TSP DAILY DEVOTIONAL
WHAT’S YOUR SKIN COLOUR?
6th January 2020
Dr. Phil Ransom-Bello
KEY SCRIPTURE/MEMORY VERSE: Ephesians 4:15 (AMPC)
Rather, let our lives lovingly express truth [in all things, speaking truly, dealing truly, living truly]. Enfolded in love, let us grow up in every way and in all things into Him Who is the Head, [even] Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One).
It’s so beautiful to see the images that scripture paints for us about expressing Christ.
Crystal clear pictures. No ambiguities.
It’s as though God is saying, “After my redemptive work, man will never again struggle to identify with and express the image He has been recreated in”.
Think about it, the reason Adam fell was because, his revelation of the image he was created in was not grounded and so when the serpent tested/questioned his identity, he succumbed.
So when God unveils His plan to save man from the damning consequence of His fall through another man(Romans 5:12-17), He makes it foolproof.
He makes it so that we can see clearly what our new identity in Christ translates to in the tangible.
Ephesians 2:10 says, “…now that we have been born anew, we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works which we are supposed to walk in.”
Let’s return to our main text, it describes to us how we can grow to maturity in expressing Christ which is by Love. It says we express the truth of Christ in every area of our lives from our speech to our dealings to every other ramifications when we do it in love.
There’s not one area of our lives that is exempt from the influence of Christ and His Spirit as we saw yesterday.
Colossians puts it in a very interesting way in the message version of Chapter 3:9-14;
Don’t lie to one another. You’re done with that old life. It’s like a filthy set of ill-fitting clothes you’ve stripped off and put in the fire. Now you’re dressed in a new wardrobe. Every item of your new way of life is custom-made by the Creator, with his label on it. All the old fashions are now obsolete.
From now on everyone is defined by Christ, everyone is included in Christ. So, chosen by God for this new life of love, dress in the wardrobe God picked out for you: compassion, kindness, humility, quiet strength, discipline. Be even-tempered, content with second place, quick to forgive an offense. Forgive as quickly and completely as the Master forgave you.
And regardless of what else you put on, wear love. It’s your basic, all-purpose garment. Never be without it.
Verse 14 is so significant, it tells us to wear love like we would an all-purpose or all-season garment. Think about it;
▪Every time you open your mouth to talk(to yourself or others), you communicate lovingly.
▪Every time you engage in any dealing/transactional relationship with anyone, love is your guiding principle.
The amplified version says we should put on and wrap ourselves in unselfish love.
It’s like your skin. Interesting how the skin is the largest organ of the body. Think about a few of its functions. For example;
-It’s a covering that protects organs.
-It regulates your temperature(this is akin to when scripture says love constrains you. 2 Corinthians 5:14) and
-It reflects your identity.
So just the way one can look at a person’s skin and say this person is Caucasian , we can look at your LOVE SKIN and say you are Christ-ian
In essence, when you are filled with Christ just as we learnt yesterday, the defining way that the Christ nature is expressed by the Holy Spirit is through Love.
Galatians 5:22 says that the fruit of the Spirit who is the Spirit of Christ, is LOVE , in addition to all the other defining characteristics of this Love.
Dear saint, you can’t live without your skin.
It is the most excellent method for expressing the Spirit and Person of Christ.
REFLECTION
Is my skin colour reflective of the nature of Christ?
DECLARATION
-Thank you Lord for the new man I have become. I affirm that I am your mirror image. Each day I am becoming more and more like you.
-I affirm that I am the beloved of The Lord. His love is more than enough for me.
-I have stepped into oceans of love revelations I will never be able to recover from.
-Today, by your love that has been shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit, I will love sincerely and well.
-I am complete in Christ!
-I declare that my day is loaded with benefits.
-I function with clarity of thought and wisdom over uncertainties.
-I am the preferred and the referred.
-I carry the very essence of Christ. I put on my multi-purpose love garment today.
-My life is transformed and conformed by the word and Holy Spirit to the very Person of Christ.
-Testimonies abound for me today because the Gospel works!
-Hallelujah!
HEARING BY THE WORD
(Recommended Listening)
Listen to The Mind of Christ >> Dr. Phil by The StandPoint Church on #SoundCloud