Morning & Evening Devotional Reading–

April 23– Morning

 by C. H. Spurgeon, revised and edited by W. C. Neff

“We are more than conquerors through [Christ] who loved us.” 

—Romans 8:37

 

We go to Christ for forgiveness, and then too often look to the law for power to fight our sins. For this very reason the Apostle Paul asked the Christians in Galatia, “who has bewitched you so that you fail to obey the truth? I want to know, have you received the Holy Spirit by the works of the law or by hearing with faith? Are you so foolish as to have begun in the Spirit but to now attempt to be made perfect by the flesh?

Dear Believer, take your sins to Christ’s cross, for it is the only way for the “Old Man” to be crucified. We are crucified with Christ. The only weapon that can fight sin is the spear that pierced the side of Jesus. For example, you may want to overcome an angry temper, but how do you do it? Think for a moment: How was I saved in the first place? I came to Jesus just as I was, and I trusted him to save me. I must kill my angry temper in the same way. It is the only way in which I can ever kill it. I must go to the cross with it and say to Jesus, “Lord, I trust you to deliver me from it.” This is the only way to give it a death-blow.

Christ must put your sins to death. No one but Jesus can do helpless sinners good, and the same is true of helpless saints. You must be conquerors through Christ who has loved you if you wish to conquer at all. [M&E]