Daily Devotionals

Spiritual Treasury For The Children of God

Devotional: July 2nd

A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you a heart of flesh.- Ezekiel 36:26.

What absolute declarations are here! all display the sovereign will and almighty favor of a covenant God. As God’s heart of love is towards his people in Christ, so his spirit of power works in them according to the counsel of his will. Hence they know, love and serve him. By the blood of Jesus their sins are pardoned and their consciences cleansed from guilt. By the Spirit of Jesus they are inwardly sanctified from their filthiness and idols: a new heart and a new spirit is put within them; and they are enabled to walk in his statutes, and keep his judgments. Thus "all things are of God, who hath reconciled us unto himself by Jesus Christ,"- 2 Corinthians 5:17-18. "If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature. Old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new."

’A Christian,’ as Luther says, ’is a new creature in a new world.’ He has a new heart; he is under a new government; serves a new master, obeys new laws, is actuated by new fears, influenced by new love, animated with new delights and new joys. ’Ah,’ says a disciple, ’this is sweet in theory and true in doctrine; but in experience I find and feel to my grief an old nature of sin and unbelief; and groan under a body of death.’ This is also very true: yea it is perfectly consistent with a state of regeneration. Saints of God in all ages found it so. The Lord in this very text, accounts for it: "I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you a heart of flesh." Naturally thy heart is as hard as a stone. Thou couldst neither feel sin, mourn for sin, nor be humbled under a sense of sin, but through the blood of Jesus applied by the Spirit in believing the truth: thou hast a soft, tender, yielding heart, a heart of flesh, susceptible of impressions, looking to Jesus by faith, melted by love, and mourning for sin. Though the King’s daughter, the Lamb’s wife is all-glorious within, though her clothing is of wrought gold; yet she is unhappily allied to a base, wretched, churlish Nabal. Hence, though "thou hast no confidence in the flesh, and in it dwells no good thing;" yet thou dost delight in the law of God after the inward man; and hast continual cause of rejoicing in Christ Jesus.- Philippians 3:3.

Our heart, that flinty stubborn thing,

That terrors cannot move,

That fears no threat’nings of God’s wrath,

Shall be dissolved by love.

There shall his sacred Spirit dwell,

And deep engrave his law,

And ev’ry motion of our souls

To swift obedience draw.

Thus will he pour salvation down,

And we shall render praise;

We the dear people of his love,

And he our God of grace.

Wash me and I shall be whiter than snow. Psalms 51:7.

Here is majesty in misery: a king in penitence: a monarch of the earth at the footstool of mercy. David as a miserable sinner, polluted with the complicated crimes of adultery and murder, is here ascribing honour to the blood of the Lamb, by the pleading of faith. Had you now asked David, what he thought of the pleasures of sin? He would have read the most affecting lecture on its exceeding sinfulness, and that almost insupportable distress, terror, and horror it brought upon his soul. Though invested with the government of a kingdom, yet he could not command away its terrors from his mind, its burden from his conscience, nor its pollution from his soul. He now found the words of his Son fully verified, “Whoso breaketh through a hedge, a serpent shall bite him.” (Ecclesiastes 10:8.) He had broken through the hedge of God’s law, and that old serpent who tempted him, now stings and torments him. But when Nathan had convinced David of his transgressions, so that he cried out, “I have sinned,” did not the prophet add? “The Lord also hath put away thy sin,” (2 Samuel 12:13.) Yes. Nevertheless, this penitential psalm was written after this. From whence we may infer, (1st.) That though sin is put away by the Lord Jesus in the court of heaven, yet the convinced sinner may not enjoy the comfort of this in his own conscience. (2d.) There may be true faith in the blood of the Lamb, that it cleanses from all sin and yet the soul left to cry out under the pollution of sin. (3d.) A regenerate soul is as much concerned to be cleansed from the pollution of sin, as to be comforted with pardon for sin. (4th.)

That true faith manifests itself in the heart, by its turning away from every thing, and turning to that blessed fountain opened for sin and uncleanness. Not my tears of repentance, but thy precious blood, O Lamb of God, can wash me. Precious word! “The blood of the Son of God cleanseth from ALL sin.” (1 John 1:7.) (5th.) Faith ascribes the utmost efficacy to it, “Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.” I shall be as free, and as fair, from the least stain of sin in God’s sight, as if I had never sinned: “Without spot or wrinkle, or any such thing.” (Ephesians 5:27.) Hence learn, (1st.) As you value the sense of God’s love and peace of conscience, beware of sin. (2d.) If you sin, flee instantly to the blood of the Lamb to be cleansed, and to no other remedy. (3d.) Believe, wait, and pray. No power can forgive sin, nor cleanse from it, but that Lord against whom it is committed. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9.

See, God is reconcil’d,

Behold his smiling face,

Let joyful cherubs clap the wings,

And sound aloud his grace.