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\ / Charles Spurgeon's MORNING & EVENING http://www.heartlight.org/
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Wednesday, July 23, 2008
MORNING:
"Even thou wast as one of them."
-- Obadiah 1:11
Brotherly kindness was due from Edom to Israel in the time of need, but
instead thereof, the men of Esau made common cause with Israel's foes.
Special stress in the sentence before us is laid upon the word thou; as
when Caesar cried to Brutus, "and thou Brutus"; a bad action may be all
the worse, because of the person who has committed it. When we sin, who
are the chosen favourites of heaven, we sin with an emphasis; ours is a
crying offence, because we are so peculiarly indulged. If an angel
should lay his hand upon us when we are doing evil, he need not use any
other rebuke than the question, "What thou? What dost thou here?" Much
forgiven, much delivered, much instructed, much enriched, much blessed,
shall we dare to put forth our hand unto evil? God forbid!
A few minutes of confession may be beneficial to thee, gentle reader,
this morning. Hast thou never been as the wicked? At an evening party
certain men laughed at uncleanness, and the joke was not altogether
offensive to thine ear, even thou wast as one of them. When hard things
were spoken concerning the ways of God, thou wast bashfully silent; and
so, to on-lookers, thou wast as one of them. When worldlings were
bartering in the market, and driving hard bargains, wast thou not as
one of them? When they were pursuing vanity with a hunter's foot, wert
thou not as greedy for gain as they were? Could any difference be
discerned between thee and them? Is there any difference? Here we come
to close quarters. Be honest with thine own soul, and make sure that
thou art a new creature in Christ Jesus; but when this is sure, walk
jealously, lest any should again be able to say, "Even thou wast as one
of them." Thou wouldst not desire to share their eternal doom, why then
be like them here? Come not thou into their secret, lest thou come into
their ruin. Side with the afflicted people of God, and not with the
world.
EVENING:
"The blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin."
-- 1 John 1:7
"Cleanseth," says the text-not "shall cleanse." There are multitudes
who think that as a dying hope they may look forward to pardon. Oh! how
infinitely better to have cleansing now than to depend on the bare
possibility of forgiveness when I come to die. Some imagine that a
sense of pardon is an attainment only obtainable after many years of
Christian experience. But forgiveness of sin is a present thing-a
privilege for this day, a joy for this very hour. The moment a sinner
trusts Jesus he is fully forgiven. The text, being written in the
present tense, also indicates continuance; it was "cleanseth"
yesterday, it is "cleanseth" to-day, it will be "cleanseth" tomorrow:
it will be always so with you, Christian, until you cross the river;
every hour you may come to this fountain, for it cleanseth still.
Notice, likewise, the completeness of the cleansing, "The blood of
Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin"-not only from sin, but
"from all sin." Reader, I cannot tell you the exceeding sweetness of
this word, but I pray God the Holy Ghost to give you a taste of it.
Manifold are our sins against God. Whether the bill be little or great,
the same receipt can discharge one as the other. The blood of Jesus
Christ is as blessed and divine a payment for the transgressions of
blaspheming Peter as for the shortcomings of loving John; our iniquity
is gone, all gone at once, and all gone for ever. Blessed completeness!
What a sweet theme to dwell upon as one gives himself to sleep.
"Sins against a holy God;
Sins against his righteous laws;
Sins against his love, his blood;
Sins against his name and cause;
Sins immense as is the sea-
From them all he cleanseth me."
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