Morning, November 15, edited from Spurgeon’s Morning and Evening

“The Lord’s portion is his people.” — Deuteronomy 32:9

How are they his? By his own sovereign choice. He chose them, and set his love upon them. This he did altogether apart from any goodness in them at the time, or any goodness which he foresaw in them. He had mercy on whom he would have mercy, and ordained a chosen company for eternal life; thus, therefore, are they his by his unconstrained choice.

They are not only his by choice, but by purchase. He has bought and paid for them to the utmost penny, and so there can be no dispute about his title of ownership. Not paid with corruptible things, as with silver and gold, but with the precious blood of the Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord’s portion has been fully redeemed. There is no mortgage on his estate; no lawsuits can be raised by opposing claimants, the price was paid in open court, and the Church is the Lord’s property forever. See the mark of blood upon all the chosen, invisible to human eye, but known to Christ, for “the Lord knows those that are his”; he forgets none of those whom he has redeemed from among men; he counts the sheep for whom he laid down his life, and remembers very well the Church for which he gave himself.

They are also his by conquest. What a battle he had in us before we would be won! How long he laid siege to our hearts! How often he sent us terms of surrender! But, we barred our gates, and fenced our walls against him. Do we not remember that glorious hour when he carried our hearts by storm? When he placed his cross against the wall, and scaled our ramparts, planting on our strongholds the blood red flag of his omnipotent mercy? Yes, we are, indeed, the conquered captives of his omnipotent love. Thus chosen, purchased, and subdued, the rights of our divine possessor are inalienable: we rejoice that we never can be our own; and we desire, day by day, to do his will, and to show forth his glory.