Morning “As ye have received Christ Jesus the Lord.” / Colossians 2:6

The life of faith is represented as receiving–an act which implies the very

opposite of anything like merit. It is simply the acceptance of a gift. As the

earth drinks in the rain, as the sea receives the streams, as night accepts

light from the stars, so we, giving nothing, partake freely of the grace of

God. The saints are not, by nature, wells, or streams, they are but cisterns

into which the living water flows; they are empty vessels into which God pours

his salvation. The idea of receiving implies a sense of realization, making

the matter a reality. One cannot very well receive a shadow; we receive that

which is substantial: so is it in the life of faith, Christ becomes real to

us. While we are without faith, Jesus is a mere name to us–a person who lived

a long while ago, so long ago that his life is only a history to us now! By an

act of faith Jesus becomes a real person in the consciousness of our heart.

But receiving also means grasping or getting possession of. The thing which I

receive becomes my own: I appropriate to myself that which is given. When I

receive Jesus, he becomes my Saviour, so mine that neither life nor death

shall be able to rob me of him. All this is to receive Christ–to take him as

God’s free gift; to realize him in my heart, and to appropriate him as mine.

Salvation may be described as the blind receiving sight, the deaf receiving

hearing, the dead receiving life; but we have not only received these

blessings, we have received Christ Jesus himself. It is true that he gave us

life from the dead. He gave us pardon of sin; he gave us imputed

righteousness. These are all precious things, but we are not content with

them; we have received Christ himself. The Son of God has been poured into us,

and we have received him, and appropriated him. What a heartful Jesus must be,

for heaven itself cannot contain him!

 

Evening “The Master saith, Where is the guestchamber, where I shall eat the passover

with my disciples?” / Mark 14:14

Jerusalem at the time of the passover was one great inn; each householder had

invited his own friends, but no one had invited the Saviour, and he had no

dwelling of his own. It was by his own supernatural power that he found

himself an upper room in which to keep the feast. It is so even to this

day–Jesus is not received among the sons of men save only where by his

supernatural power and grace he makes the heart anew. All doors are open

enough to the prince of darkness, but Jesus must clear a way for himself or

lodge in the streets. It was through the mysterious power exerted by our Lord

that the householder raised no question, but at once cheerfully and joyfully

opened his guestchamber. Who he was, and what he was, we do not know, but he

readily accepted the honour which the Redeemer proposed to confer upon him. In

like manner it is still discovered who are the Lord’s chosen, and who are not;

for when the gospel comes to some, they fight against it, and will not have

it, but where men receive it, welcoming it, this is a sure indication that

there is a secret work going on in the soul, and that God has chosen them unto

eternal life. Are you willing, dear reader, to receive Christ? then there is

no difficulty in the way; Christ will be your guest; his own power is working

with you, making you willing. What an honour to entertain the Son of God! The

heaven of heavens cannot contain him, and yet he condescends to find a house

within our hearts! We are not worthy that he should come under our roof, but

what an unutterable privilege when he condescends to enter! for then he makes

a feast, and causes us to feast with him upon royal dainties, we sit at a

banquet where the viands are immortal, and give immortality to those who feed

thereon. Blessed among the sons of Adam is he who entertains the angels’ Lord.