share the Gospel message." He then lays it all out when he says, "which is your reasonable service." Think about what he is saying when he uses the word reasonable - he is saying it is, logical, rational, sensible, sound, and levelheaded to present our bodies a living sacrifice.
Q: What does this mean to us today?
A: it means that:
- Our lives should be evidenced by this transformation
- Our actions should be clearly different next week than they are this week because we're continuing to be transformed
- Our fleshly way of speaking should be changing
- Our fleshly way of living should be changing
- Our fleshy way of thinking should be changing
This is exactly what Ephesians teaches us as well.
But you have not so learned Christ, if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus: that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness. Ephesians 4:20-24 (NKJV)
I want to encourage you today to take periodic self-examinations. I am not asking you to see if your works are good enough to be saved or loved more by God - that's not possible. I am asking you to see if the fruit in your life lines up with the fruit in Jesus' life. If it doesn't, ask God to show you areas where you need to lay things down. Spend some time at the feet of Jesus.
STUDY QUESTION: According to the Scriptures contained within this devotional, what can we learn with regard to our being bought and paid for, and how we are to live as a result of our being firstfruits of Jesus?
PERSONAL INVENTORY: Are you allowing yourself to be transformed by God, or are you being conformed to this world and the desires of this world?
APPLICATION: Take periodic self-evaluations. Honestly ask yourself, "Am I different this week than last; different this month than last; different this year than last?"
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