Turn It Upside Down

James 1:18 Of His own will He brought us forth by the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures.

If we are truly reading and studying God's Word, as we should be, how can we not be amazed at God's goodness toward us? He sacrificed Himself for us, of His own will, and has made us "a kind of firstfruits of His creatures". The firstfruits was to be the very first part of the harvest, set aside solely unto the Lord; for His use. As born again believers, in Christ, we are set apart, consecrated, unto God for His holy purposes. How often do we, even as followers of Jesus, live a self-centered life? We live for "me, myself, and I". The term firstfruits, when used in respect to persons, means not only to be consecrated to God, but to be consecrated to God forever. This means that we, as true Christians, should be living in such a way that it would be obvious that we have become living sacrifices unto God, dead to the world and self, but alive to God in every way. One of the enemy's tactics is to make us think that we are not good enough to serve God. He loves to remind us of our past life and its failures. However, in order for us to be firstfruits of God, we must be perfect. Each of us knows that in and of ourselves we will never be perfect, in this lifetime. However, by the grace of God, in Christ Jesus, we have been declared "perfect" and "not guilty". The bottom line is that this life is not about us. It is all about Jesus; and as such, we must live a life that reflects the glory of God. We are His ambassadors, reflecting His light, sharing His salt, taking up our cross each day, demonstrating our love for Him by our obedience to His commands. If we truly live in appreciation for what God has done for us, in Christ, it will be clearly visible, and the Lord will be able to effectively open doors of opportunity for us to share the Gospel with others. Let us remember that our perfection, as firstfruits, is not our own, but Christ's. Therefore, let us go forward with the confidence we have in Christ, and turn this world upside down for Jesus!

Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Rom 6:23). Will you accept it? Anyone who calls on Jesus, by faith, in repentance, confessing your sins, will receive eternal life. Do not put off calling on Him, and receive His free gift of salvation today (Rom 10:13).