Wednesday Reading: 1 Corinthians 6:9-12
Key Verse: 1 Corinthians 6:12
12 All things are lawful to me, but not all things profit. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any.
Devotion:
If you were invited out for a posh diner where you had to wear a jacket and tie, would you try to turn up in jeans and T-shirt or would you get ready properly and suit up for the event? Obviously if the invite says jacket and tie we will have to wear them or we will not be allowed in. So why do we think that we can get away with our lifestyles when we are reminded so many times that God does not abide sin? Of course there are some restaurants that will loan you a jacket and tie just so that you can get in but that is not going to happen when we try to get into heaven.
Fortunately we do have someone who is already one step ahead of us, and He has already made us the suit and tie and has already made it available for us as a gift. It is not a temporary loan but a permanent gift that is also free! But just because we have been given the suit and tie, does that mean that we will be able to behave ourselves on the way there? There will be no issue about us behaving when we are there but the journey through the rest of our lives before we get there is not as straight forward as we first think. Just because we have the outfit does not mean that we act like it. We are still ourselves even though we are dressed up.
That is where God comes in again because He is the one who is trying to guide us all along the way. He is the one who knows how we should be acting and has even given us the rule book – that is the big one we have to read! Yes God’s word is a fair size but it is so because there is a lot of information that God wants us to know. But the most amazing thing is that it all hinges on a few points, the most important being that we love our neighbour as ourselves. If we are going to stick to that rule then we will have no problem sticking to God’s other commandments. Upholding others means that we are upholding God’s people, we are glorifying His people and thereby glorifying Him. We may be given the right stuff but we do still have to do our bit which means leaving all the “normal stuff” we used to do behind and moving forward with Christ.
Points to Ponder:
Are you dressed up?
Does God see you acting the fool still?
