Daily Devotionals

Spiritual Treasury For The Children of God

Devotional: February 21st

Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, shall seek to enter in, but shall not be able.- Luke 13:21.

Thou feeble-minded disciple, weak in faith, thy Jesus speaks not thus to discourage thee from seeking salvation by him only; for he also says, "Every one that seeketh findeth." But rather he hereby animates and encourages thy soul in striving against every enemy that opposeth thy entering his kingdom by the strait gate, even by his one atonement, and one righteousness ONLY. He designs also to shew that men may not only SEEK, but STRIVE, yea, strive as in an agony "to enter in, but shall not be able." Why? Because they expect to enter the kingdom by some other gate than Jesus. But, says the apostle, "No man is crowned, except he strives lawfully." Earnestness, zeal, activity, avail nothing, while Jesus is not the ONLY object: his blood, the only plea for pardon; his righteousness, the only hope for acceptance. But this, in the eyes of self-righteous professors, makes the gate appear too strait indeed. Hence they seek to enter, by ways more pleasing to their pride, and more agreeable to the corrupt lusts of their nature. So that striving is not so much opposed to seeking, as the strait-gate JESUS is to every other method of salvation of man’s devising. There is an awful denunciation against such- Isaiah 45:9: "Woe be to him that striveth with his Maker." Shall potsherds of the earth dare contend against the sovereignty of God’s wisdom, power, and grace? Here is the strife of the Pharisee. And in opposition to the sloth and licentiousness of the Antinomian, says our Lord to all his disciples, ’STRIVE-strive, by my power which strengthens you, against every enemy that opposeth your entering my kingdom, by ME.’

As surely as there is a devil in hell, there will be false teachers on earth. So long as thou continuest in the body, thou wilt have corrupt lusts, carnal reason, the workings of pride, unbelief, and self-righteousness. Now all these unite to oppose thy faith, and contend against thy hope; but thy master, who calleth thee to arms, bids thee "be of good courage, and strive for the mastery." In his strength thou art sure to conquer and win the prize. "Press forward, striving against sin,"- Hebrews 12:4 -"striving for the faith of the gospel,"- Philippians 1:27 -striving fervently in prayers,"- Colossians 4:12 -"striving according to his workings, who worketh mightily in his people," Colossians 1:29.

Give light, O Lord, to see the gate,

That would beguile my soul;

By THEE, who art the truth, the way,

From Satan’s power, the world, and sin.

Turn off my eyes from other hopes,

And strength to strive to enter in

O fix and keep my wand’ring heart

To thee entire and whole.

O Lord! thou hast deceived me, and I was deceived; thou art stronger than I, and hast prevailed: I am in derision daily, and every one mocketh me. Jeremiah 20:7.

A poor deluded perfectionist lately made a great noise in London: he blasphemously pretended to be as holy as God himself, to have revelations from him, and peremptorily fixed upon a day when the world was to be destroyed. He deceived many, and alarmed more. But time proved how artfully he had been deceived himself; and now, what is most awful, he has cast off all sense of religion, ridicules it, charges all his delusion upon God, and quotes these very words of Jeremiah, to prove that God had deceived him. One would not mention this by way of reflection, or triumph over this unhappy man; but, as a caution against this mad, wildfire notion of sinless perfection, which so spreads itself among a certain description of professors. But did God really deceive Jeremiah? Can we suppose that he charges God with it? The very thought is daring and impious. After giving several senses upon the words, the learned Dr. Gill very judiciously says, “It is best of all to translate them, as they will bear: O, Lord! thou hast persuaded me, and I was persuaded.” This sense he takes from Luther and others. The prophet did not run before he was sent; but was called, and effectually convinced of his mission, by the power of his Spirit. Just so is every believer. (1st.) Divinely called, and effectually persuaded to come to Christ, and he his disciple. Christian, consider! do not you see somewhat here suited to your own case? Was not God stronger than you, and therefore prevailed? Will not you fall down to-night at the feet of sovereign grace, and own its effectual power; and give the Lord of all grace, all the glory from your whole heart? (2d.) Are you like Jeremiah, in a complaining, unbelieving frame? Are you saying, O Lord, I should never have come to thee, and been thy disciple, if thy grace had not prevailed over me! Being come, I encouraged my soul to hope for nothing but comfort all through life. But, alas! I am disappointed and dejected: men laugh at me and deride me. One says, I am an enthusiast; another, my brain is turned: the world says, I am only pursuing whims and chimeras of my own fancy; and Satan mocks and derides me daily, crying, now where is your comfort? where is now your God? Blessed Christian! consider, (3d.) and be not dismayed, it is your glory, as it was the prophet’s, to have a loving-hearted, covenant God, a compassionate Saviour, to go to, who is touched with a feeling of your infirmities. You can pour out your heart before him, appeal to him, tell him of your sorrows, treatment and heart-felt distress. Though all the world derides you, God delights over you: though Satan insults, “God shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly.”