From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Morning, May 22
5/22
"Ye that love the Lord hate evil." - Psalm 97:10
Thou hast good reason to "hate evil," for only consider what harm it has
already wrought thee. Oh, what a world of mischief sin has brought into thy
heart! Sin blinded thee so that thou couldst not see the beauty of the Saviour;
it made thee deaf so that thou couldst not hear the Redeemer's tender
invitations. Sin turned thy feet into the way of death, and poured poison into
the very fountain of thy being; it tainted thy heart, and made it "deceitful
above all things, and desperately wicked."
Oh, what a creature thou wast when evil had done its utmost with thee, before
divine grace interposed! Thou wast an heir of wrath even as others; thou didst
"run with the multitude to do evil." Such were all of us; but Paul reminds us,
"but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of
the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God." We have good reason, indeed, for
hating evil when we look back and trace its deadly workings.
Such mischief did evil do us, that our souls would have been lost had not
omnipotent love interfered to redeem us. Even now it is an active enemy, ever
watching to do us hurt, and to drag us to perdition. Therefore "hate evil," O
Christians, unless you desire trouble.
If you would strew your path with thorns, and plant nettles in your
death-pillow, then neglect to "hate evil:" but if you would live a happy life,
and die a peaceful death, then walk in all the
ways of holiness, hating evil, even unto the end. If you truly love your
Saviour, and would honour him, then "hate evil. " We know of no cure for the
love of evil in a Christian like abundant intercourse with the Lord Jesus.
Dwell much with him, and it is impossible for you to be at peace with sin.
"Order my footsteps by thy Word,
And make my heart sincere;
Let sin have no dominion, Lord,
But keep my conscience clear."
Evening, May 22
"Be zealous." - Revelation 3:19
If you would see souls converted, if you would hear the cry that "the kingdoms
of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord;" if you would place crowns
upon the head of the Saviour, and his throne lifted high, then be filled with
zeal. For, under God, the way of the world's conversion must be by the zeal of
the church. Every grace shall do exploits, but this shall be first; prudence,
knowledge, patience, and courage will follow in their places, but zeal must
lead the van.
It is not the extent of your knowledge, though that is useful; it is not the
extent of your talent, though that is not to be despised; it is your zeal that
shall do great exploits. This zeal
is the fruit of the Holy Spirit: it draws its vital force from the continued
operations of the Holy Ghost in the soul. If our inner life dwindles, if our
heart beats slowly before God, we
shall not know zeal; but if all be strong and vigorous within, then we cannot
but feel a loving anxiety to see the kingdom of Christ come, and his will done
on earth, even as it is in heaven.
A deep sense of gratitude will nourish Christian zeal. Looking to the hole of
the pit whence we were digged, we find abundant reason why we should spend and
be spent for God. And zeal is also stimulated by the thought of the eternal
future.
It looks with tearful eyes down to the flames of hell, and it cannot slumber:
it looks up with anxious gaze to the glories of heaven, and it cannot but
bestir itself. It feels that time is short compared with the work to be done,
and therefore it devotes all that it has to the cause of its Lord. And it is
ever strengthened by the remembrance of Christ's example.
He was clothed with zeal as with a cloak. How swift the chariot-wheels of duty
went with him! He knew no loitering by the way. Let us prove that we are his
disciples by manifesting the
same spirit of zeal.
===================================================
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Daily devotions for 05-16-2005:
Devotion: Morning and Evening
Morning Title: Justified Today
Evening Title: Being Perfected
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Morning: Justified Today
"All that believe are justified." --Acts 13:39
The believer in Christ receives a present justification. Faith does not produce
this fruit by-and-by, but now. So far as justification is the result of faith,
it is given to the soul in the moment when it closes with Christ, and accepts
Him as its all in all. Are they who stand before the throne of God justified
now?--so are we, as truly and as clearly justified as they who walk in white
and sing melodious praises to celestial harps. The thief upon the cross was
justified the moment that he turned the eye of faith to Jesus; and Paul, the
aged, after years of service, was not more justified than was the thief with no
service at all. We are to-day accepted in the Beloved, to-day absolved from
sin, to-day acquitted at the bar of God. Oh!
soul-transporting thought! There are some clusters of Eshcol's vine which we
shall not be
able to gather till we enter heaven; but this is a bough which runneth over the
wall.
This is not as the corn of the land, which we can never eat till we cross the
Jordan; but this is
part of the manna in the wilderness, a portion of our daily nutriment with
which God supplies us in our journeying to and fro. We are now--even now
pardoned; even now are our sins put away; even now we stand in the sight of God
accepted, as though we had never been guilty. "There is therefore now no
condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus." There is not a sin in the Book
of God, even now, against one of His people. Who dareth to lay anything to
their charge? There is neither speck, nor spot, nor wrinkle, nor any such thing
remaining upon any one believer in the matter of justification in the sight of
the Judge of all the earth. Let present privilege awaken us to present duty,
and now, while life lasts, let us spend and be spent for our sweet Lord Jesus.
Evening: Being Perfected
"Made perfect." --Hebrews 12:23
Recollect that there are two kinds of perfection which the Christian needs--the
perfection of
justification in the person of Jesus, and the perfection of sanctification
wrought in him by
the Holy Spirit. At present, corruption yet remains even in the breasts of the
regenerate--experience soon teaches us this.
Within us are still lusts and evil imaginations.
But I rejoice to know that the day is coming when God shall finish the work
which He has begun; and He shall present my soul, not only perfect in Christ,
but perfect through the Spirit, without spot or blemish, or any such thing. Can
it be true that this poor sinful heart of mine is to become holy even as God is
holy? Can it be that this spirit, which often cries, "O wretched man that I am!
who shall deliver me from the body of this sin and death?" shall get rid of sin
and death--that I shall have no evil things to vex my ears, and no unholy
thoughts to disturb my peace?
Oh, happy hour! may it be hastened!
When I cross the Jordan, the work of sanctification will be finished; but not
till that moment shall I even claim perfection in myself. Then my spirit shall
have its last baptism in the Holy Spirit's fire. Methinks I long to die to
receive that last and final purification which shall usher me into heaven.
Not an angel more pure than I shall be, for I shall be able to say, in a double
sense, "I am
clean," through Jesus' blood, and through the Spirit's work. Oh, how should we
extol the power of the Holy Ghost in thus making us fit to stand before our
Father in heaven! Yet let not the hope of perfection hereafter make us content
with imperfection now. If it does this, our hope cannot be genuine; for a good
hope is a purifying thing, even now. The work of grace must be abiding in us
now or it cannot be perfected then.
Let us pray to "be filled with the Spirit," that we may bring forth
increasingly the fruits of
righteousness.
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
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