October 27

Morning

This is a trustworthy saying: If we died with Him, we will also live with Him; — 2 Tim 2:11 BSB

Paul gives us four “faithful sayings.”

The first is found in 1 Timothy 1:15: “This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.”

The next is in 1 Timothy 4:8: “Godliness is profitable unto all things, having the promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come. This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptance.”

The third is in 2 Timothy 2:12: “It is a faithful saying—if we endure, we shall also reign with Him.”

The fourth is in Titus 3:8: “This is a faithful saying—that those who have believed in God should be careful to maintain good works.”

We can see a connection between these faithful sayings. The first lays the foundation of our salvation in the free grace of God, shown to us in the mission of our great Redeemer. The second speaks of the double blessing we receive through this salvation—the blessings of this life and the life to come. The third speaks to our calling to suffer for Christ, with the promise that “if we endure, we shall reign with Him.” The fourth encourages us to live out our faith by maintaining good works.

Thus, we have the root of salvation in free grace, the privileges of salvation in this life and the next, and the two branches of suffering for Christ and serving with Christ, which bear the fruits of the Spirit.

Let us treasure these faithful sayings. Let them guide our lives, comfort us, and instruct us. Paul found them to be faithful, and they remain faithful today. Not a single word will fall to the ground. They are worthy of full acceptance—let us accept them now and live by them. Let these four faithful sayings be written on the four corners of our hearts and homes!

Evening

Each of us has become like something unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all wither like a leaf, and our iniquities carry us away like the wind. — Isa 64:6 BSB

The believer is a new creation, part of a holy generation, a peculiar people, indwelt by the Spirit of God, and far removed from the natural man. Yet despite all this, the Christian remains a sinner. We are sinners because of the imperfection of our nature, and we will continue to struggle with sin until our earthly journey ends.

Even our best efforts are tainted by sin. The black fingers of sin leave smudges on our purest actions. Our repentance is imperfect even as we seek to turn from sin. Our tears of sorrow for sin are tinged with selfishness, and unbelief taints our faith. Apart from the merit of Jesus, even our most righteous acts only add to the number of our sins. Even when we feel the most pure, we are still far from perfect in God’s eyes.

Our prayers and praises, no matter how sincere, are only made acceptable because the sinless One, our great Mediator, steps in to take away the sin in them. The purest faith or the most sanctified life on earth still has so much impurity that it could not stand before God without the atoning blood of Christ.

Each day, as we reflect on our lives, we must confess that “all our righteousness is like filthy rags” (Isaiah 64:6). But oh, how precious is the blood of Christ to hearts like ours! How priceless is His perfect righteousness! How bright the hope of perfect holiness in the life to come!

Even now, though sin dwells in us, its power is broken. Sin no longer has dominion over us—it’s a defeated enemy. Though we struggle with it, we are fighting a battle against a vanquished foe. Soon, we will enter the city where nothing impure can ever enter, and we will be free from sin forever!