Charles Haddon Spurgeon's Evening Devotional For Wednesday May 15, 2019 |
Evening Time: 9:15 PM PST
"Made perfect." --Hebrews 12:23
Recollect that there are two kinds of perfection which the Christian
needs--the perfection of justification in the person of Jesus, and the
perfection of sanctification wrought in him by the Holy Spirit. At present,
corruption yet remains even in the breasts of the regenerate--experience soon
teaches us this. Within us are still lusts and evil imaginations. But I rejoice
to know that the day is coming when God shall finish the work which He has
begun; and He shall present my soul, not only perfect in Christ, but perfect
through the Spirit, without spot or blemish, or any such thing. Can it be true
that this poor sinful heart of mine is to become holy even as God is holy? Can
it be that this spirit, which often cries, "O wretched man that I am! who shall
deliver me from the body of this sin and death?" shall get rid of sin and
death--that I shall have no evil things to vex my ears, and no unholy thoughts
to disturb my peace? Oh, happy hour! may it be hastened! When I cross the
Jordan, the work of sanctification will be finished; but not till that moment
shall I even claim perfection in myself. Then my spirit shall have its last
baptism in the Holy Spirit's fire. Methinks I long to die to receive that last
and final purification which shall usher me into heaven. Not an angel more pure
than I shall be, for I shall be able to say, in a double sense, "I am clean,"
through Jesus' blood, and through the Spirit's work. Oh, how should we extol the
power of the Holy Ghost in thus making us fit to stand before our Father in
heaven! Yet let not the hope of perfection hereafter make us content with
imperfection now. If it does this, our hope cannot be genuine; for a good hope
is a purifying thing, even now. The work of grace must be abiding in us
now or it cannot be perfected then. Let us pray to "be filled with
the Spirit," that we may bring forth increasingly the fruits of
righteousness.
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