February 19 Daily Devotional

Bible Reading

Ephesians 4:20-32:

²⁰But ye have not so learned Christ;
²¹If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus:
²²That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts;
²³And be renewed in the spirit of your mind;
²⁴And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.
²⁵Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another.
²⁶Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath:
²⁷Neither give place to the devil.
²⁸Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth.
²⁹Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.
³⁰And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.
³¹Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice:
³²And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.

Devotional

For such a salvation it surely behooves us to be thankful. And the true believer cannot do otherwise but be thankful. True, it has been maintained that the doctrine of salvation by grace makes men "careless and profane." It has been asserted that if man has everything necessary to salvation in Christ, and can add nothing thereto by his good works, then he can live carelessly, and even continue in sin, that grace may abound. He might then say, as Paul points out, "Let us do evil, that good may come." But only such as do not know their sin and misery, and have not experienced the grace of God, will speak thus. But let them beware! Paul says of such, "Whose damnation is just." No, this doctrine does not make men careless and profane, "for it is impossible that those who are implanted into Christ by true faith should not bring forth fruits of thankfulness." We must remember what a great change was wrought in man by the implanting into Christ. "If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature (creation): old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new." He has passed from death unto life. He again stands in the right relation to God, and has fellowship with him. He is ruled by the Spirit of God, who dwells in Christ as the Head, and in the believers as his members. This Spirit makes us partakers of Christ and all his benefits. And we can say with the Apostle, "I live, yet not I, but Christ liveth in me."

Prayer

Most merciful God and Father, we thank Thee that, after Thou hast made us new creatures in Christ, Thou dost not leave us unto ourselves, but dost deign to dwell in us by Thy Holy Spirit. May Thy Spirit rule in our hearts, make us heartily willing and ready to live unto Thee. May Thy great and holy name not be blasphemed through us, but honored and glorified; and may we experience peace and joy and comfort in the Holy Spirit. Amen.

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Scripture in Devotional: Rom. 6; Rom. 3:8; 2 Cor. 5:17; Gal. 2:20.

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