Daily Devotionals

Spiritual Treasury For The Children of God

Devotional: May 14th

Wherefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered without the gate.- Hebrews 13:12.

Sin viewed in the glass of God’s holy law, fills the soul with terror, works wrath in the conscience, and leaves the sinner under the curse without hope: but while the infinitely precious sacrifice of Jesus is beheld, sin appears exceeding sinful; the sinner is truly humbled, sin is loathed, Christ is cleaved to, and hope springs up in the sin-distressed conscience.

In the tabernacle of old, as there were no windows in it, a lamp was to burn always, that the house of God might not at any time be in darkness: this the Lord ordained unto the children of Israel- Exodus 27:21. As the darkness is past, and the true light now shineth, we see Jesus, who is the altar, the sacrifice, and the priest, by and through whom we are sanctified. This truth is to be kept daily burning bright in the lamp of faith, in the temple of the heart. The man Jesus, upon whom all the sins of the elect were laid, was made a curse for them; he cheerfully devoted himself, his holy body, his precious blood, his innocent soul, as a sin-offering for them in the great day of atonement. "By his one offering he hath for ever perfected all them that are sanctified;" that is, separated by the choice of the Father as the objects of his love. They are all consecrated to God by the blood of Jesus.

As the bodies of the beasts, under the law, were burnt without the camp, and their blood brought into the holy of holies, and sprinkled upon the mercy-seat, so our dear and ever precious Jesus suffered all the inexpressible agonies of soul and body, from the fire of God’s wrath, due to our sin; bore all the scandal, curse, and reproach of it "without the gate of the city," as an alien and outcast of the people. His own most precious blood having once purged, expiated, and taken away the guilt of sin, and made perfect reconciliation for his people, it ever speaks in their behalf, and pleads their cause before the throne; averts all wrath from them, and obtains all blessing for them: thus we are purged from the guilt of sin; thus we are consecrated unto God. In the faith of this, "we have boldness to enter into the holiest, even by the blood of Jesus." Thus purged, thus consecrated, every believer is a priest unto God; he is encouraged to draw nigh to God with confidence of access; and it is his high and peculiar honor "to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God by Jesus Christ."- 1 Peter 2:5.

We see the blood of Jesus shed,

Whence all our comforts rise;

The sinner views th’ atonement made,

And loves the sacrifice.

By this we’re sanctify’d to God,

A people for his praise:

Faith takes the blessing from Christ’s word,

And glories in his grace.

Now the just shall live by faith. Hebrews 10:38.

Then they will highly prize the word of God. “For by that faith cometh.” (Romans 10:17.) Prophets and apostles, Old Testament saints and New Testament believers speak by one and the same Spirit, one and the same language, of one and the same life. “The just shall live by his faith,” says Habakkuk 2:4. Mind, It is not said, the just, or the justified sinner, shall live for his faith. This would be to substitute faith in the room of its blessed object, Jesus who saith, “Because I live, ye shall live also. (John 14:19.) Nor is it said, he shall live upon his faith. We are too apt to look more to, and live more upon, what we think faith, which is rather the feelings of sense, than upon Christ, the object of faith. It is said of Esau, “By thy sword shalt thou live.” (Genesis 27:40.) To have lived upon his sword, would have been hard food indeed. But he lived upon the precious morsels his sword brought in. So the believing sinner, justified in the righteousness of Christ, is to live, as we say, from hand to mouth; upon what faith brings into his mind, from the word of Christ, day by day. Eternal praise to the Holy Spirit, who quickened our once dead souls to this holy spiritual life. And he says, “We shall live by faith.” This demands fresh praise every moment, while we thus live in Christ, and upon Christ, by faith. Shall live. What is implied in this? Even that this faith shall never be lost, nor the soul of any justified sinner perish: for he is in Christ, who is the way to the kingdom, the truth of the kingdom, and the life of all who are chosen to inherit the kingdom. Hast thou faith, though but as a grain of mustard seed? Consider not thy faith, though weak, but the author and object of it, Jesus who is almighty to save. Though, under the sentence of death for sin in thyself; yet in him thou hast righteousness and justification unto eternal life. Lord, increase our faith, that we may live more above with thee in heart and affection, in conquest over sin, victory over the world, triumph over the accusations of Satan, the condemnation of the law, and the terrors of death. Thus the life of faith is a life of present peace, precious love, joyful hope, and holy obedience: For Christ is our life. O let us take heed lest we draw back from this our most holy, humble faith, either to self-righteousness on one hand, or ungodliness on the other. Both these oppose the life of faith, the joy of hope, and the comforts of love, which are in Christ Jesus.

Some trust on works, some trust on faith,

And some don’t trust at all:

O may I live on what Christ saith,

That’s the best life of all.

Faith makes Christ precious to the heart,

Embracing him within:

That soul has learnt the heavenly art,

Who lives on nought but HIM.