Daily Devotional – I’m Normal.™ I AM Ministries
“To promote Godly living in a culture committed to destroying it”
Wednesday, February 3, 2016
Practice What We Preach
Jesus came to Earth to introduce the New Covenant and, with it, a number of new and different perspectives on living. He shocked the Pharisees by healing on the Sabbath (John 5:10), surprised the righteous by associating with sinners (Matthew 9:12) such as the tax collectors and prostitutes, and called us to forgive the transgressions of others (Matthew 5:39). In short, He showed us the normal way to live.
Jesus was able to demonstrate these principles because He is God and He was able to lead a sinless life on Earth. However, these radical concepts were unsettling, even distasteful, to the common man. At this time in history, the customary thinking followed more along the lines of “an eye for an eye” and “a tooth for a tooth” (Matthew 5:38) than forgiving your fellow man up to seventy seven times (Matthew 18:21). Yet God’s Holy Word provides examples of how ordinary men were able to show forgiveness instead of extracting revenge.
When Paul and Silas were in Philippi, they were seized and dragged to the marketplace. There they faced the authorities for having driven the evil spirit from a slave girl. They were presented as Jews who were advocating customs unlawful to acceptable Roman practices. Paul and Silas were stripped and beaten, then thrown in prison. Miraculously, they were freed from prison when God sent an earthquake that opened the prison doors (Acts 16:26).
When Paul faced the magistrates again, he reported how he and Silas had been beaten in public without a trial, despite the fact they were Roman citizens. This meant the magistrates were clearly guilty of false imprisonment and left the officials open to serious civil and criminal charges from Paul and Silas. When asked to leave Philippi quietly, Paul’s emphatic answer was “No!” He appears to be preparing for the battle.
Unbeknownst to his persecutors, the battle had already been won. Jesus won the battle over sin and conquered death by His sacrifice and resurrection. Paul was acutely aware of this and provides us with a shining example of normal, Godly living. Even though he had every legal right to press charges and make a public spectacle of the magistrates and officials, he chose not to do so. Instead, he decided to be an example of the light Jesus Christ calls us all to be (Matthew 5:14). Paul decided to forgive these transgressors, to forgive the ones who accused him, embarrassed him, beat him, and imprisoned him. He even took the opportunity to bring the jailor and his whole family to salvation Acts 16:27-32). What a work for God!
Not one of us could possibly forgive such grievous offenses on our own. Fortunately, we are not on our own if we are with Jesus Christ. He has given us the Holy Spirit to strengthen us. It is only through His strength that we could ever manage the courage and strength to forgive. Jesus forgives us, time and again, when we disobey and sin, as long as we repent and return to Him. It’s His normal Way of operating.
Pray today that you can forgive someone in your life who has falsely accused you, cheated you, abused you, embarrassed you, or sinned against you in other ways. Call on the power of Jesus to do it, for through Him all things are possible (Matthew 19:26, Mark 9:23). Without Him, nothing is possible. It is only through Him that we are given the strength to practice what we preach.
In His love and service,
Jeff Myers
A servant of Jesus Christ
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