July 17

Morning

Brothers who are beloved by God, we know that He has chosen you, — 1 Thess 1:4 BSB

Many people want to know whether they are chosen by God before they even look to Christ, but they can’t discover their election that way. It can only be found by looking to Jesus. If you want to know if you’re one of God’s elect, here’s what to do: Do you feel like a lost, guilty sinner? Go straight to the cross of Christ and tell Jesus that. Tell Him that you’ve read in the Bible, “Whoever comes to Me, I will never turn away.” Remind Him that He has said, “This is a trustworthy saying, worthy of full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.” Look to Jesus, believe in Him, and you will immediately have proof of your election, for as soon as you believe—you are one of God’s elect.

If you surrender yourself fully to Christ and trust Him, then you are one of God’s chosen ones. But if you stop and say, “I need to know first whether I’m elect,” you are asking a question you can’t answer. Go to Jesus just as you are, no matter how guilty. Stop worrying about your election. Go straight to Christ and hide yourself in His wounds, and you will know you are chosen. The Holy Spirit will give you assurance so that you can say, “I know whom I have believed, and I’m confident He can keep what I’ve entrusted to Him.”

Christ was present at the eternal council—He knows whether you were chosen or not. But you won’t find out in any other way. Go, trust in Him, and His answer to you will be, “I have loved you with an everlasting love; that’s why I’ve drawn you with kindness.” You’ll have no doubts about being chosen once you’ve chosen Him!

Evening

Then Elijah ordered them, “Seize the prophets of Baal! Do not let a single one escape.” So they seized them, and Elijah brought them down to the Kishon Valley and slaughtered them there. — 1 Kgs 18:40 BSB

After Elijah prayed and fire came down from heaven to consume the sacrifice in front of all the people, he called on the Israelites to seize the prophets of Baal, declaring, “Let none of them escape!”

We must do the same with our sins—they must all be put to death. Not one can be spared. Even our favorite sin must be slain. Show no mercy, no matter how much it pleads. Strike it down, even if it’s as dear to you as Isaac was to Abraham. Strike it, for God struck sin when He laid it on His own Son! With unwavering determination, you must condemn to death that sin which once ruled your heart.

But how can you do this? Jesus is your strength. In the covenant of grace, you have been given the power to overcome sin. You have the strength to conquer your inner desires because Christ has promised to be with you until the end. If you want to triumph over darkness, stand in the presence of the Sun of Righteousness. There’s no better place to confront and overcome sin than in the immediate presence of God.

Job never understood how to deal with sin until he saw God, and then he said, “I despise myself and repent in dust and ashes.”

Our spiritual gold often becomes tarnished, and we need God’s sacred fire to burn away the impurities. Let us run to Him—He is a consuming fire. He won’t consume our souls, but He will burn away our sins. Let God’s goodness drive us to holy jealousy and vengeance against those sins that He despises. Go to battle with your sins in His strength, and utterly destroy every one of them—let none escape!