Thursday Morning, July 12
"Sanctified by God the Father."
Jude 1
"Sanctified in Christ Jesus."
1 Corinthians 1:2
"Through sanctification of the Spirit."
1 Peter 1:2
Mark the union of the Three Divine Persons in all their gracious acts. How unwisely do those believers talk who make preferences in the Persons of the Trinity; who think of Jesus as if he were the embodiment of everything lovely and gracious, while the Father they regard as severely just, but destitute of kindness. Equally wrong are those who magnify the decree of the Father, and the atonement of the Son, so as to depreciate the work of the Spirit. In deeds of grace none of the Persons of the Trinity act apart from the rest. They are as united in their deeds as in their essence. In their love towards the chosen they are one, and in the actions which flow from that great central source they are still undivided. Specially notice this in the matter of sanctification. While we may without mistake speak of sanctification as the work of the Spirit, yet we must take heed that we do not view it as if the Father and the Son had no part therein. It is correct to speak of sanctification as the work of the Father, of the Son, and of the Spirit. Still doth Jehovah say, "Let us make man in our own image after our likeness," and thus we are "his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them." See the value which God sets upon real holiness, since the Three Persons in the Trinity are represented as co-working to produce a Church without "spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing." And you, believer, as the follower of Christ, must also set a high value on holiness—upon purity of life and godliness of conversation. Value the blood of Christ as the foundation of your hope, but never speak disparagingly of the work of the Spirit which is your meetness for the inheritance of the saints in light. This day let us so live as to manifest the work of the Triune God in us.
============================================================
Evening, July 12
"His heavenly kingdom."
2 Timothy 4:18
Yonder city of the great King is a place of active service. Ransomed spirits serve him day and night in his temple. They never cease to fulfil the good pleasure of their King. They always "rest," so far as ease and freedom from care is concerned; and never "rest," in the sense of indolence or inactivity. Jerusalem the golden is the place of communion with all the people of God. We shall sit with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, in eternal fellowship. We shall hold high converse with the noble host of the elect, all reigning with him who by his love and his potent arm has brought them safely home. We shall not sing solos, but in chorus shall we praise our King. Heaven is a place of victory realized. Whenever, Christian, thou hast achieved a victory over thy lusts—whenever after hard struggling, thou hast laid a temptation dead at thy feet—thou hast in that hour a foretaste of the joy that awaits thee when the Lord shall shortly tread Satan under thy feet, and thou shalt find thyself more than conqueror through him who hath loved thee. Paradise is a place of security. When you enjoy the full assurance of faith, you have the pledge of that glorious security which shall be yours when you are a perfect citizen of the heavenly Jerusalem. O my sweet home, Jerusalem, thou happy harbour of my soul! Thanks, even now, to him whose love hath taught me to long for thee; but louder thanks in eternity, when I shall possess thee.
"My soul has tasted of the grapes,
And now it longs to go
Where my dear Lord his vineyard keeps
And all the clusters grow.
"Upon the true and living vine,
My famish'd soul would feast,
And banquet on the fruit divine,
An everlasting guest."
============================================================
A Wake-up Call to Husbands in Hibernation
Author: Steve Burchett
Does the following anonymous piece, titled "The Wall," describe your marriage?
Their wedding pictures mocked them from the table, these two, whose minds no longer touched each other. They lived with such a heavy barricade between them that neither battering ram of words nor artilleries of touch could break it down. Somewhere, between the oldest child's first tooth and the youngest daughter's graduation, they lost each other.
Throughout the years, each slowly unraveled that tangled ball of string called self, and as they tugged at stubborn knots each hid his searching from the other. Sometimes she cried at night and begged the whispering darkness to tell her who she was. He lay beside her, snoring like a hibernating bear, unaware of her winter.
She took a course in modern art, trying to find herself in colors splashed upon a canvas, and complaining to other women about men who were insensitive. He climbed into a tomb called "the office," wrapped his mind in a shroud of paper figures, and buried himself in customers.
Slowly, the wall between them rose, cemented by the mortar of indifference.
One day, reaching out to touch each other, they found a barrier they could not penetrate, and recoiling from the coldness of the stone, each retreated from the stranger on the other side. For when love dies, it is not in a moment of angry battle, nor when fiery bodies lose their heat. It lies panting, exhausted, expiring at the bottom of a wall it could not scale.
Husbands, the health of your marriage is ultimately your responsibility (Eph. 5:22-25). Perhaps you once had great dreams for your marriage. Looking back on your wedding day, there was such joy and there were so many aspirations. Things are different now. Long and intimate discussions are a distant memory. Romantic nights are rare. Big plans have been squelched by big bills. The wall grows higher every day.
There is hope for your marriage, but it will take intentional effort on your part. Peter says, "Likewise, husbands, live with your wives in an understanding way, showing honor to the woman as the weaker vessel, since they are heirs with you of the grace of life, so that your prayers may not be hindered." (1 Pet. 3:7, ESV).
What can you do? First, live with your wife in an understanding way. Literally, Peter says, "Live with your wives according to knowledge." We are responsible to know much about our wives and the marriage relationship. How does a husband gain such insight? At least two ways: (1) Through meditation upon Scripture's teaching about wives and marriage. (2) Through regular, unhurried conversations with his wife. You should know your wife's joys, fears, dreams, and hurts. This will mean some late nights of discussion, even when you have to get up early the next morning. And yes, you may "get behind" in your knowledge of internet chitchat. But husbands, you must build a wall between you and your computer or television, if that's what it takes to tear down the wall between you and your bride!
Second, show your wife honor as the weaker vessel and as a fellow heir of the grace of life. As those who are called to happily submit to their husbands (Eph. 5:22; Titus 2:5), our wives are also prone to mistreatment by us if we take advantage of their "weaker" status. This must not happen. Our wives are like fine china (expensive dishes)—they are delicate and need us to be tender in how we treat them. They must feel our gentle touches often and know that we aren't behaving that way just because we want to have sex. Also, we must show them honor because they are fellow heirs of the grace of life. Husbands and wives have different roles, but they are equal in Christ. Our most intimate conversations about the Lord should be with our wives, not the men of the church.
If we fail to heed Peter's exhortation, not only will the wall continue to grow between you and your wife, but according to Peter something even more devastating will happen: "Your prayers will be hindered" (1 Pet. 3:7). If you do not understand and honor your wife, prayer is useless because God won't answer. That is a horrifying thought for a true believer because ineffective prayer leads to the absence of the presence and blessing of God, resulting in a discouraged and powerless Christian. One way to determine if you have slipped in your responsibilities is to ask, "Is God ignoring my prayers?"
Hibernating husbands, arise from your slumber and repent. Intentionally live out Peter's admonition (maybe even write out a strategy). Go to your wife and humbly confess your sins to her and your desire to know and honor her. And take action. Obey 1 Peter 3:7, looking to Christ for strength and motivation to obey (cf. 1 Pet. 2:21-25; Titus 2:11-14). By God's grace and for His glory, that awful wall that sin has built will come crashing down.
Permission granted for reproduction in exact form. All other uses require written permission.
Find more free articles at www.BulletinInserts.org, a ministry of Christian Communicators Worldwide: www.CCWtoday.org
| You are currently subscribed to daily-devotional as: bnb@applelodge.com Add chs.m-e@juno.com to your email address book to ensure delivery. Forward to a Friend | Manage Subscription | Subscribe | Unsubscribe |  |
No comments:
Post a Comment