DAY 1

I'M ALL IN

‘As a prisoner of the Lord, then, I [the apostle Paul] urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.’ 
(Ephesians 4:1-2)

Reflection

Before we ask God to use us, let’s ask Him to shape us. Before we pray for impact, let’s freshly surrender our lives to Him. Before we focus on ministry and mission, let’s return to the call to walk worthy. The apostle Paul’s exhortation to us in Ephesians 4 is rooted in everything God has already done for us, described in Ephesians 1-3. God has called us, saved us, made us alive in Christ, brought us into His family, joined us to His body, the church, and filled us with His Spirit. We do not live worthy in order to earn God’s grace but because we have already received His grace.

The call to be ALL IN is not a heavy demand but a personal invitation into the fullness of life in Christ and as part of His body. We want our lives to be characterised by humility, gentleness and patience, with a fresh hunger for the things of God. These qualities reflect the beautiful nature and character of Jesus, and they form the relational foundation of a healthy church. Humility is especially striking as in the ancient world it was often viewed negatively as a sign of weakness. However, throughout the New Testament, it is presented as a central virtue, the posture of every true disciple, emulating Jesus’ own example.

Paul’s call in Romans 12 brings this into sharp focus: "‘Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God – this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.’ Romans 12:1-2. Let’s choose to lay down our agendas, our rights, our preferences, and place them on the altar. The ALL IN life is one of progressive surrender, where the Holy Spirit is given more and more room to move. Let’s allow the words of Jesus to challenge and convict us: ‘Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.’ Luke 9:23

We also want to see those who are exploring faith, disconnected, or returning to church, to step into the fullness of all that God has for them. Jesus says, ‘I have come that they may have life, and have it abundantly.’ Or, as the NLT version puts it: ‘My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.’John 10:10

However, this abundant life starts with a commitment from all of us, individually, to surrender every part of our lives to the lordship of Jesus. Galatians 2:20 captures this perfectly: ‘I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me’.

Being ALL IN begins not with doing more, but with responding to God’s grace and knowing who we are ‘in Christ’.

Devotional

by Josh Gardiner

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