Fri.-Sabbath, 6/28-30/24 Devotion

Thank God—the Sabbath Day is only two days away. Let us bless the Lord for Sunday, the Resurrection Day. As we prepare ourselves for the church’s worship of our Triune God, here are some good words from Jonathan Ed-wards’ great book, “The Religious Affections.” . . .

“ . . . the holy Scriptures do abundantly place sincerity and soundness in reli-gion in making a full choice of God as our only Lord and portion, forsaking all for Him, and, in a full determination of the will for God and Christ, on counting the cost; in our heart’s closing and complying with the religion of Jesus Christ, with all that belongs to it, embracing it with all its difficulties, as it were hating our dearest earthly enjoyments and even our own lives, for Christ; giving up ourselves, with all that we have, wholly and forever, unto Christ, without keep-ing back anything, or making any reserve; or, in one word, in the great duty of self-denial for Christ; or in denying, i.e., as it were, disowning and renouncing ourselves for Him, making ourselves nothing that He may be all. . . . Now, surely, having a heart to forsake all for Christ, tends to actually forsaking all for Him, so far as there is occasion, and we have the trial. A having a heart to deny ourselves for Christ tends to a denying ourselves indeed, when Christ and self-interest stand in competition."