Daily Devotion with Pastor Tong Liu: Daily Devotion

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River of Life Christian Church ︳www.rolcc.net/english

Matthew 12:46-50

While Jesus was still talking to the crowd, his mother and brothers stood outside, wanting to speak to him. Someone told him, "Your mother and brothers are standing outside, wanting to speak to you." He replied to him, "Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?" pointing to his disciples, he said, "Here are my mother and my brothers. For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother."

Some people feel that Jesus is cruel towards His family, for He seems have no feeling or care about His mother and His brothers in this passage of scriptures. That's a misunderstanding, for it is clear throughout the Bible that Jesus cares about His mother and His siblings. But here Jesus is presenting an important truth: salvation is personal. Salvation is about individual relationship with God, that when one receives Christ as personal Lord and Savior, His salvation comes upon us.

Salvation is individualistic, without backdoors. A pastor once said, "God has many children but no grandchildren." Not only God has no grandchildren, He has neither son-in-law nor daughter-in-law. It is impossible for you to go to heaven because of your wife is a Christian. We cannot get saved corporately, for the grace of God come to us individually.

That's why Jesus asked, "Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?" His mother and brothers do not enter the kingdom of God by the biological relationships they have with Jesus. The condition of entering the kingdom of God is stated in verse 50, "For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother. In other words, one must do the will of God in order to enter the kingdom of God, and nothing else can bring him to God.

Dear brothers and sisters, do you have this personal relationship with God? Do you truly know this God? Have you received Christ into your lives as your personal Lord and savior? If you have not, today is the best time to do so, open your hearts and welcome Jesus to work in your life, and then you will receive His salvation. Are you willing to do it?

Pray with Pastor Tong

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Dear Lord, I pray for those who are willing to receive You as their savior. Maybe some of them have been attending church for years and have heard many things concerning You, but have yet to have a personal relationship with you. I pray that Your Holy Spirit will open their hearts so that they will come before You and receive You as their personal Lord and savior. May Your salvation come upon them today. I thank you and pray all these in the mighty name of Jesus, Amen!