Steeped in Faith: Daily Devotional

Steeped in Faith: A Devotional Systematic Theology is a project designed to get you deep into theology and, more importantly, to help that theology lead you to a place of worship, love, and service of God.

James 2:19 famously says, “You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder” (WEB). The phrase there is one God is a quotation of the Shema (Deut. 6:4) and refers to the orthodox Old Testament faith. In other words, the believers to whom James wrote were actually believers. But their faith hadn’t yet penetrated deeply enough into their souls.

Put simply, orthodox beliefs just aren’t the same thing as a wise, mature, and active faith.

Steeped in Faith seeks to beyond traditional systematic theologies. We not only explore the standard technical theological issues (soteriology, eschatology, the hypostatic union, etc.), but we’re striving to show how those ideas can translate into that active faith we’re all hoping to develop.

So get a cup of coffee (or tea, or whatever!) and settle in! Read the first four entries here or put in your request below and start getting each entry in your inbox TODAY!

Day 1

The Mystery of Christ: Fully God, Fully Man

I’ve always thought that Undercover Boss had a great premise. I could imagine myself talking to a new coworker only to find out later he was really “the big boss.” The idea of a powerful authority veiling themselves to walk among us also reminds me of Jesus.But His story wasn’t just for our entertainment. His question to His disciples, “Who do you say that I am?” (Matt. 16:15; Mark 8:27; Luke 9:20), remains to this day the question every heart must answer, because everything else in Christianity hinges on it. It gets at the very center of Jesus’s life and ministry. Who is Jesus? The “Big Reveal” will happen before the whole world. But for now, each one of us has to answer that for ourselves.

Christianity is nothing less than this answer: Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, both fully man and fully God. This truth sits at the heart of the gospel and the foundation of our faith. In fact, the more deeply we encounter it, the more its living reality transforms us.

Fully God: The Savior Who Can Save

You’ve probably heard that Jesus was born in Bethlehem (Matt. 2:1-2; Micah 5:2). But His story didn’t begin in that small town. It began before time itself. John says, In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. (John 1:1). Jesus, the Word made flesh (John 1:14), was already there at the very beginning. The Gospel continues, All things were made through him. Without him, nothing was made that has been made (John 1:3). We can see how John is reflecting on the words of Genesis 1, when God created just by speaking (Gen. 1:3,6,9,11,14,20,24,26). Jesus is the Creator, which shows that He is God in the flesh. In fact, if Jesus is our Savior, He must be God, since only God can save us (Isa. 43:11). Only the infinite, holy God could bear the penalty of sin, overcome death itself, and unite people with Himself. If Jesus were merely a good man or a wise teacher (as many still claim today), His death would have only been a tragedy. But as God, His death and resurrection are the doorway to life (John 10:9).

Fully Man: The Savior Who Knows Us

It’s easy to forget how radical the claim of Jesus’s identity truly is. It’s easier to forget the more radical claim that the God of the universe became a mere human who washed His own disciples’ feet (cf. John 13:1-17)! The same Word who was God also became flesh and lived among us (John 1:14). Jesus wasn’t just pretending to be human, like an undercover boss disguised as a frontliner. As a man, He experienced hunger (Matt. 21:18), fatigue (John 4:6), joy (Luke 10:21), sorrow (John 11:35), and even death (Mark 15:37). In fact, as He died, He was human enough to ask, My God, my God, why have You forsaken me? (Matt. 27:46). He really was human.

Indeed, it is through Jesus’s true humanity that He represents us before God. Jesus lived the life we could not (1 Pet. 2:21-24), fulfilled the Law perfectly (Matt. 5:17-19), and died the death we deserved (Rom. 5:8). His humanity means that He is like us. Hebrews 4:15 says that we don’t have a high priest who can’t be touched with the feeling of our infirmities, but one who has been in all points tempted like we are, yet without sin.

We can come to Jesus with our pains, doubts, and temptations because He knows what it’s like. He doesn’t stand by with distant sympathy, cold judgment, or even the mere awareness of an all-knowing God. He meets us right where we are, with a deep understanding born from His own human experience.

The Hypostatic Union: A Divine Mystery

Theologians call the idea that Jesus has two natures—one human and one divine—that are united in one person is the hypostaticunion. It’s worth learning the term, not to impress others, but to anchor ourselves in an understanding of who and what Christ is. Jesus is fully God and fully man (Phil. 2:5-11). He’s not a half-man, half-divine like the Greek demi-gods (think Hercules or Achilles). He is one person, perfectly united, and perfectly whole.

We may not fully grasp this, but perhaps the mystery is part of the point. If we could fit the Son of God in a box, He wouldn’t be much of a God. This doesn’t mean we can’t deepen our understanding. Eventually, we will, and there will be a lot to discuss (that’ s what Volume 2 of this series is for)! But for now, it’s enough to say “Amen” to the truths we can clearly see and that have been clearly revealed about who He is.

What Will You Say?

When Peter answered Jesus’ question, You are the Christ, the Son of the living God (Matt. 16:16), he was making a personal declaration of faith, not just a theological observation. But the real question now is, who do you say that Jesus is? Do you trust Him as fully God, able to save? Do you trust Him as fully man, walking with you through every trial? When the real “Undercover Boss” reveals Himself to the world, to each one of us, it won’t be the end of a reality show, but the dawn of eternity. Will you rejoice in knowing Him for who He is? Or will you realize the truth too late?

Closing Prayer

Lord Jesus Christ, I believe that, somehow, You are fully God and fully man. You are the Word who created all things, yet You walked among us. You are the Eternal God who entered time, the Almighty who bore our weakness. Draw nearer to me so that I might be drawn nearer to You, that I might trust You more deeply as my Savior and Lord. Help me, Jesus, to live in awe of Your divinity, to find comfort in Your humanity, and to answer with confidence, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Amen.

Questions for Reflection and Journaling

Who do you say that Jesus is? What is your understanding of His divinity and humanity?
How does knowing that Jesus is fully God impact your faith, especially in times of struggle?
What does Jesus’ humanity mean to you personally?
How does the mystery of the hypostatic union inspire us to worship?

Day 2

The Work of Christ: Love Revealed in Action

People have always been fascinated by love. It drives the plots of most movies. Poets write endlessly about it. I’m no different. I love my wife. When I was a kid, I loved baseball. And how could I fail to mention my love for coffee? (I call it Jesus Juice, because it raises me from the dead!) I’m sure you have people and things you love, too—people and things you are passionate about. That’s the way it’s always been, because people have always been enamored (pun intended) with love.

That doesn’t mean we’ve always thought about love in just the same way, though. In the ancient world, love was usually represented as a goddess—Aphrodite, Venus, Ishtar, Inanna, and countless others. The Greeks actually had four different words for love: eros was passionate love; philos was friendly love; storgē was the love of a parent for their child; and agapē was a selfless love of service. Those distinctions make sense. I don’t love my wife the same way I love sports or even coffee.

But what is love? Beyond coming up metaphors for it or listing different things that we love in different ways, can we get at what love is in itself? Is it just a word, just an emotion? Is it the feeling you get after eating a lot of chocolate? Or is it an action that costs something? The Bible gives a hint of an answer when it says that God is love (1 John 4:8). So, if Jesus is God in the flesh, then looking at Christ turns out to be the best way to know what real love is. In Him, love takes on its fullest expression. We see that expression in what He said, and especially in what He did. Through His incarnation, atonement, and resurrection, Jesus reveals the depth of God’s love and the power of His redemption.

The Incarnation: God Draws Near

Theologians use the word incarnation to describe the miracle of God stepping into His creation, taking on human flesh to dwell among His people. The Bible talks about this in John 1:14, which says, The Word became flesh [incarnated] and lived among us. Can you imagine the infinite, holy God humbling Himself to enter a broken and finite world?

That claim has always stood at the center of our faith. A lot of scholars think that Philippians 2:5-11 contain the words of one of the first Christian hymns ever written. I’d encourage you to pause and go read that passage. The line I want you to notice is the one that says that although Jesus existed in the form of God, [He] didn’t consider equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in the likeness of men (Phil. 2:6-7). The King of kings was born in a manger, walked dusty roads, and experienced hunger, pain, and sorrow. The incarnation was the beginning of God’s rescue mission. That mission, an act of love, began in His own humility. That means that love always begins in humility.

In humbling Himself by becoming flesh, God drew near to us. He walked in our brokenness. He became God with us (which is what the name Immanuel means), not distant or detached but fully present (Isa. 7:14; Matt. 1:23). The incarnation assures us that no matter where we are, God is willing to meet us there, because that’s what love does. It meets us right where we are.

The Atonement: Love Poured Out

Perhaps even more than the incarnation, the cross is the ultimate demonstration of love’s humility put into action. Romans 5:8 says, But God commends his own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. At Calvary, Jesus made atonement for our sins, bearing their weight for us and covered them with His own blood, satisfying God’s justice and reconciling us to Himself (Rom. 5:10; 2 Cor. 5:18-19; 1 John 2:2).

Isaiah 53:5 described this exchange about six hundred years before it ever happened: But he was pierced for our transgressions. He was crushed for our iniquities. The punishment that brought our peace was on Him; and by His wounds we are healed. Jesus certainly suffered that day, but what’s more important is that He suffered in our place. The cross was a work of substitution. Jesus bore the penalty that I deserved.

At the cross, therefore, we see both the depth of our sin and the immeasurable depth of God’s mercy. It reminds us that we aren’t loved because we’re worthy. We’re loved because He is love, and He has freely chosen to pour that love out on us.

The Resurrection: Love Victorious

As indispensable as both the incarnation and crucifixion are to our faith, however, resurrection is the lynchpin of the gospel. It’s so important that Paul wrote, If Christ has not been raised, your faith is vain; you are still in your sins (1 Cor. 15:17)! Without the resurrection, the cross would be meaningless. Death would have the final word. But Christ is risen, and in His resurrection, love has triumphed over sin and death.

On the one hand, the resurrection proves that Jesus’ atoning work was sufficient. It assures us that His promises are true. On the other hand, the resurrection means that Christ really has conquered death. He’s alive, so that we who believe in Him also live. The Bible calls Jesus the first fruit of those who are asleep (1 Cor. 15:20). Where there is a “first fruit”, there’s the promise of more fruit. So Jesus’s resurrection is a promise that just as He was raised, we will also be raised to eternal life. It guarantees that love never fails, because even in death, there is the promise of life to come (1 Cor. 13:8). Because of God’s humility in becoming human and dying on the cross, and because of his victory over death in His resurrection, we can be sure that love really does win after all.

What Will You Say?

The work of Christ—His incarnation, atonement, and resurrection—reveals the fullness of God’s love and thus what love is. He came to dwell with us, to die for us, and to rise in victory. These truths are the realities we live by.

Take a moment to reflect on the completeness of His work. Let the incarnation assure you of His presence, the cross of His mercy, and the resurrection of His victory. Rest in what He has done, and let it shape how you walk with Him today.

Closing Prayer

Lord Jesus, Your work is love revealed in action. You came near in the incarnation, You gave Yourself in the atonement, and You conquered death in the resurrection. Help me to live in the assurance of Your presence, the freedom of Your forgiveness, and the hope of Your victory. Draw me closer to You each day. Amen.

Questions for Reflection and Journaling

What does the incarnation mean to you personally? How does it change the way you see God’s presence in your life?
How does the cross help you understand both the weight of sin and the depth of God’s love?
In what ways does the resurrection give you hope and courage for the challenges you face today?
How does reflecting on the complete work of Christ shape your daily worship and trust in Him?

Day 3

The Alpha and the Omega: Jesus at the Center of Everything

One of my favorite musical pieces is Bach’s Chaconne in D Minor—especially as performed by James Ehnes. It was one of the pieces that got me interested in classical music in the first place. It has an arresting melody that’s as haunting as it is beautiful, and when I watch Ehnes play it, I can almost see the music flowing through and out of him. But what would happen if, in the middle of the piece, he simply stopped moving his bow? The music would stop, of course. Bach may have written the piece, but the violinist is the one who makes the music real in the here and now.

Sometimes, we think of God’s act of creation the way we think of a builder. When the work is finished, the construction crew leaves the job site, and the house still stands. But biblically, I think it’s better to think of God like a violinist and creation like a masterful symphony. If that’s the case, then what holds this universe together? It’s not gravity or other forces that a scientist might point to. Scripture says that the ultimate answer is nothing less than Christ Himself. From creation’s first spark to its final restoration, Jesus is the Alpha and the Omega—the beginning, the center, and the fulfillment of all things.

Jesus in Creation: God’s Handiwork Revealed

Paul made one of the most powerful statements about Jesus’s relationship to creation in his letter to the Colossians when he wrote, For by him all things were created in the heavens and on the earth, visible things and invisible things, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things have been created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things are held together. (Col. 1:16–17).

Jesus, in other words, is the Creator of all history, not just a figure who entered history in Bethlehem two thousand years ago. Everything that exists, from galaxies stretching across the cosmos to the cells in your body, owes its existence to Him. But Paul doesn’t just say that Jesus created everything. He also says that Jesus sustains everything, too. To “sustain” means to hold something together right now. The laws of nature, the rhythms of life, and the very breath in our lungs all hold together because of and in Him.

Realizing this truth changed how I saw the world. The beauty of a sunset, the intricacy of a flower, the vastness of the stars stopped being random, even if beautiful, occurrences. They aren’t even the remnants of God’s creative acts anymore. When I grasped Jesus as sustainer, they became—they are—glimpses of the Creator’s glory. They exist because Christ is causing them to be, right now, in this moment. To enjoy His creation is to enjoy the masterpiece He is holding up and holding together.

Jesus in Redemption: God’s Love in Action

God’s plan for the world didn’t end with the creation story of Genesis 1 and 2. It was always about redemption. When sin entered the world (as God knew it would, of course), it fractured everything: relationships, creation, and humanity itself. But Jesus came to restore what was broken.

That’s what “redemption” is. It’s often one of those religious words we use without thinking, but it has the idea of buying something back or restoring what was broken. Ephesians 1:10 tells us that God’s purpose is to sum up all things in Christ, the things in the heavens and the things on the earth. At the cross, Jesus bore the curse of sin and defeated its power. Through His death and resurrection, He redeemed not only individuals but all of creation itself, setting in motion the restoration of everything to God’s perfect design.

Redemption reminds us that nothing is outside of Christ’s reach. The brokenness we see in ourselves, in others, and in the world, is not, thank God, the final story. Jesus is making all things new (Rev. 21:5). Indeed, redemption is just one movement of Jesus’s great symphony!

Jesus in Eternity: God’s Glory Fulfilled

At the end of the book of Revelation, Jesus says, I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End (Rev. 22:13). Alpha is the first letter of the Greek alphabet. Omega is the last. This Jesus is at both the beginning and end of all things. Further, He stands at the culmination of it all. History isn’t a series of random events. It’s a story with Jesus at its center. One day, He will return to reign as King over a restored creation.

John paints a picture of this future in Revelation 21:3–4: God’s dwelling is with people… Death will be no more; neither will there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain any more. The first things have passed away. In eternity, everything broken will be healed, and everything lost will be restored. I have a good friend, Brian, who was born with several disabilities, including being born blind. He will be the first to testify to the truth that God causes all things to work together for our good (Rom. 8:28) and praise God for how He has used those disabilities for His own glory. Yet Brian will also tell you, as he has told me several times, that he looks forward to the day when God will restore his body—more, to glorify his body—that he might experience the full joy of his humanity. And in Christ, Brian has exactly that hope. Indeed, every believer in Christ shares it that glorious hope (Rom. 8:23-35)!

But this is where the analogy of Jesus as musician fails. A violinist can play Bach, but he can never truly be in the music. Yet in Christ, God puts Himself in our story as its very focal point so that all things are by and for Him (Rom. 11:36). Jesus doesn’t merely promise to fix our problems. Rather, He came down alongside us. He lived as a man. He took our sins and all our brokenness on Himself. Then He rose from the dead, victorious over it, so that our victory of death and corruption is nothing less than sharing in Jesus’s victory over them!

This hope is meant to shape how we live now. Knowing that Jesus is both our ultimate foundation and our ultimate destination gives us strength to persevere, courage to face trials, and clarity to prioritize what matters most.

What Will You Say?

From creation to redemption to eternity, Jesus is the center of everything. He is the Creator who spoke the world into existence, the Redeemer who gave His life to restore it, and the eternal King who will reign forever.

Take time today to marvel at who Jesus is. Let His centrality in creation stir your awe, His work in redemption fill you with hope, and His reign in eternity inspire you to live with purpose.

Closing Prayer

Lord Jesus, You are the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. I stand in awe of You, my Creator and Sustainer. I trust in Your work as my Redeemer, and I hope in Your promise of eternal life. Help me to live with You at the center of my life, seeing Your hand in creation, trusting Your work of redemption, and longing for the day when all things are made new. Amen.

Questions for Reflection and Journaling

How does seeing Jesus as Creator and Sustainer deepen your awe of Him?
In what ways does His redemptive work give you purpose and hope?
How does the promise of eternity with Christ shape your priorities and decisions today?
What does it mean for you to live with Jesus at the center of your life?

Day 4

Walking as He Walked: Living in the Light of Christ

There was a time in my life when I thought that Christianity was about serving God, about doing things for and living for Him. How could that not be the case? After everything Christ has done for me, could there be a more fitting response than to give everything back to Him?

That idea is pious. It just sounds right. But if we believe it, we overestimate ourselves. Christianity isn’t about what we can do for God but about what He has done for us and is doing through us. Yes, we’re called to follow Christ. But what does it really mean to follow Him, especially in the everyday moments of life? Is it about trying harder, doing better, or keeping a checklist of rules? No. The gospel calls us to something far deeper: a life transformed by Christ and His grace. I believe with all my heart what the Bible says about His identity and work. But I believe even more deeply (if that’s possible) that Jesus’s identity and what He has done for me are themselves the very power by which He works and lives through me. I don’t just believe in them. I live by them.

Imitating Christ’s Example: The Pattern of Love and Humility

Well, it’s easy to say I live by what Scripture says about Jesus. But in one of his short letters, John wrote that he who says he remains in [Christ] ought himself also to walk just like he walked (1 John 2:6).

Jesus’ life was a model of perfect love, humility, obedience, and service. In every interaction, He demonstrated compassion, truth, and grace. He humbled Himself, serving others even when it cost Him everything (John 13:1-17; Phil. 2:5-8). And John just said that to follow Christ means to imitate His example. It means loving sacrificially, forgiving generously, and serving selflessly. It means adopting His priorities. It means seeking God’s glory above all and loving others as He has loved us (Matt. 6:33; 22:34-40).

But how is that possible? Christ loved us unto death. He set aside His divine rights to live as a servant for us. How can we hope to ever follow that perfect example?

Relying on Christ’s Strength: The Power to Follow

Paul told us how we can do that. He said, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. (Phil. 4:13). Following Christ isn’t just hard. It’s impossible in our own strength. But we aren’t called to walk alone. Jesus didn’t merely set an example for us to follow. He empowers us through His Spirit to follow Him.

Paul also wrote, it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. (Gal. 2:20). In other words, obedience to Christ comes from Christ. The same power that raised Jesus from the dead is at work in each and every believer, enabling us to live as He did. Jesus described it Himself this way: He who remains in me and I in him bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing (John 15:5). So it’s not just that Jesus gives us the strength to obey. When is the last time you saw a tree straining to produce its fruit? That’s a silly thought, and it’s just as silly for Christians to strain to produce the fruit of the Spirit. No, Jesus is saying that when we abide in Christ by faith and love, then He, as the vine, is the one who produces the fruit through us!

When you feel weary or inadequate, remember that Christ’s strength is made perfect in weakness (2 Cor. 12:9). Following Him isn’t about self-reliance. It’s about surrender. And surrender isn’t about a personal dedication to living for Christ. It’s not a pledge of allegiance. Surrender is about laying down our arms and trusting Him, or better, entrusting ourselves to Him, that He would use us as He wills to.

Living for Christ’s Glory: The Goal of Every Day

Jesus lived every moment for the glory of the Father. His ultimate purpose was to reveal God’s love, holiness, and grace. To follow Him is to adopt this same purpose: living for Christ’s glory in all things (1 Cor. 10:31). Not most things. All things. In fact, when Christ lives in and through you, He simply continues what He was doing during His own earthly ministry. He reveals God’s love, holiness, and grace to a lost and dying world. As Christ revealed God, then as we glorify Him in all things, we reveal Him, too!

This doesn’t mean abandoning ordinary life for extraordinary ministry. Yes, God calls some of us to be evangelists, pastors, and teachers (Ephesians 4:11). Billy Graham and Mother Teresa were real people with extraordinary ministries. But remember that Jesus was a carpenter before He became a preacher. Living for Christ’s glory means seeing every part of life—work, rest, relationships, and worship—as an opportunity to reflect Christ. Even the smallest tasks, when done for His glory, become acts of worship.

So what would it look like to align your daily decisions, actions, and goals with Christ’s glory?

What Will You Say?

Following Christ daily is transformation more than its about perfection. It’s about imitating His love and humility, relying on His strength, and living for His glory. So how do we, broken creatures that we are, live out our amazing salvation? By faith (Gal. 3:11)! We can’t follow Christ. We don’t have it in us. But we can trust Him. And as we do, we can come to see Jesus’s power and glory start to shine itself in our lives.

Take a moment to reflect. What would change in your life if you truly walked as Jesus walked, if you trusted Him with each and every area of your life, each and every moment of your life? How might your relationships, priorities, and habits look different if Christ were at the center?

Closing Prayer

Lord Jesus, Help me to follow You each day. Give me the grace to imitate Your love, humility, and obedience. Strengthen me to rely not on myself, but on You. May everything I do—small or great—reflect Your glory. Shape me into Your image and draw me closer to Your heart. Amen.

Questions for Reflection and Journaling

What does it mean for you to imitate Christ in your daily life?
How can you rely more fully on Christ’s strength in your challenges?
In what areas of your life entrust to Christ that you may reflect His glory?
How does Christ’s example inspire you to live differently today?