DAILY PRAYER (BY SPURGEON)
Lord, we do confess that our nature is at enmity with you. The fallen corrupt nature of Adam has revolted and gone aside from God; and though we hope that by your free grace you have renewed us, yet the old rebellions come up at times, and the evil nature urges us still to oppose you.
Therefore our prayer this morning is, that we may not only extol you with our words, as we do now; but by the entire submission of our hearts in loyal reverence to you, we may pay you the truest homage. But, Lord, lest we should not have done this, or thinking that we have done so, should still have failed, we will make this the burden of our morning prayer.
Amen.
VERSE OF THE DAY (COMMENTARY BY SPURGEON)
“In the same way faith, if it does not have works, is dead by itself.” (James 2:17)
Regeneration is making the old thing new. It is infusing a new nature into a person. The new birth is making the person a new creation in Christ Jesus. But can a new creature have no repentance, good works, private prayer, charity, or holiness of any kind? The new birth would be a thing to be ridiculed if it did not really produce a hatred of sin and a love of holiness.
RECOMMENDED RESOURCE
God wants you to be confident in your salvation. Here’s how.
Today we prayed, asking God to subdue the sin that remains in us. Often, when we honestly see the sin that remains in our lives, we’re paralyzed with fear, worrying about whether or not we’re really saved. Friend, if this is you, know that this is not God’s design for your life. God wants you to walk confident in your eternal security, not because of your own goodness, but because of Christ’s grace.
If you’re walking in worry about whether or not you’re really saved, Stop Asking Jesus Into Your Heart by J.D. Greear is a great resource. Greear offers a diagnostic for Christians to “know for sure that you’re saved.” It’s not rooted in looking back at the moment of your conversion, but about honestly evaluating God’s preserving work in your life right now.
This book is really biblical and really practical. I hope God will use it to encourage you and end your worry. You don’t need to get saved again, because Christ will always hold onto you.
This is a great, simple, and short read to put on the top of your summer reading list — I know it will fill you with great Christ-centered confidence.