Daily Devotionals

The Poor Man's Morning and Evening Portions

Devotional: July 29th

July 29—Morning—Romans 12:5

"We, being many, are one body in Christ."—Romans 12:5.

One of the most delightful of all thoughts, and which when fully enjoyed under the influence of the Holy Ghost, gives an unspeakable felicity in the heart, is that union and fellowship of Christ with his church. Ponder it, my soul, this morning. All the members of Christ’s body are but one body. the apostle saith, in Christ; "and he is the head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all." I would never, if possible, lose sight of this, because in the perfect conviction and assurance of it must be found all our security and joy. And the way by which this blessed truth, under divine teaching, will be kept alive in the soul, is this: I would behold myself, what I am by nature and practice in Adam, and connect with this view what I am by grace and faith in Christ. Now, as Adam was the common head of all his seed in nature, equally so is Christ the common head of all his seed in grace. Do I consider that, when Adam sinned in the garden, I as one of his children, and then, as scripture saith of Levi, in respect to his connection with Abraham, was in his loins, part of himself, and consequently implicated and involved in all the good or bad belonging to him? Then it will follow, that in Adam’s sin I sinned, and in Adam’s condemnation I was included. So then, as Adam did not transgress only for himself, but for all his seed, by nature, that should come from him; equally so when Christ fulfilled all righteousness, and when Christ expiated all sin by the sacrifice of himself, his seed were considered righteous in him; and his expiatory sacrifice, as the head of his people, must be, to all intents and purposes, the same as if they had been sacrificed with him. Cherish this thought, my soul, and never allow thyself to behold Christ as the Christ of God, in the capacity of a private or single person, but as the covenant Head, the Father’s Chosen, the Sent, the Sealed, the Anointed of God, in whom all his members are one body in Christ. See that thou hast the Spirit of Christ, by which thou art proved to be one of his. And for the full enjoyment of all the blessings contained in this union and communion with thy glorious head, daily and hourly remind God thy Father of all his covenant promises made to Christ as the head of his church and people, in which the Lord hath said," I will pour my Spirit upon thy seed, and my blessing upon thine offspring."

July 29—Evening—Psalms 52:8

"But I am like a green olive-tree in the house of God."—Psalms 52:8.

My soul! canst thou humbly take up this language? See, and mark the particulars, one by one. and then determine the important point. Here the church at large is represented as a green olive-tree: and, by a just conclusion, every member is a part; for," we, being many, are one body in Christ." Now the apostle saith, that by nature this was not the case, for we were of the wild olive-tree, and were grafted, contrary to nature, into the good olive-tree; Romans 11:24. Hence, if thou art taken from nature to grace, it must have been by conversion. The work is not of man, but of God. And, so far is any man from contributing to it, that it is altogether contrary to nature. Hast thou felt the cutting work of conviction, when taken from the old stock of nature; and the healing work of conversion, when brought into the new stock of grace, by an union with Christ? And, when there is an union formed on the new stock, there will be a communication from the root to the brauch. "He that is joined to the Lord is one spirit." There will be a most blessed union; a oneness, an interest, a life-giving, a life-strengthening principle, communicated continually from Christ to his members. For he saith himself, "Because I live, ye shall live also." Hast thou, my soul, these blessed testimonies? Moreover, where there is this union with Christ, and soul-communications from Christ, there will be not only life but fruitfulness; a perpetual verdure, a state of constant flourishing. Say, is it so with thee? Canst thou take up the language of this sweet scripture, and say, "But I am like a green olive. tree in the house of God?"—It is blessed so to be enabled to say; and blessed to ascribe all the glory to the one only source, even Jesus; and blessed to mark the distinguishing grace of the Lord in the appointment. For when the Lord Jesus took thee from among the olive-trees, which were all wild by nature, there were many there in the wilderness, apparently more promising, and surely none more undeserving! And yet, while others were left, thou wast taken. "Lord! (may I web and constantly cry out) how is it that thou hast manifested thyself unto me, and not unto the world?" Precious, bountiful Lord! fulfil in my soul that sweet promise; and cause "my branches to spread, and my beauty in thee to be as the olive-tree, and my smell as Lebanon," Hosea 14:6.