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\ / Charles Spurgeon's MORNING & EVENING
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Wednesday, February 13, 2008
MORNING:
"Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us,
that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world
knoweth us not, because it knew him not. Beloved, now are we
the sons of God."
-- 1 John 3:1,2
"Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us."
Consider who we were, and what we feel ourselves to be even now when
corruption is powerful in us, and you will wonder at our adoption. Yet
we are called "the sons of God." What a high relationship is that of a
son, and what privileges it brings! What care and tenderness the son
expects from his father, and what love the father feels towards the
son! But all that, and more than that, we now have through Christ. As
for the temporary drawback of suffering with the elder brother, this we
accept as an honour: "Therefore the world knoweth us not, because it
knew him not." We are content to be unknown with him in his
humiliation, for we are to be exalted with him. "Beloved, now are we
the sons of God." That is easy to read, but it is not so easy to feel.
How is it with your heart this morning? Are you in the lowest depths of
sorrow? Does corruption rise within your spirit, and grace seem like a
poor spark trampled under foot? Does your faith almost fail you? Fear
not, it is neither your graces nor feelings on which you are to live:
you must live simply by faith on Christ. With all these things against
us, now-in the very depths of our sorrow, wherever we may be-now, as
much in the valley as on the mountain, "Beloved, now are we the sons of
God." "Ah, but," you say, "see how I am arrayed! my graces are not
bright; my righteousness does not shine with apparent glory." But read
the next: "It doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that,
when he shall appear, we shall be like him." The Holy Spirit shall
purify our minds, and divine power shall refine our bodies, then shall
we see him as he is.
EVENING:
"There is therefore now no condemnation."
-- Romans 8:1
Come, my soul, think thou of this. Believing in Jesus, thou art
actually and effectually cleared from guilt; thou art led out of thy
prison. Thou art no more in fetters as a bond-slave; thou art delivered
now from the bondage of the law; thou art freed from sin, and canst
walk at large as a freeman, thy Saviour's blood has procured thy full
discharge. Thou hast a right now to approach thy Father's throne. No
flames of vengeance are there to scare thee now; no fiery sword;
justice cannot smite the innocent. Thy disabilities are taken away:
thou wast once unable to see thy Father's face: thou canst see it now.
Thou couldst not speak with him: but now thou hast access with
boldness. Once there was a fear of hell upon thee; but thou hast no
fear of it now, for how can there be punishment for the guiltless? He
who believeth is not condemned, and cannot be punished. And more than
all, the privileges thou mightst have enjoyed, if thou hadst never
sinned, are thine now that thou art justified. All the blessings which
thou wouldst have had if thou hadst kept the law, and more, are thine,
because Christ has kept it for thee. All the love and the acceptance
which perfect obedience could have obtained of God, belong to thee,
because Christ was perfectly obedient on thy behalf, and hath imputed
all his merits to thy account, that thou mightst be exceeding rich
through him, who for thy sake became exceeding poor. Oh! how great the
debt of love and gratitude thou owest to thy Saviour!
"A debtor to mercy alone,
Of covenant mercy I sing;
Nor fear with thy righteousness on,
My person and offerings to bring:
The terrors of law and of God,
With me can have nothing to do;
My Saviour's obedience and blood
Hide all my transgressions from view."
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Morning & Evening is the classic devotional by 19th-century writer
and preacher Charles Spurgeon. It's part of HEARTLIGHT Magazine,
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