Morning, July 5
Go To Evening Reading
“Called to be saints.”
Romans 1:7
We are very apt to regard the apostolic saints as if they were “saints” in a more especial manner than the other children of God. All are
“saints” whom God has called by His grace, and sanctified by His Spirit; but
we are apt to look upon the apostles as extraordinary beings, scarcely subject to the same weaknesses
and temptations as ourselves. Yet in so doing we are forgetful of
this truth, that the nearer a man lives to God the more intensely
has he to mourn over his own evil heart; and the more his Master honours
him in his service, the more also doth the evil of the flesh vex and
tease him day by day. The fact is, if we had seen the apostle Paul,
we should have thought him remarkably like the rest of the chosen
family: and if we had talked with him, we should have said, “We find that his experience and ours are much the same. He is more
faithful, more holy, and more deeply taught than we are, but he has
the selfsame trials to endure. Nay, in some respects he is more sorely
tried than ourselves.” Do not, then, look upon the ancient saints as being exempt either
from infirmities or sins; and do not regard them with that mystic
reverence which will almost make us idolaters. Their holiness is attainable
even by us. We are “called to be saints” by that same voice which constrained them to their high vocation.
It is a Christian’s duty to force his way into the inner circle of saintship; and if
these saints were superior to us in their attainments, as they certainly
were, let us follow them; let us emulate their ardour and holiness.
We have the same light that they had, the same grace is accessible
to us, and why should we rest satisfied until we have equalled them
in heavenly character? They lived with Jesus, they lived for Jesus, therefore they grew like Jesus. Let us live by the same Spirit as they did, “looking unto Jesus,” and our saintship will soon be apparent.