Daily Devotionals

Spiritual Treasury For The Children of God

Devotional: April 11th

Jesus said unto them, take heed what ye hear.- Mark 4:24.

It is our unspeakable mercy, it calls for our daily tribute of praise, and daily study to improve it, that a free use of the lively oracles of truth is permitted us; others are denied this rich privilege. Happy those to whom the word of God is the rule of their faith, a light to direct their paths, and a standard whereby they try and prove the doctrines they hear, whether they are of God or man. The WHOLE TRUTH, as it is in Jesus, is precious to every believer. "Faith comes by hearing the word of God." As the ear is the inlet to the soul, we should ever take heed what kind of doctrines we hear. It was through the ear Satan gained access to the heart of Eve, and beguiled her. Paul alludes to this- 2 Corinthians 11:3. "I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtlety, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ." What is this simplicity? Even this plain simple truth, that salvation is wholly and solely by Jesus Christ, according to the everlasting purpose and love of God the Father, revealed in the word of truth, and applied to the soul by the Holy Spirit. Lost and perishing sinners are the happy subjects of it. They have no hand in procuring or making it effectual; but they are wholly saved by election of grace through faith. Whatever doctrines are contrary to either of these points, oppose revealed truths, are subversive of the plan of salvation, tend to rob God of the glory of his grace, and his dear children of their comfort and joy of faith.

Therefore, disciples of the Lamb, take heed; beware of what you hear. These doctrines are not merely speculative, or non- essential, but are the important, fundamental, essential truths of the gospel. To oppose the doctrine of election is to deny the first cause of salvation, the everlasting love of God the Father; it is to gainsay the prophets, apostles, and even our Lord himself, who spake most clearly and plainly of it. It is to set one’s self against the testimony of the Spirit of truth. This ariseth from human pride, which ever imagines it can do something to procure God’s love. So of the imputed righteousness of Christ, the saints’ perseverance in faith and holiness: if these scripture-truths are maligned and opposed, it is from the supposed self-sufficiency and self-righteousness of the creature, in order to establish its own righteousness and faithfulness; hence salvation becomes precarious, justification impossible. This strikes at the root of true holiness, and tends both to presumption and licentiousness; for whatever truths are revealed in the word by the Spirit of wisdom and truth (and all these are as though wrote with a sun-beam) it is that they should be the food of our faith, the matter of our study, the cause of humility, the confidence of hope, the rejoicing of love, and excitements to holiness; "approving yourselves by the word of truth."- 2 Corinthians 6:7.

Ye are fallen from grace. Galatians 5:4.

Awful words! Enough to excite in us a holy fear, a godly jealously, and this earnest cry, “Lord, uphold me by thy free Spirit.” What is here meant by grace? the doctrine of God’s free favour, to lost sinners in Christ? redeeming their souls from the curse of the law, by his blood; justifying their persons before God, by his righteousness, without any works of their own; and saving them, without any desert of theirs. O, my Lord! what rich, what matchless grace is this! My soul shall love and praise thee eternally in heaven for this! No! but, stop: thy joy is damped:-thou mayest fall from this grace; lose the favour of God; fall into hell. Who says this? Some say, St. Paul here does. No; it is as impossible for a saint in Christ Jesus thus to fall, as for a glorified saint in heaven to fall into hell. Christ is God. It is impossible for God to lie. For Christ says, “My sheep shall never perish.” (John 10:28.) If they did, God the Father must change in his love; God the Son shed his blood, in the greatest agony, in vain; God the Spirit’s work upon their hearts would be fruitless; and hell would triumph against the love, grace, and power of Jehovah. Bless the Lord, O my soul! for persevering, as well as converting grace. What, then does the apostle here mean? (1st. and principally,) These Galatians, professors of the great and glorious doctrines of the grace of God, had fallen into other notions of justification, than by the righteousness of Christ only: they thought their own works must, in some measure, be the procuring cause, first or last. Therefore, (2d.) they were fallen from the profession they once made, that they were lost and perishing sinners, daily coming short of the glory of God, destitute of a righteousness to justify them in his sight, and must be eternally damned, without the righteousness of Christ. For, (3d.) they were now fallen into a high opinion of their own free will, to work out a righteousness to justify them in whole or in part; that their faithfulness to grace received, would entitle them to the divine blessing; their own sinless perfection would keep them in God’s favour. If at first they were not justified by their own works, yet there was a second justification, when their works would entitle them to glory. This is the case with some in our day: at first, they thought God’s free grace, through the blood and righteousness of Christ, would entirely save them; but now, grown wise in their own eyes, and mighty strong in their own power, they are fallen from the grace of the gospel into the pride of nature: they say, “We once leaned too much to Calvinism.” Now, forsaking the truth, they get perfection in themselves: now, they can do without the imputed righteousness of Christ, and vehemently exclaim against the doctrines of grace. . . . From such falling, good Lord! deliver us.