June 7 Daily Devotional

Total Depravity: A Meditation on Psalm Fourteen

Psalm 14

1 The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good.
2 The LORD looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, and seek God.
3 They are all gone aside, they are all together become filthy: there is none that doeth good, no, not one.
4 Have all the workers of iniquity no knowledge? who eat up my people as they eat bread, and call not upon the LORD.
5 There were they in great fear: for God is in the generation of the righteous.
6 Ye have shamed the counsel of the poor, because the LORD is his refuge.
7 Oh that the salvation of Israel were come out of Zion! when the LORD bringeth back the captivity of his people, Jacob shall rejoice, and Israel shall be glad.

Devotional

(continued)

Knowing Yet Perishing

Among those who profess belief, then, there is as little uprightness as if no belief in God existed. Shall such not perish in their knowledge? What madness is seen in those who cast away the fear of God from before their eyes! Of what use are pretensions to belief in God when in their minds there is no difference between right and wrong, and no regard for honesty? It is true there is no flat denial of God, but when men feel free to do as they please, not having respect to His commandments, have they not denied Him? To disregard the statutes of the Lord which are clean and pure, be there ever so much boasting of piety, is the height of impiety. Will God receive the arrogant despisers of His law? Never I His eyes are too penetrating not to discern the fool beneath all manner of religious pretensions. Let men beware lest they he deceived by the Devil into believing all Is well with their souls, when their lives show they have shut God out.

He who is impious is capable of any evil. Mark the infidelity of men in the church. It is enough to astound both men and angels. Their doings show their hatred of good and their love of evil. These are prophets that make God's people to err. And so blinded are they that, even with such conduct, they have the audacity to call unto the Lord. How abominable to God arc the prayers of those whose disrespect for truth and justice show them to be without reverence!

Whence Is Goodness?

Who can exclude himself from this pollution of nature? We arc all born with depraved minds and the whole of life is filthy. And we continue such until God makes us new creatures again by His secret grace. It is God who puts a difference between men. He has a. people who love Him and His holy ways. In infinite grace He is pleased to call them His people. Their righteousness of life is to the praise of the glory of His holy Name who called them out of darkness into light. No goodness which they possess is of their own, but of Him who was pleased to cleanse them from all sin in the precious blood of the Lamb.

"Only fear the Lord, and serve him in truth with all your heart: for consider how great things he hath done for you. But if ye shall still do wickedly, ye shall he consumed, both ye and your king."