March 21

The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers so they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. — 2 Cor 4:4 BSB

Oh! what beauty and blessedness shine forth in the gospel when we view it connected with the Person and work of the Son of God! If we isolate the doctrines of grace from Christ, they appear as scattered limbs, lacking beauty. But when we see the truths of the gospel in connection with the Person and work of the Son of God, what a heavenly light and divine glory illuminate every truth related to His sacred Person, atoning blood, finished work, and dying love! This is the right way to receive the gospel—not as a collection of isolated doctrines, like bits and pieces from a stranded ship, but as a harmonious whole, full of grace, mercy, and truth, all springing from and centered in the Person of the God-man.

How it lifts us above sin, misery, and wretchedness, even for a time, to see our completeness in Christ, our saving interest in His finished work, and our identity as members of His mystical body. It enables us to triumph in His victories, rejoice in His holy triumphs, and ascend with Him above the confusion and turmoil of this earth. Just as one might rise above a London fog into the clear air and bask in the sunlight on a mountain peak, so too does the saint of God, when assured of their salvation, feel themselves lifted above the fog of sin and struggle. Seated with Christ in heavenly places, they experience a sweet victory over every internal, external, and infernal foe.

And there is no other way to rise out of the fog of sin and self. Like a person wandering in a thick London fog, surrounded by darkness on every side, so we struggle with sin and self, lost in confusion. North, south, east, and west—nothing but fog. The only way out is to be lifted by a sweet testimony of our saving interest in the blood and love of the Son of God. This alone lifts us up, gives us strength, and grants victory. Without this, we grope like the blind, stumbling through desolate places like dead men.

It’s true that, for the most part, the saints only experience glimpses of these blessings, brief moments of light that come and go. But these moments are enough to taste their sweetness, see their beauty, and glimpse their glory. And though brief, they provide enough strength to keep pressing on until we reach eternal glory.