Devotionals from my Bible app: Acknowledge Jesus (1 John 4:15)

Note before sharing the devotional: due to a lag of about a couple weeks between when these devotionals first hit my app, and to when they finally make all the way to the blog, I'm still publishing an Advent devotional in January. But it's still important. Advent is a two-fold season, where we anticipate Jesus's two arrivals, one of which happened (Him being born around 2,000 years ago), and the other which is yet to come. We are still awaiting Jesus's return. This means He is still relevant. This means salvation is still at hand. This means that we must at the very least acknowledge Him and confess that He is indeed the Son of God. Without these two things, one is not saved. But when we acknowledge and receive Him as our Savior and especially as our Lord, and we believe that God did indeed raise Him from the dead (Romans 10:9), then we are saved.

It's one decision. But it's the most important one you will ever make. Why not acknowledge and receive Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior?

Acknowledge Jesus

The average person makes over 35,000 decisions a day. That’s an average of 1,500 decisions an hour (if you were awake for 24 hours). From opening your eyes and getting out of bed to choosing to read this sentence, your life is composed of thousands of seemingly small decisions that shape the course of your day.

Every decision we make matters, but the most important decision we will ever make is whether we choose to follow Jesus Christ. Believing in Jesus not only changes our life on earth but also determines our life for eternity. Those who believe and follow Jesus will join Him in heaven one day.

Choosing to believe and follow Jesus changes everything. We are not only saved for eternity, but we also get to have a relationship with God today. We have this assurance because God lives in us, and we live in Him. God’s Word says that when we believe in Him, the Spirit of God lives within us, empowering us to live according to God’s will.

Wherever we go and whatever we do in life, God will always be with us. Since we have a relationship with Him, we can talk with Him anytime. His Spirit will grant us peace when we’re fearful and grace when we mess up.

This Advent season, as we prepare our hearts to celebrate His birth, let's ponder the profound impact of acknowledging Jesus Christ in our lives. May our acknowledgment of Jesus not merely be a proclamation but a lifestyle—an embodiment of the love, grace, and hope He brings into our lives and the lives of those around us.

Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. 1 John 4:15, ESV

https://bible.com/bible/59/1jn.4.15.ESV