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If Not for God - Your Daily Forward Devotional

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In The Days of the Judges

In The Days of the Judges

A Glimmer of Hope

A Glimmer of Hope

Bitter or a Believer?

Bitter or a Believer?

Great Faithfulness

Great Faithfulness

Bitter Emptiness

Bitter Emptiness

God Intended It For Good

God Intended It For Good

Getting Started...

Getting Started...

The True Vine

  • Jun 3, 2023

The True Vine

The Way

  • Jun 2, 2023

The Way

The Resurrection and the Life

  • Jun 1, 2023

The Resurrection and the Life

The Good Shepherd

  • May 31, 2023

The Good Shepherd

The Door

  • May 30, 2023

The Door

The Bread and the Light

  • May 29, 2023

The Bread and the Light

John Saw It All

  • May 27, 2023

John Saw It All

Worry About Yourself

  • May 26, 2023

Worry About Yourself

Count the Cost

  • May 25, 2023

Count the Cost

Do You Love God?

  • May 24, 2023

Do You Love God?

Jump All In

  • May 23, 2023

Jump All In

Gone Fishing Again

  • May 22, 2023

Gone Fishing Again

You May Have Life In His Name

  • May 20, 2023

You May Have Life In His Name

The Disciple Who Believed

  • May 19, 2023

The Disciple Who Believed

The Disciple Who Doubted

  • May 18, 2023

The Disciple Who Doubted

APRIL - JUNE 2023
January - March 2023
October - December 2022
July - September 2022
April - June 2022
January - March 2022
October - December 2021
July - September 2021
April - June 2021
January - March 2021

A Trustworthy Testament

  • Mar 31, 2021

A Trustworthy Testament

Is the Bible True?

  • Mar 30, 2021

Is the Bible True?

The Word of God

  • Mar 29, 2021

The Word of God

Fullness of Joy

  • Mar 27, 2021

Fullness of Joy

You Can’t Earn It

  • Mar 26, 2021

You Can’t Earn It

Once for All

  • Mar 25, 2021

Once for All

Unrighteous Righteous Deeds

  • Mar 24, 2021

Unrighteous Righteous Deeds

The Door

  • Mar 23, 2021

The Door

Peace with God or Peace Among Men?

  • Mar 22, 2021

Peace with God or Peace Among Men?

Who Is the King of Your Life?

  • Mar 20, 2021

Who Is the King of Your Life?

A God Who Gets It

  • Mar 19, 2021

A God Who Gets It

Ransom Paid, Fully Redeemed

  • Mar 18, 2021

Ransom Paid, Fully Redeemed

Jesus Alone Saves

  • Mar 17, 2021

Jesus Alone Saves

The Son of God

  • Mar 16, 2021

The Son of God

Is Jesus Really Who He Said He Was?

  • Mar 15, 2021

Is Jesus Really Who He Said He Was?

Justified into Sainthood

  • Mar 13, 2021

Justified into Sainthood

Let’s Stick Together

  • Mar 12, 2021

Let’s Stick Together

Take Care to Remember

  • Mar 11, 2021

Take Care to Remember

Lying to Ourselves

  • Mar 10, 2021

Lying to Ourselves

His Spirit Within Us

  • Mar 9, 2021

His Spirit Within Us

Handmade Humans

  • Mar 8, 2021

Handmade Humans

The Life You Deserve

  • Mar 6, 2021

The Life You Deserve

There is No Other

  • Mar 5, 2021

There is No Other

God Knows You

  • Mar 4, 2021

God Knows You

The Perfect Father

  • Mar 3, 2021

The Perfect Father

Our Constant

  • Mar 2, 2021

Our Constant

It Was No Accident

  • Mar 1, 2021

It Was No Accident

The Key to Being Bold

  • Feb 26, 2021

The Key to Being Bold

Battle Ready

  • Feb 25, 2021

Battle Ready

A Working Witness

  • Feb 24, 2021

A Working Witness

Raise Them Right

  • Feb 23, 2021

Raise Them Right

Leading in Love

  • Feb 22, 2021

Leading in Love

Submission: It’s Not What You Think

  • Feb 19, 2021

Submission: It’s Not What You Think

Be Intentional

  • Feb 18, 2021

Be Intentional

Children of Light

  • Feb 17, 2021

Children of Light

Empty Words

  • Feb 16, 2021

Empty Words

The Art of Imitation

  • Feb 15, 2021

The Art of Imitation

Watch Your Mouth

  • Feb 12, 2021

Watch Your Mouth

Honest Living

  • Feb 11, 2021

Honest Living

Before You Knew Him

  • Feb 10, 2021

Before You Knew Him

Don’t Give Yourself Up

  • Feb 9, 2021

Don’t Give Yourself Up

The Healthy Doctrine Diet

  • Feb 8, 2021

The Healthy Doctrine Diet

Stewarding Your Gifts

  • Feb 5, 2021

Stewarding Your Gifts

A Common Creed

  • Feb 4, 2021

A Common Creed

Bear With One Another

  • Feb 3, 2021

Bear With One Another

Unimaginable Power

  • Feb 2, 2021

Unimaginable Power

Knowing Love

  • Feb 1, 2021

Knowing Love

Be Strengthened

  • Jan 29, 2021

Be Strengthened

Fall on Your Knees

  • Jan 28, 2021

Fall on Your Knees

From Suffering to Glory

  • Jan 27, 2021

From Suffering to Glory

Why Am I Here?

  • Jan 26, 2021

Why Am I Here?

Discovered Treasure

  • Jan 25, 2021

Discovered Treasure

The Gift of Serving

  • Jan 22, 2021

The Gift of Serving

Bound and Determined

  • Jan 21, 2021

Bound and Determined

You Belong Here

  • Jan 20, 2021

You Belong Here

All Access Pass

  • Jan 19, 2021

All Access Pass

We Are One

  • Jan 18, 2021

We Are One

No Longer Outsiders

  • Jan 15, 2021

No Longer Outsiders

A Useful Gift

  • Jan 14, 2021

A Useful Gift

If Not for God

  • Jan 13, 2021

If Not for God

You Were Dead

  • Jan 12, 2021

You Were Dead

How Powerful Is Our God?

  • Jan 11, 2021

How Powerful Is Our God?

That You May Know

  • Jan 8, 2021

That You May Know

There Are Guarantees in Life

  • Jan 7, 2021

There Are Guarantees in Life

The Master Plan

  • Jan 6, 2021

The Master Plan

Glorious Grace

  • Jan 5, 2021

Glorious Grace

Chosen Ones

  • Jan 4, 2021

Chosen Ones

Grace and Peace

  • Jan 1, 2021

Grace and Peace

October - December 2020
July - September 2020
April - June 2020
January - March 2020
backtothebiblebttb2
Back to the BibleJan 13, 2021 7:00 am GMT

If Not for God

 

January 13

 

Read Ephesians 2:4-7

But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ-by grace you have been saved and raised us up with Him and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages He might show the immeasurable riches of His grace in kindness towards us in Christ Jesus.

 

Reflect

What did God do for us, and why did He do it?

 

Yesterday, we remembered our old sinful ways before Christ. We recalled how we were dead in our sins. We were controlled by the world, Satan, and our flesh. If that was the end of the story, it would sure be depressing.

 

But it’s not the end of the story. Paul starts today’s passage with the most encouraging and hope-filled words I have ever read. “But God.” We were dead, but God made us alive in Jesus Christ. We were doomed, but God saved us. We were condemned to hell, but God raised us up and seated us with Him in heaven!

 

Why did He do that for us? Because that is who He is. Paul said, He did it because He is rich in mercy. Because He loved us with a “great” love even when we were dead in our sins. He did it to show the generations that His grace is without measure and that He is abundantly kind to us. He did it for His glory but for our own good.

 

We are sinful and disobedient in nature, but God is not. The Psalmist says, “The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love” (Psalm 103:8). He is rich in mercy, grace, patience, and faithful love. That is His nature.

 

Friends, we could not save ourselves. But God could, and He did. If not for God, we would still be dead in our sins. But because of God, we have been made alive! Let’s spend some time praising God for who He is and what He did for us today.

 

Pray

God, I know I didn’t do anything to deserve Your loving kindness, and yet out of Your abundance of grace, mercy, and love, You offered it to me. Thank You for bringing me back to life in Jesus. You have been so good to me. Amen.



~ Pastor Nat Crawford

 

 

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D
David
2 years ago
But God, I give You thanks and praise, and confess that had it not been for Your grace toward me, I would have been lost to satan and his imps. Hallelujah to the Lamb of God!
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rgomezgarciavirginia
virginia
2 years ago
*THANKYOUJESUS*
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A
Annette
2 years ago
All that I am and I have I owe to one man, Jesus Christ. Thank you Lord for allowing him to die so violently for ny sins
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A
Annette
2 years ago
Were it not for God, where would we be today
2
likeReply
2 years ago
Thank you Lord for bringing me back to life in Jesus. I didn't do anything to deserve Your loving Kindness. It was out of Your abundance of grace, mercy and love You did it. Thank You.
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