November 15, Morning

C. H. Spurgeon · Modern retelling

"The Lord's portion is His people." — Deuteronomy 32:9 · KJV

How are they His? By His own sovereign choice. He chose them, and set His love on them — and this apart from any goodness in them at the time, or any goodness He foresaw in them. He had mercy on whom He would have mercy, and ordained a chosen company to eternal life; so they are His by His unconstrained election. They are His not only by choice, but by purchase. He has bought and paid for them to the utmost farthing, so about His title there can be no dispute. Not with corruptible things, like 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 rival claimants can raise a suit; the price was paid in open court, and the Church is the Lord's freehold for ever. See the blood-mark on all the chosen — invisible to human eye, but known to Christ, for "the Lord knoweth them that are His." He forgets none of those He has redeemed from among men; He counts the sheep for whom He laid down His life, and remembers well the Church for which He gave Himself. They are His by conquest, too. 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 set His cross against the wall, scaled our ramparts, and planted 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 Owner are inalienable; we rejoice that we never can be our own, and we desire, day by day, to do His will and show forth His glory.