(A reply to E. F., Ventnor.)
The case you name is not an uncommon one, where souls have been converted during revival preachings, or where the preaching has been chiefly the love of God shown, as you say, in the gift of His dear Son. Blessed and most important as this is, yet if the sinner’s utter lost condition is not understood, the end of all flesh before God, and the righteousness of God in the way He has met that lost condition by the propitiation of Christ, there may be joy in believing the love of God for a time, but assuredly, conflicts and doubts will follow, and may last for years.
If you turn to the Gospel of John, you will find first the blessed Person of the Son of God. (Chap. 1:1-18.) Then He is presented to us as the Lamb of God, bearing away sin. And He tells us, “The Son of man must be lifted up.” The awful character of sin is thus implied, and the one only infinite Sacrifice that has met it: and thus is maintained the righteousness of God in reference to sin. Then the way is cleared to reveal the love of God, as the spring and source of all in the gift of His Son.
If you turn now to Romans, you will find the great foundation truth on which peace with God rests, the Righteousness of God. This is revealed in chapters 1 to 4. Has the one you name learned this, that she is guilty in God’s sight, only guilty; and by all efforts at law keeping cannot be righteous, still guilty. And that God is just, righteous, in justifying her through the propitiation of the death of Jesus? When she thought she was born again, did she know that she had eternal redemption through the blood of Jesus? She could not, in the least, know this, unless she had first been made to know that she was a helpless slave of sin and Satan. She may have these lessons to learn yet. Oh, how blessed that God takes up a poor slave and sinner, that cannot help herself. If she sees how God has been glorified by the death of Jesus, even as to her sins, and also sin, her whole case has been met to the glory of God.
Then she may see, in Rom. 4, how God reckons her righteous, and in the end of that chapter, that this is on the principle of the substitution of Christ by faith. God accounts the believer righteous in this way. He has raised up from the dead our Substitute, Jesus our Lord, “who was delivered for our offenses, and was raised again for our justification.” Now see the consequences of this act of God in raising up Jesus for our justification: “Therefore being-justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” This being settled, we now know and enjoy the love of God, and we are now shown how God in all this has revealed His love. Thus the righteousness of God given us peace; and the love of God shed abroad in the heart enables us to joy in God.
It is amazing that we poor, guilty sinners have, in divine righteousness, been brought into this grace, or favor, wherein we stand. But if you turn to Eph. 1 you will find this was the eternal purpose of God. and, according to that purpose, we are accepted, or He has “taken us into favor in the beloved.” You may say, “How can this be, since the person I name has such dreadful conflicts with the devil and wicked spirits.” Is it not in this very Epistle (chap. 6) that we have the fullest account of such dreadful conflict, even with wicked spirits in the heavenlies? How important then is it to have on the whole armor of God. Is every part of the armor on this tried soul? Is there any tampering with error? any unrighteousness of conduct allowed? Is there preparedness to tell out the gospel to others? or are the gospel shoes taken off, and laid aside? The shield of faith must not be let down, God is faithful. We must be covered with the certainty of God’s salvation. Is the word of God neglected, and then praying always? May our God lead that tried one from herself to these scriptures, and use them in help and deliverance.