April 4 Daily Devotional

"If God Be For Us...."

the Rev. David Freeman

"If God be for us, who can be against us?"
"Romans 8:31.

Devotional

(continued)

Not to be delivered into the hand of the enemy has God called His own. The true people of God are wrapped about with the righteousness of Christ through which God can see no fault. He hath proclaimed them just, and just they are. And even now in a sense are they glorified, for He "hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus."

It is understood that the child of God has much against him. But what does it matter! The natural enmity of man's heart to the Gospel will show itself in cruelty and hatred. Manifold devices will be employed to drive the servants of God from their integrity. Yet of what avail is all the malice of men? Nothing can withstand those who are on God's side. Even though the redeemed be in the minority, God's truth will triumph through them.

If God acquits, it little matters who condemns. No enemy can prevail against those to whom God has pledged Himself. See how God is for them. He was for them before the worlds were made, or else He never would have given His Son. When they were ruined in the fall, He came to their aid. When they were against Him He brought them to seek His face.

In many struggles God has been for us. How could we have held on until now if He had not been with us? Our help and victory in times past is our hope in the years to come. With God on our side our striving will not be losing.

How can he who is justified before God meditate upon these things without his soul being stirred to courageous action? If Christ has espoused your cause, ought you not to espouse His? We are in a great battle which has only just begun. The fight will be stern and desperate between Christ's pure truth and an apostate church.

If God has been for you and defended you, can you do less than stand for Him?

"Lift Up Your Heart" is a series of devotionals by the late Rev. David Freeman, an ordained minister in the Orthodox Presbyterian Church for most of his life. These devotionals, in fact, are part of the early history of our denomination. The first of them was published in The Presbyterian Guardian in 1935; the denomination now known as the Orthodox Presbyterian Church was officially formed in 1936. We believe that "the Word of our God stands forever" (Isaiah 40:8; see 1 Peter 1:25). Thus it is no surprise that meditations based on that Word have continued relevance today. Dr. Freeman's devotionals are proof of that fact.

David Freeman was a graduate of Princeton Theological Seminary (Th.B., 1928; Th.M. , 1930) and of Dropsie Univiersity (Ph.D., 1951). He served as pastor at Grace (later New Covenant) Presbyterian Church (OPC), Philadelphia, PA (1936-1946), Knox Presbyterian Church (OPC), Philadelphia, PA (1949-1962), and Grace Presbyterian Church (OPC), Fall River, MA (1962-1967). He authored many articles and (along with his son, David H. Freeman) is the author of the book A Philosophical Study of Religion, which appeared in 1964. He went to be with the Lord in 1984.

There is one change from the way the daily devotional was handled in the past with John Skilton's Think On These Things: New devotionals for the new series appear on weekdays only (Monday through Saturday. It is suggested that you use your pastor's sermon text(s) as the basis for your mediations on the Lord's Day.

We trust that you will find these devotionals, once again made available seventy years after they first appeared, to be a personal help in your own Christian walk today!