LifeLink Devotional

Friday, June 28, 2019

The world is caught up in a philosophical system that allows for the determination and definition of truth to be based solely on the benefit it brings to the individual. People say things like, “If it feels good, do it!” and “My truth is my truth!” This is not a new philosophy. In fact, it is as old as creation. From the beginning of man’s existence on earth Satan has attempted to convince him that there is a personally beneficial truth that supersedes God’s absolute truth. That was his strategic attack against Eve in the Garden of Eden when she was convinced that the beauty and benefits of the forbidden fruit were worth any risk of disobedience.

Since then, mankind has been searching for meaning in life based on personal gain. In the 1600’s a mathematician and theologian named Blaise Pascal wrote this, “Those are weaklings who know the truth and uphold it as long as it suits their purpose, and then abandon it.”  That describes our modern society accurately – people picking and choosing truth based on personal benefit.

But God has given us an indescribable gift – the gift of grace.

2 Corinthians 9:15 Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!

God’s grace is received at the moment of confessing the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ. It transforms a person from a self-centered, self-serving truth seeker into a servant of others. Today’s Scripture verse comes at the end of a statement made about people who have been transformed by God’s grace. Paul describes such people as those involved in acts of service and generosity to others, resulting in many expressions of thanks to God. Paul calls this the indescribable gift. It is a gift that dismantles Satan’s deceptive philosophy of moral relativism.

Truth is not based on personal preference – truth overwhelms personal benefit with real love expressed in giving and serving for the benefit of others. That is what Jesus meant when He said, “You shall know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” Jesus also said, “If the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.”

Free from what? Free from the bondage of pleasing self to validate one’s existence. When the truth of Jesus Christ is accepted we are accepted by God, and there is no longer any need to qualify our own existence. We are free to invest in the lives of others because God has fully invested Himself in us.

The confirmation that we have truly confessed the truth is the transformation of our lives from being self-centered to others-centered. It is the obedience of serving that accompanies the true confession of faith, thereby proving the validity of one’s faith.

Spend a little time right now evaluating your life in response to this truth. How are you doing in prioritizing serving others over considering your own needs? How are you doing at giving away to others the indescribable gift that God has given you?

May we all pass this litmus test of faith – we prove ourselves to be recipients of God’s surpassing grace by becoming the servants of others. We are the delivery agents of His Indescribable gift.

Pastor John