June 30

We are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. Ephesians 2:10.

In order to have true religion, two things are necessary, the new birth and the new life. First the new birth. "Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." Religion, first of all, above all, aims at, and affects, the heart. "Give me, my son, thy heart," is the request of the Lord. "If thou shalt believe in thine heart, thou shalt be saved." The heart belongs to true religion, and true religion belongs in the heart. This is the first requisite of godliness — a new heart.

The other requisite is the new life. It is the natural and the

necessary outflow of the new birth. When the heart has been changed by the Spirit of God, the new life will show it. The Lord once remarked: "By their fruits ye shall know them." You cannot be an undutiful parent, a spiteful husband, a quarrelsome wife, a disobedient child, an unscrupulous business man, and at the same time a good Christian. Whoever does not exercise the new life and will not walk right, and fight sin, will lose again what the Holy Ghost has wrought in him. Where good works are lacking, evil works are present, man loses faith and good conscience, and falls from grace.

As we are by nature, we are not able even to think anything good as of ourselves. It is God who enables us to "abound to every good work." The Savior says: "I am the Vine, ye are the branches; he that abideth in Me and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit; for without Me ye can do nothing." And in Galatians 5:22 the good works are called "the fruit of the Spirit." These good works must be done, not according to the notions of men, but according to the will of God. Jesus says: "In vain they do worship Me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men."—Let your works be done for the glory of God.

Prayer.

O Holy Spirit, who hast ever been the sustaining Comfort and sweet Refreshment of the sorrowful and the suffering; who shed-dest abroad love, joy, and peace in the hearts of the faithful and obedient followers of Christ: grant that we may be filled with all the fulness of Thy gifts of grace, that by Thy holy inspiration we may think those things that are good, and by Thy merciful guiding may perform them. Whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, let us think on these things. Amen.

Jesus, take this heart of mine, Make it pure and wholly Thine. Thou hast bled and died for me; I will henceforth live to Thee.