December 20th - Luke 1:74-75

Luke 1:74-75 We have been rescued from our enemies so we can serve God without fear, in holiness and righteousness for as long as we live. The whole Bible speaks about salvation, and that comes to a climax in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus. So, we need to be absolutely clear what salvation is all about. God’s intention for us is to live our lives to the full. His desire is to rescue us from our enemies so that we can live in partnership with him free from fear, sin and anything else that might spoil life. Living with fear totally distorts life. If you are fearful of what others will say and think of you, you will be reluctant to take risks, and every day will be a trial. If you are fearful of medical, financial or relationship difficulties, it will lay a heavy burden on you and change the way you head into every morning. God doesn’t promise to take all our difficulties away from us, but he does promise to set us free from fear as we place our lives into his hands. Sin always spoils. It doesn’t have the ability to do anything else. God’s desire is that we should be set free from our sin, and that is made possible through Jesus’ death on the cross. Through taking upon himself the weight of our sin, Jesus is able to offer us the forgiveness of our sins. All we need to do is to admit that we have sinned, claim his forgiveness and resolve to live a new life. God’s aim for our lives is a wonderful one. He wants us to live righteously. That’s not a word we often use these days, but it simply means doing everything that is right. What could possibly be better than that? Through the salvation that Jesus offers to us, we are able to live a completely new life in which we are set free to be everything that he created us to be. Question How would you explain to another person what salvation means to you personally? Prayer Loving God, I praise you for your gift of new life. Help me each day to live in the power of your Spirit and to act in the way that pleases you. Amen