Friday, January 18, 2019

January 18 / Seeds of Spring

Planting and Tending Your Garden

SEED OF TRUTH
Read Ephesians 2:1-3.

“And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience. Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest.”
‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭2:1-3‬ ‭NASB‬‬

What does Paul say about our condition before Christ? How does verse 1 describe our state of being? What are we able to do in that state? Who were we following according to verse 2? What passions controlled us? In Christ, we are now His adopted sons, but what does Paul say we were in verse 3? Yikes!

PLANT THE SEED
Quietly recite today's focus verse to yourself. Hide it in your heart and meditate on it throughout the day.

Ephesians 2:3
"We all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind."

WATER THE SEED
The more we discover the depth of our depravity the more we will truly love the Gospel. We still live with the presence of sin. We were born in sin (Psalm 51), but in Christ we have been given the power over sin. Sin's power has been broken, and we are no longer "bound" to it. We have been set free because the penalty for sin has been paid. We are now in Christ.

Today observe your thoughts and actions. What earthly passions rise up within you that you have resisted? What temporal desires have you said "no" to? What thoughts have you learned to just put out of your head. Jot these in the space below and give thanks to the Lord if you have seen growth. If you are not denying yourself in areas you know you must, ask the Lord for His forgiveness and His help. We once lived in the passions of our flesh. But not today!

BEAR THE FRUIT
No longer a child of wrath and worldly passions.

CLOSE IN PRAYER
Ask the Lord to bring to life all that has been planted in your heart today.

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