What’s Your Motivation
Posted by Melissa
Have you ever thought something like this: “I can tell this little white lie now. I will ask Jesus to forgive me later”? If you have, did you notice it was easier to lie the next time? Did you start to notice a pattern? Whenever you were in a pinch, you probably found it easier and easier to shoot off another lie.
Read Romans 6:15-18. Look at verse 17.
Do you see Christ just as the Person to ask for forgiveness for a sin you continually choose to repeat? Why or why not?
What do these verses teach you about that kind of attitude?
Why is forgiveness a gift you shouldn’t take for granted?
How does your life show God’s grace is precious? Explain.
Today’s reading says the Romans “obeyed from the heart.” Does that mean that the Romans were afraid of Christ or that they loved Him? Explain.
What’s the reason for your obedience to God? Explain.
The word “pattern” in verse 17 refers to the teaching the Romans received. A pattern is predictable and recurring. If you live by the pattern taught in Scripture, your life will be predictable and consistent. You know you love Christ, and you know how He is calling you to live—and you obey from the heart. That means that the reason you’re obedient to God isn’t because you think you have to, that being “good” will earn you His favor, or that the way to live the Christian life is to follow a bunch of rules. It means that you obey Christ’s commands out of love, recognizing who He is and what He has done for you. When you understand the cost Christ paid to set you free from sin and the depth of His love for you, you simply can’t pursue a life characterized by sin.
Posted in Devotions, Girls | Tagged Camp Crestridge, Reprinted from ec magazine. © 2011 LifeWay Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention. Used by permission., Romans