Daily Devotionals

Spiritual Treasury For The Children of God

Devotional: September 4th

For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him, Amen, unto the glory of God by us.- 2 Corinthians 1:20.

Through the workings of our carnal frames, it is natural to us all to seek comfort from legal work, instead of gospel promises. When a poor sinner is taught by man to believe, "unless he performs the condition, he cannot receive the blessing of the promise:" from this mistaken notion he labours and toils for a season, but finding himself unable to reduce the doctrine to practice, he sits down in dejection, and gives up all hope of mercy in this way. This will always be the case where sincerity is not suffered to give way to self-deceit. But when the sun of righteousness ariseth with glory on the soul, these mists of ignorance flee away. When the free-love of the everlasting covenant is made manifest to a sinner’s heart, by the Spirit, he cries out in wonder and ecstasy, "This is all my salvation and all my desire." When by faith he beholds Jesus the surety of the covenant, sees all the promises of life and salvation center in him, Jesus becomes the hope of his soul, and the promise, the joy of his heart.

Blessed be God for a precious Christ, precious promises, and precious faith. What could our God do more? What could he give more to his people than what he hath graciously done for them, and freely given to them? Disciple, wherefore dost thou doubt? Why art thou reading a gloomy lecture over thy fallen state? Why sitting with folded hands and dejected look, because thou feelest the corrupt workings of thy sinful flesh? What have thy legal thoughts brought forth but that black monster, UNBELIEF? This dares to gainsay the truths of God, deny his promises, set the Saviour at nought, and rob him of his glory. What! because thou canst not find nor feel any thing in thyself to deserve God’s love, or for which he should make one promise of mercy, wilt thou therefore conclude against the greatness of his love and freeness of his promises? Yea, but it is for that very reason, because thou hast nothing in thyself but sin and misery, thy God will have all the glory of his own grace in saving thy soul, according to his promise in Christ Jesus. The Lamb, who spilt his blood for sin, who hath righteousness for the naked, and a tongue to plead the cause of the destitute, has all the promises in his hands, to bestow the blessing of them on his needy members. Therefore out of his fulness we receive, and grace for grace. So the Holy Spirit giveth us to believe and come to the inexhaustible fulness of Jesus for our every supply. Here we may fix our faith, and in the assurance of truth be confident we shall want nothing. For this very end is connected with our comfort, "the glory of GOD." Therefore every promise of grace here and glory hereafter are sure: YEA and AMEN, so be it: according to God’s purpose and grace in Christ Jesus.- 2 Timothy 1:9.

Blessed is the man that doeth this, and the son of man who layeth hold on it. Isaiah 56:2.

Many poor blind sinners we meet with, who are saying, Do not puzzle me with your points of doctrine. This is my religion, ‘I do justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with my God.’ There is scarcely a text in the whole Bible so often quoted, and so frequently hackneyed by ignorant men, to keep up their vain hopes and self-righteous confidence, as this of Micah 6:8.

As a striking instance of their walking humbly with God, they reject the glorious gospel of his grace, set at nought the atonement and righteousness of his Son, ridicule the inspiration of his Spirit, and walk in the pride of their hearts, fulfilling the lusts of their flesh. They are cursed by the mouth of the Lord. But here is the only blessed man described by him. (1st.) In his doing. What? Justice? He has a sincere regard to every thing which is moral, just, and good. Without this, know, ye professors of faith, your religion is vain. Ye are not the blessed of the Lord. “Faith without works is dead.” (James 2:26.) (2d.) He keeps judgment. He retains a right judgment of himself, that he is a poor miserable sinner: of sin, that it is exceeding sinful, most hateful to a holy God, and has made him most abominable in his sight. Of the law: that by it he is cursed: and by it he can never be justified, for he can never fulfil it. Of God: that he has concluded him under sin, that he might have mercy on him, and freely justify him, through the grace of Jesus. Am I this blessed man? Pause and consider. It is necessary to our blessedness, to know our curse. The blessed Spirit convinces us of it. (3d.) “That we may lay hold on this.” What? “My salvation.” The salvation of God’s Son, finished for the hopeless sons of Adam. “My righteousness revealed.” Whereby God is just, and yet the justifier of every ungodly, unrighteous sinner, who, by faith, lays hold of this righteousness. All such sons of men are the blessed sons of God. O, rejoice in your blessed state! Glory in it. Give God the glory of it. But legal hearts and self-righteous spirits will be ever asking, what becomes of good works and a holy life? We answer, God not only justifies us by grace, but sanctifies by his Spirit. The grace of God, which brings salvation to us, teaches us to deny all ungodliness and worldly lusts, and to live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world. Titus 2:12.

This is the one, the only way

For sinners to be blest;

To flee from sin without delay,

And refuge take in Christ.

In him we find a spring of hope,

A sense of joy and peace:

This keeps our sinking spirits up,

Till we obtain release.