Category: Character of Christ

What More Could He Do?

Our Heavenly Father Cares Devotional — March 16, 2025

“But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” —Romans 5:8

“What more could He do? The Father loved us so much ‘that He gave His beloved Son’ (John 3:16).” Because of Redemption, we demonstrate our love for God, the Father, and Jesus Christ, God, the Son for their plan to save our souls through daily personal worship, surrender, and faithful obedience.

Prayer is our connection to Jesus who is still serving humanity as our Heavenly Intercessor [Jesus receives our prayers], Forgives our sins, and Mediates for us. “Jesus answered, ‘I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me'” (John 14:6).

Daily worship includes consecrating oneself to a sacrificial life—living a Christ-centered, faith-based life. Surrendering our desires in exchange for God’s plans is the greatest challenge in our Journey with Jesus. Although we are gifted with self-control, we must pray for the Divine Strength to overcome temptation.

Worship invites the Holy Spirit to convict our hearts when pursuing our desires and allows us to receive in-depth wisdom to understand and appreciate God’s greatest gift to humanity, The Plan of Redemption. Humility is the spiritual catalyst required to actively participate with the Holy Spirit to receive spiritual wisdom and character transformation.

“…continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling,” Philippians 2:12

Christianity is much more than attending church every week. Our salvation requires continuous cooperation with the Holy Spirit. We cannot change ourselves! Heart conversion begins our spiritual journey. Sanctification is the spiritual lifelong process of daily spiritual growth and character transformation.

Yes, the Holy Spirit performs our transformation, but God also requires the human effort of faith, obedience, and works: “Those who have genuine love for God will manifest an earnest desire to know His will and to do it.” Personal worship demonstrates our love for God which is revealed by separating ourselves from life’s distractions to enter into His presence [at least twice a day].

“We have the responsibility to cooperate with the Holy Spirit to live out our faith with humility and reverence, recognizing that God is the Source of our salvation and ability to live a life pleasing to Him.” Without the commitment to faithfully seek God through prayer and study of the Holy Scriptures, the depth of Christ’s amazing love for humanity cannot be understood, nor will we desire to seek and fulfill God’s plans.

“Remain united to me, and I will remain united to you. A branch cannot bear fruit by itself; it can do so only if it remains in the vine. In the same way you cannot bear fruit unless you remain in me.” — John 15:4 (Good News Translation)

We desperately need Jesus to live as overcomers. It is the transforming power of God’s Spoken Words that keeps us grounded and faithful in our relationship with Christ. Scriptural knowledge must include the Life of Christ with an emphasis on His Righteous Character. Still, knowledge alone cannot save us, discipline, self-control, surrender, and obedience demonstrate our willingness to live as faithful followers [disciples] of Christ.

“But Jesus Himself would often slip away to the wilderness and pray [in seclusion]” (Luke 5:16). Christ revealed the importance of solitude to maintain His connection to God through prayer. Many believers do not feel that Jesus lived as a human being with limitations as we have, the Scriptures prove that Jesus did not possess the same Divine power on earth as He possessed in heaven.

Jesus’ question to Peter at the time of His arrest in the Garden of Gethsemane reveals that Christ was 100% human and had to depend on God, the Father for the strength to live Holy and to perform miracles: “Or Do you think that I cannot now pray to My Father, and He will provide Me with more than twelve legions of angels?” (Matthew 26:53).

We have the same access to God’s Divine Power as Jesus did in His earthly life. How do we accomplish this? “Jesus replied: ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind’ ” (Matthew 22:37).

Loving God is the foundation of our relationship with Jesus Christ. We study the Bible to know who He is and maintain our earth-to-heaven connection to Him through much prayer. From studying “The Four Gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John” we gain an intimate, heart-to-heart relationship with Christ. Heartfelt love and faith combined with Biblical knowledge allows us to fall in love with Yeshua and our response will be to do His will.

“Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love” (Revelation 2:4). Yes, without fail, Jesus loves us, but He also clarifies that He must be our first love. Without committing John chapters 16-21 to memory and reflecting on Jesus’ sacrificial gift every day, Calvary’s Cross will not have a life-transforming impact on our hearts. Jesus’ greatest gift to you and me will only be perceived as a historical event. What more could He do?

A Time to Reflect: When we first accepted Christ as our personal Savior, we were excited and readily shared our decision and commitment to becoming a Christian. As time passed, the journey became tough. We had to choose right over wrong, truth instead of worldviews, and we succumbed to the busyness of life. The believer’s lifestyle involves a daily decision to resist the temptations that interfere with the personal worship required to strengthen our relationship with Christ.

“Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.” —James 4:8

What more can we do? For Christ to remain our First Love requires intentionality, courage, and time management. Our spiritual perception must be highly sensitized to recognize the desires, interruptions, distractions, and screen time that threaten to keep us from inviting the presence of God into our lives. Consistent worship invites the Holy Spirit to shower us with the blessings of spiritual wisdom, discernment, and strength that we desperately need to renounce sin.  

From the Earth’s beauty that is still intact and the progression of technology, we know that God desires us to be well-rounded—possessing a diverse set of skills, experiences, and interests. Even so, our highest priority is to remain a steadfast Christian amidst the constant presence of evil. Without hesitation, we learn to say No to time-wasting activities that do not enhance our spiritual and personal growth.

“Now let me sing to my Well-beloved A song of my Beloved regarding His vineyard: My Well-beloved has a vineyard On a very fruitful hill. He dug it up and cleared out its stones, And planted it with the choicest vine. He built a tower in its midst, And also made a winepress in it; So He expected it to bring forth good grapes, But it brought forth wild grapes.” —Isaiah 5:1-2

“What more could have been done to My vineyard That I have not done in it?
Why then, when I expected it to bring forth good grapes, Did it bring forth wild grapes?” —Isaiah 5:4

The parable identifies our spiritual status of whether we are good grapes or wild grapes. Every day our decisions, habits, and lifestyles demonstrate love for Christ or love for ourselves. Only the good grapes seek to do more for Christ through a sacrificial life of faithful dedication.

God gave His beloved Son, Jesus to save our souls by giving us the option of choosing Redemption and living forever in the New Heaven and New Earth. Now Jesus asks, “What more can I do for humanity?” “It is finished!”

Lord God, we surrender ourselves to Your perfect will. Thank You for loving us unconditionally and dying on Calvary. Thank You for giving us the option to overcome sin and choose a life of righteousness. We realize that You have given Your all. Lord, we pray for the desire and strength to love You by faithfully doing our part through daily consecration. In Jesus’ Holy Name, we pray, Amen.

© 2025 STEPS 2 Success with Spiritual Solutions Ministry

Worshiping God In Spirit and Truth

Our Daily Walk with Christ Devotional – January 19, 2025

“God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” —John 4:24

  1. Spirit: “Worshiping in spirit means worshiping from within, without formalism or traditionalism. It means having a new disposition and a humble, grateful heart.”
  2. Truth: “Worshiping in truth means worshiping based on a correct understanding of God and what He requires. It means having a true perception of God and obeying His word [The Bible].”
  3. Balance: “Worshiping in spirit and truth requires a balance of emotion and thought. Without emotion, worship can be lifeless, and without truth, worship is empty.”

    “Since we live by the Spirit, let us walk in step with the Spirit.” —Galatians 5:25

The religion of Christ means more than the forgiveness of sin it means [Christ] taking away our sins, and filling the emptiness with the graces of the Holy Spirit. It means divine illumination, rejoicing in God. It means a heart emptied of self and blessed with the abiding presence of Christ. When Christ reigns in the soul there is purity and freedom from sin. The glory, the fulness, and the completeness of the gospel plan are fulfilled in the life. —Christ’s Object Lessons

“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of My Father in heaven.” —Luke 6:46

God’s Love is unconditional, yet to receive His benefits [including the reward of Eternal Life] requires total obedience to His Righteous Conditions of Participation in the Plan of Redemption. Obedience is worship that reveals our love, loyalty, and willingness to seek God’s Divine will. Our affirmation of “I choose not to sin against God” reveals our steadfast love and faith in God and renounces self-reliance.

Obedience Is Worship

God’s Promise to Abraham: “As for me, this is my covenant with you: You will be the father of many nations. No longer will you be called Abram; your name will be Abraham, for I have made you a father of many nations.” —Genesis 17:4-5, NIV

God Tests Abraham’s Faith: “Now it came to pass after these things that God tested Abraham, and said to him, ‘Abraham!’ And he said, ‘Here I am.’ Then He said, ‘Take now your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.’ ” —Genesis 22:1-2

It is quite amazing that God would ask faithful Abraham to sacrifice Isaac whose birth fulfilled God’s promise to make Abraham the father of nations. “Child Sacrifice of the first-born sons was a common practice among pagan tribes to ensure their land would reap the prosperity of abundant crops” (myjewishlearning.com).

God always tests our faith, and Abraham understood this was a test of faith. Still, the spiritual meaning of God commanding the sacrifice of Isaac was it foreshadowed [an indication of a future event] God sacrificing Jesus, His only Son on Calvary’s Cross. “The story shows how God provided a substitute for Isaac’s sacrifice, just as he would later provide Jesus as a substitute for all of humanity’s sins.”

Abraham’s Response: “On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance. He said to his servants, ‘Stay here with the donkey while I and the boy go over there. We will worship and then we will come back to you.’ ” —Genesis 22:4-5, NIV

Abraham’s directive to his servants indicates that he understood God’s requisite of total obedience and one of profound faith. “When we learn to walk by faith and not by feeling, we will have help from God just when we need it, and His peace will come into our hearts.” The defining characteristic of a true believer is Faith in God demonstrated by a life of surrender and obedience.

Scriptures Identifying God, the Father Required Obedience From Jesus

  1. “For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but to do the will of Him who sent Me” (John 6:38).
  2. “And He who sent Me is with Me. The Father has not left Me alone, for I always do those things that please Him” (John 8:29).
  3. “He went a little farther and fell on His face, and prayed, saying, ‘O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will” (Matthew 26:39).
  4. “[Christ]…who, in the days of His flesh, when He had offered up prayers and supplications, with vehement cries and tears to Him who was able to save Him from death, and was heard because of His godly fear, though He was a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things which He suffered” (Hebrews 5:7-8).
  5. “And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross” (Philippians 2:8).

“I and the Father are one” (John 10:30). Jesus was One with God, yet, when clothed in human flesh, Jesus was never presumptuous and remained devoted to God, the Father, always seeking His will through constant prayer. Even in Gethsemane when Jesus asked His Father to take the cup away, God’s answer was “No, Son,” Jesus obeyed by fulfilling the Plan of Redemption for you and me.

“For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but to do the will of Him who sent Me.” —John 6:38

Brothers and Sisters, we are too distracted by earthly success and trinkets to reflect deeply on Jesus’ obedient sacrifice to save our souls. Abraham identified obedience as steadfast worship to God, “We will worship and then we will come back to you.” We must have the mind of Christ who always surrendered and obeyed God in His earthly life. Without total surrender to God, we develop a rebellious spirit as Cain did leading to a spiritual separation from God.

Making the commitment to faithfully obey God is to worship Him in spirit and truth. We express gratitude for the mercies of a new day through surrender. Our prayers should ascend to Christ, our Intercessor, and Mediator throughout our waking hours asking for the Holy Spirit to teach us how to recognize God’s Voice.

“LORD, I know that people’s lives are not their own; it is not for them to direct their steps” (Jeremiah 10:23). Worship is a lifestyle of reverencing God. We desperately need the Divine strength and power of the Holy Spirit to stand down our carnal desires and overcome daily temptation. Obedience aligns our hearts with the will of God which is the only way to worship God in spirit and truth.

“The acceptance of the Saviour brings a glow of perfect peace, perfect love, perfect assurance. The beauty and fragrance of the character of Christ revealed in the life, testifies that God has indeed sent His Son into the world to be its Saviour” (Christ’s Object Lessons).

Prayer: Lord God, teach us how to worship You in spirit and truth. In Jesus’ Righteous Name, Amen.

© 2025 STEPS 2 Success with Spiritual Solutions Ministry