“Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted.” Galatians 6:1
As penitent sinners, trusting in Christ and His cross for pardon and forgiveness, we are called upon to love our fellow believers and, when one of them is overtaken in some fault or sin, to rebuke and restore him to repentance and faith in Christ. Not to do so is not to love our fellow believers. When we must restore someone who has fallen into sin or error, we should do so in meekness and exercising caution, knowing that we, too, could be tempted and overcome.
Grant that I love my fellow believers, Lord, and seek their spiritual welfare. But also grant that I am not haughty or condescending and that I use great caution so that I do not fall into temptation. Amen.
“He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.” John 3:36
The Apostle John here summarizes the core message of the Bible: The one who places His faith in Jesus Christ, the Son of God who was lifted up on the cross as a sacrifice for the sins of the world (cf. John 1:29; 3:14-18), is forgiven and has eternal life. The one who does not trust in Jesus Christ is not pardoned and forgiven and will not see eternal life; “the wrath of God abides on him”!
Dear Lord Jesus, grant that I trust in You and Your cross that I might be pardoned and forgiven and have eternal life and not remain under God’s wrath and condemnation for my sins. Amen.
“Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.” Galatians 5:26
Due to our fallen and sinful nature, we desire our own glory rather than giving God the glory due to His name. We provoke and envy each other because of our self-centeredness and conceit. Having come to faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and His atoning sacrifice for the sins of the world, the Apostle Paul urges us to put to death such evil inclinations of our hearts and look to Christ for pardon and for His help and strength to amend our evil ways.
Cleanse my sinful heart, O God, in the shed blood of Christ Jesus my Savior, and move me to love You and my neighbor so that I might not seek my own glory and good but Your glory and the good of my neighbor. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.
“He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.” John 3:18
How can we be forgiven and righteous before God? How can we have eternal life? Through faith in Jesus Christ — Period. Those who trust in Christ and His atoning sacrifice on the cross have God’s pardon and forgiveness. Those who do not believe stand condemned already because, apart from faith in Christ, there is no forgiveness, and there is no eternal life!
O gracious God, grant me faith in Christ Jesus that I might have Your pardon, forgiveness, and life eternal. Amen.
“And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.” Galatians 5:24-25
When, by the working of God’s Spirit through the Word, we repent of our sinful ways and place our faith in Christ Jesus and His cross, we trust that all our sinful affections and desires were crucified on the cross of Christ and that He paid the full penalty for all our sins. Since it is by the Spirit of God that we are now alive to God through faith in Christ, we also live our lives in the strength of the Holy Spirit and according to His leading, putting to death the desires of the flesh and living our lives in accord with the counsel of God’s Spirit in the Word.
O gracious Holy Spirit, grant that I regard myself dead to sin but alive to God through faith in Christ Jesus, my Savior, and walk in accord with the counsel of Your Word and not in accord with my own sinful passions and desires. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.
