the Fourth Week after Easter
Click here to join the effort!
Daily Devotionals
Spiritual Treasury For The Children of God
If a man think himself to be something when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself.- Galatians 6:3.
The leaven of Pharisaism, pride, self-righteousness, and selfsufficiency, is interwoven with our very nature. In the beginning that arch-deceiver, Satan, poisoned the minds of our first parents with that corrupt doctrine, "Ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil." This infection hath tainted the whole human race: naturally every man deceiveth himself: he thinks himself to be that which in reality he is not. Hence is rooted enmity to the salvation of Jesus and the grace of the gospel: here man is nothing; here the creature is annihilated. As Paul saith of an "idol, it is nothing in the world:" so that idol, a man’s self, is nothing, knows nothing, can do nothing in the great work of salvation. Fallen nature, with all its boasted goodness, affected piety, devout efforts, contributes nothing; for "all is of grace," rich, free, and sovereign grace. Man, with all his vaunted "knowledge of good and evil;" his free will to choose the good and refuse the evil, his rectitude to perform his duty and secure his salvation, by fulfilling terms and conditions of the gospel; all these are mere nonentities; lighter than vanity when weighed in the balance of the sanctuary.
O believer, when thou thinkest thyself nothing, knowest nothing of thyself, then thou thinkest and knowest right. But when thou art led to think, "now I am something in myself; now I know something by myself; now I can do something of myself, to keep myself in the favor of God, and to be faithful to his grace," verily thou deceivest thyself. This is acting like the church of Galatia under spiritual witchcraft, "beginning in the Spirit, and ending in the flesh." This, in the strict and proper sense, is "FALLING FROM GRACE." So nature’s pride exalts one’s self, and censures other Christians as carnal and unfaithful. This pride of the flesh opposeth our growth in grace, and is contrary to the humbling knowledge of Jesus Christ. To know the grace of God in truth, is to own its sovereign operations upon the soul, to be steady as the sun in its course, uncontrollable as the wind in its power, unfrustrable as the tide in its motion, and as unyielding to the power of nature and the will of man, as the proud waves of the great ocean. To "put on the Lord Jesus," is to "put off the old man with its deceitful lusts," and pride. To "rejoice in Christ Jesus," is to "have no confidence in the flesh." The Lord will "suffer no flesh to glory in his presence." "Let him that glorieth, glory in the Lord."- 1 Corinthians 1:31. Happy for us, with Paul, "most gladly therefore, will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me,"- 2 Corinthians 12:9.
Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself. Luke 24:39.
One Amintos had performed some valiant acts, and lost part of his arm in the field of battle for his country’s good. His brother Aechylus was about to be condemned to die. Amintos came into court, spake not a word, but only lifted up the stump of his arm without a hand: as though he had said, See what I have lost in my country’s cause! His silent oratory prevailed, and saved his brother’s life. What a much more affecting sight does our dear Lord now present to his disciples! He called upon them, he calls upon us to behold: they, by the eye of sense; we, by the eye of faith. Consider, the reasons for this; (1st.) To compose and comfort their minds. They were terrified and affrighted. They took him for a spirit. Christ is touched with a feeling of our infirmities. He sympathizes with us in all our troubles. One cause of them is misapprehension of the nature of Christ: we too often forget that he was a perfect man, like unto us in all things, except “Behold my hands and my feet, with the nail prints in them: it is I myself.” The very same man, with the same flesh and blood, who lately hung upon the cross. Handle me: feel me. (2d.) It was to confirm their faith, in his dying for their sins, and rising again for their justification. He died as a weak man. He rose as the almighty God. As God-man, he atoned for sin, conquered death and hell for us. The faith of this is the source of all hope, and the spring of all peace to our souls. (3d.) He says, Behold, etc. to quicken our love. O soul! can you behold by faith, and think of the love and sufferings of Jesus for your salvation, and not love him? His pierced body, hands, and feet, are the marks of his great love and agony of sufferings for you. O! love, rejoice, and adore. Does he not deserve the whole love of our heart, and the entire affections of our soul? Behold, (4th.) that all your hope may be in him. Beware of that cursed notion of pride, which some advance, they pretend to believe in Christ for the pardon of sin, but, for their final justification, hope in their own works. No, my Lord: the sin-atoning, law-fulfilling, soul-justifying work is thine, and thine alone. I will hope in no other. My soul, I charge thee, fix, constantly fix all thy attention, all thy hope, upon thy once pierced Lord. My conscience, I charge thee, when base intruders would rival his glory, banish them. Cry with abhorrence, get ye hence. “What have I to do any more with idols?” Hosea 14:8.
Behold, my soul, the scars and wounds
Which Jesus in his body wore:
See, how his precious love abounds!
Think of thy sins-‘twas them he bore.
Say, faith, what answer dost thou give?
Pardon and peace unto my heart;
That to Christ’s glory I should live,
And never from his love depart.
