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\ / Charles Spurgeon's MORNING & EVENING http://www.heartlight.org/
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Thursday, July 17, 2008
MORNING:
"Knowing, brethren beloved, your election of God."
-- 1 Thessalonians 1:4
Many persons want to know their election before they look to Christ,
but they cannot learn it thus, it is only to be discovered by "looking
unto Jesus." If you desire to ascertain your own election;-after the
following manner, shall you assure your heart before God. Do you feel
yourself to be a lost, guilty sinner? go straightway to the cross of
Christ, and tell Jesus so, and tell him that you have read in the
Bible, "Him that cometh unto me, I will in no wise cast out." Tell him
that he has said, "This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all
acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners."
Look to Jesus and believe on him, and you shall make proof of your
election directly, for so surely as thou believest, thou art elect. If
you will give yourself wholly up to Christ and trust him, then you are
one of God's chosen ones; but if you stop and say, "I want to know
first whether I am elect," you ask you know not what. Go to Jesus, be
you never so guilty, just as you are. Leave all curious inquiry about
election alone. Go straight to Christ and hide in his wounds, and you
shall know your election. The assurance of the Holy Spirit shall be
given to you, so that you shall be able to say, "I know whom I have
believed, and I am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have
committed to him." Christ was at the everlasting council: he can tell
you whether you were chosen or not; but you cannot find it out in any
other way. Go and put your trust in him, and his answer will be-"I have
loved thee with an everlasting love, therefore with lovingkindness have
I drawn thee." There will be no doubt about his having chosen you, when
you have chosen him.
"Sons we are through God's election,
Who in Jesus Christ believe."
EVENING:
"Let not one of them escape."
-- 1 Kings 18:40
When the prophet Elijah had received the answer to his prayer, and the
fire from heaven had consumed the sacrifice in the presence of all the
people, he called upon the assembled Israelites to take the priests of
Baal, and sternly cried, "Let not one of them escape." He took them all
down to the brook Kishon, and slew them there. So must it be with our
sins-they are all doomed, not one must be preserved. Our darling sin
must die. Spare it not for its much crying. Strike, though it be as
dear as an Isaac. Strike, for God struck at sin when it was laid upon
his own Son. With stern unflinching purpose must you condemn to death
that sin which was once the idol of your heart. Do you ask how you are
to accomplish this? Jesus will be your power. You have grace to
overcome sin given you in the covenant of grace; you have strength to
win the victory in the crusade against inward lusts, because Christ
Jesus has promised to be with you even unto the end. If you would
triumph over darkness, set yourself in the presence of the Sun of
Righteousness. There is no place so well adapted for the discovery of
sin, and recovery from its power and guilt, as the immediate presence
of God. Job never knew how to get rid of sin half so well as he did
when his eye of faith rested upon God, and then he abhorred himself,
and repented in dust and ashes. The fine gold of the Christian is oft
becoming dim. We need the sacred fire to consume the dross. Let us fly
to our God, he is a consuming fire; he will not consume our spirit, but
our sins. Let the goodness of God excite us to a sacred jealousy, and
to a holy revenge against those iniquities which are hateful in his
sight. Go forth to battle with Amalek, in his strength, and utterly
destroy the accursed crew: let not one of them escape.
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Morning & Evening is the classic devotional by 19th-century writer
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