Monday 30 Jun 2014

June 30: Romans 16:17-20

Key Verse: Romans 16:17
Now I urge you, brethren, note those who cause divisions and offenses, contrary to the doctrine which you learned, and avoid them.

Devotion:
God goes one stage further with His teaching through the disciples and through Paul. He warns us to make sure that we do not mix with the people who just want to lift themselves us instead of God. This is something I was very wary with in the beginning and used to wonder who was actually on our side; the answer comes in comparing what people do with what our bibles tell us!

Hearing someone talking with authority is not always as good as we think because when they are twisting God’s word to their own sermon or twisting the bible to fit in with their own beliefs then they are not true followers of Christ. God wants us to take His word out to others faithfully; not twisting the truth and telling them something which sounds good. No matter how much authority we think we have, unless that authority does come from God, we are nothing!

It is always easy to talk about others and what we think they are going against the church, but we should always be focusing on what we can do for God and not on what we think others are not doing for God! When someone is doing something for their own benefit, we are not going to gain from it. If we work for them then we are working for their gain and not Christ’s gain or glory; but working for someone who is clearly working for and with God will give Christ the glory!

When we go forward in Christ’s name we will hurt people. Not people who want to come to know Christ like we do, but those who are self-serving and self-praising because they will feel very left out when we take away their glory. The devil is certainly not going to like us taking away his glory because it means him being bruised under foot as we walk with God. Continue to lift up God in everything you do!

Points to Ponder:
Who are you giving glory to?

Will you allow Christ to receive all the glory?