Daily Devotionals

Spiritual Treasury For The Children of God

Devotional: December 17th

Righteousness delivereth from death.- Proverbs 11:4.

When a poor sinner is brought to judge of himself according to the word of truth, then is he truly wise. When he sees the exceeding sinfulness of sin, he is humbled before the Lord. When he considers "the wages of sin is death," he fears and trembles. But when he is enabled to believe he is righteous in the sight of God, then he is truly happy. His soul rejoiceth, because his eyes have seen the salvation of God; and he hath found a righteousness that delivers from death. It is never well with the soul, but when in simplicity and godly sincerity, it forms its judgment of sin and righteousness from the word of the Lord. For carnal reason and fleshly wisdom pervert and draw it aside from the truth as it is in Jesus. Sin is a transgression of the law, which is holy, just, and good. "Death has passed upon all men." Verily then I am a cursed sinner, and have need to cry daily, "God be merciful to me!" Lord, deliver my soul from death! What is righteousness, but a perfect obedience to the law of God? I have no righteousness in myself. I have sinned. A sinner righteous in himself is a contradiction in terms.

But here is our mercy; as by man sin entered into the world, and death as the curse of sin: so by man came righteousness; and as a blessing of it, deliverance from death. Where can we turn our eyes? to whom can we look for this righteousness, this blessing, this deliverance? To the man, Mediator, surety, and representative of his people, JESUS, ONLY. He is emphatically styled "the righteous,"- 1 John 2:1. This is the comfortable testimony the Spirit of truth bears of Jesus, "He was made to be sin for us who knew no sin, that we (who have no righteousness in ourselves) might be made the righteousness of God IN HIM."- 2 Corinthians 5:21. So the righteous Jehovah, who loveth righteousness, and whose countenance beholds the thing that is just, is well pleased with the members of Jesus: for they are clothed with his righteousness. The Lord laid their sins upon Jesus. The Lord imputes the righteousness of Jesus to them without any works of theirs. So he delivers them from deserved death; so he justifies them in righteousness unto eternal life: every believer is as perfectly righteous IN Christ as if he had never sinned. Here is thy happiness, O believer! it is thy joyful privilege thus to judge of thyself. To live in this view of thyself is agreeable to the truth of God’s word: it is witnessed to thy soul by the comforter, through faith. This makes the soul joyful in truth. This animates to all holy obedience in love. This gives confidence in prayer, comfort in life, deliverance from death, and boldness at the awful bar of judgment. Thus "grace reigns through righteousness unto eternal life, by Jesus Christ our Lord." Romans 5:21.

My beloved is mine. Song of Solomon 2:16.

Here is a knowledge worth more than heaven and earth. For heaven and earth shall pass away, but this knowledge endureth for ever. O happy souls who are favoured with it, give fresh glory to your beloved to-night. Ye who are seeking it, rejoice. For he hath said, “every one who seeketh findeth.” (Matthew 7:8.) Happy Job was favoured with it, when he was in heaviness through manifold temptations-broken in the place of dragons, and covered with the shadow of death. Then he must have utterly fainted, had he not believed. Time was, when Job could say, my health, my wealth, my honours, my children, my comforts, but a period came when all these were taken from him. He had nothing within nor without to stay his soul upon, but the word of the Lord, and the Lord revealed in the word. This was his support and his glory. Though I have lost all things, I have my Redeemer still. He lives. I know it. While he lives, I cannot die. As he has redeemed me, I cannot perish. While I know it, I cannot despair. I will rejoice in him, though I am stript of all things besides him. O how does the whole world lie fast asleep, in the arms of the wicked one, without the least thought of, or desire after the knowledge of this precious Redeemer! But how many poor sinners are saying, O that I knew this dear Redeemer was mine. O that I could say, “I know my Redeemer liveth.” Nothing in all the world could give me such comfort as this. Bless the dear Spirit, for he hath given you peculiar knowledge of Christ, and special approbation of him. It is a special grace, to see your misery as a sinner, and your want of a Redeemer, and to make Christ the choice of your soul. You know, you believe the Redeemer liveth. Why, all this is in consequence of his love to you. He chose you. He died for you. He lives to pray for you. Therefore he has blessed you, by sending his Spirit to you. Why then should unbelief so prevail in you, as to keep you from honouring him, by claiming him as your beloved, and rejoicing in him as your friend? O the unspeakable mercy to have such a Redeemer! We have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins: perfect peace with God, and a sure title to glory. Blessed be God for Jesus Christ. O study the work, the perfectly finished, and everlasting glorious work of Christ’s redemption. Believe his precious word of invitation, Come unto me. His precious promise is, I will give you rest. What could Christ have done more than he hath to manifest his love to sinners? Why then should you or I, or any poor sinner be kept from claiming him by faith, saying, this is my beloved and my friend? Song of Solomon 5:16.

“Your harps, ye trembling saints,

Down from the willows take;

Lord, to the praise of love divine

Bid every string awake.