Gifts of God -- Day 5

Read Romans 6:17-23

Context: Paul has been explaining how Christ brought life and put the sinful life to death, and the struggle we have as humans to avoid sin.

Text:

17But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you wholeheartedly obeyed the form of teaching to which you were entrusted. 18You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness.
19I put this in human terms because you are weak in your natural selves. Just as you used to offer the parts of your body in slavery to impurity and to ever-increasing wickedness, so now offer them in slavery to righteousness leading to holiness. 20When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the control of righteousness. 21What benefit did you reap at that time from the things you are now ashamed of? Those things result in death! 22But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves to God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life. 23For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. (NIV)

taken from www.biblegateway.com

Of all the gifts God gives us, life is the most basic. He knew us before we were born, and he placed us in specific locations or situations throughout our lives -- even before we knew him. He gives us everything we need for life, and he watches over us while we are on this earth.

But he goes a step further and he gives everyone eternal life. Those who understand and accept his gifts will joyfully spend that eternity in Heaven with him. Those who don't...well, their eternity may seem ever so much longer.

Did you ever stop to think that your eternity has already started? Many of us dream of heaven and look forward to the time we will live forever, but we forget that we are already living now! True, this world isn't the perfect place that Heaven will be, but there is so much here to enjoy. God has created this world and every good and perfect thing in it.

As you enjoy the holiday and look forward to the new year, make sure you aren't so focused on tomorrow and the future that you forget about the gift of life God has provided for you today. I know it's a little cliche, but remember today is a gift -- that's why it's called the present!


I pray that you and your family will have a joyful, Christ-filled holiday. I plan to sleep in late every day...except on Christmas when the boys won't let me! I'm taking the week off, so devotions will start again on January 2. Merry Christmas!