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Daily Devotionals
Spiritual Treasury For The Children of God
Devotional: January 29th

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Morning Devotional

He that believeth on him is not condemned.- John 3:18.

Dost thou believe on the Son of God? is the most important question in the world. Faith in Jesus is the "one thing needful." Without this the day of life is a state of sin and condemnation. The night of death, full of terror; and the day of judgment, most dreadful. It cannot be otherwise. As we are all malefactors, under the sentence of the law, the thoughts of execution must be most alarming. But ’what the eye doth not see, the heart doth not rue.’ Sin naturally blinds men’s eyes, hardens their hearts; and vain self-righteous hopes deceive their souls into an insensibility of their undone state.

What a special mercy to know one’s self! what distinguishing grace to know Jesus! what peculiar favor to know one is delivered from condemnation by him! This is the joyful privilege of every believer. Though the law condemns him as a transgressor, yet God doth not impute sin, but imputeth righteousness unto him: a righteousness which is equivalent to every demand of the law; even the perfect righteousness of the ever-blessed man and mediator Jesus, our brother, our surety in the flesh. Therefore we are not condemned.

Sin cannot condemn us; it is all atoned for by the blood of Jesus. The law cannot condemn us; that is satisfied: yea more, it is magnified and made honorable by the obedience of the God-man Jesus, more so than it could have been by all the obedience of a world of innocent spotless saints, or of the whole company of the heavenly host of angels and archangels. The justice of God cannot condemn us: for what charge can the strictest justice bring against a righteous person? God’s faithfulness and truth cannot condemn, they are engaged in the behalf of the righteous. "God is faithful and just to forgive us;" and his love and mercy embrace such on every side; for the righteous Lord loveth righteousness.

Lo, thus is the man blessed that believeth in Jesus: Righteous in Christ, through faith; yet not faith, but Jesus is his righteousness. By faith he ever glories in Jesus as his all in all. He that abides in Jesus, enjoys-what? perfect freedom from the being of sin? No. But this blessedness, perfect freedom from all condemnation for sin. He brings forth fruit to the glory of God; he is an heir of "the inheritance among them who are sanctified by the faith which is in Jesus."- Acts 26:18.

What thou hast spoken in the word,

Apply unto my conscience, Lord;

That faith may echo back the sound,

And love, and joy, and peace abound.

Who shall condemn! Faith boldly cries,

I have a friend beyond the skies:

If Satan, sin, and law beset,

My Surety doth from all acquit.

Evening Devotional

Let us search and try our ways, and turn again to the Lord. Lamentations 3:40.

This book is justly styled, the Lamentations. The dear children of God were now in captivity and deep distress. Jeremiah most pathetically enumerates and laments their great calamities. We shall never get out of this book of Lamentations, while in the body. We daily see cause for lamentation, on one account and another: and, indeed, if we did not, it would be a bad sign, that, our eyes were blinded by self-righteous pride, or our hearts hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. “As sorrowing, yet always rejoicing,” is the Christian’s motto. Times of calamity, and seasons of distress, call for self-examination and soul-searching. This will keep down murmurings and complaints. (1st.) Let us search, look for, and inquire after something that may support and comfort us, and teach us to improve our distress. Soul, let thy circumstances be what they may, thy Lord’s advice is ever seasonable. Search the Scriptures. Why? They testify of me. (John 5:39.) Christ is the head of the covenant: in him the Father loves us; through him, his love flows to us. Afflictions flow from covenant love, and shall answer covenant purposes. The Scriptures are written for our comfort. There we find, that we have the common lot and inheritance of all saints. (2d.) Try our ways, by that standard of justice and perfection, the law of God. O, how will this make the sense of sin abound in our eyes! Is the law of God holy? our ways are unholy. Is the law spiritual? we are carnal, sold under sin. Is the law just? our ways are unjust. Is the law good? in us, that is, in our flesh, dwells no good. What must we do? Must we sit down in melancholy, give up all hope, and write despair upon our hearts? No, blessed be God! Though sin has destroyed us, there is salvation in the Lord for us. (3d.) Turn again to the Lord. Such is the acting of a gracious heart. Having once tasted that the Lord is gracious, and known the precious love of Christ, it cannot be happy in sin. It cannot bear to live at a distance from the Lord, its life and love. Believing that all our iniquities were laid upon Christ; that he bore them in his own body on the tree,-it cannot rest till it again finds pardon in his blood, the peace of God, and joy in the Holy Ghost. Bless the Lord, O my soul! for that gracious word, “Return, ye backsliding children, and I will heal your backslidings.” (Jeremiah 3:22.)

Sin and the pow’rs of hell

Persuade me to despair:

Lord, make me know thy cov’nant will,

That I may ‘scape their snare.

Remember all thy grace,

And lead me in thy truth

Forgive the sins of riper years,

And follies of my youth.

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