Daily Devotionals

Spiritual Treasury For The Children of God

Devotional: July 23rd

O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?- Romans 7:24.

Spiritual sense and feeling are peculiar to regenerate, heavenborn souls. While in a carnal state, "dead in trespasses and sins;" though the law thunders out its dreadful curses against us, we hear not. Though by nature children of wrath and deserving hell, yet our danger we see not. Though our sins are gone over our heads, and are like a sore burden too heavy for us to bear, yet we feel them not. But when the soul is alive to God, we groan, being burdened with a body of sin, and pant after deliverance. This was the experience of holy Paul. Such the experience of saints in all ages. But, thanks be to our God, though ever so deeply distressed and greatly depressed with sin, we sorrow not as without hope. We are not ignorant of our deliverer, but know him, even Jesus Christ. None but Jesus is able; and he hath, he doth, he will deliver. He hath delivered from the curse of sin by his death. He doth deliver the conscience from the guilt and dominion of sin through faith. He will deliver the soul perfectly from the being of sin, when the body of flesh is "sown in dishonor, to be raised in glory." The last enemy, death, is not destroyed yet. None are so perfectly exempt from that which brought death into the world, SIN. But present deliverance thou hast, O believer! and perfect deliverance thou canst not but pant after and long for.

Think not, that feeling a body of sin, (which, like thy natural body, consists of many parts and members,) groaning under it, inwardly breathing out ardent desires for deliverance, inscribing "wretched man" upon thyself, like a criminal who is compelled to carry about a dead, putrefied, stinking carcass; think not all this to be inconsistent with a blessed state, and being blessed "with all spiritual blessings in Christ Jesus." No: thou art not singular; it was once the lot of all thy brethren now perfect in glory. It is the lot of all thy companions in the faith and patience of Jesus on earth. When Paul, in such spiritual ecstasy and joy, was caught up to the third heavens, he did not know whether he was in the body or not; he might then think he was entirely freed from his burden, that he was perfect; but a little time after, experience convinced him to the contrary; and we find him "as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing."- 2 Corinthians 6:10. Blessed be our compassionate Saviour, who reaches out reviving cordials of consolation and refreshment; these cheer our drooping spirits under our burden; this favor no kind hand administered to him, when worn out and sinking under the ponderous load of our sins on the cross. O the joy of faith! Sin, though felt, grieved for, mourned over; yet "there is NO CONDEMNATION to them that are in Christ Jesus."- Romans 8:1.

Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. Romans 5:9.

All heresies are founded in pride, and spring from ignorance and unbelief of the Lord’s word. Some strike at the glory of the free grace of God. Others at the divinity of the Son of God. Others at his atonement and righteousness, whereby our sins are pardoned, our persons justified, and final perseverance to eternal glory is secured to every believer. St. Paul, under the influence of that Spirit, who foresaw every heresy which would spring up, divide the church, dishonour Christ, and distress his members, here sets himself against that pernicious heresy, That souls once justified and pardoned by the blood of Christ, may afterwards perish, under the wrath of God. (1st.) What is meant by being justified by the blood of Christ? Just the reverse of being condemned for sin by the law. For his blood takes away sin, which is the cause of condemnation. Christ’s blood shed at his death, was the finishing stroke, and includes his whole work, as our Saviour. He made that full satisfaction to law and justice, for which sinners are freed from condemnation by the one, and pronounced just by the other. They are once for all, and for ever, justified in God’s sight. For though God sees sin in them, yet they are for ever justified from it, in his beloved Son. (2d.) Who are thus justified? Sinners, who believe on the Son of God, whether they have the sense and comfort of it in their own consciences or not: for they now receive the atonement of Christ into their hearts by faith. Faith urges them to plead, and not rest satisfied, till they find the peace of God in their consciences, flowing from justification in Christ’s blood. But, (3d.) May not such perish at last under the wrath of God? No, says St. Paul, that is impossible. Much more, mind those precious words, “being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved,”-as though he had said, what! did the Son of God shed his blood in vain? Has he called us, and justified us before God, through faith in his blood? And has he now no love for us, nor care for us? Will he, after all this grace, leave us to perish under wrath? No. As we are actually justified by his blood, we shall be eternally saved from wrath through him. His precious blood can never lose its efficacy: his gracious heart never abate in love: his almighty arm can never lose its power. As Christ died to redeem from all sin: he lives to save from all wrath. This is the faith of God’s elect. This faith works by love of the truth, and in rejecting all selfrighteous errors: and as the soul is comforted by this love, love inspires to all cheerful obedience.

When Jesus on the cross did bleed,

He represented all his seed;

And they in him were justified,

And this by faith’s to them apply’d.