Fri.-Sabbath, 4/10-12/20 Devotion

Thank God—this coming Lord’s Day is Easter Sunday! In order to help get us all ready for the Sabbath Day, here is Thomas Watson, from his fine book, en-titled, "A Body of Divinity.” Pastor Watson is proposing hypothetical state-ments (below); and then answering them. . . .

"I would like to be in covenant with God, but I have been a great sinner, and I fear God will not admit me into covenant.

"If you see your sins, and loathe yourself for them, God will take you into cov-enant. 'You have wearied Me with your iniquities; I, even I, am He that blots out your transgressions,’ (Isa. 43:24-25). As the sea covers great rocks, so God's covenant mercy covers great sins. Some of the Jews that crucified Christ had their sins washed away in His blood.

"But I am not worthy that God should admit me into covenant.

"It never came into God's thoughts to make a New Covenant upon terms of worthiness. If God should show mercy to none but such as are worthy, then He must show mercy to none at all. But it is God's design in the New Cove-nant to advance the riches of His grace, and to love us freely. And even though we have no worthiness of our own, He will accept us through Christ’s worthiness. Therefore let not unworthiness discourage you; it is not unworthi-ness that excludes any from the covenant, but unwillingness."