Open Heavens Daily Devotional For Saturday, 23rd January, 2016

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL.

SATURDAY JANUARY 23 2016.

THEME: DIVINE TRANSFORMATION I

MEMORISE : “Therefore if any man be in Christ he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold all things are become new.” 2 CORINTHIANS 5 : 17.

READ : 1 CORINTHIANS 6 : 9 - 11 :

9 Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind,

10 Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.

11 And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR : DEUTERONOMY 31 : 14 - 32 : 47, JOB 9 : 13 - 24.

Yesterday, we read about the state of the heart of man being very wicked. We also read about spiritual surgery which can bring about divine transformation. The work of redemption performed by Jesus Christ makes divine transformation possible.

In the Bible reading for today, we note the terrible things that man is capable of. Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ, unequivocally said that those who do those things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. However, he wrote :

“And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of God.” 1 Corithians 6 : 11.

Our Lord Jesus Christ was speaking to Nicodemus about divine transformation when He said to him: “Verily, verily, I say unto thee, except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” Being born of water and of the Spirit brings about divine transformation.

The mystery of the new birth cannot be explained by human reasoning except through the enlightenment by the Spirit of our God. For example, in the epistle of John :

“He that commiteth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil. Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.” 1 John 3 : 8 - 9.

There are two main avenues for experiencing divine transformation: first is genuine repentance; when a man voluntarily submits his will to God in obedience. The other one is the power in the blood of Jesus Christ; the blood of the new covenant is much more superior to the blood of the bull ( Hebrews 10 : 4 ). Therefore, for divine transformation, Jesus Christ is the answer. I pray that all the necessary transformation you need to live an acceptable life before God will be given to you through Jesus Christ, our Lord.

PRAYER POINT :

Father, please cleanse me from all impurities and let my life conform to Your original image.

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE.