Daily Devotionals

Spiritual Treasury For The Children of God

Devotional: April 12th

And Joshua said unto Achan, My son, give, I pray thee, glory to the Lord God of Israel, and make confession unto him.- Joshua 7:19.

The Lord our God is a jealous God; jealous of his own glory and his people’s good. Sin is contrary to both. God so loves his people, that he will not suffer sin to reign in them. Wilful, allowed sin, however secret, he will chastise for, and bring the soul to confess and repent of. Though sin shall not bring any one of God’s dear children to hell, yet it may bring a hell into the conscience for a season. Sin may break the peace of mind, though it cannot break the covenant of peace.

Wilful transgression causes the Lord to hide his face or frown upon his dear children. This weakens their hands, dejects their hearts, and the enemy gets power against them. This was the case with Achan; therefore the accursed thing must be found out, confessed, and put away. Methinks Achan’s case should remind the believer of his carnal sinful nature. It is from hence spring all his troubles. Indulging its sinful motions brings grief to the soul; encouraging an opinion of its goodness and righteousness, is dissembling with God: it is hiding somewhat in the "earth in the midst of the tent," which is abominable to him, and robs him of his glory. The flesh, with its lusts and corruptions, though we may think of them as Achan did of the Babylonish garment, that they are goodly, yet they are accursed by the law of God. Therefore we are, through the Spirit, "to crucify the flesh, with the affections and lusts." Like the wedge of gold, and the shekels of silver, all must be given up; we must retain none of its riches and treasures. How often has our flesh made our hands hang down, our knees faint, and our hearts troubled! O Christian! thou son of the Most High, give glory to the Lord God of Israel; hide nothing in thy earth, in thy vile nature from thy Lord and Saviour; make confession unto Jesus of all that is in thee, vile and abominable, wretched and hell-deserving as thou art by nature. Give Jesus all the glory of redemption, justification and salvation. Expect no good from the flesh, in the pleasures and enjoyments of sense; seek it all in Jesus, and from his Spirit. As Achan troubled Israel, he must therefore perish in the valley of Achor. So, Christian, the flesh that troubles thy spirit is shortly to fall and die under the sentence for sin. But, saith the Lord, "I will give the valley of Achor (trouble) for a door of hope." Hosea 2:15. "Though the body shall be sown in dishonor; yet it shall be raised in glory." For, saith Jesus, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who liveth and believeth in me, shall never die."- John 11:25-26.

By the obedience of one, shall many be made righteous. Romans 5:19.

St. Paul speaks of “Another Jesus, another Spirit, and another gospel.” (2 Corinthians 11:4.) Some talk of a Jesus, who shed his blood for sinners, and yet leaves them to perish for want of righteousness: this is another Jesus than what the Scriptures reveal. They speak of a Spirit, who strives to make sinners righteous; but, meeting with so much unexpected, perverse wickedness in their nature, he gives over his attempt, and suffers them to perish in their sins: this is another Spirit, than that Spirit, whose office it is to convince us of sin, and of the righteousness of Christ, to sanctify us in him, and to glorify Jesus. Again; they preach what they call gospel, which consists of certain terms to be fulfilled, and conditions performed by us, in order to obtain righteousness and eternal life: this is another gospel, than that good news of everlasting righteousness, life, and salvation, being the free gift of God through Christ, to hopeless, helpless, desperate sinners. The subtlety of the serpent is in all this. Our minds, though espoused to Jesus, are in danger of being corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. St. Paul was jealous over souls with a godly jealousy, on account of this: we ought so to be over our own souls. Here is a plain, simple truth: “By the ONE obedience of Jesus shall many be made righteous.” That heart is not simple, which raises the least cavil, or objection, to the obedience of Christ imputed to believing simmers; or says, they are or may be made righteous in any other way. Such reject the truth, deny the faith, corrupt the mind, dishonor our Lord, and deprive souls of the comfort and joy which spring from believing in Jesus to be “the Lord our righteousness.” Avoid such, as you would those who deny the divinity of our ever dear Lord. Hold fast and rejoice in this blessed truth, that though you are a miserable sinner in yourself; though your obedience, after all your sincere strivings and earnest endeavors, is maimed and imperfect; yet the perfect, spotless obedience of the Son of God is yours, imputed to your account: as much yours, as though you had, in your own person, obeyed every jot and tittle of the law of God. By this one obedience of Christ, you are perfectly righteous in God’s sight. He looks on you, loves you, and treats you as such. O! then, poor sinners, be not dejected, as without hope; but rejoice and give glory to your dear Surety, who has fulfilled all righteousness for you, that you should eternally love, serve, and rejoice in him, though you have no confidence in the flesh. (Philippians 3:3.)

God’s truth demands obedient faith;

We’re bound to hear whate’er he saith:

Then to thyself for sin take shame,

And all the glory give the Lamb.