Good morning to you! TODAY IN THE WORD Sunday, June 30, 2013 Bless and Be Blessed: The Commission of the Gospel Read Genesis 12:1–3, Galatians 3:10–14  He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus. Galatians 3:14 Christian virtues—love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, faithfulness, self-control—attitudes that, apart from the Spirit of Christ, we cannot master or produce. But our efforts at living out these virtues do matter, and there is an important element of responsibility in our walk with Christ. The extent to which we exhibit the fruit of the Spirit is indeed a direct measure of our obedience to Christ. But we would be remiss if we forget what the real purpose is behind our salvation. God wants to make us better people, but His purposes of our personal transformation are actually secondary to His purposes of transforming the world. When God came to Abraham and announced His purposes to bless him, He was clear about His purpose: “I will bless you . . . and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you” (Gen. 12:2–3). This blessing has come to us through Abraham from Jesus Christ. It is mediated by faith—faith in Jesus Christ—and it’s through this faith that we receive the promise of the Holy Spirit. Notice this summary of Christian living: “The righteous shall live by faith” (Gal. 3:11). God isn’t interested in our attempts at rule keeping. Our faith in Him, which is His own gift to us, grows as the Spirit works in our lives to bear fruit. Apply the Word Here’s the faith to which we hope this month’s study on the fruit of the Spirit has inspired you: the faith to believe in God’s forgiveness, the faith to believe in His power to transform you, the faith to believe that His ways are right, and the faith to believe that holiness is wholeness. May your faith—in all of its practical expressions—bless the world. Have a blessed day blessing the world with your faith in God!
Posted on: Sun, 30 Jun 2013 10:35:25 +0000
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