Now Is the Day for Christian Living
Scripture Reading — Mark 1:1-20
“The time has come … The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!”
Mark 1:15
“The time has come”—we can’t delay any longer. The rededication of our lives to the Lord Jesus Christ is of immediate importance. The time is now.
Now is the time for Christian action and living. Now is the time to stand apart from the sinful world. Now is the time to offer to all people the salvation God alone gives. Now is the time to make a difference in our lives and clarify our message to the culture around us. Now is the time to stand with God and his mission for his world. Now is the time to stand up as a Christian and be counted on the Lord’s side. Now is the time because God’s reign—God’s kingdom—has broken into this world through the life, death, and resurrection of Christ Jesus.
The presence of God’s kingdom reign calls for two responses. First, it demands that we reorient our lives. We repent. We express grief for our sin against God and others. We turn from ways of living that fly in the face of King Jesus on the throne.
Second, we believe the good news. That means trusting Christ’s redeeming grace on a personal level. Now is the time to believe that “there is no other name given under heaven by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). Repent and believe!
Dear Jesus, my prayer today is simple and short. Help me repent. Help me believe. Holy Spirit, open my heart to repentance and faith. Then make me bold for you. Amen.
About the author — Jack Gray
Jack Gray recently retired after forty years as a pastor in the Christian Reformed Church. During that time he served seven churches from coast to coast in the United States. He and his wife, Wanda, have four sons and three grandchildren. They also have ministered to 44 foster children. This month’s devotions are inspired by his reflections on time at this transition in his life.
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