As we head into summer, it’s a great time to reflect on our walk with Jesus. As we reflected last month on how Christ’s resurrection transforms our lives on earth, we now turn to explore our new identity in Him. We are not saved just to receive greater blessings to live the way we want, but now have a new calling as God’s heirs. Here is the first devotion that helps us understand this new role:

IN WORD There are all kinds of Christians in the world. There are nominal Christians, who inherited the faith from ancestors but give no attention to its meaning. There are cultural Christians, who practice the faith as a condition of the environment they live in. There are casual Christians, who have accepted Christ for His salvation but not in order to love Him or to follow Him as Lord. And there are zealous disciples, who want to love Him and be like Him. Sometimes these differences are hard to distinguish, but they are there. Paul knew that when he wrote to the Ephesians, so he encourages them to live as children of the light, not as children of darkness. The difference is not so much in what they say they believe or even what they actually believe. The difference is in how they live.
God’s children, true disciples, don’t live like they used to. That was God’s purpose in sending His Son—the truth incarnate—into this world. If truth as doctrine changed lives, the Israelites would have had salvation down pat centuries before. If truth as head knowledge changed lives, the Pharisees and Sadducees wouldn’t have been far off the mark. But God’s desire is not for us simply to know and understand truth. His desire is for us to live it.
IN DEED What is God’s motive for our living the truth? Is it simply because He’s a stickler for behavior? No, there’s a lot at stake for Him and His glory. His character is displayed in the way His people live. If you ever wanted a high calling for your life, this is it. We who believe have the potential to demonstrate what God is like. Or not. The world has seen plenty of Christians who do not demonstrate what God is like. It needs more examples of what He is like. He has redeemed us for just such a purpose—to display His glory. Do what you can to display it today. “It is time that Christians were judged more by their likeness to Christ than by their notions of Christ.” —Lucretia Mott (in “God With Us” by Chris Tiegreen)

If people watch you for a week, would they be able to identify you as a follower of Jesus? Would they be able to see a difference in work ethics, in life pursuits, in passions? A good book to read is the epistle of James. James reminds us that faith and works are integrally related. Works do not add to salvation, but works are an expression of faith. Without works, there is no real faith (James 2:26).
Take time this week to read James reflectively and ask the Holy Spirit to manifest your faith into character transformation. Have a blessed week! - from Magnolia, Pastor Sam