Jesus (and other devotionals)

Jesus

"Thou shalt call His name Jesus, for He shall save His people from their sins" (Matthew 1:21).

As the Lord Jesus was a person, He had His own individual name. His mother, His disciples, all His friends called Him by this name - Jesus. But they probably thought little of what that name meant. And how little do the majority of Christians know what a treasure in contained in that name - Jesus - "He shall save His people from their sins."

Many think of His death on the Cross, they think of His work in heaven as Intercessor, but they, or do we, realize that He is a living Person in heaven who thinks of us each day and longs to reveal Himself? And He desires us each day to bring Him our love and adoration.

Christians pray to Christ to save them from their sins, but they know very little how the blessed work is done. The living Christ reveals Himself to us, and through the power of His love, the love of sin is expelled. It is through personal fellowship with Him  that Jesus saves us from our sins. I must come as an individual, with my heart and all the sin that is in it, to Jesus as an Almighty personal Saviour in whom God's holiness dwells. And as He and I commune together in the expression of mutual love and desire by the work of the Holy Spirit in my heart, His love will expel and conquer all the sin.

O Christian, learn the blessedness of each day in fellowship with Jesus. Finding the secret of happiness and holiness, your heart will long for the hour of prayer as the best hour of the day. As you learn to go apart with Him alone each day, you will experience His presence with you, enabling you all through the day to love Him, to serve Him, and to walk in His ways.

Blessed Father, through this unbroken fellowship with Thee, let me learn the secret of the power of a truly godly life. Amen

~Andrew Murray~
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Fellowship with God

"He that loveth Me shall be loved of my Father; I will love Him" (John 14:21).

The Three Persons in the Godhead are the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Each one knows Himself as different from the others. God desires to reveal Himself as a Person. Each one of us is an individual, knowing himself as distinct from others and standing in certain relations to others. God will reveal Himself to us as a Person, and it is our holy calling to enter into fellowship with Him.

God greatly desires this fellowship with man. But sin has come between man and his God. Even in the Christian who thinks he knows God, there is often great ignorance and even indifference to this personal relationship of love to God.

People believe that at conversation their sins are forgiven, that God accepts them so that they may go to heaven, and that they should try to do God's will. But the idea is strange to them that even as a father and his child on earth have pleasure in fellowship, so they may and must each day have this blessed fellowship with God.

God gave Christ His Son to bring us to Himself. But this is only possible when we live in close fellowship with Jesus Christ. Our relationship to Christ rests on His deep, tender love to us. We are not able of ourselves to render Him this love. But the Holy Spirit will do the work in us. For this we need to separate ourselves each day from the world and turn in faith to the Lord Jesus, that He may shed abroad His love in our hearts, so that we may be filled witha great love to Him.

Dear soul, mediate quietly on this thought. Read the words of Christ in John 14:21, "He that loveth Me shall be loved of my Father, I will love Him." Take time to believe in this personal fellowship. Tell Him of your love.

Blessed Father, Thou hast loved me dearly; most earnestly do I desire to love Thee above all. Amen

~Andrew Murray~