Reverence and Awe

» Today's reading at Blue Letter Bible

Morning:"All that believe are justified." - Acts 13:39

Charles Spurgeon encourages us with a joyful message today: that not only have we been justified before the throne of God - made right - as it were, through faith in the Christ, but we have been justified today - this very day!

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." [Romans 8:1]

It is a sweet thought, that though I have experienced much sin and many failings, and can observe their impact on my friends and family, I am not condemned by the living God.

He loves and accepts me!

having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved. - [Ephesians 1:5-6 NKJV]

What do we 'do' with this wonderful knowledge, this joy of joys? Spurgeon exhorts us:

Let present privilege awaken us to present duty, and now, while life lasts, let us spend and be spent for our sweet Lord Jesus.

In the full text of this morning's verse, we read:

and by Him everyone who believes is justified from all things from which you could not be justified by the law of Moses. - [Acts 13:39 NKJV]

A Jewish man or woman walking under the law of Moses, seeking with a humble heart to follow all of the Law, would testify to an observer that they took the Law seriously, that they revered it, that they knew it came from Father God, and that they knew they were the representative to the Gentile nations of God's love and provision to His people through His perfect Law. They would know that though they might, and would fail, that there was no fault in the Law.

How much more should we represent our loving God, who have been made free of the law of sin and death through faith in Jesus?

Let us declare Him in our lives, let us revere Him, and represent Him well! Not under any burden of the law, but let the love of Christ compel us!


Evening:"Made perfect." - Hebrews 12:23

Spurgeon's writings always seem to me sweeter in the evenings. My experience with the Morning and Evening devotional is that it is harder for me to add anything, or even comment on Spurgeon's Evening devotional. I just want to quote it, because it is so good and sweet! I just want to exhort us to read it once more!

He exhorts us to consider the ongoing sanctification process, either with the Evening text, or perhaps we could quote another good one too (always good to add more Bible text!)

But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord. - [2 Corinthians 3:18 NKJV]

Spurgeon exhorts us to not be content with our current imperfection, not to rest on the thought that we are going to be made perfect when God finishes the work He has begun in us.

This is consistant with what we are told in Scripture:

Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure. - [1 John 3:2-3 NKJV]

The Lord gives us plenty of 'action verbs' in talking about our daily walk with Him:

"Be Holy!" "Walk worthy!" "purifies himself". Try searching for these phrases, one at a time, in the Blue Letter Bible.

The Christian walk is not a complacent walk. Nor is it a walk 'on our own'. It is a daily walk spending time in prayer, asking for the Lord's help, and praising Him that He supplies all our needs, and that He is able to subdue all things to Himself, even ourselves!

who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself. - [Philippians 3:21 NKJV]

Labels: Devotional, Morning and Evening, Spurgeon