September 7 I Saturday

Proverbs 1-2

1 Corinthians 16

“I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”   —John 10:10

 

Have we entered the gate of Jesus and into His fold? Can we say we know Christ experientially in our life? Take away our creed, our doctrine and our church, what would be left of our Christian life? Would we have a relationship where the Spirit of God bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God? Paul tells us, “Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realise that Christ Jesus is in you—unless, of course, you fail the test?” (2 Corinthians 13:5). Paul does not say examine our Bibles but ourselves asking, is there evidence Jesus Christ is in us? Whether we know it or not, here are three things we can do to be sure.

Firstly, we need to admit we are outside of His fold, where we do not have a living experience with God, and honestly confess, “I am a sinner, which is why I am separated and distant from God.” Secondly, we need to believe Jesus Christ came to make our way back to God and He did so through His death, His burial and His resurrection from the dead. Having satisfied the justice of God, He now imparts to us the gift of His Holy Spirit. Thirdly, we need to commit, where the choice to admit and believe is not just something for now but we are going to give our life to Him without any reservation so that Jesus Christ might live in us. By His Holy Spirit, may He create in us those appetites and desires, where we are not living under a “we are supposed to do this and that, we have to do this and that, or we should not do that and should do the other.” Rather, may we live under the impulse of a new affection and a new life, which—from within—gives love, compassion and a hunger for those things that are right.

Jesus promises us, “….whoever enters through Me will be saved. They will come in and go out, and find pasture” (John 10:9). The latter part of the verse does not mean one would come into salvation and out of it and then come back in and go back out again. Instead, it likely means we will come in for salvation and go out for service, in for worship and out for witness, in for fellowship and out for feeding others, in for ministry and out for mission and in for prayer and out for proclamation. When we have this rhythm of the Christian life—in and out, in and out—we will find pasture.

Prayer: Lord God, I admit I am a sinner separated from You and I believe Jesus died and rose from the grave. I commit all of my life into Your hands. Thank You, Lord.


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