ESOCS Devotional 20 May 2021
TEXT: ZECHARIAH 3:4-10
MEMORY VERSE: “And he answered and spake unto those that stood before him saying, Take away the filthy garments from him. And unto him he said, Behold, I have caused thine iniquity to pass from thee, and I will cloth thee with change of raiment” (Zechariah 3:4 KJV)
Joshua the priest wore a filthy garment while performing his functions. This signifies spiritual impurity: dirtiness of heart, mind, and way of life. But for his services to be acceptable to God, he required to be spiritually and physically clean, pure, and blameless. God, in His benevolence, helped him. he forgave his sins and made him pure and holy.
However, God gave him an injunction: “If you will walk in My ways, and if you will keep My command, then you shall also judge My house, and likewise have charge of My courts; I will give you places to walk among these who stand here” (Zech. 3:7 NKJV).
When forgives our sins, what next? The Bible asks an important question: “What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?” (Rom 6:1 ASV). The answer is a definite ‘NO!’
When God forgives us our sin, the next thing we should do is to “be careful to maintain good works” (Titus 3:8 NKJV). We are to be upright, gentle, honest, peaceable, kind, loving, trustworthy, have nothing to do with lust or worldliness, and serve the Lord with a pure heart. We are to live a life of integrity, live in the spirit, live our life for God, and live in the imitation of Christ.
We should not plunge ourselves back into sin. If we do so, we would simply make ourselves become as “a dog that returns to its vomit” and licks it up! (Prov. 26:11).This would mean that we do not attach value to God’s mercies and forgiveness. We take them for granted. This shouldn’t be so; rather, let us be true and faithful to our God and Father in heaven.
- What steps would you take to maintain a holy lifestyle?
- Lord, give me the wisdom to walk with you honestly.
Read Other ESOCS Devotional here
FURTHER READING: John 21:20-25; Micah 7:7-20; Ephesians 3:14-21
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ESOCS Devotional 20 May 2021
