(An excerpt from my latest devotional book Daily Readings from John Bunyan. It will be released in the Fall of 2024 "Lord willing").
March 22
Serving Without Fear
“That we, being delivered from the hand of our enemies, might serve him without fear in holiness and righteousness before him all our days”
Luke 1: 74-75
If thou would be faithful to do that work that God hath allotted, you to do in this world for his name; [then] labor to live much in the favor and sense of thy freedom and liberty by Jesus Christ. That is this, if possible, [keep it] ever before you that you are a redeemed one taken out of this world and from under the curse of the law out of the power of the devil. [You are] placed in a kingdom of grace and forgiveness of sins for Christ’s sake. This is of absolute use in this matter. Yes, so absolute, that it is impossible for any Christian to do his word in a Christian way without some enjoyment of it. For this, in the 1st [chapter] of Luke is made the very ground of all good works, both as to their nature and our continuance in them. And this is also reckoned there an essential part of that covenant that God made with our fathers; even “that he would grant unto us that we, being delivered out of the hands of our enemies, might serve him without fear, in holiness and righteousness, before him all the days of our life” (Luke 1: 74-75). And if indeed this is taken away, what ground can there be laid for any man to persevere in good works? None at all! For take away grace and remission of sins for Christ’s sake and you leave men nothing to help them but the terrors of the law and judgment of God. These at best, can beget but a servile and slavish spirit in that man in whom it dwells. Which spirit is so far off from being a help to us in our pursuit of good works that it makes us [that] we cannot endure that which is commanded.
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