SOAP Devotional 2014-07-09
Scripture – Observation – Application – Prayer
Scripture:
Dear friends, I had been eagerly planning to write to you about the salvation we all share. But now I find that I must write about something else, urging you to defend the faith that God has entrusted once for all time to his holy people. I say this because some ungodly people have wormed their way into your churches, saying that God’s marvelous grace allows us to live immoral lives. The condemnation of such people was recorded long ago, for they have denied our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ. (Jude 1:3, 4 NLT)
Observation:
Jude wanted to write about the salvation that they shared, but found himself having to encourage them to defend the faith against false teaching instead. Ungodly people had wormed their way into the church who said that believers were allowed to live however they wanted to and get away with immoral living once they were saved. The condemnation of such teaching and the people who teach it was written about in scripture long before. These people do not have Jesus Christ as their Master and Lord.
Application:
You cannot be a Christian and live an immoral life. When you accept Jesus as your Master and Lord, He changes you. Time and time again scriptures condemn this kind of teaching and this kind of living. When you live a life of drinking, partying, sex outside of marriage, cursing, etc. with no intention of living otherwise, you deny Jesus as Master and Lord. Your actions portray your true lack of faith. There is no such thing as a Christian who does not work at living a changed life. Are they perfect? No, but they do not use that as an excuse to just keep living ungodly lives. How is this for an application… If Jesus were standing there with you would you talk the way you do and act the way you do? What would you do differently? He is here, so do the latter instead.
Prayer:
Father, I know that there are times when I fail. Sometimes in actions and sometimes in thoughts. Do not let that ever become my normal way of living. Keep my thoughts in line with your thoughts and my actions in line with your will for my life. Jesus, be my Master and my Lord and let it be noticeable to others as a witness for you.
