The Scots Confession, Chapter XII

Chapter XII

Faith in the Holy Ghost

Our faith and its assurance do not proceed from flesh and blood, that is to say, from natural powers within us, but are the inspiration of the Holy Ghost; whom we confess to be God, equal with the Father and with his Son, who sanctifies us, and brings us into all truth by his own working, without whom we should remain forever enemies to God and ignorant of his Son, Christ Jesus. For by nature we are so dead, blind, and perverse, that neither can we feel when we are pricked, see the light when it shines, nor assent to the will of God when it is revealed, unless the Spirit of the Lord Jesus quicken that which is dead, remove the darkness from our minds, and bow our stubborn hearts to the obedience of his blessed will. And so, as we confess that God the Father created us when we were not, as his Son our Lord Jesus redeemed us when we were enemies to him, so also do we confess that the Holy Ghost does sanctify and regenerate us, without respect to any merit proceeding from us, be it before or be it after our regeneration. To put this even more plainly; as we willingly disclaim any honor and glory for our own creation and redemption, so do we willingly also for our regeneration and sanctification; for by ourselves we are not capable of thinking one good thought, but he who has begun the work in us alone continues us in it, to the praise and glory of his undeserved grace.

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Sin. It's not pretty, and we have covered ourselves in it. Our efforts are stained by it. Thanks be to God for grace and mercy. Thanks be to God for the Holy Spirit, which works in our hearts and awakens us to recognize not only our own sin but also the grace of God. We cannot save ourselves, but the Holy Spirit working through us can open our eyes to the salvation we have in Christ.

I want so badly to be able to take credit for salvation. I want to be able to say that it is my one pure thought, my one good deed, that enables me to serve my Lord and God. But it simply isn't. I am such a cauldron of greed and pride that if it were left to me, I would still be vainly clawing at the walls of the pit of death that Christ destroyed so many years ago. Thankfully the Holy Spirit is at work within me, opening my eyes to recognize the wonder of God, opening my heart to receive the work of Christ, opening my life to be a conduit so that God might work through me to spread the Good News of Jesus Christ, my Lord and my God.

Thursday Morning

Awesome God,

Upon the Israelites you rained down manna from heaven. There, under the morning dew, they found the nourishment they needed to survive the day.

Holy God, I am not wandering in the physical wilderness. I do not know the pain of hunger or the fear of starvation. But I need your food. I need the bread of life, the spiritual food, to survive the day. My daily bread consists of being fed by your Son, Jesus Christ, who nourishes my soul and strengthens me in my daily walk. Give me the strength, Lord, to look underneath the dew and find you waiting to nourish me with your Word.

Amen

Wednesday

Lord of Lords,

We know the wilderness. We know the walls of the shadow of death and the emptiness of vast deserts. We have trod paths that lead to nowhere and sat in the fading daylight and wept.

Still, you were there. How can you be a God of light and love and still wallow in the darkness with us? How can your grace and mercy penetrate and destroy the powers of death if only life exists in you? How are you able to sit with us in our pain?

You came to earth and joined with us in our walk. You sat in the same shadows we do, walked in the same valleys, and suffered the same death. And so you know our pain and our grief, and in the midst of our weeping, you promise us hope in you. Thank you.

Amen

Tuesday Morning

Holy Lord,

On this blessed day, may the sound of my heart beating be a reminder to me that you have set my life in motion and offered me abundant riches that I did not earn.

May the feel of my lungs expanding remind me that I am invited to take part in the expanding of your kingdom.

May the sensation of touch remind me how close you are to each of your beloved children.

May my very life serve as an offering in love to you, my Savior.

Amen