the Third Week after Easter
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Daily Devotionals
Spiritual Treasury For The Children of God
He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness, for his name’s sake.- Psalms 23:3.
With gratitude and joy, every believer has daily cause to address his soul in the words spoken to Naomi at the birth of Obed, "Blessed be the Lord, who hath not left thee this day without a kinsman or redeemer, whose name is famous in Israel, who shall be unto thee a restorer of thy life." Ruth 4:14-15. To the glory of Jesus be it ever remembered, that life once received from him can never be lost. The soul once quickened from a death in trespasses and sins, dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over it; for it is delivered from the cause of death, sin. Partaking of the life of grace from Jesus, sin has no more dominion over it to kill and destroy it.
But though the soul enjoys life in Jesus, yet sin is not dead. It dwelleth in us; it worketh in the members, and opposeth the life, peace and comfort of the new-born soul. Is there a day passeth but we find that the old man is still alive? Yea, at times the soul is so pressed above measure, that it almost despairs of life. It seems to sense and experience, as though the sentence of death was executed. O how then doth Jesus again revive and restore it! Sin often brings death upon the comforts of the soul, though it cannot touch its life; that is secure in the life-giving head: "It is hid with Christ in God."- Colossians 3:3. Believers can never sin themselves beyond the extent of Christ’s love, nor the reach of his power to restore them. "The precious blood of Jesus is all-sufficient to purge away all sin from the conscience-yea, sins of the deepest die. See then the exceeding sinfulness of sin in the most exceeding precious fountain that is opened for its cleansing. See the love and care of the faithful shepherd in restoring his wandering sheep. But know, O soul, whenever thou dost deviate from the path of Jesus, or backslide into sin, thou turnest thy back upon thy best friend, thy kindest Lord; thou joinest thyself to his implacable foes. True, so unchangeable is the love of Jesus he will restore the souls of his members; but love mingles bitter potions to do this; and the most bitter of all is, thou sinnest against the richest grace and most precious love that ever was known: LOVE, that has followed, and will follow thee all thy days; LOVE, that will heal thy backslidings, and restore thy soul; LOVE, that will lead thee in the paths of righteousness to salvation and glory. When thou rememberest this thou wilt be ashamed and confounded for all that thou hast done, and love him who doth all for his name’s sake freely.
Lord, my restorer and my guide,
How apt am I to stray!
O keep me near thy blessed side,
Until this perfect day.
Then will I praise, at thy dear feet,
Thy tender care and love,
Which brought me thro’ this desert land,
To realms of bliss above.
-Ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness. Judges 1:4.
From what the bee extracts honey, venomous insects will draw poison. The word of God, which is food to gracious hearts, is the sport and contempt of profane wits. An ungodly heart will convert the most wholesome truths of God’s grace into the most poisonous effects. There ever were such men: there are such at this day, who hold forth some of the most precious truths concerning the Lord Jesus, and the grace of God abounding to sinners in him, and yet with these maintain the most damnable heresies: they are “the fools who make a mock at sin.” (Proverbs 14:9.) Personal holiness they hold in the greatest derision: they declare their sin as Sodom-‘Say unto the wicked, it shall be well with them. Tush! the Lord careth not about our walk and life: if we have lusts, better gratify them than burn with them.’ And they swallow up every unscriptural error in that damnable heresy, All men shall be saved at the last. One scarcely knows which to wonder at most, why such persons should preach at all, or why any who name the name of Christ can hear them. But Scripture must be fulfilled: “There shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts.” (2 Peter 3:3.) I never knew but one instance of a person, who had joined himself to these vile Antinomians, that escaped from their soul-destroying doctrines. My soul rejoiced exceedingly, at receiving a visit from this aged disciple of Jesus, who, through precious grace, is brought back into the ways of truth and holiness. When the preacher asked him, why he had left him? he honestly answered, “Were I to hear you now, I should be almost ready to fill my pockets with stones, and stone you; for you had well nigh sent me to hell, with a lie in my right hand.” O, brethren! as you love the holy Jesus; as you value your precious souls; as you prize communion with God, peace of conscience, and joy in the Holy Ghost, beware of such ungodly men; keep at the greatest distance from them; maintain the utmost abhorrence of their hellish notions. Why, O why did the blessed Spirit convince us of sin, and lead us to Christ for salvation; but that we should love God, delight in God, enjoy fellowship with God, have no more to do with the unfruitful works of darkness; but walk before him in righteousness and true holiness all the days of our life? Be assured, if your faith does not influence you to this, it is not the faith of the holy gospel; not a faith in a holy Jesus: it does not work by the love of him; but is the faith of the ungodly, whose end is destruction. Philippians 3:19.
Faith without love’s an empty dream,
It conquers not the pow’r of sin:
To live, the soul has but a name,
If Jesus reigneth not within.
Grant me, O Lord! renewing grace;
Quicken my soul from day to day,
To walk in love before thy face,
And mind not what th’ ungodly say.
