This Is Hopeಮಾದರಿ

Day 1: Gospel as Our Motivation

People are motivated by all kinds of things in life — the pursuit of a more comfortable lifestyle, financial success, career aspirations, or simply acceptance and recognition. Motivations drive our decisions, shape our priorities, and determine what we pour our time and energy into.

But as followers of Christ, we are called to live for something far greater than temporary goals. The greatest motivation we could ever have is found in the Gospel. We who were once spiritually dead have been made alive in Christ.

Paul’s letter to the Ephesians opens with wonderful truths about our salvation and the riches of God’s grace lavished on believers. However in chapter 2, Paul paints a stark picture of our condition before Christ. We were once spiritually dead in our transgressions and sins, enslaved and living according to our fleshly desires and thoughts. Then comes verse 4: “But God…”. In two words, Paul signals a powerful turning point for all believers. Despite our hopeless state and deserving of wrath, God showed us His great love and mercy. God did so not because of any good work we could have ever done. It is only because of His love and by His grace that we are saved. The Gospel is not a message of human achievement or goodness, but the good news of divine rescue.

A true appreciation of the good news of our salvation must first be rooted in a deep awareness of our sin and desperate need for a Savior. If we forget how we were before and apart from Christ, we risk taking lightly the preciousness of what Christ has done for us. In light of this, our motivations can no longer be driven by self-fulfilment or personal dreams alone. We now live for the One who saved us.

How have your priorities changed since coming to know Christ? What are you motivated by in your pursuits in life? Do you still treasure your salvation, or has your heart grown cold and numb to His grace?

Embedded in Psalm 106 is a summary of a life of faith in God, confession of sin, remembrance of salvation and a singular focus on glorifying God. Let us never grow numb to the life-changing message of the Gospel. Let the Gospel be the motivation for all that we do, that in every pursuit, His grace is magnified through us.

Pray and reflect:

• Go to God in gratitude and in remembrance of your salvation. Thank God that salvation is not based on works, but on the richness of His grace alone. Pray that you will never take for granted the precious gift of the Gospel and your salvation.
• Reflect on what motivations drive your daily choices and long-term pursuits. Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to you areas in your life where you're still clinging to old patterns of living apart from Him.