SOAP Devotional 2014-04-16
Scripture – Observation – Application – Prayer
Scripture:
It is God’s will that your honorable lives should silence those ignorant people who make foolish accusations against you. For you are free, yet you are God’s slaves, so don’t use your freedom as an excuse to do evil. (1 Peter 2:15, 16 NLT)
Observation:
Our lives, according to God's plan for our lives, are to lived in such a godly way that it silences those who would make foolish accusations against us. Although we are free from sin, we belong to God as our master and should not use our freedom as an license to do sinful things.
Application:
Powerful words “you are free, yet you are God’s slaves”. Many think they can get say a prayer and then do whatever they want to do, however they want to do it. For true believers, they have confessed Jesus as their Lord (master) as per Romans 10:9. They are then not only free from the penalty of sin, but also freed from the power of sin in their lives. However they are not free to do whatever they want to do. They now belong to God. Jesus said his yoke was easy, but he did not say that we get to have no yoke. Bob Dillon wrote a song that says “you've got to serve somebody. It may be the devil or it may be The Lord, but you' ex got to serve somebody”. So many foolishly call all Christians hypocrites. We should live our lives in such a way that our lives, at least, silence them.
Prayer:
Father, do not ever let me to get to a place that I think that I am above your will and can set my own path. Let my life be lived in such a way that I reflect the freedoms you have given to me rather than to take freedoms that you did not give me. Let my life speak of you even when my words are silent.
