THE CHURCH OF GOD III – Thursday August 24th
2017
Memorise: That he might
present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any
such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish. Ephesians 5:27
Read: Ephesians 1:1-4 (KJV)
1:1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will
of God, to the saints which are at Ephesus, and to the faithful in Christ
Jesus:
1:2 Grace be to you, and peace, from God our Father, and from
the Lord Jesus Christ.
1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:
1:4 According as he hath chosen us in him before the
foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in
love:
Bible in one year: 1st
Chronicles 6-7, Ezekiel 30:5-19, Hymn: Sing hymn 6
MESSAGE:
The
Church of God is a living entity that thrives upon the life of God. The life of
Jesus circulates freely through His Church, just as blood flows through the
human body. The Church of God feeds on heavenly food, which is the word of God,
breathes the atmosphere of heaven, which are the commandments and principles
that guide her operations, and thrives on the life of God that flows through
her veins, which is the Holy Spirit. By implication therefore, the primary
qualities and attributes of God automatically become the primary
characteristics and nature of His Church.
In Isaiah 6:3b,
the primary quality and nature of God is announced in this proclamation from
Heaven:
Holy, holy holy, is the LORD of
hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory.”
For
this reason, today’s Bible reading declares that the Church of God was chosen
by God to be holy and without blame before Him in love. Holiness is the moral
excellence of God that unifies His attributes and is expressed through His
actions. The Bible presents holiness as a nature that includes moral purity,
separation from evil and a devotion of God’s glory. God is Holy, His Name is
Holy, His words and everything about Him is Holy. As a result, in the Old
Testament, the place of worship, the altar, the priests and the people had to
be sanctified and made holy before rendering service to God (Exodus 29:44).
To be dedicated to God’s service, we also in this new dispensation must be set
apart from the sins of this world. Hebrews 10:22 says,
“Let us draw near with a true
heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil
conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.”
God’s
holiness provides a pattern of His people to emulate (1st Peter 1:16).
Holiness simply means separation from sin and devotion to God (2nd
Timothy 2:19). As a child of God, sin should not have dominion over
you (Romans
6:14). You are expected to make holiness your lifestyle by walking
in the fear of God always (2nd Corinthians 7:1). To this end, Colossians 3:5a
says,
“Mortify therefore your members which
are upon the earth;”
This
means you should put to death or destroy everything that is carnal in you,
using the sword of the Spirit (Hebrews 4:12). It means your heart should
continually be cleansed from carnality, using the water of God’s word. Even
though you are genuinely born again, your body still has passions, desires and
appetites that must be allowed to break out beyond their legitimate bounds in
the Lord. By holy, and be sanctified!
Prayer Point
Father, grant me grace to keep
myself under the control of Your Holy Spirit in Jesus’ Name.
Open Heavens Daily Devotional guide
was written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye, the General Overseer of the Redeemed
Christian Church of God, one of the largest evangelical Church in the world and
also the President of Christ the Redeemer's Ministries.
iOpenHeavens is the electronic version of the Hard Copy. The Open Heavens devotional application is available across all mobile platforms and operating systems: iOS, Android, Blackberry, Nokia, Windows Mobile and PC.
iOpenHeavens is the electronic version of the Hard Copy. The Open Heavens devotional application is available across all mobile platforms and operating systems: iOS, Android, Blackberry, Nokia, Windows Mobile and PC.
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