Daily Devotion with Pastor Tong Liu: Today's Passage

2 Corinthians 13:5-9

Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you--unless, of course, you fail the test? And I trust that you will discover that we have not failed the test. Now we pray to God that you will not do anything wrong. Not that people will see that we have stood the test but that you will do what is right even though we may seem to have failed. For we cannot do anything against the truth, but only for the truth. We are glad whenever we are weak but you are strong; and our prayer is for your perfection.

Paul was reminding the weak in faith of their responsibility and at the same time comforting them. Sometimes when we say we have faith, we actually do not really have faith, because the faith we are talking about is merely intellectual faith, not a living and active faith. Intellectual faith allows us to understand that the Lord has resurrected and overcome sin and the world and we are co-heirs with Christ. However, many believers find it hard to believe that we can do nothing without God, and with God we can do everything. Our faith is not living and active, but merely faith in theory. If we truly have faith, we need to live out our faith and declare victory over the enemy, over the world and over sin.

Next we need to understand that as long as Jesus is in our hearts, we are not forsaken. Many believers often think that they are forsaken. They are deceived by the accusations of the enemy and think that they do not belong to God. They think that their sins cannot be forgiven and live in the nightmare that God will not completely accept them. The truth is that our spiritual life is God's mercy from beginning to end. Because of God's mercy, we are born again, we can be used by God and we can stand before God. God does not bless us because we are better. In the same way, it is not because we are weak that God hides His face from us. As long as we are born again Christians, Christ is living in us and God has given us the Holy Spirit who is the Comforter to dwell in us forever.

Do you know that we are never forsaken? Hallelujah! You need to declare victory over the enemy every day. Praise the Lord each day when you get up in the morning. In everything you do, praise the Lord and declare that this day belongs to the Lord. In this way, you can experience God's victory.

Pray with Pastor Tong

Lord, I thank you because you have won the victory. May you personally comfort brothers and sisters who are weak. Help them see that they are not forsaken because you dwell in their hearts. You are seated on the throne and are leading them towards victory. May you comfort them today. I thank you and pray in the victorious name of Jesus, Amen!

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