Colossians 3:5-10

Sin cannot dominate believers who throw themselves upon the Lord’s mercy—the Father is faithful to restore fellowship with His beloved children. He does this by breaking down walls that were built up through disobedience.

However, it is our job to confess the specific bondage that holds us, since denial blocks the healing and freedom God offers. Whatever the nature of our sin, the root of the problem is ultimately spiritual, not simply a weakness or social ill. Treatment meant to ease our emotional, mental, or physical discomfort will not be fully effective until we acknowledge the spiritual aspect of our difficulty.

Though sin is uniquely spiritual in nature, the reasons behind wrong behavior are often emotional. Emotions trapped deep within the believer—like insecurity, inadequacy, or lack of self-worth—drive the individual to search out ways to satisfy or escape the feelings. What results is often some form of unhealthy behavior. For instance, at one time in my own ministry experience, I allowed myself to be overextended. Out of a sense of inadequacy, I was driving myself to succeed in “God’s work,” which turned out to be the responsibilities He gave me plus anything else I thought needed doing for Him. I discovered that freedom from bondage is a choice.

As Paul explains, Jesus’ followers must lay aside their sin. For me, that meant putting away my misguided drive to succeed and taking a long rest. Through the Holy Spirit, we voluntarily surrender our chains in order to gain freedom in Christ.

Bible in One Year: Ezekiel 46-48

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Romans 6:16-19

A physical prison is built brick by brick. Similarly, a spiritual prison can be erected one sin at a time without a believer noticing. Ensnarement happens slowly, beginning with a thought. Over time, unless the thought is eradicated, contemplation turns to action. With Satan falsely promising happiness as the reward for giving in to temptation, sin gains strength through repetition until our conscience is finally overpowered. One day we discover the devil holds our will in bondage.

But we can avoid spiritual chains. Our first step is to acknowledge two basic truths: All sin enslaves, and bondage begins in the mind. We cannot maintain a healthy relationship with the Lord while indulging sin. When a wrong thought creeps into our consciousness, we have the choice to expel it or to entertain it. Through the strength of the Holy Spirit, every believer possesses power to change his or her mind.

A strong antidote to temptation is a long-term view of disobedient behavior. A second step, then, is to ask ourselves, Is the pleasure of this sin worth the consequences of enslavement? Inevitably, the answer is no. What alcoholic would claim that his next drink is worth the powerlessness he feels against the bottle?

Third, we order our life according to Scripture. That is, we make the choice to place ourselves in bondage to the Father because we find true freedom in Him. His Word trains us to recognize sin and excises wrongdoing from our heart. Ask God to speak through the Bible today, and see what He reveals about your life.

Bible in One Year: Ezekiel 43-45

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Ephesians 2:1-9

Is it possible to know beyond a shadow of a doubt that you are saved? That’s a question I often hear from people who have professed that they trust in Jesus Christ but just aren’t sure if their faith is adequate. The good news is that God wants us to have unquestionable assurance of our salvation (1 John 5:13). And there are three words that will help us determine whether our faith is genuine.

Knowledge. First, we must know that we are sinners and our sins have alienated us from God. Since we are helpless to remedy this situation, He is our only hope for salvation. Second, we need to know that Jesus is deity and He came as the God-man to die in our place and thereby pay the penalty for our sins. His resurrection proves that His sacrifice was sufficient for our salvation.

Conviction. According to John 16:8, one of the Holy Spirit’s jobs is to convict us of sin so we can see our need for a Savior. But that alone is not enough. God’s Spirit also convinces us the message of salvation in Christ is true and we must respond.

Trust. Being fully persuaded of our sin and the sufficiency of Christ’s provision for our forgiveness and salvation, we believe and place trust in Jesus as our Savior and Lord.

The entire Trinity is involved in our salvation. The Son provided the perfect sacrifice for sin, the Father draws us to Christ, and the Spirit convicts and convinces us to believe in Jesus and receive Him as our Savior. We are saved because of God’s amazing grace and limitless love.

Bible in One Year: Ezekiel 40-42

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Daniel 1:1-21

Daniel and his friends faced the same dilemma that we do today—how to live a holy life. At times, our society seems to accept Christian values and standards, but that’s not always the case. Our challenge is to live under God’s authority while remaining in submission to the law of the land. But what if we are forced to choose between the two? Our first inclination should be to seek the Lord’s guidance before marching forward.

Had Daniel bluntly declared, “I won’t eat this food!” he wouldn’t have lasted long, and we wouldn’t have the book of Daniel in the Bible. But the Lord gave him the wisdom to humbly seek permission from the person who was in a position of authority over him. God honored the young man’s commitment and provided a way for him to live righteously in a pagan world.

We tend to hold up Daniel and his three friends as extraordinary people who lived amazing lives. But they were regular people, just like us. Have you ever wondered what the Lord could do in the life of an ordinary person like you or me? The determining factor is not the individual’s greatness, but rather his or her commitment to a heavenly Father who can do remarkable things in a life fully devoted to Him. That’s the kind of person God is looking for.

Although we don’t know all that God could do in and through us if we radically committed ourselves to Him, the thought of missing out on His plans should be enough to motivate us to obey. On arriving in heaven, we don’t want to discover blessings were forfeited because we weren’t fully devoted to Him.

Bible in One Year: Ezekiel 37-39

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1 Corinthians 6:19-20

Have you ever evaluated your level of commitment to our heavenly Father? Sadly, many Christians have entered the door of salvation and settled down into their pew, expecting nothing more. But Christ wants us to make a deliberate decision to let Him be the Lord of our life. This requires the surrender of all our rights and recognition that He’s the one who plots the course. Our responsibility is simply to follow.

However, our natural tendency is to limit the areas where we allow God access. The day you trusted Christ as your Lord and Savior, did you keep the title deed for your life? Have you drawn a circle indicating, “This is the area in which I will serve You, Lord, but don’t ask me to go any farther”? If so, you’ve failed to recognize that when Jesus granted you forgiveness from sin, He also purchased you for Himself. All that you are and have belongs to Him. It’s the height of pride to assume authority over that which no longer belongs to you.

When the Lord challenges us to do something beyond our self-determined boundaries, He is calling us to a higher level of commitment. No matter how dedicated we may be at present, none of us have yet “arrived.” Each challenge is an opportunity to hand Christ full authority over every aspect of life.

You are only as committed as you are obedient to whatever God is asking of you at any given moment. If you’ve posted a “no trespassing” sign anywhere in your life, now is the time to take it down. As Christ’s blood-bought possessions, we are His—not only by purchase but also by His sacrificial love.

Bible in One Year: Ezekiel 34-36

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Exodus 3:1-15

How do you respond when God tells you to do something that seems beyond your capabilities? Are you full of excuses, giving Him reasons why He picked the wrong person? That’s exactly the way Moses responded. In giving him the gigantic task of leading the Israelites to freedom, the Lord was calling Moses to a high level of commitment. If we hope to step obediently into our God-given challenges, we must answer the same two questions Moses asked.

Who is God? The answer is important because it reveals whom we recognize as having authority to tell us what to do. The two names the Lord used in answering Moses—the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (Ex. 3:6) and “I am who I am” (v. 14)—identified Him as the sovereign Creator and self-existent, everlasting One who keeps His promises. This means there is no higher authority, and He has every right to command our obedience.

Who am I? When Moses questioned whether he was the right man for the job, the Lord gave him a promise: “Certainly I will be with you” (v. 12). Moses was able to fulfill the assignment only because God chose to enter into a relationship with him. Likewise, our source of adequacy is a relationship with Jesus Christ and the presence of His indwelling Holy Spirit in our life.

Has God given you a tough assignment? Remember that as your Creator, He’s designed specific tasks for you to achieve. If you refuse to obey, you’ll miss what He has planned for your life. Just think what Moses would have forfeited, had he said no. Too much is at stake. Trust God and do what He says!

Bible in One Year: Ezekiel 32-33

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Philippians 1:1-11

Since all of Paul’s letters begin with an expression of God’s grace to us, we may be tempted to think that it is simply a customary word of greeting. But in reality, God’s grace is our foundation, our covering, and the sphere in which we live as believers in Christ.

Grace is commonly defined as God’s unmerited and undeserved favor. According to Ephesians 2:8, it’s the means by which we are saved through faith. And Romans 5:2 says that by our faith, we have “obtained our introduction … into this grace in which we stand.” In other words, we are continual recipients of an abundance of grace throughout life and into eternity.

Just as our salvation never ends, so God’s grace never ceases to do its work in our life. That’s why Paul could confidently say, “He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus” (Phil. 1:6). We never have to fear that we will lose our salvation, because God is the one who keeps us and promises to complete us when Christ returns. Furthermore, Paul says we have been “filled with the fruit of righteousness which comes through Jesus Christ [and glorifies] God” (v. 11).

Sometimes it’s difficult to see righteousness in ourselves, because we know how weak and flawed we are. But if we’ve been saved, then Christ lives in us and we in Him (John 15:4). He is our righteousness, and He’s actively producing His fruit in our life as we abide in Him. This process, known as sanctification, is God’s grace working to align our behavior with Christ’s righteousness. So let’s stand firm in His grace and trust Him to complete us.

Bible in One Year: Ezekiel 29-31

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Genesis 16:1-16

God answers prayer in one of three ways: “yes,” “no,” or “yes, but not yet.” This last reply seems to be the most dreaded— sometimes even more than an outright “no.” However, patience is an important trait for the Christian, as Scripture stresses repeatedly in stories, psalms, and epistles.

Waiting on the Lord to unlock a door is always wiser than attempting to pry it open ourselves, even when the delay has been long. After God promised him descendants (Gen. 12:2), Abraham lived for 25 years with an answer of “not yet.” After that quarter-century, the answer finally became “yes.” But meanwhile, Abraham and Sarah came up with their own plan to get an heir—Sarah’s servant Hagar bore Ishmael. The couple may have convinced themselves they were “helping” God live up to His prophecy, but really they were disobeying. The consequences were disastrous. Bitterness and blame affected every member of the family (Gen. 16:4-6; Gen. 21:9-10). What’s more, Ishmael’s people lived in enmity with their neighbors, and that hostility persists in the Middle East today (Gen. 21:9-14; Gen. 25:18).

Our patience gives God time to prepare the opportunity on the other side of a closed door. Even if we could force our way by manipulating circumstances, we would not be happy with what we find there. No one in Abraham’s camp was satisfied with the situation they created! We can have contentment and joy only when we access the Lord’s will at the very moment He ordained. The blessings we find on the other side of an open door are always worth the wait.

Bible in One Year: Ezekiel 26-28

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Acts 16:5-12

We cannot help feeling disappointed when a door of opportunity closes. But our heavenly Father will often prevent us from going forward when He wants to redirect our steps toward a wiser pathway. What determines whether we partake of His greater blessing is our reaction: Will we beat against the barred door or look for a new opening?

Paul’s second missionary journey included a series of divine “no admittance signs.” The apostle set out to visit the churches he had started across Asia, but the Holy Spirit led him away from city after city. It must have felt quite frustrating to be prevented from carrying out the gospel commission (Matt. 28:19).

Paul kept traveling in search of fertile ground where he could plant a new church, and at last the Lord revealed an open door to Macedonia. The new route eventually led him into key cities of that day. Philippi, Corinth, and Ephesus were major commerce centers teeming with dignitaries and foreign traders who could carry the gospel farther and faster than Paul.

The apostle set out with a wise and rational plan, but human reasoning isn’t always reliable. The Bible tells us to trust in the Lord instead of our own understanding (Prov. 3:5). If we’re to follow God’s will for our life, we must live by the Spirit’s prompting. Consider that the Creator of the universe is taking a moment to nudge you in the right direction so that you may be fruitful and blessed. Follow Him, and He will direct your steps down the right paths and through the best doorways.

Bible in One Year: Ezekiel 23-25

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Luke 6:46-49

Early in life, I learned to listen to the Lord, and this most important lesson is the foundation of my confidence in Him. Moreover, because I pay attention to the Father, He has given me courage in my convictions, strength in times of trouble, and unspeakable joy.

My grandfather impressed upon me the importance of opening my spiritual ears. He didn’t say, “Now, Charles, you’ve got to listen” but instead described how the Lord was speaking to him and what He was saying. The powerful evidence of Grandpa’s faith gave me a burning desire to hear the Lord, too.

No person can hear without actively listening. God taught me how, and it is this important lesson that I pass on to you: Heeding the Lord begins with meditation upon His Word. I listen prayerfully and expectantly for what He is saying to me through the passage. The Lord is not secretive. He illuminates Scripture to those who desire to know its meaning and are willing to abide by it. Often that requires patience. God reveals His truth when a believer is ready to hear. I continually return to a portion of the Bible until His message to me is clear. Sometimes that means going over the same passage for days at a time.

God will speak with clarity to anyone who listens prayerfully and submissively. He wants to speak to you—His great desire is for you to know Him as intimately as did Moses, David, Paul, and others like them. Dig into the Bible every day, and listen to what the heavenly Father is communicating to your heart.

Bible in One Year: Ezekiel 20-22

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Proverbs 2:1-5

Learning to listen to God is an essential part of following His will. The Lord regularly speaks to His children through…

Scripture. The Bible is our guidebook to God’s thoughts and actions. It is the primary source for Christians to discover His character and learn to trust Him. This means we ought to read more than just a little bit every day. Our goal should be to absorb the message and then listen for God to offer instructions on how and where to apply His Word.

Prayer. Like all real friends, the Lord desires give-and-take in His relationships. Therefore, prayer is not complete when we’re done talking. We must quiet our mouth and thoughts so that our spiritual ears can open.

Circumstances. In the Bible, the Lord often revealed His ways to men and women through their circumstances. He still works that way today. Situations differ, but our God does not change. He uses everyday life to reveal errors in thinking, to open or close doors of opportunity, and to prove His promises true.

Others. Pastors, friends, and mentors can all speak truth into a person’s life. The Lord places believers in community so they can be supported and helped by those nearby. He doesn’t hesitate to send a message from the mouth of someone we know and trust.

God does not use just one or two of these methods to reach a believer; He speaks through all four. We need to attune our spiritual ears, always remembering that a message from the Lord must agree with His holy Word. The Father is talking to you. Are you listening?

Bible in One Year: Ezekiel 17-19

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Mark 11:20-24

If you made a request of God and then time passed without results, it is understandable you might start wondering if He ever heard you at all. Do you remember thinking, What happened, Lord? You said that if I asked in faith, You would do it. Didn’t You hear me?

Stop to consider this question: Can you think of a time you brought a petition to the Lord and it apparently went unanswered? What was the situation? What did you pray about it? What did you say to others about it? What did you do about it?

I believe one of the most common reasons we experience a crisis of faith is that our words and our attitude get out of line with each other. We tell ourselves that we are praying to the heavenly Father, seeking His will, and requesting His intervention, but what we’re really doing is just complaining to Him.

We say, “Lord, I really messed this up” or “I don’t deserve this.” We might pray, “How did this happen?” Or perhaps we even cry, “How did You let this happen?” We moan about the situation, reveling in every ounce of anguish, and then petition God to fix it. Is this a prayer that honors God?

In Mark 11:24, Jesus explains that if we ask for something, we should believe in our hearts that it has already been granted. This level of faith is found not in our whines but in our praises. God absolutely wants us to cry out to Him and to lay our petitions at His feet (1 Pet. 5:7). But we must be careful to do so in a way that focuses on God’s glory—not our own.

Bible in One Year: Ezekiel 13-16

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James 4:8

I have a friend who was, at one point, a self-confessed shopping addict. Recently, his family realized that this activity had stopped, though he hadn’t intentionally curtailed it. Why did his longing to acquire more goods dissolve?

The reason was that my friend had become more satisfied with the Lord. He no longer needed fulfillment from what the world had to offer. What a terrific illustration of growth in Christ.

In addition to finding fulfillment in God, there are many other growth indicators that are noticeable to the believer. For instance, offering forgiveness becomes easier over time. Consider our Savior, who asked God to forgive even those who crucified Him on the cross (Luke 23:34).

Also, as we mature, our faith will increase. God loves us, and He gracefully and gently builds our confidence in Him. Then, as our trust grows, we realize how faithful He truly is—which makes our assurance even greater.

Finally, as our relationship with the Lord deepens, we will increasingly desire to obey Him. We will be able to confidently proclaim, “O how I love Your law! It is my meditation all the day” (Psalm 119:97). The desire is born not out of fear but out of love for our heavenly Father. Similarly, when we do sin, our heart will become saddened and repentant.

Are you satisfied spiritually? Or do you have a growing, insatiable hunger for more of Jesus? Friend, if you think that you’ve come far enough in your journey with Christ, you have made a terrible mistake. You are missing great fulfillment and excitement that come from getting close to Him.

Bible in One Year: Ezekiel 7-9

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James 4:8

I have a friend who was, at one point, a self-confessed shopping addict. Recently, his family realized that this activity had stopped, though he hadn’t intentionally curtailed it. Why did his longing to acquire more goods dissolve?

The reason was that my friend had become more satisfied with the Lord. He no longer needed fulfillment from what the world had to offer. What a terrific illustration of growth in Christ.

In addition to finding fulfillment in God, there are many other growth indicators that are noticeable to the believer. For instance, offering forgiveness becomes easier over time. Consider our Savior, who asked God to forgive even those who crucified Him on the cross (Luke 23:34).

Also, as we mature, our faith will increase. God loves us, and He gracefully and gently builds our confidence in Him. Then, as our trust grows, we realize how faithful He truly is—which makes our assurance even greater.

Finally, as our relationship with the Lord deepens, we will increasingly desire to obey Him. We will be able to confidently proclaim, “O how I love Your law! It is my meditation all the day” (Psalm 119:97). The desire is born not out of fear but out of love for our heavenly Father. Similarly, when we do sin, our heart will become saddened and repentant.

Are you satisfied spiritually? Or do you have a growing, insatiable hunger for more of Jesus? Friend, if you think that you’ve come far enough in your journey with Christ, you have made a terrible mistake. You are missing great fulfillment and excitement that come from getting close to Him.

Bible in One Year: Ezekiel 7-9

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2 Peter 3:17-18

All around the world, people go to church, bow their heads to pray, and hear sermons, but many are not growing spiritually.

It is all too common for believers to assume that these actions fulfill Christian obligations. They may complete a checklist but have an idle relationship with Jesus. Do you see evidence in your own life that you’re maturing in your walk with the Lord?

To blossom spiritually, we must be saved. This happens the moment God makes us new, cleansing us of unrighteousness and adopting us as His own children. Then, we can begin to grow. However, even with this new life, we can be stagnant.

There are several indicators that reveal the quality of our Christian journey. Today, let’s explore a few of them. First, growing believers should sense a deepening hunger for Christ. As we experience more of Jesus, who is the bread of life (John 6:35), our desire for Him will increase. Second, believers dwelling closely with the Savior will notice that their discernment of sin sharpens. Faulty teaching and thinking become more obvious as we accumulate truth within our spirit. Third, our sphere of love should continuously expand. In time, the Holy Spirit enables us to care for people who previously were either unnoticed or difficult to accept.

Do you have a hunger for God and an increasing awareness of sin? Is your love available only for those who match your personal standard of performance—or do you find yourself caring about even difficult people? These are important questions to ask when evaluating your spiritual growth.

Bible in One Year: Ezekiel 4-6

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Ephesians 1:3-6

All of us have probably enjoyed times when we were selected for some honor or given an assignment that we considered special. Though such moments pale in comparison, they can remind us of the deep joy that comes from knowing we belong to Jesus forever.

How sublime it is to realize that before the foundation of the world, God chose us to be part of His family! This choice—which means we were divinely selected to become conformed to the likeness of Christ—undergirds and defines our identity as God’s children. It stands as a great rock that stabilizes us when fears multiply and anxieties attack.

In spite of this, however, many believers become unsettled when they think about their own sin nature. Knowing God will condemn all sin, they become fearful that the condemnation of the wicked might fall on them. At the same time, Satan is forever whispering in our ears accusatory remarks about our behavior. He preys on our feelings of worthlessness. When this happens, we need to remind him—and ourselves—of God’s Word, which assures us that there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus (Rom. 8:1).

Remember that the Father has marked you as one of His own. You are somebody very special to God. In fact, you are so dear to Him that He sent His only begotten Son into a sinful world to die on the cross so that you and I could be near to Him (John 3:16). This is pure, unadulterated grace, for which we should praise Him unceasingly.

Bible in One Year: Lamentations 3-5

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Ephesians 1:3-6

All of us have probably enjoyed times when we were selected for some honor or given an assignment that we considered special. Though such moments pale in comparison, they can remind us of the deep joy that comes from knowing we belong to Jesus forever.

How sublime it is to realize that before the foundation of the world, God chose us to be part of His family! This choice—which means we were divinely selected to become conformed to the likeness of Christ—undergirds and defines our identity as God’s children. It stands as a great rock that stabilizes us when fears multiply and anxieties attack.

In spite of this, however, many believers become unsettled when they think about their own sin nature. Knowing God will condemn all sin, they become fearful that the condemnation of the wicked might fall on them. At the same time, Satan is forever whispering in our ears accusatory remarks about our behavior. He preys on our feelings of worthlessness. When this happens, we need to remind him—and ourselves—of God’s Word, which assures us that there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus (Rom. 8:1).

Remember that the Father has marked you as one of His own. You are somebody very special to God. In fact, you are so dear to Him that He sent His only begotten Son into a sinful world to die on the cross so that you and I could be near to Him (John 3:16). This is pure, unadulterated grace, for which we should praise Him unceasingly.

Bible in One Year: Lamentations 3-5

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Genesis 16:1-16; Genesis 17:1-8

Intimacy with God doesn’t just happen. It requires determination and a significant investment of time and effort. As we seek closeness with Him, we must learn …

Conflict Resolution. In human disputes, there is usually error on both sides. But if we find ourselves in conflict with God, then we know we are in the wrong—He is always right. When Abraham fathered a child by Hagar, there was great strife in his home. God kept His promise to make Abraham a father of many nations but did not lift the multi-generational discord that resulted from his actions. No matter the circumstances, tension with God can be resolved by yielding our desires and seeking His viewpoint.

Trust. Intimacy grows only in an atmosphere of trust. As we understand God’s character better, our confidence grows, and we are drawn closer to Him. Our part is to show ourselves trustworthy.

Risk Taking. The more we reveal who we are in Christ to those around us, the more we risk facing arguments, experiencing rejection, or being misunderstood. But God understands us fully and promises that we belong to Him forever (John 10:27-29).

Agreement. For us to maintain a close affinity with God, our schedule and plans must reflect that He is a priority. We are to be available for His use and open to His direction.

God designed us for intimacy with Him. All that He requires is our presence and cooperation. What priority have you placed on building a deeper relationship with Him?

Bible in One Year: Lamentations 1-2

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Mark 4:39

The Sea of Galilee is about eight miles wide and 13 miles long. If you’d been sitting on its shore the evening Jesus calmed the fierce gale, you might have seen ominous clouds and lightning out over the water. Experiencing a thunderstorm while watching at a distance or from the safety of your home is easy and even thrilling. But it’s another thing altogether when your boat starts rocking wildly on the waves and the rain is pelting your face. Then, what is fascinating from a distance can set off panic in your heart—panic that’s not entirely unreasonable if you’re at risk of capsizing in the middle of the sea.

In this fallen world, everyone will face storms of some sort, whether they involve physical, relational, financial, or other issues. These adversities are hard and they hurt. But they’re not the whole story of our lives, especially if we are followers of the One who calms the storm.

When troubles hit, we might find ourselves wondering, God, where are You? But He is where He’s always been; the problem is that we forget to look in the right direction.

So remember, it is Jesus whose voice commands nature, and He is also sovereign over every other type of tempest we face (1 John 4:4). Knowing that we are frail in storms, He stands with us, sheltering us from the full brunt of the pounding rain and speaking peace into our heart (Psalm 103:13-14).

A storm-tossed sea was no match for Jesus. With three words from Him, it calmed instantly. He’ll do the same for you and me every time if we just turn to Him and trust.

Bible in One Year: Jeremiah 51-52

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1 Corinthians 15:3-4

Salvation fills believers with joy, but the devil tries to diminish its effect by sowing doubt and confusion. One of Satan’s purposes in doing so is to make your faith unattractive to others. Confidence about your salvation is essential to counteracting the enemy’s tactics—and it involves a what, a who, and a how.

First, you need to understand what salvation means. Though physically alive, all people are born spiritually dead—in other words, separated from the Father and lost in sin (Eph. 2:12). According to John 3:3, the only way to see the kingdom of God is to be “born again.”

Second, you must understand through whom this new life comes. Jesus shed His blood on the cross to pay the sin debt man owed (Rom. 6:23). His substitutionary atoning death provided forgiveness of sins for everyone who trusts in Him (Acts 10:43), and His resurrection is proof that He conquered death. When you trust in the Savior, your sins are forgiven and you cross over from death to life (John 5:24).

Third, you must know how to live in a God-pleasing way. This is impossible in human strength. That’s why God sends His Spirit to permanently indwell everyone who places faith in Jesus (Rom. 8:11). As we let the Holy Spirit have control, He’ll guide us into all truth (John 16:13) and empower us to achieve whatever God calls us to do.

Sin separated mankind from God, and we were spiritually dead. Jesus is the way to eternal life (John 14:6), and the Holy Spirit provides the divine power and guidance to live righteously. What blessed assurance!

Bible in One Year: Jeremiah 49-50

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