July 23 Daily Devotional

Bible Reading

Romans 14:1-12:

¹Him that is weak in the faith receive ye, but not to doubtful disputations.
²For one believeth that he may eat all things: another, who is weak, eateth herbs.
³Let not him that eateth despise him that eateth not; and let not him which eateth not judge him that eateth: for God hath received him.
⁴Who art thou that judgest another man's servant? to his own master he standeth or falleth. Yea, he shall be holden up: for God is able to make him stand.
⁵One man esteemeth one day above another: another esteemeth every day alike. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind.
⁶He that regardeth the day, regardeth it unto the Lord; and he that regardeth not the day, to the Lord he doth not regard it. He that eateth, eateth to the Lord, for he giveth God thanks; and he that eateth not, to the Lord he eateth not, and giveth God thanks.
⁷For none of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself.
⁸For whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord: whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord's.
⁹For to this end Christ both died, and rose, and revived, that he might be Lord both of the dead and living.
¹⁰But why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at nought thy brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ.
¹¹For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.
¹²So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God.

Devotional

We do not belong to ourselves. We are not our own. We are bought with a price. With body and soul, in life and in death, we belong to our faithful Saviour Jesus Christ. Peter tells us that, we are bought, not with silver and gold, but with Christ's precious blood. Paul tells us the same thing. Speaking of the church, he says, "Which he has purchased with his own blood." And he writes to the Corinthians, "Ye are bought with a price; therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's." Surely, since Christ died for us to redeem us from sin and death and eternal condemnation and has given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, we should show our thankfulness and live to the honor and glory of his name. We should live no longer to the lusts of men, but to the will of God. "He died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto them­selves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again." God has not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him." We are his purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory." Paul says, "I am cru­cified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me." So, whether we live therefore or die, we are the Lord's.

Prayer

O thou triune God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, Thou hast created us, formed us, and redeemed us and called us by name. We thank Thee that Thou hast said, Thou art mine. We thank Thee for the promise that, when we pass through the waters Thou wilt be with us, and through the fire, we shall not be burned. We thank Thee, that by Thy power we are kept through faith unto salvation. May we not fear, but believe and trust, and glorify Thy name. For Christ's sake. Amen.

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Scripture in Devotional: 1 Cor. 6:19; 1 Pet. 1:18, 19; Acts 20:28; 1 Cor. 6:20; 2 Pet. 1:3; 1 Pet. 4:2; 2 Cor. 5:15; 1 Thess. 5:9, 10; Eph. 1:14; Gal. 2:20; Rom. 14:8.

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