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Daily Devotionals
Spiritual Treasury For The Children of God
Devotional: February 18th

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Morning Devotional

Henceforth know we no man after the flesh; yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh; yet henceforth know we him no more.- 2 Corinthians 5:16.

How eminent does the grace of God shine in the conduct of Levi! when the glory of Jehovah was at stake, when his honor was to be vindicated against those who had sinned with an high hand, "He said unto his father and mother, I have not seen him:"-that is, no one that mine eye shall pity, nor mine hand spare, who has transgressed in this matter. "Neither did he acknowledge his brethren, nor know his own children."- Deuteronomy 33:9. The Lord our God is a jealous God. It behoves his children to be valiant for the truth as it is in Jesus. It is our duty to face all opposition against it; to stand in defence of it from every quarter, and to know no man after the flesh, so as to give up the truth for fear of him. This is our highest honor; and this is highly acceptable in the sight of our God. "Those who honor me I will honor," saith the Lord. But "knowing men after the flesh," proves a snare to the soul. Many have suffered loss hereby. While they have conferred with flesh and blood, listened to the wisdom of carnal men, and consulted the judgment of the wise of this world, how have their minds been drawn from the simplicity that is in Christ!

The wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. The righteousness of the flesh is abomination in his sight. The Spirit of inspiration hath taught us this profitable lesson, to glory ONLY in Christ as our wisdom and righteousness. This sweet mystery of faith makes us dead to the life of the flesh, the lust of the flesh, and the glory of the flesh; yea, gives us the victory over the flesh. So we live in a spiritual kingdom, glory in Jesus as a spiritual Saviour, are delighted with spiritual companions, and are made comfortable by spiritual gifts and graces.

While a Pharisee, Paul gloried in carnal privileges and the attainments of the flesh; but, "Behold he prayeth," saith the Holy Ghost. Blessed proof of a new-born soul, when it soars to Jesus, and is dissatisfied with all the objects of nature, time, and sense, and incessantly cries, "I count all things but loss and dung for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung that I may win Christ."- Philippians 3:8.

To know my Lord IN mortal flesh,

Doth ev’ry comfort bring:

AFTER the flesh to know the Lord

Is quite a carnal thing.

With spiritual views my soul delight,

Of Jesu’s lovely face,

O heav’nly Dove: so make me run

With joy my heav’nly race.

Evening Devotional

Now abideth-hope. 1 Corinthians 13:13.

Gospel faith and Christian hope are twin graces in the heart: they are inseparable. Faith exists not without hope. Hope has no being without faith. Such as a man’s faith is, such is his hope. They both flow from God’s word, as light and heat from the sun. Take away a word spoken, and faith has no being. Without a promise made, hope has no existence. Faith receives and takes possession of Christ, as set forth in the word: hope expects all promised blessings, comforts, and joys in him, with him, and from him, according to the word. “The word of God liveth and abideth for ever.” (1 Peter 1:23.) Jesus, who is the essential word, “is our hope.” (1 Timothy 1:2.) He is the cause of our hope; the object of our hope; and the life of our hope. Therefore, our hope abideth. Yea, though all in nature fails; all in sense forsakes us; and all, as to outward appearances, are against us;-though corruptions rage and foam, and lift up their boisterous waves: though, like St. Paul, we are in the great deep, and see neither sun, moon, nor stars for a season,-yet hope abideth. For Jesus, the object of hope, lives. The grace of hope cannot perish: it is an anchor to the soul; it keeps it sure and steady. Why? because it is not cast within us, but without us. What a foolish mariner would he be, who should think his vessel would ride safe and steady against wind and tide, because he had an anchor on board! Just as foolish are those professors, who cast the anchor of hope within themselves, on their own graces, inherent righteousness as it is called, etc. Why, as the sea-phrase is, the anchor will come home; it will not hold the vessel: there is no ground for it to fasten in. But the Christian’s hope “entered into that within the vail.” (6:19.)-Into heaven itself. It fixes and fastens upon Jesus, who is entered into heaven for us. As by faith we receive the atonement of Christ for our sins, and trust in his righteousness for our justification; so hope looks for, and expects the heart-reviving, soul-sanctifying comforts of this from the Holy Spirit in time; and all the glory and blessedness which Jesus hath, by his life and death, obtained for us, in an endless eternity. Faith has to do with things invisible to sense. God’s truth is the foundation of faith. Faith keeps hope in lively exercise; “looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God, and our Saviour Jesus Christ,” Titus 2:13.

The word of God calls forth my faith,

From thence my hope doth spring:

Founded alone on what God saith,

I can rejoice and sing.

His word is truth, his promise sure;

Hence, faith and hope abide:

My soul in safety shall endure,

Nor aught from Christ divide.

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