February 8

Morning

She will give birth to a Son, and you are to give Him the name Jesus, because He will save His people from their sins. — Matt 1:21 BSB

When someone is dear to us, everything connected with them becomes precious as well. So it is with the Lord Jesus—He is so precious to every true believer that everything about Him is of infinite value. David once said, “All Your garments smell of myrrh, and aloes, and cassia,” as if even the clothing of Christ carried His sweetness. There’s no word He spoke, no place He walked, and no thought revealed through His Word that isn’t precious to us.

And this is especially true of His names. Each title of Christ is sweet to the believer’s ear. Whether He is called the Church’s Husband, Friend, or Bridegroom; the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world; or the Prophet, Priest, and King—every name carries beauty and meaning. “Shiloh, Emmanuel, Wonderful, Counselor”—each title drips with the sweetness of His love.

But if there’s one name that stands out as the sweetest of all, it’s the name of Jesus. “Jesus”—that name stirs the harps of heaven into melody. “Jesus”—the essence of our joy. There is no name more precious. It’s woven into the fabric of our songs and prayers, the heartbeat of our worship. It’s the sum of all our delights, the music of heaven’s bells, and the song of eternity. “Jesus, I love Your precious name—it’s music to my ears!”

Evening

She will give birth to a Son, and you are to give Him the name Jesus, because He will save His people from their sins. — Matt 1:21 BSB

Ask someone what they understand by salvation, and they might say, “Being saved from hell and taken to heaven.” That’s one aspect of salvation, but it’s far from the whole picture. Yes, Jesus saves His people from the wrath to come and spares them from the condemnation their sins deserve. But His victory goes far beyond that—He saves us from our sins.

Where Christ works, sin loses its power. No one is a true Christian if sin rules over their life. Sin may remain in us—it will never be completely removed until we’re with Christ—but it will never have dominion over us. There will be struggles, but sin will not be the master. Christ will reign in the heart, and sin must be put to death. The Lion of Judah will prevail, and Satan will be defeated.

Is sin subdued in you? If your life is dominated by sin, then your heart remains unchanged, and if your heart is unchanged, you are unsaved. If Jesus hasn’t transformed you, if He hasn’t given you a hatred for sin and a love for righteousness, then He hasn’t done a saving work in you. Grace that doesn’t lead to a changed life is no grace at all. Christ saves us not just from the penalty of sin but from the power of sin. Without holiness, no one will see the Lord. “Let everyone who names the name of Christ depart from sin.” If we aren’t saved from sin, how can we hope to be counted among His people? Lord, save me from all evil and help me to honor You with my life.