Daily Devotionals

Spiritual Treasury For The Children of God

Devotional: July 16th

No man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost.- 1 Corinthians 12:3.

"As the heavens declare the glory of the Lord, and the firmament sheweth his handy-work:" so every page of his sacred word proclaims his grace to his people, reminds them of the insufficiency of their natural power and free-will to any saving purposes. Formal professors say, that Jesus is the Lord. The confession is easy. It is common to the openly profane, and the most decent Pharisee; but is no more profitable to salvation than the true declaration from Satan, "Thou art the Holy One of God,"- Mark 1:24. But saving confession of Jesus with the lips proceeds from inward believing on Jesus with the heart; and this from spiritual discoveries to the mind by the Holy Ghost. O believer, know thy distinguishing blessing! Esteem not this a common privilege, but special grace, that thou canst see, canst own, canst come to, trust in, and call the despised Nazarene, the once sin-bearing, sin-atoning, curse-sustaining Jesus thy Lord and thy God; in whom is all thy hope, and from whom is all thy salvation. This is truly the faith of God’s elect. Hear what thy master proclaims of such a confession; "Blessed art thou; for flesh and blood hath not revealed this unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven."- Matthew 16:17.

This is the mystery of the Father’s kingdom: this is given only to his children to know. Therefore the Holy Ghost is sent into their hearts to make it manifest. Most blessed confession! May it be ever uppermost in our minds, in our lips, and evidenced by our lives, that Jesus is JEHOVAH. That Jesus is the LORD, the Saviour, the man, and Mediator-our atonement on the cross; our righteousness in his life; our intercessor at the right-hand of glory; this, this is our plea to all that are against us. We are sure it is a godly, righteous plea, for it is given us by the Holy Ghost in the word of truth. By it the Father is glorified; Jesus is honored; drooping, fainting hearts are revived and comforted; faith is established, hope confirmed, love increased, holiness advanced, Satan vanquished, sin subdued, the law answered, the world overcome, death conquered, and we sharers in the triumphs of glory and immortality.

Christian soul, cheer up. With this truth in thine heart: with this confession in thy mouth, go on thy way rejoicing: nor men nor devils can harm thee. Jesus thy Saviour is the Lord almighty to protect, ever-loving to save. Only fear to offend against love itself; Never suffer a doubt of Jesus’ love in thy mind. Grieve not the Holy Spirit. Come, a few more days to prove thy allegiance to Jesus thy Lord on earth, and thou shalt reign with him in glory. Ever remember thy Lord’s blessed promise, "Whosoever shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven."- Matthew 10:32.

Adam begat a son in his own likeness, after his image. Genesis 5:3.

Not in the image of God, in which Adam was created, but after the likeness of himself, an apostate spirit, fallen from God, into all the cursed, proud, wrathful tempers of a wicked devil, and all the vile, filthy lusts of a brute beast. Awful difference between God’s creation, and man’s procreation! Where can we turn our eyes, but we see the dreadful effects of it? The Holy Ghost hath left this truth upon record for our instruction. Consider, (1st.) that we are begotten sinners, not created such by God. David confesseth this: “Behold, I was shapen in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me. (Psalms 51:5.) He does not charge his sinful nature to God, and impiously demand, Why hast thou made me thus? Ever beware of such doctrines, which have the least tendency to make a holy God the author of sin. (2d.) See whence you sprung. Boast not of your high birth and noble pedigree. You were born a sinner, under wrath and curse, and must shortly turn to ignoble dust. “Be clothed with humility.” (3d.) Trace the filthy streams to their corrupt fountain. Look not only at your sins, but consider your sinful nature also. These are only the fruits; that, the root from whence they sprung. Says our Lord, “That which is born of the flesh, is flesh.” (John 3:6.) Earthly, sensual, and devilish. I know, says St. Paul, in my flesh, or fallen nature, dwelleth no good thing. (Romans 7:18.)

The flesh is part of you. Never expect the old man to be changed into a new one, or flesh into spirit. Be content to leave it as you find it, an enemy to the Spirit. Treat it as such: crucify its lusts: resist its notions: subdue its desires: put off the old man from day to day. (4th.) View the glorious method God has taken, for your recovery from your fallen state. O love and adore him for it! Does he repair, alter, and amend what is amiss in the old creation? No: this very notion is a species of deism. But by a new creation, making one new man. (Ephesians 2:15.) Even the Lord from heaven becomes the Son of man, that we may be the sons of God IN him. The Spirit begets us again unto him. We are new creatures in him. Thus, we are born again into a new creation. Here we live holy and happy, in perfect acceptance with God, and enjoy fellowship in his love, as our heavenly Father. As we see our own vileness, we are commanded to put on this new man by faith, day by day. And beholding his glory, we are changed into his image from glory to glory, by the Spirit of the Lord.” 2 Corinthians 3:18.

Born into Christ, the second man,

We have a nature new;

Hence holy strife in us began,

Which proves us Christians true.