Daily Devotionals

Spiritual Treasury For The Children of God

Devotional: February 13th

Having on the breast-plate of righteousness.- Ephesians 6:14.

When Saul had armed David, with his armour, to go against Goliath, the Philistine giant, his heart smote him, lest he should confide in it, and so be drawn from simply trusting to the power of God only; therefore he said, "I cannot go with these; I have not proved them: and David put them off him."- 1 Samuel 17:39. A faithful heart is jealous of the Saviour’s glory. Though the believer is made righteous, and loves and walks in the paths of righteousness, yet he will glory in nothing before God, nor trust in any righteousness to shield him from the face of the enemy, but the perfect, spotless righteousness of his dear and precious Saviour. He puts off all others, by the faith of Christ, as contrary to his hope. As he sees the purity and extent of the divine law, that it is quick and powerful, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart, knowing his own righteousness to be defective, and that in many things we all offend; therefore he could just as soon trust an honeycomb for a breastplate, as the moth-eaten garment of his own best works.

Why doth Satan, sin, and the law, so often wound our breasts, and grieve our hearts? It is because we are not careful to guard with our breastplate of Jesus’ righteousness. It should ever be the joy and rejoicing of our souls to consider the work of Jesus as man and mediator. Did he shed his blood? did he die a cursed death? did he in his holy life "put on righteousness as a breastplate?"- Isaiah 59:17. Faith triumphs in his death, as the one atonement for sin. Faith glories in his life, as the one righteousness. So the once guilty soul is cleansed, so the once naked soul is clothed and adorned; and thus it is ever glorious in the sight of God in this best robe of its elder brother, Jesus. So also is the once defenceless soul armed against every attack of sin, Satan, the law, and death. This breastplate is more than proof against all. While pride and self-righteousness go hand in hand, and unite in objections against the imputed righteousness of our Immanuel, humble, self-emptied souls, glory and triumph that their salvation is according to the laws of strict justice and perfect righteousness. Possessing righteousness in Jesus, we draw nigh to a throne of grace with boldness now, and shall lift up our heads with joy before a righteous throne of judgment in the great and tremendous day. "For righteousness delivereth from death."- Proverbs 10:2. "Though sin hath reigned unto death, (IN US) yet grace reigns through righteousness unto eternal life (FOR US) by Jesus Christ our Lord."- Romans 5:21.

Jesus, thy blood and righteousness

My beauty are, my glorious dress;

Midst flaming worlds, in these array’d,

With joy shall I lift up my head.

Then, while I am thy soldier here,

O learn me more this heav’nly art,

To glory in thy righteousness,

To guard my breast from ev’ry dart.

Have salt in yourselves. Mark 9:50.

Salt preserves our food from putrefying, and makes it savory to our palate. Job asks, “Can any thing that is unsavory be eaten without salt? is there any taste in the white of an egg?”-(16:6.) What salt is to our food, that the doctrines of the grace of God, and the grace of these doctrines are to the soul. Why could not our Lord have plainly told us so, without using the symbol of salt? He loves to deliver himself in familiar images: they are best suited to our present state. Natural things sensibly strike us, and easily convey spiritual truths to the heart. Our tables are not furnished, if salt be wanting. Meat, without salt, is unsavory O! then let every meal remind us of our Lord’s words, “Have salt in yourselves.” You have daily need to have your souls seasoned with the grace of God, and the words of Christ. (1st.) These will preserve our hearts from receiving, and being putrefied by the seeds of false doctrine. Hearts, well seasoned with the salt of the covenant of grace, will not receive the taint of human error. Thus, we shall be happy in the sense of truth, and the experience of grace in our souls. (2d.) We shall be profitable to others. If our own souls are well seasoned with the grace of Christ, we shall be savory to others. O, how insipid is the talk of the lips, if the seasoning of grace and the savour of love is not in the heart! Why are some professors so backward to speak of the things of God? why do others speak of them in such a tasteless, unsavory manner? Alas! their own hearts are not well salted and seasoned with grace. Notions float only in the head; they are delivered from the tongue: the heart is not impregnated with the salt and savour of them. O, Christian! be concerned for the glory of thy Saviour, for the comfort of thy own soul, and for the good of others, to have salt in thyself. Live every day, pass every hour under the seasoning, savory truths of Jesus. (3d.) Salt is obtained from the sea. Study, try, and pray to obtain more and more of this precious salt, from the ocean of God’s everlasting love in Christ Jesus. (4th.) “With all thine offerings, thou shalt offer salt.” (Leviticus 2:13.) O! never forget that it is the grace of Christ which makes both thy person, and thy every offering acceptable to God. And it is this which spreads a savour through thy whole conversation: thou canst not be unsavory whilst thou livest upon this truth, “God hath made me, a sinner, accepted in his beloved Son.” (Ephesians 1:6.)

Lord, make me know, and taste, and feel

The savour of thy heav’nly love:

Unto my inmost soul reveal

A foretaste of thy joys above.

So shall my heart, my lip, my life

Declare the seas’ning of thy grace:

My soul be freed from legal strife,

To walk with joy before thy face.