Brethren, “you belong to Christ” (1 Cor. 3:23). What a marvelous message. This is not true of everyone.

When Christ walked with His disciples, He told them that He knew His sheep, and that they would know Him and hear His voice and follow Him, and that He would give them eternal life (Jn. 10:27). He also told others present that they could not believe Him because they were not His sheep (Jn. 10:25-26).

How blessed are we then to be His among His fold? He died for us that we might never perish (Jn. 10:28). And in dying for us, He purchased us, we were bought with a price (1 Cor. 6:20). We belong to Him!

What kind of lives then should we live, knowing God purchased us with His own blood (Acts 20:28)?

Let us glorify God in our bodies (1 Cor. 6:20). Let us honor Him with our lives. “Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven” (Mt. 5:16).


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Spurgeon’s Morning and Evening Devotions

Morning, January 12

"Ye are Christ's." 1 Corinthians 3:23

Ye are Christ's." You are His by donation, for the Father gave you to the Son; His by His bloody purchase, for He counted down the price for your redemption; His by dedication, for you have consecrated yourself to Him; His by relation, for you are named by his name, and made one of His brethren and joint-heirs. Labour practically to show the world that you are the servant, the friend, the bride of Jesus. When tempted to sin, reply, "I cannot do this great wickedness, for I am Christ's." Immortal principles forbid the friend of Christ to sin. When wealth is before you to be won by sin, say that you are Christ's, and touch it not. Are you exposed to difficulties and dangers? Stand fast in the evil day, remembering that you are Christ's. Are you placed where others are sitting down idly, doing nothing? Rise to the work with all your powers; and when the sweat stands upon your brow, and you are tempted to loiter, cry, "No, I cannot stop, for I am Christ's. If I were not purchased by blood, I might be like Issachar, crouching between two burdens; but I am Christ's, and cannot loiter." When the siren song of pleasure would tempt you from the path of right, reply, "Thy music cannot charm me; I am Christ's." When the cause of God invites thee, give thy goods and thyself away, for thou art Christ's. Never belie thy profession. Be thou ever one of those whose manners are Christian, whose speech is like the Nazarene, whose conduct and conversation are so redolent of heaven, that all who see you may know that you are the Saviour's, recognizing in you His features of love and His countenance of holiness. "I am a Roman!" was of old a reason for integrity; far more, then, let it be your argument for holiness, "I am Christ's!"

At the outset of Daniel, we read of Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, invading the land of Israel, taking the Israelites captive back to Babylon (Dan. 1:1-2). Once in Babylon, he sought to imbue the Israelites, at least the young, fit, intelligent men, with the language and culture of Babylon. All that Nebuchadnezzar did was to turn these men from their God.

Among them, Daniel (which means “God is my judge”), to whom he gave the new name Belteshazzar, meaning “Bel protects the king”, Bel being the name of a Babylonian god (Dan. 1:7).

We see similar today in our own culture. Those around us seek to imbue us with their beliefs. They wish us to accept and even encourage their sin, their idolatry as it were. They change the language, overriding the meanings and underpinnings of words used for centuries (marriage, gender, etc.) and attempt to induce Christians to acquiesce.

Yet like Daniel, who “made up his mind that he would not defile himself” (Dan. 1:8), and his companions, Hananiah (renamed Shadrach), Mishael (renamed Meshach), and Azariah (renamed Abed-nego), who chose to honor God rather than please the king, we must stand firm on our faith and reject the culture’s attempts at coercion.

We must be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord (1 Cor. 15:58). We must not be conformed to this world, but transformed by the renewing of our minds (Rom. 12:2).

Let not threats from or fear of those who belong to the world deter you from your devotion to God. For God knows your troubles. Consider Him who endured hostility by sinners against Himself so that you will not grow weary and lose heart (Heb. 12:3). Do not fear; for He is our God - He will strengthen us, help us, uphold us (Isa. 41:10). There is nothing man can do to us that compares to what God can do to all (Mt. 10:28).

If we endure, we will one day reign with Him (2 Tim. 2:12). Refuse to bow to the gods of this world, and He will be with us just as He was with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego in the fiery furnace (Dan. 3:8-27).