Morning & Evening Devotional Reading–

November 15– Morning

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

“The Lord’s possession is his people.” 

—Deuteronomy 32:9

In what ways do the Lord’s people belong to him? First, they belong to him by his own sovereign choice. He chose them and set his love upon them. And he did this totally apart from any goodness in them at the time or any goodness that he foresaw in them. He had mercy on whom he would have mercy and ordained a chosen assembly to receive eternal life.

They are not only his by choice but by purchase as well. He has bought and paid for them to the last penny; there can be no dispute that he rightly owns their “title deed”. As Peter says, “We have not been purchased with corruptible things, as with silver and gold, but with the precious blood of the Lord Jesus Christ.” There is no mortgage on his estate; no suits can be raised by opposing claimants, the price was paid in open court, and the Church is the Lord’s freehold forever.

They are also his by conquest. What a battle he fought to win us for himself! How long he laid siege to our hearts! How often he sent us terms of surrender, but we barred the door and fortified our walls to keep him out. Don’t we remember the day he captured our hearts by storm– when he placed his cross against the wall, scaled our ramparts, and planted the blood-red flag of his great mercy?

Yes, we are, indeed, the conquered captives of his love—chosen, purchased, and subdued; the rights of our divine Owner are indisputable. And we are glad not to belong to ourselves; we desire to do his will and to show forth his glory. [M&E]