Daily devotional, August 5, 2024
The unboxing
"For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."
Romans 6:23
One of the greatest joys of a child celebrating his birthday is the opening of the gifts he received. And why not, almost everyone can relate how exciting it can be to get hold of the presents and then unbox them!
Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is offering to all of us the gift of eternal life. However, to have it, we must accept and receive it, for like any gift, it is not ours until we take it and unbox the contents.
"But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God,"
John 1:12
Although eternal life — or the guarantee of being with God in heaven when we pass on — is such a precious yet free gift, not everyone has received it. There are tons of reasons, like some find it too good to be true. But it is true, we only need genuine FAITH in Jesus Christ in order to receive it.
"For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast."
Ephesians 2:8-9
We just have to sincerely believe that God sent His perfect son Jesus Christ to die for us on the cross, to pay the penalty for our sins. He then rose again from the dead, to prepare a place in heaven for us. When we sincerely believe this, and make Jesus Christ sovereign over our lives then we will receive Eternal Life.
"And they said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.”
Acts 16:31
So what does receiving Christ entail? We just have to admit that we are sinners in need of God’s forgiveness and redemption. We have to sincerely believe that such redemption will only come from Jesus Christ. Lastly, we just have to commit that we will step away from our sinful lifestyle, and try our best to sin less. And if we do sin, we just have to confess and repent on it.
"This is how we know that we love the children of God: by loving God and carrying out his commands. In fact, this is love for God: to keep his commands. And his commands are not burdensome,"
1 John 5:1-3
Once we have unboxed the gift of eternal life, we will have that inner peace and assurance that no matter what happens, we will be right with God when our time comes. We will have the joy that comes from God’s presence in our lives. And while we may not have everything, we will lack nothing in terms of the things that money cannot buy — God’s guidance, protection from the natural consequences of sins, joy that transcends circumstances, and meaningful relationships with people God has blessed our lives with.
"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid."
John 14:27
Thank you for reading through our devotional today. I invite you to ponder on 1 John 5:1-5 to dig deeper on today’s topic.
Reflection Question: Have you accepted God’s offer of eternal life?
Conversation with the Lord: _Lord Jesus Christ, thank you for the gift of eternal life. Thank you for assuring me that I will be with you in heaven when the time comes that you will call me from my earthly existence. Allow me to help others know how to gain their eternal life, so they too can enjoy your presence and peace. Amen.
