Morning & Evening Devotional Reading–

 March 28– Evening

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

“I [the Lord] will accept you as a pleasing aroma.” 

—Ezekiel 20:41

The merits of our great Redeemer are like a pleasing aroma to the Most High. Whether we speak of the active or passive righteousness of Christ, there is an equal fragrance. There was a sweet aroma in his active obedience by which he honored the law of God and made every precept glitter like a precious jewel in the pure setting of his humanity. In the same way, his passive obedience endured hunger, thirst, cold, and nakedness— all without complaint. He sweat great drops of blood in Gethsemane, gave his back to those who scourged him and his cheeks to those who plucked out his beard. He was fastened to the cruel cross to suffer the wrath of God on our behalf.

These two things— his active and passive obedience– are sweet before the Most High, and it is through these actions on our behalf that the Lord God accepts us. How precious it is that he overcomes our lack of preciousness! How sweet the aroma that overcomes the stench of our sins. What a cleansing power is in his blood that takes away the dirt of sins such as ours! And what glory in his righteousness to make such unacceptable creatures accepted in him.

How sure and unchanging is our acceptance in him! Take care, believer, that you never doubt your acceptance in Jesus. You cannot be accepted without Christ, but, when you have received his merit, you cannot be unaccepted. Even with all your doubts, and fears, and sins, Jehovah’s gracious eye never looks upon you in anger. Though he sees sin into you, in yourself, yet when he looks at you through Christ, he sees no sin. You are always accepted in Christ, always blessed and dear to the Father’s heart. Therefore, lift up a song to him! See the smoking incense of the Savior’s merit rising before the sapphire throne even this evening; let the incense of your praise rise along with it. [M&E]