ECWA Food for the Day Daily Devotion for the Year 2022

SUNDAY, AUGUST 28, 2022

TEXT: John 3:16-21

16. “For God so [greatly] loved and dearly prized the world, that He [even] gave His [One and] only begotten Son, so that whoever believes and trusts in Him [as Savior] shall not perish, but have eternal life.”

17. For God did not send the Son into the world to judge and condemn the world [that is, to initiate the final judgment of the world], but that the world might be saved through Him.

18. Whoever believes and has decided to trust in Him [as personal Savior and Lord] is not judged [for this one, there is no judgment, no rejection, no condemnation]; but the one who does not believe [and has decided to reject Him as personal Savior and Lord] is judged already [that one has been convicted and sentenced], because he has not believed and trusted in the name of the [One and] only begotten Son of God [the One who is truly unique, the only One of His kind, the One who alone can save him].

19. This is the judgment [that is, the cause for indictment, the test by which people are judged, the basis for the sentence]: the Light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil.

20. For every wrongdoer hates the Light, and does not come to the Light [but shrinks from it] for fear that his [sinful, worthless] activities will be exposed and condemned.

21. But whoever practices truth [and does what is right-morally, ethically, spiritually] comes to the Light, so that his works may be plainly shown to be what they are-accomplished in God [divinely prompted, done with God’s help, in dependence on Him].

(Amplified Version Holy Bible)

TOPIC: THE BENEFITS OF BELIEVING IN JESUS CHRIST

The human mind finds it difficult to understand that, by merely believing in Jesus as the Son of God who died and rose again for the forgiveness of the sinner, a person can be saved.

We are used to our human understanding that every good gift must be earned, and this must include our salvation. It is foolishness to the human mind that one person should die for all humanity! Yet the Word of God teaches that it will take a perfect human sacrifice to completely earn God’s favor of forgiveness and eternal life.

This is exactly what Jesus offers because as the “Word which became flesh,” He lived a perfect life and offered His life as a perfect sacrifice on our behalf.

That is why whoever believes that His death as for them would receive the forgiveness and the gift of eternal life. Refusal to accept this free gift is a declaration of judgment upon one self. It is also a sign that such a person prefers a life of darkness – evil and sin – and eternal separation from God.

QUESTION: Are you a child of God, and so live in the light, or against God, and so live in darkness?

PRAYER: Take a few moments to pray according to what your answer is to the question above. Trust God and open your heart to Him in Christ Jesus, then you will enjoy the full benefits that come with it.