APRIL 14: New Nature
(Begin with 1-2 minutes of silence)
Romans 6:11 reads, So you also should consider yourselves to be dead to the power of sin and alive to God through Christ Jesus.
One of the biggest questions of the Christian faith is, Why did Jesus have to die? In fact, some of the greatest minds from the beginnings of Christianity through today have wrestled with this question. And while there is no shortage of thoughts on how to answer this question, many have proposed that it’s not the correct question. The answer is not that Jesus had to die. Instead, the answer is that Jesus chose to die.
As James Bryan Smith writes in The Good and Beautiful God5, “The Father, Son and Spirit worked in harmony to reach out to a fallen and broken world in order to restore it. God did for us what we could never do for ourselves. The cross is a symbol of God’s love and sacrifice. Jesus assumed and healed our human condition, and in doing so he demonstrated the depths of God’s love for all of creation.”
Jesus choosing to die allows us to have and experience a New Nature. We no longer live ruled by sin. But ruled by grace.
READING & JOURNALING:
How would you respond to a friend or family member who was wrestling with the question, “Why did Jesus have to die?”
What would you say is currently ruling your life (sin, grace, something else)? What impact is this having on your everyday decisions?
PRAYER:
Heavenly Father, I confess that it’s challenging for me to think about why Jesus chose to die. As I dwell on it, I realize that Jesus chose to die to take on the punishment for my sins. May the severity of this love and grace continue to change me from the inside out. I pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.
(End with 1-2 minutes of silence)
F260 READING: (A Scripture Reading Plan for Busy Believers)
The F260 is a Scripture Reading Plan designed to read through the foundational passages of the Bible through a year (September 2019 – August 2020). It is a separate reading from the daily devotional but is included for those who would like to engage with the Scriptures on a deeper level throughout the year.
Read: Malachi 1
Note: Are you looking for a Study Bible to help you engage with the Scriptures at a deeper level? If so, click here for some recommendations.
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