Salvation's Inevitable Fruit

Psalm 5:3, 4

    Precious things cost a lot of money. That which is worthless you can pick up without giving as much as a penny. But this must not lead us to think that because salvation is a free gift it has little or no value. It is the most precious gift that can be given to man. Although it costs us nothing, it cost God the extremely great price of the death of His only begotten Son.

    The preciousness of that gift of salvation is to be seen in that which those whom God saves are made capable of doing. Of that we read in Psalm 5:3, 4: '"My voice shalt Thou hear in the morning, O Lord; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto Thee, and will look up. For Thou art not a God that hath pleasure in wickedness: neither shall evil dwell with Thee."

    Note that David not only prays each day, but he begins every day with a prayer. He also reveals his own displeasure with sin and his love for God. That will always happen when God, on the basis of the cross of Christ, has caused one to be born again, made him to know the truth and to trust in God. In other words sanctification, or making a man holy, will always follow a rebirth. That new life will always manifest itself in a holy walk. And even as the heartbeat reveals life of the body, walking in holiness reveals a new life in the soul.

    Look then at your life. Can you sing with David (PRC Psalter)?

    In the fullness of Thy grace
    To Thy house I will repair,
    Bowing toward Thy holy place,
    In Thy fear will worship there.
    Lead me in Thy righteousness,
    Let my foes assail in vain;
    Lest my feet be turned aside
    Make Thy way before me plain.

    If you can find any of that in your life, you have assurance that you have been born again and have the inevitable fruit of a rebirth.

    If you find only a little of that holiness, by all means do as David did. Each morning pray to God to keep you from all pleasure in sin. Pray the first thing each morning that God may make you appreciate that precious gift of salvation by His grace.

Read: Psalm 5
Psalter versification: #10:1

Meditations on the Heidelberg Catechism

Song for Meditation: Psalter #130
Why not sing along??

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Through the Bible in One Year
Read today:
Joel 1 ; Joel 2 ; Joel 3:1-21 
Revelation 1:1-20 
Psalm 128:1-6 
Proverbs 29:18 
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Quote for Reflection:
Elisha "called for a musician, a devout musician, one accustomed to play upon his harp and sing psalms to it. To hear God’s praises sweetly sung, as David had appointed, would cheer his spirits, and settle his mind, and help to put him into a right frame both to speak to him and to hear from him." ~ Matthew Henry on II Kings 3:15