I was recently asked to write a devotion to be published in a journal that will be distributed at a men’s conference. What you see below is the devotion written for Christian men on the subject of our commitment to God as a Christian man.
Ephesians 2:8-9 – “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, [9] not a result of works, so that no one may boast. [10] For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them” (ESV).
Consider these grand truths for a moment. First, we have been saved by the grace of God rather than our own works. God Himself has given us faith to believe and all of this is a gift from God. In verse 10, we are referred to as the “workmanship” of God. It says that we were “created” in Christ Jesus for good works. That’s the point of the Christian life! God caused us to be born again in order that our lives would be spent for His glory. God owns us because He has purchased us through the blood of His Son! We must consider our calling and realize that our life is not about us. The Christian life is not described by the bumper sticker that reads, “He who dies with the most toys wins.” The Christian life is all about the glory of God rather than the glory of man.
The American man prides himself on the idea of individuality, power, freedom, and the ultimate goal for this iconic man is to achieve the American dream. Unfortunately, almost all of that type of thinking stands directly opposed to God’s design and plan for us as His children. We are called to submission. We are called to serve King Jesus. We are called to obedience. We are called to a life of surrender and sacrifice.
As a Christian, it’s important that we look at the relationship that we have with our heavenly Father. He is the sovereign God who spoke the world into existence and has been committed to us from before the foundation of the world when He planned the death of His Son to pay for our sins (Acts 2:23; 1 Peter 2:24). When I ask my children how much they love me, they will often say, “All the way to Pluto and back to Earth ten billion times.” Considering that Pluto is approximately 3.1 billion miles from Earth – that’s a lot of love! However, as we look at the Father’s love for us, no words can describe it accurately. God loves us with infinite love and has been committed to our salvation from before He ever spoke the world into existence.
The question for us to wrestle with today is this: Do we live life in such a self-centered way that we are merely throwing God a bone once or twice a week? How committed are we to the eternal glory of God? Does our lifestyle reflect the love that we claim to have for God? We need to realize that life is speeding by at breakneck speeds and will soon be gone. We only have one life to live. It is our duty to honor and glorify God rather than chasing the dreams of a secular society. Will you spend your life for King Jesus? Are you ashamed of Him? Is Jesus worthy of your sacrifice and devotion? Charles Spurgeon once said, “I know of nothing which I would choose to have as the subject of my ambition for life than to be kept faithful to my God till death, still to be a soul winner, still to be a true herald of the cross, and testify the name of Jesus to the last hour.” I encourage you as a man of God to live your life unashamed of King Jesus so that in your dying hour you will have no regrets!
For the glory of God,
Pastor Josh Buice
