Daily Devotional for Friday, July 22

The Cost of Redemption

You will never know this side of Heaven how great a sacrifice God made by sending His only begotten Son Jesus to shed His most precious blood to save you. Think for a moment of your most precious possession. Maybe it is your children or your spouse. Maybe you first thought of your salvation. Now imagine taking that most precious possession and giving it to someone else. And not only to someone else, but to someone who will abuse and destroy it. Would you do it? Would you give your child to someone who will abuse and then kill your child? Unthinkable! This is what God did for you. 

A little understanding of the cost of your salvation should be a great motivation to do your best for the Lord. The Hebrew writer instructs you to look to Jesus, the author and finisher of your faith, and to see Him endure the cross and endure hostility from sinners against Himself. This is the remedy for weariness and discouragement in your faithful service to the Lord (Hebrews 12:2, 3). 

Paul said the love of Christ “constraineth” him (2 Corinthians 5:14). What Paul meant is that the love of Christ compelled him, controlled him, to sacrifice whatever necessary to complete his race for the Lord. The best motivation for you to give your all for God is to see that He has already given His all for you.

Thought: Since God gave you so much in salvation, should you not give Him your best?

Phillip Miller