Devotional Song: … GO TO THIS LINK … Please take the time to take in a YouTube video of images and lyrics from Natalie Grant singing … Clean … poignantly singing of how God’s grace makes a true Christian cleanses a believer from the inside out.
Highlight Verse[s]: Galatians 3:27 [NLT] … 26 So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith, 27 for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.
… In Christ, as Christians, we now wear His robes of righteousness to cover our rags of sin.
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Highlight Passage [context]: Galatians 3:19-29 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… God, thru Paul, promises that we are changed in Christ from the inside out.
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Reference Passage [NLT] : … Romans 12:1-2 [NLT] … 1 Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. 2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
… In Christ we are to avoid the patterns of the world which try to lead us astray as we are transformed in His image.
Reference Passage [NLT] : … 2nd Corinthians 3:18, 5:17-18 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… Paul strongly teaches fellow Christians that we have been reconciled to Christlikeness and are made over in His image.
Reference Passage [NLT] : … Colossians 3:1-17 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… In Christ we can now put on His robes of righteousness and be free from our dirty, sinful past.
Reference Passage [NLT] : … Philippians 1:6 [NLT] … 6 being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.
… God’s grace will complete His work on me in glory, when I will become like my Lord.
My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, Monica Brands, uses a personal story to illustrate how God’s grace, which we don’t deserve, changes our lives. The ODB author wrote: “Change: From the Inside Out or the Outside In?” the headline read, reflecting a popular trend today—the idea that outward changes like a makeover or better posture can be an easy way to change how we feel on the inside—and even change our lives.
It’s an appealing concept—who wouldn’t want improving our lives to be as easy as a new look? Many of us have learned the hard way that changing deep-rooted habits can seem nearly impossible. Focusing on simple external changes offers hope that there is a quicker path toward improving our lives.
But although such changes can improve our lives, Scripture invites us to seek a deeper transformation—one that is impossible on our own.
About 30 years ago, Christian Counselor, Larry Crabb, wrote a book entitled Inside Out (see Photo), which challenged the worldly premise mentioned by our ODB author - that we can change our character on the inside by changing our image on the outside. Crabb’s book taught what the Apostle Paul was trying to convey to Christians thru his letters [see Reference Passages above] - that we are made new in Christ; and His Spirit will do a complete make-over in our character and behavior - from the INSIDE - OUT.
I’ll let you (and I hope you do) take in the song and scriptures above; and then realize that our Lord is giving us the ultimate make-over; and we can - if we choose to surrender to Him - become completely new in Christlikeness.
And I pray that is our goal as we contemplate moving into the New Year. Let’s all walk in the newness of Christ’s robes of righteousness covering our rags of sin.
My Prayer Today: Abba Father, … King Jesus, … Precious Spirit … Dear Lord, … I sit in this chair of life and I surrender to Your make-over. … Amen
Blogger Note: Everyday during this year, my daily devotional blogs are influenced by the reading and study of the online devotional blog entitled Our Daily Bread, distributed online via email by RBC Ministries. If you GO TO THIS LINK on the date of my blog, you can read/study the ODB blogs; or you can subscribe to the blog via email at that site.
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