Thursday, September 17
The Danger of Knowing Without Responding
Reading: Matthew 12:41
Devotional: Jesus pointed to the people of Nineveh as a sobering example. They heard the message, they believed it, and they repented. They did something about what they heard. The Pharisees, by contrast, had far more information, far more access, and far greater opportunity -- and yet they refused to respond. Jesus calls that tragic, and rightly so. The same danger exists today. It is entirely possible to sit in a church service, mentally agree that Jesus rose from the dead, and still never place genuine faith in what He accomplished. Head knowledge of the resurrection is not the same as saving faith. The Ninevites did not just nod. They turned.
Reflection: Is your belief in the resurrection a set of agreed-upon facts, or has it produced a genuine turning of your life toward Christ?
Practical Application: Examine honestly whether your faith is one of mental agreement or genuine trust and surrender. If you have never truly placed your faith in the life, death, burial, and resurrection of Christ, today is the day to do so.
Reading: Matthew 12:41
Devotional: Jesus pointed to the people of Nineveh as a sobering example. They heard the message, they believed it, and they repented. They did something about what they heard. The Pharisees, by contrast, had far more information, far more access, and far greater opportunity -- and yet they refused to respond. Jesus calls that tragic, and rightly so. The same danger exists today. It is entirely possible to sit in a church service, mentally agree that Jesus rose from the dead, and still never place genuine faith in what He accomplished. Head knowledge of the resurrection is not the same as saving faith. The Ninevites did not just nod. They turned.
Reflection: Is your belief in the resurrection a set of agreed-upon facts, or has it produced a genuine turning of your life toward Christ?
Practical Application: Examine honestly whether your faith is one of mental agreement or genuine trust and surrender. If you have never truly placed your faith in the life, death, burial, and resurrection of Christ, today is the day to do so.
Posted in In Focus Devotionals
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