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Living for Christ – Week 49 / December 2nd
“Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of
wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains
alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain.”
John 12:24
Making a decision to follow Christ is a good and glorious thing to do. Scripture tells us that the Angels rejoice when a sinner repents and embraces Christ as Savior. The question then becomes, “How will this repentant sinner live out his or her life?” Again scripture tells us that a great “cloud of witnesses”, being saints that have gone before us, are watching our walk with Christ. This walk is in fact a race that we have to run! This sounds like a contradictIon in terms but in reality it is not. Since it means the following: We are to be faithful, steady and disciplined day by day as we follow Jesus and so we walk in a different direction to that of the world but, we are also to be well focused and determined with our eyes on the goal and so we are like athletes running toward the winning line. Jesus said, ” He that endures to the end will be saved.” So, in essence, we are saved, we are being saved and we will be saved when Jesus comes!
Living for Christ means knowing these things and responding appropriately. We must remember that Jesus also said that, “Many will be called but few will be chosen.” This should make us all sit up and ask the question, “What must I do to be chosen.” The answer is the following:
1. You must fully embrace Christ as Lord
There can be no half measures in this regard. Jesus once said, “Why do you call me Lord, Lord but you don’t do what I say.” Surrendering to Jesus means becoming His slave! We are either a slave to sin or a slave to Christ. There is no other option in life.
2. You must not stand alone
Jesus likens us to a grain of wheat that, if left un buried in the ground, will produce nothing and it will not multiply. Christians who claim to follow Christ but continue to pursue their own agendas, even if these are wholesome and good, are not living for Christ but for themselves. They are lawless even though they may attend church every week! Living for Christ means submitting our wills to His, for it is by doing this that we will be filled with His joy.
3. You must die
The grain of wheat that loses its life in the ground brings forth “much grain.” God’s purpose for your life and mine is that we should impact the world by demonstrating His character by the way we live and by reaching others with His message of salvation. We cannot, and must not, stand alone! We must abandon our lives to Christ and live only for Him. There is nothing more wonderful and fulfilling and those who choose this way will find their lives and experience the goodness and abundance of God. This is what it means to pick up our cross daily and follow Christ.
Sadly, this call is considered too radical by many who claim to live for Christ. They prefer to follow their own road, thinking that thereby they will find the fulfillment and joy that deep down they are looking for. They even sit, week by week, in Church but the truth is; we cannot serve two masters! The text before us, here this week, reminds us that to follow the Master we must truly live for Him and thus rise every morning ready to do His will. Blessed are they who have made this decision and follow through by doing it. Their lives will multiply and be fruitful and they will be filled with joy.
Malcolm Hedding
©Malcolm Hedding Ministries
2014Devotional