June 26

Morning

They will all respond to you, saying, “You too have become weak, as we are; you have become like us!” — Isa 14:10 BSB

What will be the fate of the apostate, the one who once professed faith but later turned away, when he stands naked before God? How will he bear the words, “Depart from Me, you cursed one! You have rejected Me, and I now reject you. You turned your back on Me—I now turn My back on you, forever!” What shame will overwhelm this wretch on the day of judgment when, before the eyes of all, his hypocrisy is exposed? Picture the profane and the unrepentant pointing fingers at him from their places of torment. “There he is!” one will cry, “the man who preached the gospel in hell!” Another will say, “He rebuked me for cursing, but he was the real hypocrite!” And yet another will mock, “Look at him! The psalm-singing religious man who always attended meetings, boasting that he was certain of eternal life—now here he is!”

No demons will rejoice more in dragging a hypocrite to hell than the ones who get their hands on such a soul. John Bunyan, with his poetic brilliance, paints a vivid picture of this in The Pilgrim’s Progress, when he describes the hypocrite being bound by devils and dragged through the back door of hell. Professors of faith, beware that back door to hell!

“Examine yourselves, to see if you are in the faith.” Look carefully at your life; test whether you are truly in Christ. It’s easy to give yourself a favorable verdict when your own soul is on trial, but be just and honest here. Judge yourself rigorously, for if you are not standing on the rock of Christ, when your spiritual house falls, the collapse will be great. May the Lord grant you sincerity, constancy, and firmness so that, no matter how evil the days may become, you will not be led astray.

Evening

Through these He has given us His precious and magnificent promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, now that you have escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires. — 2 Pet 1:4 BSB

Abandon all thoughts of indulging the flesh if you wish to live in the power of your risen Lord. It would be a tragedy for a man who is alive in Christ to dwell in the corruption of sin. “Why do you seek the living among the dead?” asked the angel to Mary Magdalene. Should those who are alive in Christ live among the tombs of fleshly desires? Should divine life be shackled in the grave of sinful lusts? How can we drink from the Lord’s cup and also from the cup of demons? Believer, you have been delivered from open sins—have you also escaped from the secret traps of the devil? Have you been freed from pride, laziness, and carnal security? Are you striving daily to live above the world’s temptations, the pride of life, and the deceit of greed? Remember, you have been enriched with the treasures of God for this very purpose.

If you are truly chosen by God and beloved by Him, do not allow the lavish grace He has poured out on you to be wasted. Pursue holiness, for it is the crown and glory of the Christian. An unholy church is useless to the world, despised by men, and an offense to God. It is a mockery to hell and an abomination to heaven. The worst evils ever brought upon the world have come through an unholy church. O Christian, the vows of God are upon you. You are God’s priest—act as such. You are God’s king—rule over your lusts. You are God’s chosen one—do not associate with Belial. Heaven is your inheritance—live as one who belongs there. Prove that your faith in Jesus is genuine, for there is no faith in the heart unless there is holiness in the life.