Today's encouragement comes from Leviticus 6:13, where we read these words:
"A fire shall always be burning on the altar; it shall never go out.”The entire Old Covenant sacrificial system prefigured the (now-completed) work of Christ. The fire not going out reminds us of the eternal intercession Jesus' blood now affects for His redeemed, forgiven, and yet far-from-sinless elect churchmen.
Because of Christ's mediation on our behalf, the fire of our affection, devotion, and commitment—though sometimes waning—is ever-stoked with the reviv-ing flames of our love for God, as we continually behold Him in His beautiful and pristine Son.
[Puritan quote of the day: "Repentance is a pure gospel grace. The covenant of works admitted no repentance; there it was, sin and die. Repentance came in by the gospel.” —Thomas Watson, in, "The Doctrine of Repentance"]