Today's Scripture
Ephesians 4:16
Unity in Spirit “Present…your members as instruments of righteousness to God.” Romans 6:13
I cannot save and sanctify myself; I cannot make atonement for sin; I cannot redeem the world; I cannot right what is wrong, purify what is impure, or make holy what is unholy. That is all the sovereign work of God. Do I have faith in what Jesus Christ has done? He has made the perfect atonement for sin. Am I in the habit of constantly realizing it? The greatest need we have is not to do things, but to believe things.
The redemption of Christ is not an experience, it is the great act of God which He has performed through Christ, and I must build my faith on it. If I construct my faith on my own experience, I produce the most unscriptural kind of life: an isolated life, with my eyes focused solely on my own holiness. Beware of that human holiness that is not based on the atonement of the Lord. It has no value for anything except a life of isolation—it is useless to God and a nuisance to man. Measure every kind of experience you have by our Lord Himself. We cannot do anything pleasing to God unless we deliberately build on the foundation of the atonement by the Cross of Christ.
The atonement of Jesus must be exhibited in practical, unassuming ways in my life. Every time I obey, the absolute deity of God is on my side, so that the grace of God and my natural obedience are in perfect agreement. Obedience means that I have completely placed my trust in the atonement, and my obedience is immediately met by the delight of the supernatural grace of God.
Beware of the human holiness that denies the reality of the natural life—it is a fraud. Continually bring yourself to the trial or test of the atonement and ask, “Where is the discernment of the atonement in this, and in that?”
Today's Prayer
Jesus, help us to realize that we cannot do anything without You. Help us center our faith in what you have done. Help us to believe what You speak and not to be isolated in our idea of what we are supposedly doing for You. Our experiences can only be measured by Your sacrificial love for us. Help us to trust and obey Your leading so that we are in perfect agreement with You as Your grace works in us and through us.
