P + F: Day Four

Galatians 4:4-7; Ephesians 2:8-9; Romans 5:8-11; Hebrews 4:12-16; Matthew 16:13-20

“But when the set time had fully come, God sent His Son, born of a woman, born under the law.” (Gal 4:4, NIV) Have you ever wondered why Jesus was born when He was, and where He was? With modern technology and communication, it seems that news about His birth would have spread faster and farther had He been born in the 20th century. Make no mistake, God is a God of time and timing. The world Jesus was born into was Greco-Roman. The influences of Alexander the Great and Herod the Great marked the culture significantly. The Greeks worshiped gods who looked like men. To them, men became gods. At that moment in history and stark contrast, God became man. As Scripture tells and retells, we are saved by grace, through faith, and in Christ alone. Being in a relationship with Jesus gives us access to the Father, to the throne of grace and the power of the Holy Spirit. There is no other name under heaven to be saved and no other access to God but through His Son. Jesus asks Peter a question that echoes throughout time to each one of us. Who do you say that I am? How Peter answered that changed everything for him. How would you answer that question today? How you answer will change everything for you as well. Is there a time when you said yes to the invitation to a relationship with God through His Son Jesus? If you are not sure, there is no better day than today, and no better time than right now. Romans 10:9 says, “If you declare with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” (NIV) It’s as simple as that. If you have yet to cross the line of faith by saying yes to a relationship with Jesus, I invite you to do that now, in your own words from your heart to His. You can use the prayer below as a starting point.