November 8

Now we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this surpassingly great power is from God and not from us. — 2 Cor 4:7 BSB

Gold and silver, those precious metals, aren’t affected or corrupted by the vessel that holds them. Even if they’re buried in the damp earth, they don’t tarnish or rust.

In the same way, the grace of God in the heart, though surrounded by corruption, isn’t tarnished by it. The heavenly treasure remains uncontaminated, even though it's housed in a weak, earthen vessel. Christ in the heart isn’t tainted by the inward workings of sin or by the constant struggle of evil thoughts against His grace, just as the gold stored in the Bank of England isn’t defiled by the dark and damp cellars it’s kept in.

What a relief it is that our corruptions don’t tarnish God’s grace; that our unbelief can’t mix with and spoil the faith God has given us; that our despair can’t ruin our gospel hope; and that our deadness, darkness, coldness, and rebellion can’t defile the love of God in our souls. This heavenly treasure remains as pure and uncontaminated as when God first placed it there. Because it’s part of the "divine nature," it stays unpolluted by the filth and corruption surrounding it.

Isn’t it a mercy for God’s weary people that spiritual knowledge, living faith, gospel hope, heavenly love, and the fruits and graces of the Spirit in the soul can never be defiled? They’re like streams of water flowing from a pure fountain. What a blessing that the grace of God in a person’s heart can’t be contaminated by the filth of their sinful nature, no matter how violently that nature may try to push against it, like torrents of water from a fire hose aimed at a burning house. That grace remains as pure as the day God’s Spirit breathed it into the soul.