“I mean that the heir, as long as he is a child, is no different from a slave, though he is the owner of everything, but he is under guardians and managers until the date set by his father. In the same way we also, when we were children, were enslaved to the elementary principles of the world. But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God” (Galatians 4:1-7).   What does Paul mean when he refers to our lives before Christ as being, “Enslaved to the elementary principles of the world?” There are two ways to understand this saying. First, at a surface level, it may refer to sin, or the life of sin. We understand that before Christ we were slaves to sin. But now that we are in Christ, we are no longer slaves to sin.   But there is another way to understand this passage, and it’s similar to Colossians 2:8 and Hebrews 5:12. In these passages, the Greek word, Stoicheia , refers to ritual practices like circumcision, feast days, festivals, and so on. We recognize these things as part of the Mosaic Law. Paul confirms this a few verses later in Galatians 4:10 when he says, “You observe days and months and seasons and years! I am afraid I may have labored over you in vain.” Paul did not want his readers to be under the law because the law could not give them an inheritance in Christ. “So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God.”   The Law was important because the law provided a way to manage our sin through ritual observance and sacrifice. But, now that Christ has come observance and sacrifice have become a thing in our past. For, in Christ we have perfect observance of the law and a perfect sacrifice that deals with our sin once and for all. So, through Christ, we are no longer under the “Elementary principles of the world.” Rather, we begin our new lives under the, “Basic principles of the oracles of God” (Hebrews 5:12), and grow from there.   Memory Verse   “Because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, ‘Abba! Father!’ So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God” (Galatians 4:6-7).   Application   Now that you are no longer a slave to the world, how can you express your faith in Christ that makes your exalted position known to others, as a witness to them about Christ?

“Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving” (Ephesians 5:4). “Let no one deceive you with empty words…” (Ephesians 5:6). “It is shameful even to speak of the things that they do in secret” (Ephesians 5:12). “Be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father” (Ephesians 5:18-20).   Have you ever heard something offensive or said something offensive and thought, they’re just words. Remember the old adage, sticks and stones will break my bones, but names will never hurt me. Of course, we know that these things aren’t really true. The words we speak can either build up or they can tear down. And very often, what they tear down can be difficult or impossible to restore.   In the Bible, speech is very important. It is because of the words of scripture that we have come to believe in Jesus Christ. The confession we make either shows we are saved or shows we are condemned. Even Jesus said that we will give account for every careless word we have spoken (Matthew 12:36). It may even be worse with our written words, for they often last long after the spoken word may be forgotten continuing to damage and re-damage their target over and over again—especially in the days of the Internet!   What is it that marks your speech? Are you known as a sarcastic person? Do you find yourself saying critical things often without thinking? Do these things just come out? Remember Jesus’ words to the Jewish leaders. “Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks” (Matthew 12:34). That he said this to the Jewish leaders is very important. They were known for their memory of scripture and exactitude of following the divine law. If this is how Jesus spoke to them, what might he have to say to us?   Read those passages of scripture again. Read them over and over. Let right speech pour forth from a heart of humility and love, and God will be pleased.   Memory Verse   “Be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father” (Ephesians 5:18-20).   Application   Do you have a critical attitude? Search for scriptures that discuss how we should speak. Memorize those passages and recite them to yourself over and over. Let their principles transform the way you think and as a result, the way you speak.

“Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you” (Ephesians 4:30-32).   Have you ever wondered what the scripture means when it tells us not to grieve the Holy Spirit? The simple answer would be to say that we should not sin. All sin grieves the Spirit. But, actually, there is more to it than just that. Look carefully at what Paul said when he gave this admonition. He was talking about a specific type of sin.   Paul discussed six things that grieve the Spirit: bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, slander, and malice. Notice what he didn’t say. He didn’t say adultery, murder, sabbath-breaking, or even covetousness. It’s not that these don’t also grieve the Lord. But the six things above all have one thing in common. They are sins of relationship. And not just any relationship, but relationship between members of the body of Christ. As one Christian to another we should not express these things at all. They break relationship, they break the body, they grieve the Lord who died for the person you are fighting as much as he died for you.   Do you have a relationship with another Christian that is marked by these sins? Then look at the solution offered by Paul. “Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another.”   Have you ever heard a Christian say, “I may have to love someone, but that doesn’t mean I have to like them.” This is a terrible thing to say for the simple fact that it isn’t true. While forgiveness starts in the will, it must also take hold in the heart. How else can we explain Paul’s command to be, “Tenderhearted?” If we don’t feel the release of forgiveness, then perhaps we have not forgiven at all.   Memory Verse   “Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you” (Ephesians 4:32).   Application   Take a few minutes to examine your relationships. Do you have anyone you are divided with? Have you grieved God’s Spirit by that relationship? Prepare to exercise forgiveness and tenderheartedness. Pray toward that end and look for an opportunity to repair whatever damage has been done.

“I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ's gift” (Ephesians 4:1-7).   There is one subject to this rather long passage of scripture for today’s devotion. Well, more than one. The first topic is discussed from verses 1-6. The second topic is in verse 7, but it just as important as the first. What are these topics?   Unity and difference.   The unity of the church, the unity of the faith, is of critical importance in scripture. Unity is discussed several times elsewhere in scripture (Psalm 133:1, Ephesians 4:13, and I Peter 3:8). Jesus wants us to be unified in our thoughts about him and in our behavior toward one another. Even in the midst of disagreement, scripture urges unity: “Complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind” Philippians 2:2). But the scripture also recognizes the God has made us different from one another and we will have different emphasis in our lives. Paul words this as a gift. “Grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift” (v7).   We are all gifted differently. We have differing abilities, passions, and situations. Yet, in spite of those differences we must be unified in the faith. Without unity, our expression of faith falters. Between what is different and our unity there must be peace.   In whatever your situation today, look for opportunities to use your gifting in a way that unifies and builds up someone else in the faith, or perhaps to bring your witness of Christ to someone who doesn’t know him; who isn’t unified in the faith.   Memory Verse   “Maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” (Ephesians 4:3).   Application   Make note of a few people you know, some you get along with and some you don’t. How are their differences an example of God’s gifting? How can you encourage them today?

“In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory” (Ephesians 1:13-14).   What does it mean to be “Sealed” with the Holy Spirit? In biblical times a seal was something that was affixed to a letter (I Kings 21:8), or possession, or a proof of authority (Esther 8:8), or something to guard (Matthew 27:62). For instance, a letter from one party to another might have a wax seal to keep it not only private, but to guarantee that it’s source or author was genuine. In this case, it was also a stamp of authority. When Jesus was buried in the tomb, the Roman guard sealed the tomb shut to denote its closure was permanent (thank God it didn’t stay that way).   So, what does it mean that you have been sealed with the Holy Spirit? First, it means that God has stamped his authority on your salvation. His seal denotes that you belong to him. You are his possession. And the enemy cannot break that seal.   Second, his seal is a proof of authority. The King of the Universe possesses you as his very own. You, therefore, carry his authority to minister in his name, to speak his word, to bring the king (Jesus) to others. Wherever you are, you are an official representative of God’s kingdom, an ambassador (II Corinthians, 5:20).   Thus, God’s seal on us promises that we will inherit the kingdom when Jesus comes to lay claim to it during his second coming. And being sealed, we will possess it with him, through him.   Memory Verse   “We are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God” (II Corinthians 5:20).   Application   How do your daily actions represent God’s authority in your life? How do you express your ambassadorship to the world around you? What can you do to show that you are a child of God?

“Now I want to remind you, although you once fully knew it, that Jesus, who saved a people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed those who did not believe” (Jude 1:5).   The meek and mild Jesus! Isn’t that what we’ve come to regard as the savior of the scriptures? Jesus was humble, Jesus was nice, Jesus was a pacifist. Then, suddenly, we run across this passage saying that Jesus destroyed thousands of people during the exodus.   Wait a minute? Jesus wasn’t present at the exodus. He was born thousands of years later, wasn’t he?   Some translations of Jude 1:5 state, “The Lord,” rather than Jesus (NIV, NASB, KJV, CEV, GNT, HCSB). But others use the name, “Jesus” instead (ESV, NLT, BSB, BLB, NET). If Jesus was present during the exodus, then something remarkable is being revealed. In fact, it was Jesus who was present. The Greek manuscripts use the word, Ἰησοῦς (Iēsous), which translates as Jesus. So, the God of the exodus, who lead Israel out of slavery, who appeared in the pillar of fire and pillar of cloud, was none other than Jesus.   And he wasn’t too happy with the people he led out of Egypt. He judged the nation unworthy and the adult population died in the wilderness.   Yes, Jesus is meek and mild. Yes, Jesus is humble and nice. But Jesus also judges. And Jesus will one day exercise his wrath. This is the fuller picture of Jesus, the Jesus of whom we don’t want to get on his bad side. We’d rather experience his love than his wrath.   What kind of Jesus do you want to experience? How can you be a living expression of Jesus’s love today yet keeping in mind that there are appropriate times for anger and judgment?   Memory Verse   “Good news came to us just as to them, but the message they heard did not benefit them, because they were not united by faith with those who listened” (Hebrews 4:2).   Application   Sharing Christ means that sometimes we must share about his wrath. How can you share about the consequences of unbelief while also sharing about the rewards of knowing him?

“Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony” (Colossians 3:12-14).   In yesterday’s devotional we talked about Paul’s uses of the “Put” commands regarding our sins: Put to death, Put away, and Put off . Then he followed that with the command to Put on the new self . But Paul didn’t stop there. In the passage above Paul takes us even further, deeper, in his command to put on by describing in more detail what that looks like. Notice the kinds of things we need to put on .  Compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, patience, bearing, forgiveness, and love.   Love is the most important command of all. Love is what makes these other things possible. Compassion is a expression of love. Kindness demonstrates love. Humility and meekness shows love’s selflessness. Patience and bearing with one another are expressions of love. And then there is forgiveness. God’s ultimate expression of love is his forgiveness expressed on the cross through Jesus’ suffering and death for our sin.   What is so important to this list of thoughts and behaviors is Paul’s first words in the passage. He says to “Put on.” Have you ever put on your clothes by accident? One minute you are undressed and then, boom, you are dressed and looking presentable without even thinking about what to wear? Except for the occasional mismatched socks, chance are, no. Getting dressed in a conscience act of the will. What will I wear today? What will look good? What will be presentable to others in my wardrobe? You can ask these same questions about what kinds of thoughts and behaviors we should, “Put on” each day. We must dress ourselves, spiritually, on purpose, making ourselves presentable to the world, that Christ might be honored. No one gets dressed on accident. And neither do we dress ourselves with spiritual things on accident. We must do so with an act of the will, in submission to God.   Memory Verse   “Put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator” (Colossians 3:10).   Application   What have you “Put on” today? What are you wearing right now?

“If someone sins against a man, God will mediate for him, but if someone sins against the LORD, who can intercede for him?” 1 Samuel 2:25   Eli the priest had two “worthless” sons. Worthless!? Why? Because “they did not know the Lord.” How do we know that? Because they stole the best part of offerings for themselves. Their offering-theft revealed hearts that chose their benefit over God. “Thus the sin of the young men was very great in the sight of the Lord.” How might we be in jeopardy of sinning against the Lord directly? How might we be in jeopardy of being called worthless? The place many of us toy with this great and direct sin against God is in the area of our stewardship. While there is truth that every sin is ultimately a sin against God, giving the first portion of our finances back to God might be the best corollary to the sons of Eli. There is a directness in refusing to offer back the first fruits of what was God’s to begin with. How few Christians give back the first portion to God? How many of us whittle down our tithe with mental gymnastics. Surely it is true that there is not a clear New Testament demand for the tithe to be the standard. But just as surely every Old Testament standard is raised in Christ (see the Sermon on the Mount). Do my finances tell you if I know God? My tithe is not my heart. But it reflects my heart. And I’m in dangerous ground if I somehow think that I can play a game with God that has me taking back from him what was intended for him. The sin of Eli’s sons ought to give us pause to consider the state of our heart. Let us not play games with the Almighty.

“And Hannah prayed and said, ‘My heart exults in the Lord; my horn is exalted in the Lord.” 1 Samuel 2:1   Gratitude is a rare gift. It’s amazing how difficult it can be to inculcate gratitude in children. It’s amazing how often we respond to a blessing by checking it off our list and moving on. How often am I like the nine leprous men in Luke 17, praying and pleading for healing, but once God answers my prayers, I move along as though I was owed the healing? But not so with Hannah. Hannah longed for a child, she prayed earnestly for a child, and then God miraculously provided a child for her. She promised that she would give the child into God’s service and she follows through. She doesn’t hedge, she doesn’t drag her feet, but follows through with her promise as soon as her son is weaned (and therefore able to live without her). Can you imagine how emotional you would be to hand your only son over? I would certainly hesitate and likely break my promise, but even if I were obedient, I would be an emotional and spiritual wreck. Forgetting God’s goodness, I would be tempted to cry out against him. But Hannah’s heart is so in line with God’s that she responds with grateful praise. Even as she hands Samuel over to Eli, her heart overflows with joy. What goodness of God has gone un-thanked in your heart today? Where have you missed God’s faithfulness? His kindness?

“Therefore Hannah wept and would not eat. And Elkenah, her husband, said to her, ‘Hannah, why do you weep? And why do you not eat? And why is your heart sad? Am I not more to you than ten sons?” - 1 Samuel 1:7b-8 We’ve all walked through darkness and we’ve all walked with others in the midst of darkness. Since we have all been in the place of those who have struggled with discouragement and even depression, why are so few people effective in caring for others in the midst of discouragement? In  1 Samuel 1  we meet a women whose heart is broken. As was common in the ancient world, she placed her hope and value in her children, but she was childless. Enter her well-meaning, but clumsy husband. His care starts off in good form: “Hannah, why do you weep? And why do you not eat? And why is your heart sad.” Excellent! But then Elkenah’s well-intentioned encouragement goes off the rails, “Am I not more to you than ten sons?” Face meet palm. Hannah finds herself in the temple at Shilloh, and is pouring out her heart in prayer to God, weeping “bitterly” as she prays silently. Enter Eli, the clueless priest. He approaches this weeping woman and accuses her of being drunk. Facepalm. Let’s not be Elkenah and Eli when we are with those who are discouraged. Here are three ways we can mess up care and two ways to care well. Here is how to care cluelessly: Over-talk: Elkenah peppered Hannah with questions. Eli spoke too quickly. Make it about you: Elkenah made Hannah’s discouragement over not having a son about her relationship with him. Presume: Eli may well have had other drunk worshipers at his temple. His own sons probably got drunk in the temple frequently. But don’t presume that what you have observed before is going on with the person in front of you. Don’t write your story over theirs. Here is how to care well: Embrace silence: one of the most effective methods of care is to be present silently with someone who is suffering. If Elkenah or Eli would have put their hand on Hannah’s shoulder and silently prayed with her, they would have been much better caretakers. Make it about them: Elkenah’s question “why is your heart sad?” is a good one. Probe. Allow space. And listen. Pray: Eli does a 180 when he realizes he has misjudged Hannah and he prays encouragement over Hannah, “Go in peace, and the God of Israel grant your petition that you have made to him.”

“There was a certain man of Ramath-aim-zophim of the hill country of Ephraim whose name was Elkanah the son of Jeroham… an Ephrathite…” -1 Samuel 1:1 The two part story of Samuel, the greatest and godliest judge in Israel’s history, will center on the story of David, the greatest and godliest king in Israel’s history. We might expect such a book to begin with a stately story, the narrative equivalent of the red carpet being rolled out before such royalty. But the Bible is an earthy book, not a lofty book. And this earthy book is begins with Samuel’s father, Elkenah, a “certain man” who is as normal a man as one could imagine. He has a sincere relationship with God that leads him to faithful yearly participation in worship and sacrifice at Shiloh. And yet he’s also got some significant sin issues. He’s a bigamist who shows favoritism between his two wives with the resultant rivalry between the two women creating a toxic home life. These unpolished stories are the stories of redemption our condescending God shares. Compare 1 Samuel to the start of other ancient writings that tell the story of kings, many who claimed to come from the gods. One example is the Sumerian King List tablet which begins, “After the kingship descended from heaven… Alulim became king…” These are the tales of the polished, even inhuman leaders that the civilizations around the Israelites were propagating. Read again 1 Samuel 1:1 and detect the smile of our God who loves the unpolished. The nearly-nameless and unvarnished Elkenah reminds us that God’s story of redemption is earthy. God begins the story right where we are, in the muck and mess, in the sin and brokenness, in the normal faithfulness and commonplace anxieties of our lives. You and I are that “certain man,” that “certain woman” and God welcomes us on stage right where we are to begin our story of redemption.

Can a person who is an atheist or from another religion live a moral life? Yes. Yes they can. But the Bible wants from us something much more than a moral life. And it’s something that only a true Christian can do.   You might say that someone can live a moral life and not be a Christian. But, notice that we’re talking about more than living a moral life. Rather, this is about living a godly life. Consider this: nowhere in scripture are we admonished to live a moral life. Definitions of morality are fluid. But not so regarding a godly life. Scripture doesn’t say to live morally. It says to be godly. “All who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted” (II Timothy 3:12).   No one is persecuted for being moral. Morality is well and good. But godliness is more. Paul touched on this difference when he said to Titus, “To deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age” (Titus 2:12). Godliness emphasizes a relationship with the Creator and the empowering of the Holy Spirit to lead a life beyond simple morals. Have you ever heard someone claim they lead a moral life then go on to loosely quote a sentence or two from the Ten Commandments? They quote the later commands about not murdering or fornicating, or stealing, or lying, perhaps even the tenth about coveting. But no one claims the earlier commands about worshipping God only, keeping the sabbath and so on. And that’s the difference between morality and godliness. Morality is something you do—it’s works oriented. Godly is something you are, through grace by faith.   Do you want to be moral or godly?   Memory Verse   “All who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted” (II Timothy 3:12).   Application   It’s a good thing to live a moral life, but a godly life is much better. Take a look at your own morals and how you live? How does living rightly impact your witness for Christ among others? Ask God to help you graduate from mere morals to true godliness, then go out and pursue that very thing.