The Point Of Spiritual Honour

 

The Point Of Spiritual Honour

By Oswald Chambers

      'I am debtor both to the Greeks, and to the barbarians.'
      Romans 1:14

      Paul was overwhelmed with the sense of his indebtedness to Jesus Christ, and he spent himself to express it. 

The great inspiration in Paul's life was his view of Jesus Christ as his spiritual creditor. 

Do I feel that sense of indebtedness to Christ in regard to every unsaved soul? The spiritual honour of my life as a saint is to fulfil my debt to Christ in relation to them. 

Every bit of my life that is of value I owe to the Redemption of Jesus Christ; am I doing anything to enable Him to bring His Redemption into actual manifestation in other lives? I can only do it as the Spirit of God works in me this sense of indebtedness.

      I am not to be a superior person amongst men, but a bondslave of the Lord Jesus. "Ye are not your own." Paul sold himself to Jesus Christ. He says - I am a debtor to everyone on the face of the earth because of the Gospel of Jesus; I am free to be an absolute slave only. 

That is the characteristic of the life when once this point of spiritual honour is realized. Quit praying about yourself and be spent for others as the bondslave of Jesus. That is the meaning of being made broken bread and poured out wine in reality.

"There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus." Romans 8:1

 

 J. C. Philpot - Daily Portions

  "There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus." Romans 8:1

      
      There is not a more blessed declaration than this in the whole word of truth. It is the sweetest note sounded by the gospel trumpet, for it is the very crown of the whole jubilee. Is not condemnation the bitterest drop in the cup of trembling? the most thrilling, piercing note of that terrible trumpet which sounded so long and so loud from Sinai's blazing top that all the people that were in the camp trembled? (Exod. 19:13, 16.) 

Condemnation is the final execution of God's righteous law, and therefore carries with it all that arms death with its sting and the grave with its terror. 

The apprehension of this; the dread and fear of being banished for ever from the presence of God; of being lost, and that without remedy; of sinking under the blazing indignation of him who is a consuming fire, has filled thousands of hearts with horror. And it must be so as long as the law speaks in its thunders, as long as conscience re-echoes its verdict, and as long as the wrath of God burns to the lowest hell. 

O the blessedness, then, of that word of grace and truth, worthy to be sounded through heaven and earth by the voice of cherubim and seraphim, "There is no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus!"

Behold, there stood a Man. Jos 5:13

 Our Daily Homily

Behold, there stood a Man. Jos 5:13

      
      When Jericho, its fortifications looming dark through the night, must be assailed, then the Divine Man may be looked for. Only let circumcision do its keen work of separation, so that there be nothing of the flesh with its energy and pride to vaunt itself before God; then, as we stand face to face with some imminent peril, God will be revealed as our very present help. 

Not weeks before our need, not before the Jordan has been crossed in faith, not before circumcision has been performed; but when all God's demands have been met, and to-morrow calls for action, then behold there will stand the Man Christ Jesus, not by Himself, but as Captain of the Lord's host, awaiting with mighty legions on the wing for His least word.
      
      It is sometimes thought that the Divine Warrior had come to supersede Joshua; this is not so. He was Prince of another host than Israel. His host was the celestial armies, which were going forth to war against Canaan. As long as Israel was true to God, these were its allies. 

Look up, Christian soul! Thou thinkest thyself alone; or countest sorrowfully thy poor array; but in very deed the Man of Calvary and of the throne is beside thee. All heaven owns His authority, and will supplement thine efforts. Be reverent, obedient, full of faith and prayer. Keep step with the goings forth of God. Thou shalt have light work to do. Before the impact of His might, thy Jericho shall fall. 

The battle is not to the strong, nor the race to the swift; but each to those who are living lives separate from the world, and dedicated to God. The vessels which are meet for the Master's use are pure ones. Cleanness, rather than cleverness, is the prime condition of successful service.

Rest on a Promise - Charles Spurgeon Devotional: Faith's Checkbook

Soul Depths: Mental Darkness - Octavius Winslow

Be filled with the Spirit

 

Be filled with the Spirit

By A.B. Simpson

      Some of the effects of being filled with the Spirit are:

 1. Holiness of heart and life. This is not the perfection of the human nature, but the holiness of the divine nature dwelling within. 

2. Fullness of joy so that the heart is constantly radiant. This does not depend on circumstances, but fills the spirit with holy laughter in the midst of the most trying surroundings. 

3. Fullness of wisdom, light and knowledge, causing us to see things as He sees them.

 4. An elevation, improvement and quickening of the mind by an ability to receive the fulfillment of the promise, We have the mind of Christ (1 Corinthians 2:16). 

5. An equal quickening of the physical life. The body as well as the mind and soul was made for the Holy Spirit. 

6. An ability to pray the prayer of the Holy Spirit. If He is in us there will be a strange accordance with God's working in the world around us.

"And the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle" (Ex. xl. 35).

 A.B. Simpson Devotional - Days of Heaven Upon Earth

      "And the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle" (Ex. xl. 35).
      
      In the last chapter of Exodus we read all the Lord commanded Moses to do, and that as he fulfilled these commands the glory of the Lord descended and filled the tabernacle till there was no room for Moses, and from that time the pillar of cloud overshadowed them, their guide, their protection.
      
      And so we have been building as the Lord Himself commanded, and now the temple is to be handed over to Him to be possessed and filled. He will so fill you, if you will let Him that yourself and everything else will be taken out of the way, the glory of the Lord will fill the temple, encompassing, lifting up, guiding, keeping; and from this time your moon shall not withdraw its light, nor your sun go down.
      
      Do you want power? You have God for it. Do you want holiness? You have God for it; and so of everything. And God is bending down from His throne to-day to lift you up to your true place in Him. From this time may the cloud of His glory so surround and fill us that we shall be lost sight of forever.

The Worker's Ruling Passion

 

The Worker's Ruling Passion

By Oswald Chambers

      'Wherefore we labour that . . we may be accepted of Him.'
      2 Corinthians 5:9

      "Wherefore we labour...." It is arduous work to keep the master amibition in front. It means holding one's self to the high ideal year in and year out, not being ambitious to win souls or to establish churches or to have revivals, but being ambitious only to be "accepted of Him." It is not lack of spiritual experience that leads to failure, but lack of labouring to keep the ideal right. Once a week at least take stock before God and see whether you are keeping your life up to the standard He wishes. Paul is like a musician who does not heed the approval of the audience if he can catch the look of approval from his Master.

      Any ambition which is in the tiniest degree away from this central one of being "approved unto God" may end in our being castaways. Learn to discern where the ambition leads, and you will see why it is so necessary to live facing the Lord Jesus Christ. Paul says - "Lest my body should make me take another line, I am constantly watching so that I may bring it into subjection and keep it under." (1 Cor. 9:27.)

      I have to learn to relate everything to the master ambition, and to maintain it without any cessation. My worth to God in public is what I am in private. Is my master ambition to please Him and be acceptable to Him, or is it something less, no matter how noble?

Amazing love!

 

Amazing love!

(Robert Murray McCheyne, 1813-1843)

The seed of every sin known to man is in your heart!

Amazing love, that calls you to the Lamb's wedding feast—and not to Hell!

"Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding feast of the Lamb!" Revelation 19:9

Soon we shall see Him as He is!

We shall be married to Him, reign with Him, and be entirely like Him!

"May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully!" Ephesians 3:19

What the Human Heart Craves - Bishop J. C. Ryle (Christian devotional)