21 Nov December 8th Daily Devotion

A SERIES OF DEVOTIONS BASED ON PAUL’S LETTER TO THE  CHURCH AT PHILIPPI

ITS ALL ABOUT JESUS

Philippians 1:21 “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.”

As a Christian, the goal for your life is to live it to the glory of God.  This was true for St. Paul as you can tell by what he wrote here in Philippians 1:21.  Note also what he wrote in Galatians 2:20, “ I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.”

Having Christ Jesus living in you, which you do by virtue of the grace of God having had faith in Him gifted to you by the Holy Spirit through your baptism.  1 Corinthians 6:19-20 says, “Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore, honor God with your bodies.” Through your faith in Jesus your daily life focuses not upon your current life, but upon the life He has promised you that is yet to come.

“. . . godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come. This is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance. That is why we labor and strive, because we have put our hope in the living God, who is the Savior of all people, and especially of those who believe.” (1 Timothy 4:8-10) Your life, as a Christian, is forward focused. You live it knowing that for you to live your life now is that you live it in Christ confident and sure that when you die you will gain eternal life in heaven.

Your confidence is not in yourself, but in Jesus who rescued you from eternal condemnation by paying the debt of your sins in full to His heavenly Father through His perfect earthly life and suffering and death on Calvary’s cross.  You have the promise of the gospel that since you are baptized in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit and believe Jesus is your personal savior from sin you will receive God’s gift of everlasting life.

Prayer:  Bless me, O Lord, with confidence in Your gift of faith in Your Son Jesus, that I will gain everlasting life.  Amen.

Jesus, Thy boundless love in me

No thought can reach, no tongue declare;

Unite my thankful heart to Thee,

And reign without a rival there!

Thine wholly, Thine alone I am;

Be Thou alone my constant flame.

O grant that nothing in my soul

May dwell, but Thy pure love alone;

Oh, may Thy love possess me whole,

My joy, my treasure, and my crown!

All coldness from my heart remove;

My ev’ry act, word, thought be love.

This love unwearied I pursue

And dauntlessly to Thee aspire.

Oh, may Thy love my hope renew,

Burn in my soul like heav’nly fire!

And day and night, be all my care

To guard this sacred treasure there.

In suf’ring be Thy love my peace,

In weakness be Thy love my pow’r;

And when the storms of life shall cease,

O Jesus, in that final hour,

Be Thou my rod and staff and guide,

And draw me safely to Thy side!

(LSB 683)