What Did Original Sin Bring to Us?  (Pasche, F.E.)

"We were by nature the children of wrath, even as others." Eph. 2:3.

Original sin has alienated man from the life of God, so that he is inclined to all that is evil, his mind being enmity against God. And what is the result of this enmity against God ? The result is the same as that of all enmity in common life. When we are angry, our judgment becomes clouded. The person we are angry with is judged wrongly and is not treated justly. Neither, therefore, can we, being enemies of God, form a just estimate of Him. And if any one speaks to us of God and brings us divine revelation, “the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God.” Our dark understanding must first be made light by the Spirit of God before we receive the wisdom of God. Before this is done in us, we regard God’s Gospel as foolishness, and we spurn it and disdain the preachers, and if they want to press it on us, we become angry also with them.

And as the judgment of man is clouded, so is his will perverted by original sin; it is wholly turned away from the holiness of God, so that a man does not want to do what is right. Out of sheer stubbornness he refuses to do it. Hence God must work in us not only to do a good thing, but also to will it.

And as the judgment of natural man is darkened and his will perverted, so also his appetites, his desires, are sinful. Natural man is the slave of sin. Even the Christians feel the sinister power of sin in a greater or less degree until death, and they must con­ stantly be on guard against the thoughts and desires of their hearts. Even in a Christian original sin is like a sleeping lion; the least disturbance makes it rage. It is like an ember imbedded in ashes; if it is blown by the wind of temptation, it will flame up into scandalous evils. As fire is in the match, sin and all wickedness is in man’s heart; it only needs an opportunity to come out. There­ fore watch your heart!

Prayer.

O my God and Father, I cry from my inmost heart: Abba, my Father and Lord, have mercy on me! O my God, be gracious to me, a poor sinner, and forgive all my sins, original and actual — all thoughts, words, and deeds that, knowingly or unknowingly, were at enmity with Thy Word. There is in me, that is, in my flesh, no good thing. In sins have I been conceived and born, in sins have I lived. O Lord, do not enter into judgment with Thy servant. Be gracious unto me, for Jesus’ sake. Amen.

Although our sin is great indeed, 

God’s mercies far exceed it;

His hand can give the help we need, 

However much we need it:

He is the Shepherd of the sheep 

Who Israel doth guard and keep 

And shall from sin redeem him.

 DAILY READINGS IN LIFE OF CHRIST - J.R. Miller (1890)

March 6. More and More of Blessing

"Every man at the beginning doth set forth good wine; and when men have well drunk, then that which is worse: but thou hast kept the good wine until now!" John 2:10

The world gives its best first — and the worst comes afterwards!

It is so in all sinful pleasures: first exhilaration — and then bitter remorse.

It is so in the chase for wealth, power, and fame: gratification first — and then painful disappointment. At first money brings gladness — a sort of satisfaction. But as time rolls on and wealth increases — cares multiply, anxieties thicken, burdens grow heavier, and at last — the rich man finds that in all his riches, he has less satisfaction than he had in the days when he was a poor boy!

It is so in all mere worldly ambitions: the first cups of fame are sweet — but soon they pall upon the taste.

This truth holds especially in the sinful life: we need not deny that at the beginning, sin is sweet — but bitterness is found at the bottom of the cup!

In grace, however, this is reversed — the good wine is kept to the last! Christ Himself had humiliation, darkness, and the shame of the cross — and then exaltation, power, glory!

In Christian life, the same law holds:

First there comes bitterness — but out of the bitterness, sweetness flows.

There is first the deep sorrow of penitence — but this gives way to the blessed joy of forgiveness.

First there are self-denial and cross-bearing — but out of these experiences comes a holy peace which fills all the heart.

Sorrows are to be endured — but the good wine of comfort is poured into the emptied cup.

There is also a constant progression in the blessings of the divine life. We never get to the end of them! Indeed, we never get to the best! There is always something better yet to come. Christ keeps the really best wine to the very last — in Heaven! As sweet as Christ's peace now is to the Christian — he will never know the fullness of the love of God, until he gets home to the Father's house!

Would the citizens and legislators of the United States respond differently?

 All the Prophets Testified of Christ (Pasche, F.E.)

"To Him give all the prophets witness that through His name, whosoever believeth in Him, shall receive remission of sins."Acts 10:43.

If any one doubts whether our Christian faith is built on a rock which cannot be moved, let him search the writings of all the prophets, let him compare what is said of Him who was promised with the writings of the New Testament, and he can­ not but see that all has been fulfilled in Christ. All writings of the holy men of God, from the First Book of Moses to the last book of the prophets, testify of Christ. Whatever was said of the Messiah by the prophets of old has come true in the crucified and risen Savior.

Into His hands we can cheerfully entrust our souls without fear and without scruple. Believing in Him, we have the one true faith and are God’s own people, true spiritual children of the patriarchs of old. And because all the promises based on this Savior are divinely true, none of them can fail. “As God is true,” says Paul to the Corinthians, “our word towards you was not yea and nay. For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by us, was not yea and nay, but in Him was yea. For all the promises of God in Him are yea, and in Him Amen, unto the glory of God.”

As the promise given to Abraham that out of his seed He • should come in whom all the families of the earth would be blessed came true, even so must all the promises of God in Jesus Christ come true; not one of them will fall to the ground. To David the promise was made that of his house the Savior should come.

Now, his children were led into captivity, and the prospects of the promise’s ever coming true seemed slender indeed. Yet that little remnant of the Jews which held faithfully to the Lord’s promise was not deceived. No man who with earnest intent will search the Scriptures of the Old Testament and compare them with the New will deny that the promise has been fulfilled in Jesus of Nazareth.

Prayer.

Awake, my soul, and rejoice in the Lord, thy Savior; mag­ nify the Highest, who has so faithfully fulfilled His promise and sent His Son into the world. Exult and be glad; for God Him­ self, out of love to thee, became man and thy next kinsman. Who can sufficiently praise His mercy and loving-kindness? O Lord, what is man that Thou art mindful of him, and the son of man that Thou considerest him? O dearest Jesus, I heartily thank Thee that Thou didst unite Thyself with our human nature and in this assumed humanity didst reconcile us with Thy heavenly Father! AMEN.

What the fathers’ ancient throng 

Hoped and held with yearnings strong 

And foretold long ere its date,

Stands fulfilled sublimely great.

 DAILY READINGS IN TH LIFE OF CHRIST - J.R. Miller (1890)

March 5. Silent Change

"When the ruler of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and knew not whence it was: (but the servants which drew the water knew;) the governor of the feast called the bridegroom,." John 2:9

Christ wrought this miracle without noise or ostentation. He said nothing to call attention to what He was going to do. The people around Him did not know of the wonderful work He had wrought. So He works today. He is not in the storm, the earthquake, the whirlwind; but in the "still small voice." His kingdom comes into men's hearts, not with observation and show — but silently, without parade. The bad life is changed, by His work, into moral purity — and yet no one saw the change made or the hand that wrought it. Silently help comes in the hours of need; silently prayer's answers, glide down; silently the angels come and go.

It is significant also that the "the servants who had drawn the water knew." Those who work with Christ are admitted into the inner chamber where omnipotence is unveiled. The lesson is very simple and beautiful. Christ takes into His confidence, those who serve Him; and calls them no more servants, but friends. Those who do Christ's will, know of His doctrine, and see His ways of working. If we would see Christ's power and glory — we must enter heartily into His service. Ofttimes it is in the lowliest ways, and in the paths of humble, self-denying service, that the most of His glory appears.

The master of the banquet did not know whence the wine came; is it not often so with us? People do not know whence the blessings come which glide so softly into their hearts. Many a troubled Christian kneels in prayer in great fear, oppressed by a sense of need, and rises with new rich joy in his heart — yet knowing not whence the strange sweet blessing came. We drink the cups which God fills for us with heavenly sweetness, we receive the gifts which are brought down to us from the very throne — and yet ofttimes we do not know whence these things come, nor recognize the divine presence that works so close beside us.