Daily Devotion (January 26, 2025)
Matthew 28:18-20And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.
Whether you have accepted Christ in your life or not He still has authority over you. Jesus’ authority covers not only Heaven but also what happen on earth. Having accepted Christ as your Savior, you have also accepted Him as the Lord of your life. That means He has authority over you. We accept that authority. Only Christ authority can bring us true success in life.
Jesus has commissioned us to go into the world and make disciples. We are to be witnesses to the world of Jesus. We bring the new disciples into the church and baptize them. Then we do something extremely important. We teach them about Christ. We are to teach them all things that have been commanded by Christ.
An observed problem many churches have is found in the teaching part. Many who have accepted Christ and then left alone. Can you imagine a newborn baby coming into the world and expected to grow by himself. No one there to help him grow. No one there to feed him. No one there to give him the knowledge to survive. Many have made a true confession in Christ but there was no one to help the new disciple to grow.
The church has an ongoing responsibility to teach, to nurture the newborn disciple in Christ. Jesus has made a promise to the church that He will be with us always. To the newborn Christian that promise is given. There is an ongoing growth process of growth in the Christian life. When does it end? I do not know what happens on the other side of death. I do know what happens before death. We do have the presence of Christ, His Holy Spirit in our lives. We are to allow Him to lead us and help us to grow. Jesus promise to us is His eternal presence in our lives. The church has a vital role in nurturing new believers. Nurturing new believers helps them grow and thrive in their faith. All members of the church are involved in helping each other to grow in Christ.