Tuesday Devo
Scripture:
1 Peter 4
14 If you are insulted because you bear the name of Christ, you will be blessed, for the glorious Spirit of God rests upon you. 15 If you suffer, however, it must not be for murder, stealing, making trouble, or prying into other people’s affairs.
14 If you are insulted because you bear the name of Christ, you will be blessed, for the glorious Spirit of God rests upon you. 15 If you suffer, however, it must not be for murder, stealing, making trouble, or prying into other people’s affairs.
Commentary:
4:14 To be insulted because one belongs to Christ is to be blessed by God, because in such times the Spirit of glory, the Holy Spirit, rests upon believers in an especially powerful way. Further, it is the same Spirit that rested on Jesus (Isa. 11:2; cf. Matt. 3:16) who now rests upon the believer.
Crossway Bibles, The ESV Study Bible (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2008), 2412.
Crossway Bibles, The ESV Study Bible (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2008), 2412.
Questions:
- In verse 15, Peter says that we need to make sure we suffer for the right reasons, not for our own sin. This means we need to EXAMINE ourselves in our suffering. Like David, we need to ask God to, "Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends you." Sometimes what we think is a trial or an attack from the enemy is just the result of sin and disobedience in our lives. And our pain is the result of either God's discipline or just the natural consequences of our bad decisions (or both). If that is the case, we are to REPENT and turn back to God, like the prodigal son. Have there been times in your life that you experienced suffering because of your own sin?
- If we aren't careful, we can slowly begin to tolerate sin and treat it casually. We get way too comfortable sinning against a righteous God. Repentance should be a daily exercise in the Christian's life as we become more and more like Jesus. Are there any ongoing sin issues in your life that you need to repent of and turn from?What has God been convicting you of lately?
Pray:
- That God would point out anything in you that doesn't please Him.
- That you would live a lifestyle of repentance.
This Week's City 7:
Try to commit to memory!
5. Why do I follow Jesus? I follow Jesus because Jesus rose from the dead proving that He is the way, the truth and the life.
(Matthew 7:24-27; John 14:6)
(Matthew 7:24-27; John 14:6)
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