The better life is found in God’s promises. His promises show us the life available to us when we believe in Jesus. Unlike the promises we make to each other, every promise God makes comes to pass. God never goes back on His word. The life that’s overflowing with joy starts by knowing four of God’s promises and understanding your part in bringing them to pass.
NewSpring Church
Day 1
Scripture: Romans 6
I Will Save You
Many of us think about salvation the way we think about an item on our bucket lists: Been there, done that. What’s next?
But when we check off salvation like we would a dream vacation, we lose sight of the significance of the moment. Salvation is more than a memorable experience. Salvation is like moving to another country forever.
When we ask Jesus into our lives, we start a new life with Him. Like a man who moves halfway around the world, our position changes in an instant. We become citizens of God’s kingdom, where sin has no jurisdiction.
And the same way that it takes time to adjust to life in a new country, it can take time to adjust to this new life with Jesus. In both cases, the language is different and the culture is unfamiliar. There’s a temptation to stick with what we know instead of embracing the new world we’re in. But how can we experience the fullness of our new lives until we let go of our old way of doing things?
In a paraphrase of Romans 6, Eugene Peterson writes, “If we’ve left the country where sin is sovereign, how can we still live in our old house there? … We entered into the new country of grace — a new life in a new land!” (Romans 6:1-3, MSG).
Jesus saved us from our sins in the past, but He also saves us to a life with Him in the present and in the future. Salvation isn’t something that happened one time during an altar call. It’s an ever-present reality that affects every part of our lives.
Pray
God, thank you for saving me, and thank you for continuing to change me. Show me any areas where I need to let go of my old way of doing things and embrace the new life you’ve given me.
Challenge
- Do you know someone who needs to experience a new life with Jesus? Invite them to church and share how Jesus has changed you.
Day 2
Scripture: Romans 8:1-31
I Will Free You
Why does God make us wait?
Have you ever asked that question? God is all-powerful, so why doesn’t He fix our circumstances and remove our pain the moment we are saved? The Bible answers those questions in a few places. For example, Peter tells us God is gracious and kind, wanting as many people as possible to come to know Him.
But there’s also work God wants to do in us while we’re waiting. When we ask Jesus into our lives, our spirit is made perfect. But our body and soul — what we do, and what we think and feel — are still far from perfect.
We come into God’s family full of sin, full of hurt, and full of baggage. So from the moment we are saved to the day Jesus returns, God teaches us the values of this new family we’ve been adopted into. He doesn’t do this by giving a list of rules to follow, but by giving us the Holy Spirit as a guide.
As we listen to the Holy Spirit and follow His lead, new desires displace our old ones. Freeing us from our old way of doing things is a lifelong process that requires our participation.
We have to be willing to admit we have issues. We also have to let ourselves think differently. We might even have to change our influences — surrounding ourselves with different people, programs, or pastimes.
But as crazy as it might sound, true freedom comes from submission. We spent our lives before Jesus chasing what feels good and doing what we thought was right. And in the end, we were never fulfilled.
Each time we follow the Holy Spirit, we become a little more like Jesus and a little less like who we used to be. Confidence that we are God’s children replaces the knowledge that we are God’s children. And that’s where the real adventure begins.
Pray
God, thank you for dying to save me and sending the Holy Spirit to guide me. Free me from my old way of thinking and any baggage I’m still carrying around. Show me where I need to think differently and follow your lead.
Challenge
Do you feel free or is your life ruled by rules? What’s one thing you’ve been doing that God never said you needed to do? Quit it. Today. Then, ask Jesus how you should spend that time instead.
Day 3
Scriptures: Ephesians 2:1-10, Philippians 2:12-13
I Will Give You Purpose
Not only has God saved us and freed us, He has promised to do something significant through us. God has not just saved us from something, but He has saved us for something.
When we submit ourselves to God, He frees us from the grip of sin and wrong thinking and reveals His purpose for us. Every Christian shares the same general purpose: to love God and honor Him. But how each of us fulfills that purpose will look different. There is something specific God planned for each of us to do from the beginning of time.
Jesus is the best example of this. Jesus lived to bring glory to God (John 6:37-39). But God’s plan all along was to allow Jesus to die for our sins so we could be made right with Him.
Paying the penalty for our sin was something only Jesus could do. Sin requires a perfect sacrifice. So to free us from sin once and for all would require the ultimate, perfect sacrifice (Romans 6:23). Being fully human and fully God, Jesus was the only perfect person to ever walk the Earth and the only person who could have fulfilled God’s plan to restore our relationship with Him.
Just as Jesus was the only one who could fulfill His calling, we also have a specific role in God’s plan. We are “God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do” (Ephesians 2:10).
We’ll never fulfill our purpose if we’re constantly comparing ourselves to our neighbors. Like runners in a race, we will lose focus and veer off course if we’re worried about what’s happening in the next lane.
We don’t have to worry about what anyone else is doing or strive to do something significant with our lives. God is the Master, and we are His masterpiece. He’s already created and equipped us for every work He prepared in advance for us to do.
Pray
God, thank you for redeeming me for a purpose. Show me the works you’ve prepared in advance for me, and the race you’ve called me to run. Help me see the ways you masterfully created me to bring you glory.
Challenge
What has God called you to do with your life? These two questions can help reveal what your calling might be:
- What burdens you or keeps you up at night?
- What opportunities do you have right now to make a difference in that area?
Burden + Opportunity = Calling
Day 4
Scriptures: Exodus 6:7-8, Matthew 26:26-30, Revelation 19:9
I Will Give You A Life That’s Overflowing
In Exodus 6:7, God makes an incredible promise to His people. He promises to make them a family — His family — and to give them a future.
Every year, Jews celebrate these promises during a meal called the Passover. It’s the same meal Jesus celebrated with His followers at the Last Supper. That night, Jesus didn’t drink the fourth cup that symbolized this promise to be God’s people. Instead, Jesus would wait to drink this cup with the disciples as they celebrate the fulfillment of all God’s promises in heaven.
When we have a relationship with Jesus, we, too, can live in anticipation of this celebration. Jesus redeemed us so we could join Him and the rest of our brothers and sisters at His banquet table in heaven (Revelation 9:9).
While God’s promise to make us His people will be fulfilled completely in heaven, we don’t have to wait to experience the joy that knowing Him brings. God makes Himself known to us through His Spirit, His Word, and His people.
God has given us the opportunity to mirror what His kingdom will be like right now, right here on Earth. We move from “me” to “we” when we connect to others in the church. When we live and serve alongside our brothers and sisters in Christ, it’s only natural for joy and praise to happen, because we’re doing what we were made to do forever in heaven.
As we look forward to that heavenly banquet, we feast with our family of believers here by serving together, laughing together, crying together, and caring for one another. When we understand what it means to be a part of God’s family, we can’t help but praise Him.
Pray
God, thank you for not leaving me to do this life alone. Help me connect with the family you have given me here on Earth so I can more fully experience joy and give you glory.
Challenge
Take a moment to reflect on your relationships with others in the church:
- When was the last time you laughed until it hurt?
- Who would you call at 2am if you needed something?
- Who encourages you in your faith and points you toward Jesus?
If you had an answer to those questions, let those people know how much you appreciate them and look for opportunities to grow those friendships.