January 29 Daily Devotional

Monthly Theme:

The theme of the month is spiritual war. Jesus won the battle not by might but by obedience. He is the source of salvation for all who obey him. When we have stood the test, we will share Christ's glory.

Bible Reading:

Galatians 5:26–6:5

Bible Text:

If someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. (Gal. 6:1).

Devotional:

Only spiritual people can fight the spiritual war. We are spiritual when the Spirit of God lives in us.

But even spiritual people may fall into a sin. Usually this happens when they let down their guard or neglect the company and encouragement of other Christians.

How is it possible that someone who has the Spirit can fall into sin? It's possible because the Holy Spirit is not a thing we possess but a Guide we must follow. "Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit" (5:25).

But what should we do when Christians fall? The proper response is to lift up our fellow soldier. We should restore him or her with gentleness.

Unfortunately, the church does not have a good reputation in this area. A number of people have said that the church is the only army that shoots its wounded soldiers. Yet Scripture uses our ability to restore a fallen brother or sister as a test for our spirituality.

We have two good reasons to help the fallen church member. First, we must remain humble (5:26). What we are, we are by the grace of God. What we have, we have received. If we forget that and become cocky, we are lost. Second, we need to remember that we also may be tempted (6:1). Therefore, let's be tough on ourselves but gentle with others.

Andrew Kuyvenhoven's Daylight, a modern devotional classic, was originally published in 1994. This edition is copyright by Faith Alive Christian Resources, from whom may be ordered Daylight, the predecessor of Twilight.

A man of many accomplishments, Andrew Kuyvenhoven is probably best known for his contributions to Today (formerly The Family Altar), a widely-used monthly devotional booklet associated with the Back to God Hour. Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations for this edition of Twilight are from the New International Version

Be sure to read the "Preface" and the "Acknowledgments" by the author.