Lillie Ammann's Blog, page 16

Devotion for Tuesday in the Second Week in Lent

But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

~ Romans 6:22-23

Our sin earns us death. There is nothing we can do of our power to prevent that. We can’t not sin—it’s part of our very nature as a result of the original sin of Adam and Eve. Without God’s grace—His free gift, totally unearned and unmerited—we would be doomed to die forever. But, praise God, in His mercy, by His grace, He gives us eternal life. There is nothing we can do to earn it; all we have to do is to reach out, take the gift, and say “yes” to God’s gracious favor.

Yes, Lord! I accept Your gracious gift, the unmerited favor You bestow upon me because of the death and resurrection of Your Son, in Whose name I pray. Amen.

These daily devotions are available in a book The Grace of God, with all profits donated to Love for the Least to share the compassion of Christ with an unreached world. L4L shares the Good News of the Gospel with the least and unreached by making disciples of Jesus who make disciples (2 Tim 2:2) and by helping to meet the physical needs of the poorest of the poor.

Devotion for Monday in the Second Week in Lent

For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace. What then? Are we to sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means! Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness? But thanks be to God, that you who were once slaves of sin have become obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching to which you were committed, and, having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness.

~Romans 6:14-18

We will always sin, but we are declared righteous because we have Jesus’s righteousness. But that doesn’t give us a license to sin! We can’t be righteous, but we can be slaves to God rather than to sin. Although we will still have original sin and we will continue to commit individual sins, we won’t live a life of sin if we are under grace. And when we do sin, we will repent, never using grace as an excuse for our sin.

Righteous God, full of grace, I am Your slave. Forgive me when I fall, lift me up, and keep me in Your grace. In the name of Jesus Christ, my Lord and Savior, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Ghost forever and ever. Amen.

These daily devotions are available in a book The Grace of God, with all profits donated to Love for the Least to share the compassion of Christ with an unreached world. L4L shares the Good News of the Gospel with the least and unreached by making disciples of Jesus who make disciples (2 Tim 2:2) and by helping to meet the physical needs of the poorest of the poor.

Devotion for the Second Sunday in Lent

For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. For one who has died has been set free from sin. Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God. So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.

~ Romans 6:5-11

We are united with Christ in His death, which is what takes away our sin. Freedom from sin—what an amazing gift! But more than that, death, like sin, no longer has dominion over us. Our old selves are dead, but our new selves are alive and will be forever. In this lifetime, a few years can seem like a very long time, but forever never ends. A never-ending life of sin would be terrible, but a never-ending life of freedom from sin is incredible.

Lord God, thank You that I am no longer a slave to sin. You have given me the righteousness of Jesus—forever! I can’t comprehend eternity, but I know it will be joyous with You, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

These daily devotions are available in a book The Grace of God, with all profits donated to Love for the Least to share the compassion of Christ with an unreached world. L4L shares the Good News of the Gospel with the least and unreached by making disciples of Jesus who make disciples (2 Tim 2:2) and by helping to meet the physical needs of the poorest of the poor.

Devotion for Saturday in the First Week in Lent

For if, because of one man’s trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ. Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men. For as by the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous. Now the law came in to increase the trespass, but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, so that, as sin reigned in death, grace also might reign through righteousness leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

~ Romans 5:17-21

All humanity became sinners through the sin of Adam and Eve. All humanity is redeemed through the grace and righteousness of Christ. The one difference is that we didn’t have any choice in becoming sinners; sin is born in us when we are born. We do have the choice of being redeemed. Our salvation is not born in us when we are born. We must actively reach out and accept the gift. We must say “yes” to Jesus’s sacrifice.

Gracious and loving Lord, I say “yes” to grace, “yes” to salvation, “yes” to eternal life. I was born a sinner because I am a descendant of Adam. I can choose righteousness because I accept the free gift offered through the death and resurrection of Christ Jesus. In His name I pray. Amen.

These daily devotions are available in a book The Grace of God, with all profits donated to Love for the Least to share the compassion of Christ with an unreached world. L4L shares the Good News of the Gospel with the least and unreached by making disciples of Jesus who make disciples (2 Tim 2:2) and by helping to meet the physical needs of the poorest of the poor.

Devotion for Friday in the First Week in Lent

Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.

~ Romans 5:1-5

We don’t like to suffer, and most of us exaggerate the extent of our own sufferings. In a group of several people who have all been sick, each tends to describe his or her illness as more severe than the others. College kids are triggered by minor hardships and feel they have to go to a safe space. Most of us do everything we can to avoid suffering. Yet, God’s Word tells us to rejoice in sufferings because of the result to which suffering leads. If we want to have endurance, character, hope, and God’s love poured into us by the Holy Spirit, we should welcome suffering.

Father God, I don’t like to suffer, but I know that great benefits come from suffering. Help me to rejoice in suffering to build endurance, character, and hope of the love of God poured into my heart through the Holy Spirit. What I see as pain and tribulation to be avoided, You see a way of molding me more and more into the person You created me to be—a way to make me more like Jesus. Let me praise You and thank You rather than complain. In the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

These daily devotions are available in a book The Grace of God, with all profits donated to Love for the Least to share the compassion of Christ with an unreached world. L4L shares the Good News of the Gospel with the least and unreached by making disciples of Jesus who make disciples (2 Tim 2:2) and by helping to meet the physical needs of the poorest of the poor.

Devotion for Thursday in the First Week in Lent

For the law brings wrath, but where there is no law there is no transgression. That is why it depends on faith, in order that the promise may rest on grace and be guaranteed to all his offspring—not only to the adherent of the law but also to the one who shares the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all.

~ Romans 4:15-16

God makes His promises contingent upon our faith, so His promises come through grace—not from anything we do or don’t do. And everyone has the same access to God’s promises. All we have to do is to put our faith in Jesus, trust Him totally and completely. Anyone who shares Abraham’s faith has the same promise. As Abraham’s descendant, Jesus blesses all nations, just as Abraham was promised that his seed would bless the nations.

Thank You, Lord, that Your promises rest on Your grace alone and not on my actions. All you require of me is faith, and You count it as righteousness. There is no way I could earn Your favor through my actions. What a blessing that You give us grace! In the name of Jesus Christ, my Lord and Savior, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Ghost forever and ever. Amen.

These daily devotions are available in a book The Grace of God, with all profits donated to Love for the Least to share the compassion of Christ with an unreached world. L4L shares the Good News of the Gospel with the least and unreached by making disciples of Jesus who make disciples (2 Tim 2:2) and by helping to meet the physical needs of the poorest of the poor.

Devotion for Wednesday in the First Week in Lent

Is this blessing then only for the circumcised, or also for the uncircumcised? For we say that faith was counted to Abraham as righteousness. How then was it counted to him? Was it before or after he had been circumcised? It was not after, but before he was circumcised. He received the sign of circumcision as a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised. The purpose was to make him the father of all who believe without being circumcised, so that righteousness would be counted to them as well, and to make him the father of the circumcised who are not merely circumcised but who also walk in the footsteps of the faith that our father Abraham had before he was circumcised. For the promise to Abraham and his offspring that he would be heir of the world did not come through the law but through the righteousness of faith.

~ Romans 4:9-13

The Jews put a lot of faith in the act of circumcision, as that was the sign that they were God’s people. But it wasn’t the circumcision that made them righteous—it was their faith. Abraham was not circumcised until after God declared him righteous because of his faith. Abraham trusted God so much that he was willing to sacrifice his son that God promised would make him the father of many nations. He had waited for years for Isaac’s birth, and all God’s promises to Abraham rested on Isaac. Yet Abraham knew that God would keep His promises even if he killed Isaac as a sacrifice. God would intervene supernaturally to ensure that Abraham had both many descendants and the land that the Lord had told him would be his. At that demonstration of Abraham’s faith, God did intervene; He told Abraham not to harm Isaac, and He provided a ram for the sacrifice. He also counted Abraham’s faith as righteousness.

Lord God, give me the faith of Abraham so that the righteousness of Jesus is imputed to me. In the name of Jesus. Amen.

These daily devotions are available in a book The Grace of God, with all profits donated to Love for the Least to share the compassion of Christ with an unreached world. L4L shares the Good News of the Gospel with the least and unreached by making disciples of Jesus who make disciples (2 Tim 2:2) and by helping to meet the physical needs of the poorest of the poor.

Devotion for Tuesday in the First Week in Lent

For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness.” Now to the one who works, his wages are not counted as a gift but as his due. And to the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness.

~ Romans 4:3-5

So often we think to be righteous we must avoid sin and do good works. Yet, we can never avoid bad enough or do good enough to be righteous in our own power. How do we get righteousness? Simply by believing God—putting our faith in Him. Of course, we should avoid sin and do good works, but those works are the result of the righteousness that God imputes to us when we believe, not what makes us righteous. The only way we can be declared righteous is to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Lord God, I’d like to be righteous in my own power, but that is impossible. Nothing I can do will be good enough to give me righteousness. Yet You graciously give me righteousness if I believe. Because of my faith, You declare me righteous. Give me a grateful heart for this magnificent gift. In the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

These daily devotions are available in a book The Grace of God, with all profits donated to Love for the Least to share the compassion of Christ with an unreached world. L4L shares the Good News of the Gospel with the least and unreached by making disciples of Jesus who make disciples (2 Tim 2:2) and by helping to meet the physical needs of the poorest of the poor.

Devotion for Monday in the First Week in Lent

For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.

~Romans 3:23-26

We all fall short of God’s glory, of what He created us to be. At first, God required animal sacrifice for the atonement of the sins of His people. Then He sent Jesus as a propitiation—an atonement. God is holy and just, and He cannot allow sin to go unpunished. But Jesus took the punishment for us. His propitiation covered our sins, and God justifies us by counting the righteousness of Jesus as our righteousness. Therefore God is both just (because He punishes sin) and justifier (because He gives us the righteousness of Jesus). This is all a free gift through grace. All we need to do is to have faith in Jesus—to believe He is God’s Son who died for our sins and rose from the dead to give us eternal life. We just have to say “yes” to the free gift.

Father God, I am in awe of Your love for me and all Your children. Jesus took my punishment for my sins—past, present, and future, and You attribute His righteousness to me. I do not have to do anything to be worthy; in fact, nothing I can do will make me worthy. But You, Father God, do this as a free gift. All I have to do is to reach out and take the package, to say “yes” to Your grace. Yes, yes, yes, Lord! Thank You, Lord! In the name of Jesus Christ, my Lord and Savior, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Ghost forever and ever. Amen.

These daily devotions are available in a book The Grace of God, with all profits donated to Love for the Least to share the compassion of Christ with an unreached world. L4L shares the Good News of the Gospel with the least and unreached by making disciples of Jesus who make disciples (2 Tim 2:2) and by helping to meet the physical needs of the poorest of the poor.

Devotion for the First Sunday in Lent

As it is written:
“None is righteous, no, not one;
  no one understands;
  no one seeks for God.
All have turned aside;
together they have become worthless;
  no one does good,
  not even one.”
~ Romans 3:10-12

We all like to think of ourselves as good, but we aren’t. We compare ourselves to notorious sinners, such as murderers, and we decide we’re in pretty good shape morally. But we are not. Jesus told us hating our brother is the same as murder. Lust in our heart is the same as adultery. Taking a pencil from our employer is the same as stealing millions of dollars. Perhaps the hardest step in repenting is recognizing and admitting our own sin.

Lord God, You are too holy to permit iniquity, and I am filled with iniquity. My biggest sin is not recognizing and admitting how sinful I am. Open the eyes of my heart to my own sin and give me true repentance. Forgive me when I repent and empower me by the Holy Spirit to walk in Your ways. In the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

These daily devotions are available in a book The Grace of God, with all profits donated to Love for the Least to share the compassion of Christ with an unreached world. L4L shares the Good News of the Gospel with the least and unreached by making disciples of Jesus who make disciples (2 Tim 2:2) and by helping to meet the physical needs of the poorest of the poor.