Daily Devotionals

Spiritual Treasury For The Children of God

Devotional: July 18th

All scripture is given by inspiration of God; and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.- 2 Timothy 3:16-17.

The poor sinner who writes this, being in a dangerous illness, was in a very dark and comfortless frame of mind for two days. The third day, light, peace and joy overspread his soul by these words being brought to his mind: "After two days he will revive us, in the third day he will raise us up, and we shall live in his sight." On this he called for a bible. O how was his inexpressible joy increased when he read these words in Hosea 6:2. On being asked, If he had done with the bible? he answered with a flood of joyful tears, ’No: never, never shall I have done with that blessed book, till I change time for eternity.’ The Spirit of inspiration ever honors his own word of truth. All peace, comfort and joy are derived from it through faith. We shall suffer no loss, if we suspend judgment on comforts, till we have tried them by this touchstone of truth. Be on your guard against the flatteries of false peace and the delusions of unscriptural joys.

Revealed truths are inspired of God: they are the objects of faith. By the knowledge of them the Spirit consolates the soul, lovingly reproves and corrects what is amiss; profitably instructs in the fundamental truths of Jesus’ righteousness unto justification of life; and the believer’s obedience unto righteousness. No one doctrine of God’s word should be slightly regarded. In this sense, he that rejects one point of truth is guilty of all. This is to impeach the wisdom of the Spirit, as though he had made known any one needless and insignificant doctrine. This, instead of being doers of the word, is to judge and condemn the word. Jesus is the sum and substance of the scriptures. All the promises are in him. All the doctrines of grace lead to him and centre in him. These are the furniture of faith while Jesus is the chief object of the soul. So disciples go on to perfection in knowledge, love and holiness; therefore they should prize the scripture as their companion; consult it as their familiar friend; and pray over it as their constant guide. To these ends they are given of God: when thus received by us, we shall also be "edified, and walk in the fear of the Lord, and in the comfort of the Holy Ghost."- Acts 9:31.

Laden with guilt and full of fears,

I fly to thee, my Lord,

And not a glimpse of hope appears,

But in thy written word.

The volume of my Father’s grace

Does all my grief assuage;

Here I behold my Saviour’s face

Almost in ev’ry page.

Let the lying lips be put to silence, which speak grievous things, proudly and contemptuously against the righteous. Psalms 31:18.

The language of natural reason is, If I am righteous, God will love me: the language of faith is, Though I am a sinner, yet God loves me; and, because he loves me, therefore he makes me righteous. How? The pen of inspiration answers: David, describing the character of a sinner, renewed by grace, and made meet to dwell with God, saith, “He shall receive righteousness from the God of his salvation.” (Psalms 24:5.) Here we see plainly, that righteousness is a gift; that it is received, not worked out by the sinner; that it is given by the God of our salvation. It is the glorious robe, our elder brother, Jesus, wrought out for us; our heavenly Father imputes to us, and puts upon us. God the Holy Spirit enables us, by faith, to receive it, rejoice in it, and boast of it. For, we see ourselves made infinitely and everlastingly righteous in it. Here observe, the gift of righteousness, to make destitute sinners righteous, is an Old Testament doctrine. Lord, establish our hearts in this fundamental truth of thy blessed word. Jesus, Master, enable us to take comfort in thy one righteousness, and to give thee the glory of this inestimable blessing.

Is it so, that thou art thus righteous in God’s sight? Then, thou hast righteous hopes, righteous fears, righteous joys, a righteous heart, and a holy life: yea, and proud, contemptuous foes too. Their lying lips will be opened against thee. The adversary of all truth will bring lying accusations against the truth thou believest, as sure as he brought them against Jesus Christ the righteous, who is the TRUTH. Stirred up by him, marvel not if men charge thee with being an Antinomian, an enemy to all righteousness-that they say grievous things of thee-speak proudly against thy faith- contemptuously sneer at thy confidence-saying, how absurd the notion, that thou, who art a miserable sinner in thyself, should yet be perfectly righteous in Christ! And, in opposition to Christ’s glorious righteousness, they will set up the sinner’s filthy rags, and assert that we are to be justified first or last, or somehow, by what we do. What is thy duty here? Imitate David. Give thyself unto prayer. “Let the lying lips be put to silence.” How? By the grace of Jesus teaching thee to deny all ungodliness and worldly lusts, and to live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world. So is the will of God, that with well-doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men. (1 Peter 2:15.) “We are the circumcision who worship God in the Spirit, rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh.” Philippians 3:3.