#DailyDevotion There’s A Reason Christians Can’t Just Shut Up

2 Cor. 4:13 Since we have the same spirit of faith according to what has been written, “I believed, and so I spoke,” we also believe, and so we also speak, 14 knowing that he who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and bring us with you into his presence. 15 For it is all for your sake, so that as grace extends to more and more people it may increase thanksgiving, to the glory of God.

Now the world and Satan do not want you to speak. They will ask for tolerance and the right to speak. But when you believe and want to speak they will do their best to shut you down, particularly today. They will first try to shame you for your faith. They will try to make you look ignorant in you faith. If those tactics don’t work they will just try shouting louder than you and become quite foolish sounding in hopes that they will not hear and no one else will hear what you have to say about your faith. Don’t let them shut you down.

Having the same spirit of faith, that is the same spirit that wrote the scriptures, we believe and so we speak in accordance with the scriptures. And what is that which is written and what is that which we believe. We were sinners worthy of judgment along with the rest of the world. Christ died for sinners and rose again from the dead atoning for sin and having the victory of death. Christ ascended into heaven and is returning one day to judge the living and the dead and giving everyone who believed in him eternal life and casting all who rejected him and his gifts into eternal death to be tortured with the angels that rebelled against him.

Out heavenly Father who raised Jesus from the dead is going to raise us from the dead and/or change our bodies into the same glorious body our Lord Jesus was raised with and bring us into his presence. This is his gift to us purely by grace won for us by our Lord Jesus Christ. When we are brought into our Creator’s presence, our heavenly Father, he bestows upon us his righteousness. He makes manifest in us his life, the life of Jesus. He grants to us the holiness of Christ Jesus our Lord. His magnificent glory is laid upon us. Through these promises, Peter tells us we become partakers of his divine nature.

Thanks be to God we have heard and we believe and now we speak. As we speak others also come to faith in Christ Jesus. The Spirit that brought us to faith in Jesus through our word now brings others to faith. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ continues to extend throughout the world. More and more people every day (though we may not see it) throughout the world receive the grace of God so that thanksgiving may continually increase to the glory of God. Yes we give glory to God and others continue to join our chorus of thanksgiving for all his goodness to us in Christ Jesus. And if you don’t believe yet, this invitation is being extended to you. No matter what your past, your actions, your circumstances in life, what you were born with and what you have done with it, no matter your family, race, nationality or even religion, Jesus offers to you today, freely his grace and mercy and will set all that aside to welcome you today into his presence and bless you will all his gifts.

Heavenly Father, continually speak to us that we may believe and speak your word about Jesus that through the same Spirit of the Word, others may come to faith and give ever increasing thanksgiving to your glory. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.