The gospel is God's proclamation of forgiveness of sins to everyone that believes in the Lord Jesus Christ. If a person says, "I cannot believe," we reply, "What can you not believe? You cannot believe what God says?" How dreadful! What must be the state of that creature's heart that will not believe God—not believe what He says!
It is quite true that faith is the gift of God and the fruit of the Spirit, but it is also true that "faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." The truth is that those who are so longing for faith in our Lord Jesus Christ unto salvation have faith in Hint If you ask them how they approach God, they will answer, "Always by the Lord Jesus Christ; of course, I could not think of coming to God but by Him." Now, what does God say of such in His Word? He says that "He [Christ] is able also to save them to the uttermost [completely] that come unto God by Him" (Heb. 7:2525Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them. (Hebrews 7:25)).
Again, if you ask such if they were conscious that they would not live five minutes, to whom would they look to save them, their reply at once would be: "'lb the Lord Jesus Christ," These answers show that they have faith. A person should not look at self or feelings, or even to his faith, but to Christ. A man does not know he has eyes because he sees them, but because he can behold objects outside himself. So the proof of a person being a believer is that he looks outside himself and to the Lord Jesus Christ as the object of faith. His confidence is founded on the work of Christ, and the written and unchanging Word of God is his sole authority for faith.
Safety depends entirely on our fleeing to the Lord Jesus Christ as our only escape from the coming wrath.
Assurance is connected with relying only on God's Word, which says that those who believe on the Son of God have remission of sins, everlasting life and are children of God. They have received the Holy Spirit and shall not come into judgment.
Happiness is connected with our walk. If the Spirit is grieved by a carnal, worldly walk, He Will have to reprove, whereas, if we are walking in the truth as obedient children, He will fill us with joy and power. C. H. Mackintosh