Morning & Evening Devotional Reading–

April 4– Morning

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

“[God] made [Jesus], who knew no sin, to be sin for us, so that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.” 

—2 Corinthians 5:21

 

Dear mourning Christian, why are you crying? Are you sorrowful over your own corruption? If so, then look to your perfect Lord, and remember that you are complete in him. You are in God’s sight as perfect as if you had never sinned— in fact, even better than that! The Lord our righteousness has put a divine garment upon you, so that you wear the very righteousness of God.

If you are mourning because of your continued sinfulness, remember that none of your sins can condemn you. You have learned to hate sin, but you have not learned that your sin is no longer yours; it was laid upon Christ’s head. Your acceptance in God’s presence is not based in yourself but in your Lord. You are as much accepted by God today with all your sinfulness as you will be when you stand before his throne free from all corruption.

I beg you today to lay hold on this precious thought— that you are perfect and complete in Christ! With your Savior’s garment on, you are as holy as the Holy one. Who can possibly condemn you? Christ died and was raised for you, and he is now at God’s right hand interceding for you.

So, Christian, rejoice! You are “accepted in the Christ who loves you.” What do you have to fear? Smile! Live near your Master today, and know that, when your time has come, you will rise up where your Jesus sits now, and you will reign at his right hand. All of this is true because the divine Lord “was made to be sin for us, so that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.” [M&E]