8/12/25 Daily Devotional: Who Do You Live Like He Is?

Matthew 16:13-19 ESV - Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” And they said, “Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”

There are a lot of thoughts and opinions about who Jesus was/is … but there can only be one TRUTH ... there IS only one TRUTH.

Jesus claimed to be God. Jesus claimed to be the Son of God, the Messiah sent to save humanity from their sins.

• He either IS GOD or He wasn’t and isn’t. It is no more complicated than that!

• If He IS GOD … then it’s all real, there is a God Who loves us and wants us to KNOW HIM and He has a specific & personal PURPOSE for our lives and He is willing & able to EMPOWER us with His Presence to conquer sin & death to live an ABUNDANT LIFE.

• If He wasn’t & isn’t God … then Jesus was either a manipulative liar or a wholly insane lunatic. There is no reality where Jesus could simply be a good, moral teacher & social warrior or a dynamic preacher of principles. THAT JESUS IS COMPLETELY FALSE.

Jesus asked Peter, “Who do you say that I am?” … and that is the foundational question for all of us! Who do you say that Jesus is? … Liar? Lunatic? LORD?

But … if you are reading this, you probably SAY the right answer. You KNOW the right answer and proudly claim that JESUS IS LORD! … but who do you LIVE like He is?

• Do you live out your life, day to day, like Jesus is God? ... or frequently think of His teachings as good, moral suggestions?

• Do you make decisions in your life based on the reality that the same historical Jesus Who walked this earth 2,000 years ago is ALIVE today? ... or do you limit your view of Him to Bible stories and paintings on the wall?

• Are you being directed & led every day by the Spirit that Jesus sent to live within you? ... or do you lean more often on your own understanding & desire to lead your way?

• Do you live out your life like all of the Bible is actually TRUTH? ... or do you simply use it as inspiration?

Let me encourage you today … make sure your Christian Faith is more than just KNOWING & SAYING the right answers!

Who do you LIVE like He is? … LIVE out your life like Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God!