December 26 Daily Devotional

Bible Reading

1 Corinthians 15:39–49

Devotional

Jesus is the federal head of his elect. Just as in Adam, every heir of flesh and blood has a personal interest because under the covenant of works he is the covenant head and representative of the race; so also under the covenant of grace, every redeemed soul is one with the Lord from heaven since he is the Second Adam, the Sponsor and Substitute of the elect in the new covenant of love.

In Hebrews, the Holy Spirit declares that Levi was in the loins of Abraham when Melchizedek met him. It is a certain truth that the believer was in the loins of Jesus Christ, the Mediator, when in old eternity the covenant settlements of grace were decreed, ratified, and made sure forever.

Thus, whatever Christ has done, he has done for the whole body of his church. We were crucified in him and buried with him (read Col. 2:10–13). And to make it still more wonderful, we are risen with him and even ascended with him to the thrones on high (Eph. 2:6). It is in this way that the church has fulfilled the law and is accepted “in the beloved” (Eph 1:6) It is in this way that the just Jehovah regards her with satisfaction, for he sees her in Jesus and does not look upon her as separate from her covenant head. As the Anointed Redeemer of Israel, Christ Jesus has nothing distinct from his church, but all that he has he holds for her. Adam’s righteousness was ours as long as he maintained it, and his sin became ours the moment that he committed it. And in the same way, all that the Second Adam is or does is ours as well as his, seeing that he is our representative.

Here is the foundation of the covenant of grace. This gracious system of representation and substitution, which moved Justin Martyr to cry out, “O blessed change, O sweet permutation!”, this is the very groundwork of the gospel of our salvation. We are to receive it with strong faith and rapturous joy.

[Dec 26]

Extracted from C. H. Spurgeon, Morning and Evening (public domain), language modernized by Larry E. Wilson.