Daily Devotionals

Spiritual Treasury For The Children of God

Devotional: March 26th

That repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations.- Luke 24:47.

This is God’s method of saving sinners by Jesus Christ. Those who know the preciousness of Christ, have a regard to the glory of God, and love for immortal souls, make this the rule of their preaching: for this doctrine, where it is known and experienced in the heart, makes a true Christian. Evangelical repentance flows from a seeing eye, a hearing ear, and an understanding heart; and is an evidence and effect of gospelfaith.

To see the evil nature and dreadful effects of sin, its punishment in the sufferings of Jesus, to hear the curses and condemnation of the law against sinners, its dreadful thunders and menaces in the conscience; to understand in the heart that nothing but the blood of Jesus could atone for the guilty, none but he could fulfil the perfect demands of a holy law for the unrighteous; this humbles the soul, cuts off false hopes, lays it low in self-abasement before Jehovah, causes it to cry out, "I am the man, the sinner! who am cursed by law, exposed to wrath, and deserve hell. I mourn without hope in myself; I hear of Jesus, the Saviour of sinners; I turn to him for hope and salvation. Sin has destroyed me. Jesus save, or I perish."

This repentance, Jesus is exalted to give. This makes a proud sinner humble. Remission of sins makes a poor sinner a happy saint. Hath Christ obtained remission of sins by his blood? hath he commanded this should be preached in his name? is he exalted to give it? hath he brought the poor sinner, by his Spirit, to his feet to sue for it? and will he refuse to make the soul happy in the sense of it? Never, never, let such a thought be indulged by any poor sensible sinner. We read no such hard lines in his word. We find no such dejecting views from his life and death. The doctrine he prescribed is a lively transcript of all that was in his loving heart.

Be assured, O soul, there shall be a performance of all things that are promised of the Lord, to him that believeth. The same Jesus who gives the soul the humbling view of itself, and by repentance, to turn to him, will give it the rejoicing knowledge of himself, by the remission of sins, through faith in his blood. Repentance and remission of sins are joined together in preaching: they can never be separated in the heart. So sure as repentance is given to any soul by the Spirit of Jesus, that soul is forgiven, through the blood of Jesus, by God the Father.

Blest is the man to whom the Lord

Imputes not his iniquities;

He pleads no merit of reward,

And not on works, but grace relies.

From guile his heart and life are free;

His humble joy, his holy fear,

With deep repentance well agree,

And join to prove his faith sincere.

How glorious is that righteousness,

That hides and cancels all our sins!

While a bright evidence of grace

Thro’ his whole life appears and shines!

When ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, we are unprofitable servants: we have done that which was our duty to do. Luke 17:10.

This is a fatal stab to human merit: this is a deadly blow to sinless perfection. O! flee from the idea of any merit in thee or thy works, as from the face of the devil: it is of the pride of Satan. Avoid the thought of being perfect in thyself, as thou wouldest the most damnable lie: it ariseth from self-deceit, and is established through ignorance of God’s holy law. Our dear Lord here instructs us to be active, yet humble, to be obedient, yet self-abased; to do all things, yet own our unprofitableness after all. Beware you do not learn to decry that word, duty. It is very common for many so to do, as implying nothing but what is legal. Thy Lord here uses it. Be not wiser than thy Master. True, thou art freed from all slavish duty and legal bondage, in order to be justified and saved thereby. But run not hence into lawless liberty. Thou art bound to obey, by the love of God thy Father; commanded to serve thy Saviour Jesus-and this, with the affections of a dutiful son, and with the love of a sincere friend. “We serve the Lord Christ, knowing that in the Lord we shall receive (as a free gift of grace, not earned by duty and works) the reward of the inheritance.” (Colossians 3:24.) The rule of the duty of love are the commands of the law of love: the end of obeying them, is, not to make us righteous; not to exalt us in our own eyes; not to lay a foundation, to build ourselves up in self-righteous confidence. No: says our Lord, After you have done all, renounce all; humble yourselves under all: say, we are unprofitable servants in all. Well, but is not this very discouraging, both to doing and hoping?-Not doing. The end of all this is to adorn the gospel of grace, to glorify the God of grace, to shew a good example to the world, and to evidence the faith, love, and hope of your soul; that you are alive to God, and that these graces are alive in you. Not to hoping. Do you dread that sentence, “Cast the unprofitable servant into outer darkness?” (Matthew 25:30.) That is, one who is disobedient, and, to every good work, reprobate; who is a stranger to pure faith, holy love, and sincere obedience. All such are without hope in Jesus. But, unprofitable as ye are, see, and confess yourselves to be; and, though you have no confidence in yourselves, or your own doing, yet you are commanded to rejoice in Christ Jesus. “And again rejoice.” (Philippians 4:4.) “For he of God is made unto us wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption. (1 Corinthians 1:30.) “And we are made perfectly accepted in him.” (Ephesians 1:6.)