“IF I could only feel it,” as a young officer said to me, when I pressed on him that enough had been done on the cross to save his soul.
“You have not got to feel it,” I said; “yet may be saved without feeling. I believed in Christ for about a fortnight before I realized that I was saved, because I was waiting to feel it. At last I said, Well, if I don’t feel it until I find myself in heaven, I don’t care. God says, “He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life.” I believe in Christ. I used to believe in doing something myself, but I don’t now. I do believe and trust solely to Christ’s work on the cross for my salvation. Then I have everlasting life―God says it. ‘Do you feel it?’ whispered Satan. ‘No, I don’t!’ ‘Then you can’t have it!’ whispered that arch liar.
“It is written, ‘He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life.’ I do believe in Christ, therefore I have everlasting life, whether I feel it or not. God says it. I am and must be right in believing Him, despite every feeling. I found I was safe, not because I felt it, but because God said it.”
“I declare I believe you are right,” said the young officer, who had been listening with the deepest attention. “I have all along been thinking that I had to bring good feelings to God before I could be saved.”
Reader, the devil has been misleading souls for near 6000 years, so he is an experienced foe, and no mean antagonist. Mayhap he has been misleading you. Don’t mind about your feelings, they are changeable things at the best, like quicksilver in stormy weather-sometimes up sometimes down.
You must make sure of two points only to secure perfect peace with God.
First, ―Is God perfectly and forever satisfied with me when He looks on the blood of Christ as a complete atonement and propitiation for my lifelong of sins? I am sure of it; for He Himself has “given the blood to make an atonement for the soul: for it is the blood that maketh at atonement for the soul.” I believe it: “The Blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth us from all sin.” Very well. Secondly, ―Now listen: “All that believe are justified from all things.” (Acts 13:3939And by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses. (Acts 13:39).) “But I don’t feel that I am justified, therefore I can’t be justified,” you say. That’s the devil’s suggestion. Answer him with, “It is written,” God says you are justified, whether you feel it or not. Dear friend, Satan deceived me for a long time that way, so I thank God for allowing me to expose his artifices to others. I have rested now for upwards of four years simply on God’s word, without looking at my feelings. The more I do so, the more I like it. The more Satan turns me to my feelings, the less I like them.
If you simply believe in the blood of Christ as having made an atonement for all your sins, you are warranted in knowing that you are justified from all things, whether you feel it or not, just because God says so.