Evening, May 30

Charles Spurgeon · Morning and Evening: Daily Readings

"That henceforth we should not serve sin."

  Romans 6:6

   Christian, what hast thou to do with sin? Hath it not cost thee enough
   already? Burnt child, wilt thou play with the fire? What! when thou
   hast already been between the jaws of the lion, wilt thou step a second
   time into his den? Hast thou not had enough of the old serpent? Did he
   not poison all thy veins once, and wilt thou play upon the hole of the
   asp, and put thy hand upon the cockatrice's den a second time? Oh, be
   not so mad! so foolish! Did sin ever yield thee real pleasure? Didst
   thou find solid satisfaction in it? If so, go back to thine old
   drudgery, and wear the chain again, if it delight thee. But inasmuch as
   sin did never give thee what it promised to bestow, but deluded thee
   with lies, be not a second time snared by the old fowler--be free, and
   let the remembrance of thy ancient bondage forbid thee to enter the net
   again! It is contrary to the designs of eternal love, which all have an
   eye to thy purity and holiness; therefore run not counter to the
   purposes of thy Lord. Another thought should restrain thee from sin.
   Christians can never sin cheaply; they pay a heavy price for iniquity.
   Transgression destroys peace of mind, obscures fellowship with Jesus,
   hinders prayer, brings darkness over the soul; therefore be not the
   serf and bondman of sin. There is yet a higher argument: each time you
   "serve sin" you have "Crucified the Lord afresh, and put him to an open
   shame." Can you bear that thought? Oh! if you have fallen into any
   special sin during this day, it may be my Master has sent this
   admonition this evening, to bring you back before you have backslidden
   very far. Turn thee to Jesus anew; he has not forgotten his love to
   thee; his grace is still the same. With weeping and repentance, come
   thou to his footstool, and thou shalt be once more received into his
   heart; thou shalt be set upon a rock again, and thy goings shall be
   established.