Author: Brian Burdett

“To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some.” – 1 Corinthians 9:22

What are you willing to change about yourself to reach people with the good news of Jesus Christ? Paul never compromised the truth of God’s Word or His faith and obedience to Jesus Christ. Beyond that, everything else was flexible! He could live under the Law to connect with, build relationships with, and share the Gospel with Jewish people. He could live like a Gentile to more easily connect with, build relationships with, and share the Gospel with Gentiles. He adapted to the local culture of every place he visited. He willingly changed aspects of his diet, dress, and even the personality he presented to try and reach people across cultural divides.

Would you do the same? Are you doing the same? What comforts, habits, and patterns of life and conduct would you willingly sacrifice to reach people who don’t know Jesus? Would you go to different restaurants? Enjoy different entertainment? Listen to different music? Wear different clothes? Accept discomfort? Give up some of your unique personality quirks or the quintessential aspects of your native culture?

People who don’t know Jesus are in terrible spiritual peril! They remain under the well-deserved wrath of God and face an eternity apart from Him in Hell. Their only hope is to hear and believe the Gospel. Their need is desperately urgent! Are you willing to be the person who tells them the Good News of Jesus Christ? Are you willing to give up aspects of your life which aren’t required by Scripture to be more easily heard? As you reflect on your community, workplace, and local schools, what could you change to better reach people with the Gospel? Are you ready to make that change? #FollowJesus

“Declare his glory among the nations,
his marvelous works among all the peoples!”
– Psalm 96:3

We sometimes over complicate and overthink our mission as Christians. As followers of Jesus, we simply need to tell people about the marvelous works of God like this verse says. Can you do that? Of course you can!!!

Take time right now to think about God’s glory and His marvelous works. What marvelous things has He done in the world? Let your mind fill with images of mountains, oceans, stars, galaxies, infants, animals, and any of the countless other miracles, marvels, and wonders of God’s creation. What marvelous things has God done in your life? Remember times of supernatural comfort, unexpected hope, strength when you had none, life transformation, salvation from sin, unconditional love, or transcendent peace.

Now tell people about these marvelous things! If you won the lottery, received an award, or found a bargain at the store, you’d naturally tell people about that. Tell people you meet about the marvelous things of God. Obedience really can be that simple! #FollowJesus

“Yet for us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist.” – 1 Corinthians 8:6

Lots of people believe lots of things. However, for Christians, this is a great one-verse explanation of some of the most critical things we believe about the first two persons of the Godhead. There is one God in three persons. He is eternally Father, Who spoke all of Creation into existence. He formed mankind out of dust and breathed life into us. We exist for His glory.

He is eternally Son. Our Lord and absolutely King. Jesus the Christ, the Messiah, the Anointed One. Eternally existing and the means of creation. The Father made all things through the Son and the Son sustains all of Creation by His will. Through Christ, we exist. Through Christ, we are forgiven, freed, and raised to new life when we believe in Him. Through Christ, we are adopted into God’s family. The Father is our Father. The Son is our older brother.

He is eternally Spirit. The Holy Spirit seals every follower of Jesus as truly belonging to God. He indwells us. Convicts us. Comforts us. Intercedes for us. Transforms us. Guides us. Illuminates our minds. Empowers us to follow Jesus and become more and more like Him. Praise the Father. Praise the Son. Praise the Spirit, three-in-one. Praise and #FollowJesus!

“And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.” – 1 Corinthians 6:11

With Jesus, the past is truly the past! Whatever your situation was when you put your faith in Jesus… no matter how sinful, shameful, degrading, despicable, humiliating, or vile… it’s OVER! When you put your faith in Jesus Christ, confessing and repenting of your sins and looking to Jesus as your Lord and Savior, you become truly new creation. The old is gone! Your sins are forgiven and washed clean forever! You are declared not guilty (justified) and viewed as holy (sanctified) by God the Father, God the Son, and God the Spirit.

You may continue to struggle with guilt and shame but if you’ve confessed your past sins to God and asked His forgiveness, those sins are eternally gone. Release yourself from that guilt and shame because it’s gone in the eyes of your Creator! The world may still try to grind you down or hold you back with reminders of your past mistakes and failures, but those are gone in the eyes of the only Judge Who matters!

If you’ve fallen back into sin as a follower of Jesus, understand that this same grace is still readily available to you. 1 John 1:9 emphasizes that God’s grace, cleansing, and forgiveness are always available to every believer when we find ourselves caught up in sin and seek God’s forgiveness. Don’t let guilt and shame continue to weigh you down. Confess anything to God and KNOW that He will forgive you in the name of His Son. #FollowJesus

“Cleanse out the old leaven that you may be a new lump, as you really are unleavened. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed.” – 1 Corinthians 5:7

Jesus is our final and forever Passover lamb. Everything the annual Passover festival points to has been fulfilled in the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. The first Passover celebrated God’s wrath “passing over” the homes of the Israelites when they were in slavery in Egypt. Each family sacrificed a perfect lamb and smeared some of its blood on their door frame. God’s killing angel passed over every home covered by the blood of a lamb.

Jesus was born to be the ultimate Passover lamb. He was born in the town where those lambs were bred for slaughter. He lived a perfect life without sin so He could pay the penalty for our sins. He went to the cross and shed His blood so that everyone who believes in Him is covered by that blood and God’s just wrath passes over us. The first Passover led Israel to freedom from slavery in Egypt but the Passover of Jesus leads all His people to freedom from slavery to sin and death.

However, Paul reminds us that there should be an appropriate response in our lives to this extraordinary, saving grace given to us through faith in Jesus. Just as the Passover meal must be eaten with matzah bread that has absolutely no yeast in it (yeast is a symbol of sin), we must live our lives without sin. We are to be a fresh “lump” of dough without any yeast at all – a new creation in Christ without ongoing sin. Our sins have been forgiven and now we must strive to live holy lives that reject and resist all of sin’s ongoing temptations.

In Jesus Christ, your sins have been forgiven. You are holy in God’s eyes. Are you living like that? Are you committed to living a life without the stain of sin? Are you battling in the power of the Holy Spirit to crucify those sins that still tempt you? Are you using the ways God provides to escape temptation rather than indulge in sin? If you aren’t, confess that to God right now. Repent of it and ask God for His help in living a holy life going forward. God is always gracious and faithful to forgive when we ask (1 John 1:9). But we must truly repent and #FollowJesus