Devotions based on week 7 of Joy in the Journey: Grace (WATCH HERE)
Philippians 3:4-6 For it is we who are the circumcision, we who worship by the Spirit of God, who glory in Christ Jesus, and who put no confidence in the flesh— though I myself have reasons for such confidence.
If anyone else thinks he has reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more: 5 circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee; 6 as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for legalistic righteousness, faultless.
Satan loves to take good things and deceive us into thinking they are the ultimate thing.
Circumcision wasn’t a bad thing. For centuries, God’s people circumcised their young boys in keeping with God’s direction and with trust that they were connected to God’s promise. Circumcision was never the ultimate thing, a heart connected to the LORD was.
Paul had quite the list of things he, at one time, thought were the ultimate thing. He put is pedigree forward. He was born into the right family. He was of the tribe of Benjamin, a smaller more elite group. He was recognized as the epitome of the Hebrew people and one others aspired to be.
He put his performance forward. He kept the laws that the Pharisees put over and above God’s law. He was elite in his law keeping. He was passionate for the Jewish way of belief and behavior that he zealously opposed by persecution all who opposed Judaism. He was the keeper of all the religious rituals and traditions, never missing one.
He had a list based on his pedigree and performance that he thought would merit him a place in the presence of God.
Satan had deceived him and taken many good things and made them the ultimate thing. Paul was proud and working hard. If anyone was going to put confidence in the flesh for a right standing with God, Paul could.
But he didn’t.
God led him to see the deception of Satan and let go of his pedigree and his performance and put his focus on the LORD and his confidence in Christ.
Does God need to do this work in you too?
Satan loves to deceive us to think that grace isn’t good enough.
Born into a great Christian family? What a blessing! But Satan loves for us to subconsciously rely on our family roots for our right standing with God.
Great Christian in your ritual, attendance and service! Super! But Satan loves for us to pause when we come to church and think, “I hope God notices.” He loves to twist our service from thankful giving to merit earning. He loves to lead us to think that the better we are at being a Christian, the closer we are coming to being with Christ.
We maybe even think, “If anyone is getting to heaven, certainly it is me…(and then go on to silently list all the reasons we have given God to choose us.)
Satan, stop lying to us! (Oh that’s right, he’s not going to stop.”
Spirit, show me truth through Satan’s lies! (He certainly will.)
Our pedigree or our performance or a combination of both gives us fake confidence in our relationship to the LORD. Stop putting confidence in it. Send the lies of Satan packing and allow the truth of God’s grace to settle deeply into your heart.
A grace that is based on the pedigree and performance of Jesus.
A grace that freely gives you the pedigree and performance you need to stand confident before the LORD!
Apply: What subconsciously do you put confidence in to be right with God when grace slips from the primary focus? Do you know someone wrestling with their relationship with the LORD and wondering if they will be good enough to get to heaven? Share this devotion with them! (and the rest from this week!)
Prayer: Lord, thank you for exposing the lies of Satan that like to settle in my heart. Lead me to always drop my confidence in my personal pedigree or performance and always put my confidence for salvation in the pedigree and performance of Christ! AMEN.