Morning    “Let us go forth therefore unto him without the camp.”     Hebrews 13:13

Jesus, bearing his cross, went forth to suffer without the gate. The Christian’s

reason for leaving the camp of the world’s sin and religion is not because he

loves to be singular, but because Jesus did so; and the disciple must follow his

Master. Christ was “not of the world:” his life and his testimony were a

constant protest against conformity with the world. Never was such overflowing

affection for men as you find in him; but still he was separate from sinners. In

like manner Christ’s people must “go forth unto him.” They must take their

position “without the camp,” as witness-bearers for the truth. They must be

prepared to tread the straight and narrow path. They must have bold,

unflinching, lion-like hearts, loving Christ first, and his truth next, and

Christ and his truth beyond all the world. Jesus would have his people “go forth

without the camp” for their own sanctification. You cannot grow in grace to any

high degree while you are conformed to the world. The life of separation may be

a path of sorrow, but it is the highway of safety; and though the separated life

may cost you many pangs, and make every day a battle, yet it is a happy life

after all. No joy can excel that of the soldier of Christ: Jesus reveals himself

so graciously, and gives such sweet refreshment, that the warrior feels more

calm and peace in his daily strife than others in their hours of

rest. The highway of holiness is the highway of communion. It is thus we shall

hope to win the crown if we are enabled by divine grace faithfully to follow

Christ “without the camp.” The crown of glory will follow the cross of

separation. A moment’s shame will be well recompensed by eternal honour; a

little while of witness-bearing will seem nothing when we are “forever with the

Lord.”

 

Evening    “In the name of the Lord I will destroy them.”    Psalm 118:12

Our Lord Jesus, by his death, did not purchase a right to a part of us only, but

to the entire man. He contemplated in his passion the sanctification of us

wholly, spirit, soul, and body; that in this triple kingdom he himself might

reign supreme without a rival. It is the business of the newborn nature which

God has given to the regenerate to assert the rights of the Lord Jesus Christ.

My soul, so far as thou art a child of God, thou must conquer all the rest of

thyself which yet remains unblest; thou must subdue all thy powers and passions

to the silver sceptre of Jesus’ gracious reign, and thou must never be satisfied

till he who is King by purchase becomes also King by gracious

coronation, and reigns in thee supreme. Seeing, then, that sin has no right to

any part of us, we go about a good and lawful warfare when we seek, in the name

of God, to drive it out. O my body, thou art a member of Christ: shall I

tolerate thy subjection to the prince of darkness? O my soul, Christ has

suffered for thy sins, and redeemed thee with his most precious blood: shall I

suffer thy memory to become a storehouse of evil, or thy passions to be

firebrands of iniquity? Shall I surrender my judgment to be perverted by error,

or my will to be led in fetters of iniquity? No, my soul, thou art Christ’s, and

sin hath no right to thee.

Be courageous concerning this, O Christian! be not dispirited, as though your

spiritual enemies could never be destroyed. You are able to overcome them–not

in your own strength–the weakest of them would be too much for you in that; but

you can and shall overcome them through the blood of the Lamb. Do not ask, “How

shall I dispossess them, for they are greater and mightier than I?” but go to

the strong for strength, wait humbly upon God, and the mighty God of Jacob will

surely come to the rescue, and you shall sing of victory through his grace.