Daily Devotionals

Spiritual Treasury For The Children of God

Devotional: July 9th

But faith which worketh by love.- Galatians 5:6.

In the religion of Jesus, every hope of salvation is excluded, but what springs from faith. For faith receives every blessing of covenant love of a gracious Lord. The faith of God’s elect hath Jesus for its author, his truths for its object, his word for its warrant, his power for its support, his glory for its aim, and love for its inseparable companion. Thus the faith of the gospel, is ever distinguished from natural notions. But it is natural to us all, to mistake error for truth, fancy for faith, the heat of animal passions for love. Yea, and also to be very confident herein. But true faith ever worketh by love; even that "love which rejoiceth in the truth."- 1 Corinthians 13:6. Jesus is essentially THE TRUTH. All the love which God hath to us centers in him, and flows to us through him. Hence "God hath chosen us IN him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy, and without blame before GOD IN LOVE: having predestinated us to the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, to the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted IN the beloved, and blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly things IN Christ,"- Ephesians 1:3-6 -"and we are made the righteousness of God IN Christ,"- 2 Corinthians 5:21.

Thus faith hath truth for its foundation, and from the knowledge of the truth it worketh by love. Love to the God of truth, and to our brethren, (not as being of this sect or that party, but) "for the truth’s sake that dwelleth in them,"- 2 John 1:1-2. There is no fellowship in love, but what consists in the light of the truth. Thus our Lord and we "have fellowship one with another."- 1 John 1:7. Take away any part of God’s truth, you subvert the foundation of faith, and prevent the operations of love. If we reject the truth, that we are elected to salvation in Christ, redeemed by the blood of Christ, sanctified in Christ, righteous by the righteousness of Christ, and safely kept by the power of God through the faith of Christ to eternal salvation, faith is made void. Then love ceaseth to exist. Truth and love are equally precious. "The belief of the truth," is the precious love of a Christian. Love, is the blessed fruit of faith. Herein consists thy blessedness, O Christian! "What God hath joined together, let no man put asunder." Therefore we are exhorted, "Hold fast the form of sound words, in FAITH AND LOVE, which is in Christ Jesus,"- 2 Timothy 1:13. So by "speaking the TRUTH IN LOVE, we grow up into him in all things, who is the head, even Christ,"- Ephesians 4:15.

Happy the heart where graces reign,

Where love inspires the breast:

Love is the brightest of the train,

And strengthens all the rest.

This is the grace that lives and sings,

When faith and hope shall cease;

’Tis this shall strike our joyful strings

In the sweet realms of bliss.

-One mediator between God and man, the man CHRIST JESUS. 1 Timothy 2:5.

O my fellow sinners, I heartily congratulate your soul and my own for this blessed truth! Lord help us to live upon it in our consciences from day to day. For it is not a speculative, but an experimental truth. It enters into the very essence of our faith, is the very life of our hope-lies at the foundation of our peace-and is the very source of every blessing and comfort. If we are not continually looking to this ONE mediator JESUS, we lose the peace of faith, the comfort of hope, the fellowship of love, and get into perplexity of mind. Then, we do not draw nigh to God with confidence, stand before him with boldness, nor cheerfully walk with him in love and holiness.

Consider, (1st.) A mediator stands as a middle person, interposing between two parties at variance, to make peace and reconciliation. This, Christ hath perfectly done. He hath for ever made peace by the blood of his cross. (Colossians 1:20.) Sin was the cause of variance between God and us. But Christ hath put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. (Hebrews 9:26.) Thus the work of reconciliation is finished respecting God.

But, (2dly.) Jesus hath a work to do with us. For we are naturally alienated from God, and enemies to him in our minds: this is manifest by our wicked ways. But says the apostle, “you hath he now reconciled.” (Colossians 1:21.) Is it not so with you? Has Christ, by the persuasive eloquence of his tongue-the affecting oratory of his love, and the sweet power of his Spirit, conquered the rebellion of your will, subdued the stubborn pride of your heart, and gained your affections for God? Yes, say you. But I am such a miserable sinner, I fear God will not receive me, I have so much sin in me, I think he cannot be reconciled to me, and at peace with me. Nay, but if Jesus had not been a mediator for miserable sinners full of sin, St. Paul had been damned, all the apostles in hell, and every saint, now in glory, would have been in endless torment. All the comfort of Christ’s mediation is enjoyed by faith. (3d.) Christ lives to keep up perfect reconciliation between God and us. O, that is a most precious word. “For if when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.” (Romans 5:10.) Look back to the atonement of Christ on the cross-look up to the intercession of Christ at the right hand of a reconciled God-look forward and see heaven open to receive you, and the arms of a loving Father to embrace you.

When sin and Satan me assault,

And strive to break my peace:

I dare not say, I have no fault,

But Christ shall me release.

Christ ever stands before the throne,

His precious work to plead:

Hence guilt and wrath from me are gone;

He brings the peace I need.