THOSE Christians who speak much with souls about their salvation, find that all are hindered in some way or other from receiving Christ, through looking at themselves. Being occupied with their own doings and feelings, they follow their own thoughts and opinions, instead of simply bowing to, and believing the Word of God. But speak to whom you will, who have been brought to a knowledge of Christ, and who enjoy the glorious salvation of God, you will find that it was alone by believing God that they came into this blessed liberty.
The moment souls are exercised about their state before God, and Satan finds they are seeking to escape from under his power, he uses every effort to obstruct, and hide from them God's wondrous plan of salvation. As a wily serpent, a roaring lion, or as art angel of light (Gen. 3; 1 Peter 5:88Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: (1 Peter 5:8); 2 Cor. 11:1414And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. (2 Corinthians 11:14)), he is successful, in thousands of instances, in keeping souls in darkness and bondage for months and years, and hindering them from resting by simple faith IN CHRIST AND HIS FINISHED WORK.
The following is the substance of a conversation between a servant of the Lord and an exercised soul; a fair sample of the difficulties so often met with in seeking to extricate sinners from Satan's meshes, and win them to Christ.
“Well, and are your sins forgiven, Mrs.—? Are you justified in the sight of God?
Can you rest assured that you are saved?”
“No, sir, I cannot say that; there are so many trials to meet in one's family and circumstances.”
“But what of that? God says in Acts 13:38, 3938Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins: 39And by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses. (Acts 13:38‑39), that through this man, that is, Christ Jesus, His beloved Son, who died for sinners on the cross, and rose again, is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins; and by Him all that believe are justified from all things. Do you believe on the Lord Jesus Christ?”
“Oh! yes, I believe in Jesus; I believe He died for sinners; I always did believe that from a child.”
“Do you believe He died for you?”
“He died for all, didn’t He? so He must have died for me.”
“And you believe the Word of God?”
“Yes, indeed I do.”
“Then your sins are forgiven, and you are justified from all things.”
“I hope I shall be.”
“I thought you believed the Bible?”
“So I do.”
“Well, God does not say a word in the passage about hope; ' but all that believe ARE; are forgiven, are justified.”
“But I can't feel it, sir.”
“You are not told to feel it, but to believe.
And mark, too, it says "all that believe," so, if you believe, it must mean you.”
“I do believe then.”
"All that believe are justified from all things.”
“Ah! but I'm not one of that sort of people who make a profession.”
“My dear soul, it is not a question of profession, but reality. If you do really from your heart believe, God says, and He cannot lie, that you are justified. Or, in other words, you are cleared. He says what He means, and He means what He says. You told me you believe the Scripture, and—”
“So I do, but—”
“There’s no but; ' let me finish, please.
You will surely spoil it if you put in a 'but.'”
"But—”
“No, no; I cannot let you add even ‘a but;' you told me you believed the Scripture and here it is as plain as plain can be, all that believe,' and that includes you, are justified from all things.' WILL YOU TAKE GOD AT HIS WORD?”
“When I was ill once, and thought I was dying, a gentleman who visited me, told me it was very simple, ' only to believe, and love your neighbor as yourself.' I never forgot that.”
“But there is nothing about loving your neighbor as yourself in this passage. How about the dying thief 9 he had no time to love his neighbor. He died just after he believed, and yet went to paradise with his Saviour at once "(Luke 23:42, 4342And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom. 43And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise. (Luke 23:42‑43)).
“But Miss —, at the mothers' meeting, says there must be good works as well.”
“Good works are the fruit of faith, not the ground of our justification. Salvation is not of works, lest any man should boast (Eph. 2:99Not of works, lest any man should boast. (Ephesians 2:9)).
It is of no use talking about good works, until you believe and are saved. The truly saved one, that is, the Christian, delights in them.
They are the evidence of faith; but faith must come first.”
“I don't think my faith is strong enough.”
“Now, do not look in at self, and at your faith, but look out at Christ. It is not the quantity of faith that saves, but Christ Himself. Christ alone is the Saviour. You want the faith of a little child to trust Him. As a poor feeble lost one to believe ort Him. His blood cleanseth us from all sin (1 John 1:77But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. (1 John 1:7)).
Believe and you are cleansed-whiter than snow. Believe, and you are forgiven-justified.
Do you now really believe?
“Oh, yes, I do believe, indeed I do; but, how about the Sabbath? We must keep the Sabbath. Don't you think it's very wrong to work on Sunday: and I nearly always have to do some work.”
“But what has that to do with what we are speaking about? These questions come in afterward. Every Christian ought surely to delight to spend the Lord's Day with, and for the Lord. Saturday is the Jewish Sabbath.
Christians are not under law, but under grace.
All this, though, is simply a hindrance to you; the great question, and the first, for you is, Are you justified?”
“I get out of temper, you know, sometimes.
I'm sure that isn't right, now, is it? You don't believe a Christian ought to do that.”
“'By Him all that believe are justified from all things; tempers and everything else.
All things,' means ail things.' It is plain English. Do you think that God made a mistake?”
“Oh! no, I can depend upon His Word,
I am quite sure of that. But I want to live nearer to God than I do.”
“Another but,' again. And ‘I, ‘I,’ ‘I,’ self, self, self, do, do, do, instead of Christ.'
Let I do' go; for Christ has done all.”
“Well, I like to go to a place of worship, and hear the preaching. I'm not one who cares for pleasures and sight-seeing. Don't you think that—”
“Dear, dear soul, do let self go altogether, good self or bad self, and listen to the word of God.”
“I always did. I have been brought up to understand these things, and to take an interest in them.”
“But you don't believe God.”
“Yes, I do; you think I don't believe. I believe every word of the Bible. Christ died for sinners. I quite believe that.”
“Did he die for you?”
“He must have done so; He died for all.”
“Then let me repeat again, That through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins, and BY HIM all that believe are justified from all things.' God says you are justified, and Satan says you are not. It is simply a question, which you believe.”
“Then you do believe God.”
“Yes, certainly.”
“Then you are justified from all things.”
“I believe I shall get at it some day.”
You see, it is as I was afraid, you do not really believe. You believe about it, but you don't believe it.”
“I can't say I am justified to-day.”
“It's not what you say, but what God says.
BELIEVE GOD AND YOU ARE. But my time is gone, I find. I must leave now, so wish you, Good morning.'”
“Good morning, sir. I hope I shall get right.”
“I hope you will, before it is too late; there is no time to be lost.”
Beloved reader, does this describe your case?
Are you like this poor tossed one? Thousands, tens of thousands are raising these or similar difficulties, and thus letting Satan rob them of joy and peace. As long as you look at anything you ever did, are doing, or ever can do; at self in the past, present, or future, you will never enjoy peace with God (Rom. 5:11Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: (Romans 5:1)).
It is not you, but Christ; not what you do, but what he has done for you secures peace.
Jesus did it, did it all, Long, long ago.
If Christ were on the cross, you might doubt; or if Christ were in the grave. For if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins (1 Cor. 15:1717And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins. (1 Corinthians 15:17)). But Christ is risen, indeed. God raised Him from the dead (Acts 2:2424Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it. (Acts 2:24)). “He was delivered for our offenses, and was raised again for our justification. Therefore, being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord. Jesus Christ (Rom. 4:25; 5:125Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification. (Romans 4:25)
1Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: (Romans 5:1).)." All the claims of God have been perfectly met by Him, once for all. God is glorified in His Son.
BELIEVE IT, AND YOU ARE JUSTIFIED.
Said another, "I do believe.”
“Then are you forgiven, and justified from all things.”
"It says all,' does it not?”
“Indeed it does, and God means it too.”
“And all who believe.”
Surely.”
“Then I must be justified.”
“Yes.”
“From all things?”
“What does God say?”
“I see it.”
“Do you believe it?”
“I can rest on what God says.”
"Then you are justified from all things.”
“Yes, how simple I never saw it like that before. I didn't think it was quite so easy.
I always thought I must do something.”
“That's just it. It was I ' instead of Christ. It's all in taking God at His word.”
Dear reader, WILL YOU? “Through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins, and by him all that believe are justified from all things.”
E. H. C.