Daily Devotionals

Spiritual Treasury For The Children of God

Devotional: July 1st

Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering: (for he is faithful that promised).- Hebrews 10:23.

Poor Christian! thy profession is envied by the malice of devils; it is the scorn and ridicule of natural men; and is contrary to thy carnal reason. Hence thou hast the combined force of a threefold alliance in arms against thee; if that by any means they may rob thee of thy hope. Happy Christian! who like thy blessed master, in the face of every adversary, hast "witnessed a good profession,"- 1 Timothy 6:13. What an animating exhortation backed with a most precious assertion is this! Thou must expect to be assaulted by the rage of devils, treated with scorn and contempt from wicked men; and often put to a stand by the carnal reasonings of thy flesh. Here is thy duty: "hold fast" in spite of all opposition: hold fast the truths of God. "It is written," is sufficient to silence every carnal argument, to support thy soul against every attack from the wisdom of this world. With this weapon thy blessed master put Satan to flight. Thus defend thyself with the sword of the Spirit against every foe. Thus encourage thy soul daily to "hold fast its profession." God’s revealed truths are faith’s objects, faith’s confidence, faith’s security; for God’s foundation standeth sure. "He is faithful that promised." Why then should thy mind at any time waver, agitate, or be tossed to and fro? The foundation of God standeth sure. To confide in the word, promises, and oath of a faithful, covenant-keeping, promise-fulfilling God, is the glory of thy soul and glorifies thy Lord. Is Jesus thy profession? is all thy hope in him? all thy expectation from him? Is he thy all for pardon, for righteousness, for sanctification, for wisdom, and eternal redemption? dost thou profess him thy alpha and omega? Then be careful for nothing but to please him-fear thou nothing but what may offend him. Whilst thou lookest to him only, thou wilt be of good courage. Remember thy foes are his conquered enemies. When they oppose, attack, assault, it is to try thy faith, that thou mayest glorify him the more. What hast thou already? Hast thou not thy Lord’s faithful word; his precious promises; his solemn oath, all pledged for thy safety and salvation? Hast thou not found peace of conscience, comfort of heart, joy of soul in Jesus? Then cleave close to him: hold fast by him. Ever plead (not thy own) but his faithfulness. Attend his sweet call from heaven above to all his conflicting members below: "That which ye have already, hold fast till I come."- Revelation 2:25.

The fearful soul, that tires and faints,

And walks the ways of God no more,

Is but esteem’d almost a saint,

And makes his own destruction sure.

Lord, let not all my hopes be vain,

Create my heart entirely new,

Which hypocrites could ne’er attain,

Which base apostates never knew.

I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ. Romans 1:16.

Says Mr. Bunyan, “Of all the men that I met with in my pilgrimage, Shame, I think, bears the wrong name. This boldfaced Shame would never have done. I could scarcely shake him out of my company. He would be continually haunting me, and whispering me in my ear. Indeed, this Shame is a bold villain.” (Pilgrim’s Progress.) Have you not found the same? Lord, pardon thy servant, that this shame still cleaves unto me. Lord, I am ashamed of myself, that I ever should be ashamed of thee and thy gospel. Lion of the tribe of Judah, drive away this shame from my heart. Consider, (1st.) its origin. It is begotten by pride. We are proud of our good names, our characters, our reason, and understanding, among the men of the world. If we openly profess the gospel of Christ, and live and walk under the influence of it, we cannot do as the rest of the world does. Hence, we shall soon get a nick-name; be called a Methodist, and deemed a fool, a madman, an enthusiast. Pride cannot bear this: it is ashamed of it. Then, (2d.) it works by fear. Fear says, take heed to yourself; do not go too far: keep your gospel to yourself; you will surely suffer for it; you will lose your friends, character, and business-you will set all the world against you: and then, how will you live? Thence, (3d.) you see that pride and fear are the cursed offspring of atheism and unbelief. They banish the providence of God and the promises of his grace out of our mind. Hence it is plain, that faith, a living faith in the gospel of Christ, will drive pride, fear, and shame out of the heart, with, Get ye to hell, from whence ye sprang. O! consider the dishonor it is to precious Christ, to be ashamed of his glorious gospel. Does that bring to our souls the glad tidings of the pardon of our sins, peace with God, justification before him, and eternal enjoyment of him through the salvation of Christ? Did he make himself of no reputation for us? Did he endure the cross, and despise the shame of hanging naked upon it, as a cursed malefactor to save us? And shall we be ashamed of him? Where, then, is our faith in him, and love to him? It is one thing to be beset with shame, and another to give way to it. A lively faith begets warm love: then, shame durst not shew his base head. Without thee, O Jesus, we can do nothing. Through thy strength we can do all things. Lord, strengthen our souls in the faith and love of thee. O! suffer us never, never to be ashamed of thee, and of thy dear cross: but let us ever glory in thee, and of thee. And, dear Lord, help us, that we may never be a shame to thee and thy gospel, by an unchristian life and unholy walk.

To God we still would cleave

With ever-growing zeal!

If millions tempt us Christ to leave,

O! let them ne’er prevail.