Daily Devotionals

Spiritual Treasury For The Children of God

Devotional: January 5th

For the mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed, but my kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed, saith the Lord, who hath mercy on thee.- Isaiah 54:10.

The absolute promises of our gracious Lord, are the foundation of faith, the encouragement of hope, the excitement of love, the source of comfort, and the spring of true holiness. Why then are not the children of faith always joyful in hope, ever comfortable in love, and constantly happy in the way of holiness? Truly, because an enemy hath sown the tares of unbelief in our nature. This evil root of bitterness continually springs up, and troubles us. It bears the most base, dishonorable fruits, respecting our God; and is most hurtful and poisonous to our souls. Little reason have we to dung and water, so as to strengthen this degenerate plant, with the corrupt notion of those who deny God’s covenant love and faithfulness, and dare teach ’That one may be a child of God today and a child of the Devil tomorrow-that souls redeemed by the blood of Jesus, may, after all, burn in hell.’ Shocking! it is our daily duty, our greatest wisdom, ever to be on our guard against, and avoid all such doctrines. They are contrary to the precious declarations of our loving Lord; and tend to weaken our faith in and hope of perfect salvation by Jesus. But a false show of humility works very deceitfully upon men. Hence we are prone to look into ourselves, to find some inherent worth, some personal goodness, as the cause WHY the Lord should deal thus bountifully with us.

Alas! pride is at the bottom of this. Hereby our eyes are diverted from the alone object of faith, Jesus, and turned to self. Then, no marvel unbelief prevails, and we lose sight of God’s free grace, rich love, and inestimably precious promises. Soul, know thyself. Though an object of mercy, a subject of grace, and an heir of promise, yet not one single drop of mercy, or of grace, nor one word of promise is made to thy person, but only as thou standest in, and art related to thy precious Saviour, according to covenant love. Therefore God’s covenant of peace shall not, cannot fail. Sooner shall the hills and mountains be removed, yea heaven and earth shall pass away, but thy Lord’s love and kindness shall never depart from thee. The mouth of the Lord hath spoken it. Here to doubt, is to dishonor the God of truth. Here stedfastly to believe, is to glorify the God of love-"He sent redemption unto his people; he hath commanded his covenant FOREVER,"- Psalms 111:9.

"O what a stedfast hope have I,

Built on thy faithful word!

Tho’ all things fail beneath the sky,

Thy truth stands fast, my Lord."

Then why should faith or courage fail?

Or comforts me forsake?

Let faith but look within the veil,

All’s safe for Jesu’s sake.

In whom, also, after that ye believed, ye were sealed, with that Holy Spirit of promise. Ephesians 1:13.

Some consider this sealing as the highest assurance, which but few obtain; others, as a state of perfection in holiness, and an entire freedom from the being of sin. This some pretend to, but no one ever yet arrived to, in this life. But it is plain the apostle means nothing more, than what all believers in common are favored with. Not after ye believed, but in believing, ye were sealed, says the learned Mr. Hervey. That is, as soon as ye received the truth in the love of it, ye were sealed by the Spirit, as the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. Consider, (1st,) what is implied in being sealed. A seal is to make an impression of its contents. Sealing an instrument, is making it valid, and acknowledging it as our act and deed. The heart of a believing sinner, melted by the Word and Spirit of God, is the subject of this sealing. The contents of this seal is, Grace and Truth, which came by Jesus Christ. (John 1:17.) This is sealed upon the heart, by the act and deed of the Holy Spirit. This impress of salvation by the grace and truth of the Son of God, is made so deep and lasting on the believing heart, that time with all its changes, sin, with all its malignity, the world with all its charms and frowns, and Satan, with all his power and malice, can never, never efface. It will remain, as the impress of the seal on the wax. It answers to the revelation of Jesus made in the word, as the impressed wax to the seal. Such a sealed heart is God’s jewel. He has distinguished it as his own. It will receive no other impression, but from the broad seal of heaven, salvation by the blood and righteousness of the Son of God only. Now, is this sealed upon your heart? Do you reject with abhorrence every other hope? Do you believe in, look to, and trust Jesus for all your salvation? Rejoice: you are sealed. For, consider (2d.) All believers are sealed. 1. The sealer is the Spirit of promise. He is alike promised to all the believing members of Christ. They are heirs of promise. They have fled to Jesus for refuge, and laid hold of him as their hope: and nothing but consolation, yea, strong consolation, awaits them from the God of promise. 2. He is the Holy Spirit. By this sealing, he impresses the heart with the love of Christ, of truth, and of holiness. And, 3, He thereby fulfills our Lord’s prayer for his members, “sanctify them through thy truth.” (John 17:17.) Therefore, though in heaviness through manifold temptations, though in dejection from many enemies, let not go your confidence of faith. Think not yourself an unbeliever. Think not yourself under the curse of the law. Deny not the Spirit’s work. For if you believe on Jesus, in your heart, you are sealed unto the day of redemption. (Ephesians 4:30.)