Devotion: Saved to Serve
Romans 6:20-23“When you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. So what advantage did you get from the things of which now you are ashamed? The end of those things is death. But now you have been freed from sin and enslaved to God, the advantage you get is sanctification. The end is eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Jesus Christ our Lord.”
What a beautiful time of the year to admire all of God’s creation! Driving along the interstate, I was energized by the many dazzling colors of leaves on the trees. Each leaf becomes a flower and creates opulent bouquets of autumn; fiery reds, yellows and oranges stand out. But I was also saddened to see trees that had already dropped all of their leaves, left looking dead and forlorn.
And I ponder: are we the dead trees, with the appearance of no life, or are we the vibrant trees reflecting our brightness? Romans 6:23 is one of the most quoted verses in the Bible. We can look at this verse and ask ourselves this same question a different way: do I live stuck, not moving forward for Christ, or am I a walking example of Christ living in me?
If we are chained to jealousy, enmity, strife, fits of anger, immorality, broken relationships, and things like these, then our wages will be sin. We will be slaves to sin and experience its endless broken promises. We will be like the tree that has lost its luster.
However, if our lives are characterized by love, joy, peace, service, gentleness and self control, then we have chosen the path to walk with God. Eternal life is the free gift God gives us through Jesus Christ our Lord. He has made the ultimate sacrifice for our sins; with Jesus as Lord, we experience the freedom, joy and fulfillment that only He can offer—the gift of eternal life. Through His gift of grace, we have been sanctified. And we can enjoy that gift right now by serving and helping others, shining His eternal light of love through us.
Will you be like the seemingly dead tree that has lost its leaves, keeping its nutrients and beauty to itself, or will you be the brilliant leafed tree that shines its brightness of God’s love and grace to others? Will you choose to walk on a self-serving path or will you choose to walk with the Spirit and serve others? Which path will you choose?
Dear heavenly Father, thank you for the promise of eternal life through your son Jesus Christ. Help me grow my faith as I serve and witness to others. Show me the path of love to take. Amen.
Written by Janece Nelson