Daily DevotionalsReading: That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.”Romans 5:21

Contemplate of the two united sources of joy in this verse: the Father’s eternal purpose in grace and the everlasting efficacy and infinite value of Jesus’ righteousness, to eternal life. None but God Himself can know the fullness and extent of either.

The purpose of God has destroyed the reign of sin and bought redemption from death and sin by Jesus, for the glory of Christ’s person and the worth of His salvation. This brings the redeemed into favour and acceptance in Jesus, and with such, a title to everlasting happiness.

Oh for grace to contemplate the love of the Father and of the Son and the love of God the Holy Ghost, through whose gracious influence we enjoy both.

Lord, may I be lost and swallowed up, day by day, in the unceasing meditation of your grace! May I be controlled by nothing else. May I by faith possess in anticipation the joys of the redeemed, until I come, through you, and in you, to the everlasting enjoyment of them in the kingdom of glory.

“The way to open our hearts to others is by receiving afresh the grace of God and appreciating what it means: seeing our own need of Christ; coming to receive His mercy; sensing how undeserved His love for us is; remembering how He has also opened His heart to those whose hearts are closed against us. Then we will see that the heart which is too narrow to receive a fellow Christian is too narrow to enthrone the Lord Jesus Christ. But the heart that is opened to receive the grace of Christ will learn to welcome all those whom Christ Himself has welcomed.”

—Sinclair B. Ferguson

Taken from The Poor Man’s Evening and Morning Portions by Rev. Robert Hawker, Works, Vol. 8; 1830. Edited by Aaron Dunlop for thinkgospel.com ©2013.