April 7 Daily Devotional

Those Who Enter Heaven

the Rev. David Freeman

"What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they? . . . These are they which came out of great tribulation."
"Rev. 7:13, 14.

Devotional

How often do men promise willing service to God in heaven, but at the same time beg that the heart may have its own way on earth. Rather than actually being the children of God, many try to persuade themselves that they are so.

It is plain that the saints who ascended to their God did not merely say that they "looked for an heavenly country." They walked a painful and laborious road on earth before they reached the "City of Peace."

The language of religion and the formalities of worship are very well known on all sides, but these things are often the illusion of Satan, the destroyer of souls. He who has never gone through a spiritual warfare, never struggled, never prayed for strength, never felt the loosening of worldly ties, through the grace which is in Christ Jesus may very well tremble for his final security.

There are many who are in danger of not having substantiated their claim to adoption in Christ as the sons of God. They live as others live, yet try to persuade themselves that they "are not as others are."

Satan has accomplished a great work when he has made a man think that he can be a Christian by little more than naming himself such. But no one has yet dreamed himself to heaven. For believers, visions of indolence will never take the place of persevering activity.

(to be continued)

"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!