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Daily Devotionals
Mornings and Evenings with Jesus
Devotional: November 8th

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Morning Devotional

If we say we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth. - 1 John 1:6.

NOW, persons may say this by profession of it to others, and they may say it to their own souls, persuading themselves that they are real Christians when they have no part or lot in the matter, their hearts not being right in the sight of God. The possibility of this self-delusion is admitted in the very addresses given to guard us against it. Thus, it is said, “Be not deceived: God is not mocked. Let no man deceive himself.” “Be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own souls.” Thus, it is said of Ephraim, “A deceived heart hath turned him aside, that he cannot deliver his soul, nor say, Is there not a lie in my right hand?” And our Lord addressed a whole church of these deceived ones:-“Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased in goods, and have need of nothing, and knowest not that thou art poor, and blind, and naked.”

So there are thousands in our day who hear the word of God, but do it not; who have the form of godliness, but deny its power; who have a name to live, and are dead. Now, the falsehood of such pretensions to godliness, unaccompanied with a holy walk, is here denounced by the apostle in his usual way. So our Saviour says to the church in Smyrna, “I know thy works, and tribulations, and poverty, (but thou art rich,) and I know the blasphemy of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are the synagogue of Satan.” He calls it blasphemy, you see.

Congeniality must precede friendship; resemblance must precede fellowship; for “how can two walk together except they be agreed?” And therefore it will follow that a change of heart is necessary before we can enter into the kingdom of heaven; for without this change we can neither enjoy God nor serve him acceptably; therefore saith the Saviour, “Except a man be born again he cannot see the kingdom of heaven.” How long this delusion may continue it is impossible to determine. Sometimes the snare has been discerned in due time, and it is a mercy to be enabled to escape from it. In other cases the delusion is kept up, being cherished by the father of lies, till death; but it can continue no longer. According to our Saviour, this confidence may be entertained by the man until he has reached the very door of heaven. “Strive to enter in at the strait gate, for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able. When once the master of the house has risen up and has shut to the door, and ye begin to stand without and to knock at the door, saying, Lord, Lord, open unto us, and he from within shall answer and say unto you, I know ye not whence ye are!” Not know us! Why, “we have eaten and drunk in thy presence, and thou hast taught in our streets. But he shall say, I know ye not whence ye are: depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity. There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when ye shall see Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of God, and ye yourselves shut out.” How awful will this be! and how awful the discovery then!

It would be bad enough to go to hell from heathen countries; but how awful it will be to go thither from the gospel and the sanctuary of God, from his ordinances and his table! Yet Solomon says, “There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.”

Evening Devotional

Grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. - John 1:17.

GRACE means favour, and especially undeserved favour. Indeed without this it cannot be grace. Grace is the darling word of inspiration, and is unspeakably dear to all those who feel their Spiritual condition. But how did this grace come? By Jesus Christ. First, Because he revealed it. He published it as a doctrine, and he gave clearer and fuller views of it than were ever heard before. Grace came by Jesus Christ; “grace was poured into his lips,” and all men “wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth.”

Secondly, Because he is the effect of it. This is his own testimony: “God so loved the world as to give his only-begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on him might not perish, but have everlasting life;” and Paul, his own inspired servant, said: “To show in the ages to come the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us by Christ Jesus.” The earth on which we dwell is full of goodness, and his goodness appears in providing us not only with relief but with indulgences. But Spiritual blessings are infinitely above these in their nature and in their value; and what is the chief of these but the “consolation of Israel,” the “desire of all nations,” the “hope of all the ends of the earth.” Grace comes by the Son, and all the blessings God gives us. Grace comes by friendship, and the charms of it; but “thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift,” grace came by Jesus Christ.

Thirdly, Because he was the medium of it. He is the Mediator between God and man, the channel of all divine communication to us. God was under no obligation to save us; and therefore it follows that he had a right to determine the way in which he would be gracious to the guilty, and as he had the right so he had the power. Every thing that is worthy the name of grace in the Scriptures we find flowing from his mediation.

Is it the purpose of our salvation? This was “given us in Christ Jesus before the world began.” Is it the exceeding great and precious promises? “They are all yea and amen in Christ Jesus.” Is it redemption? “In him we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins.” Is it justification? “By him all that believe are justified from all things from which they could not be justified by the law of Moses.”

Lastly, Grace came by Jesus Christ, because he is the exemplifier of it. We know not what kind of body Jesus Christ had-whether it was tall or short, whether it was full or slender, whether it was plain or beauteous; as far, indeed, as beauty depends upon the expressions of the inward sentiment, he must have been fairer than the children of men. But we know what a soul he has; that

“His heart is made of tenderness,

His bowels melt with love.”

If we go back to the prophecies given before time, there it was foretold that “he shall come down like the rain upon the mown grass, as showers that water the earth;” “a bruised reed shall he not break, and the smoking flax shall he not quench.” If we go forward and look into his history, there we only see grace. What is the image of his person? “A lamb.” What is the emblem of his Spirit? “A dove.” What is the character of his kingdom? “Righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.” If we turn to his miracles, we shall find that they were not displays of wrath, nor of the pride of mere power; they were desirable, useful, necessary, merciful, and gracious. Nor can we read his history, or witness his conduct to his disciples, without feeling that “grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.”

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