Daily Devotionals

Spiritual Treasury For The Children of God

Devotional: October 22nd

I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which now I live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.- Galatians 2:20.

The state of a Christian is a seeming paradox. No marvel the things of God are foolishness to natural men, and that we are accounted fools for Christ by them; for the truths of God, as well as the life of his children, appear to be absurd to them. But "the life of Jesus is made manifest in our flesh."- 2 Corinthians 4:11. Hence he saith, "If any man will come after me, let him deny himself."- Matthew 16:24. Deny the PRIDE of his own righteousness, the corrupt LUSTS of his sinful flesh, and own me as his life, and follow me as his Lord in the regeneration; in this crucifixion of nature, this death to every hope but Jesus, this life of faith on him, consists the peace, love, holiness, and joy of our souls; this springs from love, excites to love, and is nourished by love; so we enjoy heaven below. Thus is heaven above insured to us.

Blessed life! happy believer! to feel Christ living in thee, to live on him by faith. Envy you, ye sons of folly and vanity! we do not; join with you in your carnal delights we cannot; joys infinitely superior are ours; pity you, indeed we do; nor with you, ye sons of the bond-woman, can we live on our works and duties, derive life from terms we fulfil, and conditions we perform; as if for so much work we earn so much wages: our God owes us nothing; yet he gave his Son freely, "that we might live through him." The beloved Son of God himself is our life, our all; though wretched, guilty, damnable creatures by nature and practice, yet astonishing grace! "he loved us, and gave himself for us." Of this we are bold and confident; this truth bears the divine impress; the Lord hath confirmed it with an oath; here to admit the least doubt is base and unreasonable: the life of faith springs from truth itself, and is as contrary to doubting as it is to sensuality; yet, while in the flesh, it will be opposed by both. But is every believer in Jesus assured with Paul, "Christ loved ME, and gave himself for ME"? No: though this knowledge is essential to the comfort of our souls, yet not to the being of faith in the heart, nor is it the object of faith; yet it is the joyful privilege of every believer, and as such is earnestly to be coveted, and all diligence given to attain it; we are loved with the same love, saved by the same truth, the same faith given us by the same Spirit which Paul had, and to the same end to make us holy and happy; and the comforter, who testifies of Jesus in the word, will sooner or later also bear witness to the heart, and fill the soul with the fruits of faith and the joy of assurance; every faithful, abiding soul in the Lamb shall rejoice to say, "The Spirit itself beareth witness with my spirit, that I am a child of God."- Romans 8:16.

For if they which are of the law be heirs, faith is made void, and the promise made of none effect. Romans 4:14.

Who are of the law? The openly professed Jew only? Nay, verily; but every man, who has the faith and hope of a Jew, he is of the law. What is their faith and hope? Every man’s hope is of the same nature as his faith. A Jew believes, that he is to seek for righteousness and life by the works of the law-that on account of his obedience to it, he hopes he shall be an heir of life and glory. Well, but the Jews totally reject Christ, says one, but I do not. I believe Christ died for the sins of the whole world; that I am justified, and pardoned through his blood now; and that at the last day, I shall be justified, and entitled to God’s kingdom, for the sake of my good works: that there is first a justification by faith, and a second justification by works. Take knowledge of thyself. Thou art of the law, and under the law, and expectest to be an heir of eternal life by the law. Whatever thou professest of faith in Christ, it is not the faith of the gospel. It does not own Christ the Saviour. This is a perilous, creature-exalting notion. It degrades grace. It debases Christ. It dwells only in proud hearts, legal minds, and self-righteous spirits. It awfully prevails in our day. The heirs of grace should oppose it. For, if those of the law be heirs, on any account of works, what then? Faith is made void. Faith fixes upon the sole work of the Son of God. By faith we become joint-heirs with Christ, enter in and possess the hope of eternal life. We are in actual possession of it. Hence we are filled with joy and peace in believing. That soul, who is striving by any works or doings of his own, to make himself an heir of, and get a title to God’s kingdom, he sets aside Christ: he makes faith void. He is far under the law, and the promise is made of none effect. Such have no regard to, nor reliance upon it. It has no effect upon their faith and hope. It is not their object. But this is the language of the heirs of faith, this the confidence of their hope, this the joy of their souls; and their faith and hope, and joy, are founded upon the immutable promise of a faithful, unchangeable Jehovah. “In hope of eternal life, which God, who cannot lie, promised before the world began. Titus 1:2.

Am I an heir of life thro’ faith?

To Jesus then I’ll ever cleave,

And claim the precious words by faith,

To wretched sinners who believe.

The gospel grace of God’s dear Son,

Brings to my soul a better plea,

Than works of law which I have done-

Hence to the sinner’s Friend I flee.