The Christian’s blessing, whether it be strength for the journey, or the enjoyment of God in the Zion above, is all by faith. This is the great principle of the believer’s action, and of his whole history on the earth. His going from strength to strength, and his entering into the fullness of grace (Zion is the symbol of grace in royalty — royal grace — 2 Sam. 5), is by faith, through the power of the Holy Ghost. Hence, the tone of his spiritual condition rises or falls, according to the simplicity and reality of his faith. It enters into everything — it corrects everything — it characterizes everything. “Whatsoever is not of faith is sin.” (Rom. 14:2323And he that doubteth is damned if he eat, because he eateth not of faith: for whatsoever is not of faith is sin. (Romans 14:23).) If this weighty truth be duly considered, the Christian will sometimes be brought to a halt on his journey. For the moment, at times, he has no word of direction. What is he to do? Go on without it? God forbid! This would be unlike his Lord, whoever waited till the word came. “It is written, that man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.” The word had not come — the Savior would not eat. What must His disciples do in such a case? Stand still. And it is often very good for the soul thus to stand still. To go on without the word, would be to go from weakness to weakness, and not from strength to strength; and, further, it would be to lose the sense of grace — royal grace. He must now wait on God — self-judgment follows — the eye becomes single — the whole body full of light, and now he goes on his way rejoicing.
The importance of the principle of faith is great, for it includes not merely justification, but the walk of the Christian in every way, both sacred and secular. So great, so minute, so practical, is this principle, that it is plainly said, “Without faith it is impossible to please God.” The well-known eleventh chapter of Hebrews is an illustration and proof of this, though the witnesses are selected from the Old Testament. It was by faith that the elders obtained a good report.
Here, for a little, Ο my soul, meditate on this deeply practical truth — a truth fraught with such important results. This will be thy health and strength in divine things. Lord, give me grace patiently to study Thy word, and implicitly to bow to its teaching. And may the light of thy Holy Spirit so shine on what Thou hast revealed, that I may see its true meaning, and its present application.
But why, it may be asked, so press this point? Do not all Christians most surely believe the Holy Scriptures? True, so far, and it is of such we speak. We are not thinking of the rationalist, but of the true Christian who believes in the plenary inspiration of scripture — in the words which the Holy Ghost teaches. (1 Cor. 2:1313Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. (1 Corinthians 2:13).) But there is so much remaining, of what we may call practical unbelief, in many of God’s children, that we feel constrained to press the point. It is by implicit, unquestioning faith in God’s word, that we walk in the light of His countenance — that we honor the blessed Lord in His Person and work — that we live and act in the power of an ungrieved Spirit. Surely this is all important, and worthy of being pressed. Whence come all these doubts, uncertainties, and perplexities, of every shade, and on almost every subject, from the beginning to the end of many a Christian’s course? Is it not because of the practical unbelief which still lurks in the heart? And are they not all unworthy of the relation of a child?
Is not the truth of God definite and unchangeable? Why then should that which we call faith be indefinite, uncertain, wavering? True, most true, the word of God demands our most patient, prayerful study, in dependence on the Holy Spirit; and it may be a long time before we understand many parts of it, if ever, in this world. Truth, though plainly revealed, is not necessarily plain, even to the spiritually minded, at first sight. Now, “We know in part, and we prophesy in part.” But should our ignorance, or feeble apprehension of the truth, hinder us from believing it? When grace is at work in the soul, faith rises above all these difficulties, and lays hold on the truth, just because God has revealed it, and receives great blessing thereby. We pay but a poor compliment to the truth of God, when we refuse to receive it heartily and implicitly, because we do not understand it. This is our folly and our pride; nevertheless, “If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine.” When the doing of Christ’s will, not our own, is our motive, progress will be sure, if not rapid.
“If I say the truth,” answered the blessed Lord to the Jews, “why do ye not believe me?” Here our Lord appeals to the truth of His sayings as the ground of faith. It was not a question of their intelligence, but of the truth of what He was saying. Faith, then, is the receiving as true, without question, what God declares in His word to be so. But now, have we not often, in the exercise of self-judgment, detected the absence of implicit faith in certain great truths of God’s word, because we do not understand them; or, as we often say, “we cannot realize them?” But what is this, really? Is it not unbelief? Simple faith receives God’s word as true — absolutely true, whether it be understood or not — realized or not.
But as the object of our meditations on this subject is strictly practical, and for the joy and strength of precious souls, we will illustrate what we mean by a few passages. And first, let us look at the well-known text — “The blood of Jesus Christ, God’s Son, cleanseth us from all sin.” This is one of the very first truths that a newly awakened soul must learn, if it would make a fair start. But how feebly, alas, do many enter into these great truths, who have been many years converted! Yet nothing possibly can be plainer. But now suppose this truth to be received in the simplicity of faith, what would the effect be? Why, the full assurance, that neither sin, nor spot, remained on the soul. There would be no more conscience of sins, though “in the light, as God is in the light.” The purest light of heaven detects no stain, on the blood-cleansed soul. The word of God says plainly enough “all sin,” not some sin. Faith receives it as absolutely — unchangeably true, just because it is the word of God. But when the eye is turned away for a moment from the truth, something ventures to suggest the inquiry, “How can this be? how are we to understand it, seeing we are daily liable to sin, in thought, word, and deed?” That also is true, faith answers. “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves.” But this belongs to another line of thought — to a different range of truth, and the one passage must not be brought forward to weaken the force of the other, far less to make it, as it were, untrue or uncertain. This is the working of the native, lurking unbelief of the heart, under the suggestions of Satan, and must be watched against. It is this kind of unbelief, in its many forms and degrees, that we are now seeking to detect and condemn. It is most weakening and withering to the child of God.
Be on thy guard, precious soul, lest thou shouldst be robbed of the very foundation of thy peace with God. Christ made thy peace by the blood of His cross. It is not now to make, adored and loved be His name. Honor Him with the full, unwavering confidence of thy heart. Always reason from God’s heart downwards to thyself, never from the feelings of thine own heart up to Him. Hath not the Spirit of truth said, “The blood of Jesus Christ, God’s Son, cleanseth us from all sin?” But art thou disposed to inquire, who are included in the “us” that are so cleansed? Most surely, all who believe in Jesus.
Hold fast this great truth, I pray thee. It is plain, positive, absolute, unchangeable. Suffer not the reasonings of thy natural mind, or other parts of God’s word to weaken its power in thy soul. When the word has gone forth from the lips of eternal truth, it can never be broken. God has said “all sin” — believe it. It may be difficult to understand or to explain — it may be opposed to thine own experience — it may be different from much that thou hast learned from other quarters — it may break to pieces some favorite system of doctrine which thou hast been building up. Well, never mind, let all the rest go. Nothing can either be true or good that contradicts the truth of God. Weigh well the thought — the precious truth — there is no limit to the cleansing power of the blood of Jesus Christ, God’s Son. Be not afraid to rest upon it — to proclaim it — to affirm it. Were the heavens over thy head to open, and their full light to shine into thy soul — were every accuser from beneath to beset thee round, and count up thy many sins; and wert thou to appear as a witness against thyself — what then? No refuge could be found either in reasonings or in feelings at such a moment; but faith could rise in the full strength of God’s word, nothing daunted, either by the unsullied light of heaven, or by the threatening darkness of hell, and affirm in the confidence of truth — my sins are all forgiven — they are all cleansed away: God sees none — faith sees none — not even a trace of them remains behind. “The blood of Jesus Christ, God’s Son, cleanseth us from all sin.” This is God’s view and God’s statement of my case. He can explain it: I am not hound to do so: but I am bound to believe it. And I know, and do proclaim that there is no limit to the cleansing power of the blood of Jesus Christ, God’s Son. Couldst thou, Ο mine enemy, find out many more sins against me — millions more, my answer is, all that thou canst write under the head of sin, is gone — yes, and gone forever. The light of heaven is my witness. God have all the glory — the blood of Christ have all the credit, I am “in the light as he is in the light.” “For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God” — not to heaven merely, but to God. This is faith, implicit, unquestioning faith in God’s word, and nothing more than He is entitled to from all His children. But, oh! what a bright and blessed type of Christianity we should see, compared with what we often meet with, were this the case. We turn now to another passage:
“There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus.” (Rom. 8:11There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. (Romans 8:1).) We ask ourselves, we ask the christian reader — How far have we entered into the wondrous truth of these words — “In Christ Jesus! We believe it, of course, and bless God for it j but who could explain it, save on the principle of faith; and who could receive it, save on the same principle? But even faith, if mixed in any measure with reason, or governed by feelings, is greatly enfeebled in its apprehension and enjoyment of the truth. Remaining unbelief mars the blessing. Reason is totally blind here. Nothing but implicit faith receives, grasps, enjoys, the blessed truth.
But all is plain and simple to unquestioning faith. If a child puts his ball in a drawer, he knows where it is, and how safe it is. When God says the Christian is in Christ, he ought to know where he is and how safe he is. God cannot be mistaken, neither can faith. And if Christ be at God’s right hand in heaven, the Christian, in God’s sight, is there is the Christian. And surely, in spite of everything, the truth of God ought to be received without a question. Besides, God graciously condescends to explain to us how this is. The second verse explains the first. “For the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.” Christ is our life, but He is in resurrection, and free from the law of sin and death. The death and resurrection of Christ wrought the great deliverance for His people. The believer makes this marvelous blessing individual. He does not say, observe, “Hath made” them free, or us free, but “me free.” This is enjoyed, happy liberty. It is the voice of triumph. Now I am free — free as the power of the risen life in Christ can make me — free from the law of sin and death. My standing is no longer in the first, but in the last Adam. Hence the apostle says, verse 9, “Ye are not in the flesh,” or in the first Adam state; but “in Christ Jesus,” or in the last Adam state. Oh! what words are these — “Hath made me free” — yes, “me.” I, who was once the miserable man in the seventh chapter, am now the happy man in the eighth—happy in Christ, as the risen, ascended, and glorified Man. God has said it, faith receives it, and the heart enjoys it.
We might select many other passages in illustration of our subject, but we must leave the christian reader to follow up in his own private meditations this profitable exercise. Let him, for example, examine how far he has entered into the meaning of such passages as, “Hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus;” “Because as he is, so are we in this world;” “Who loved me, and gave himself for me.” Eph. 2:66And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: (Ephesians 2:6); 1 John 4:1717Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world. (1 John 4:17); Gal. 2:2020I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. (Galatians 2:20).
We now return to our instructive Psalm, and meditate, for a little, on the contrast between the Jew and the Christian, as therein suggested.
The Israelites required to leave their homes, and journey through the valley, in order to appear before God in Zion the city of David. This was their place of worship. But it may be said of the Christian, that he is toiling through the valley, and reposing on Mount Zion, at the same time. Such are the mysteries of faith. As a matter of fact, he is in the world; as a matter of experience, he is in the wilderness; as a matter of faith, he is in heaven. Take an example.
A young Christian may continue to live in the same family after he is converted, that he lived in before his conversion. But how changed to him everything is! The blood of the Lamb is on the door-posts of his heart, and he is separated from the world, though still in it. But he can no longer take part in the worldly ways of the family. In following Christ he has become a witness for Him, and this is unbearable. He is blamed for carrying things too far; all sympathy between him and the family is gone; now he is an alien in his father’s house. This is wilderness experience, and sometimes bitter enough. But amidst it all, he knows his oneness with Christ in heaven, and feeds on Him there. He finds, as it were, that Egypt, the wilderness, and Canaan, are all under the same roof. But with these, he finds the blessed Lord divinely suited to each. His knowledge of Christ greatly increases. He knows that he is sprinkled with the blood, and thereby sheltered from the world’s judgments; the cloud, the manna, and the living water, as suited to the desert, are with him; and he also feeds on the old corn of the land. His motives — his resources — his way of life, are unknown to his own family. Faith only can understand the Christian’s position in this world.
Here let thy thoughts dwell for a little, Ο my soul. What knowest thou, experimentally, of these things? The matter is plain, and must be the experience of all, if the heart be for Christ ONLY. Christ is not in this world; and if the Christian has given up the world for Christ, what has he here? Nothing. What can be plainer? If he has given up all on earth for Christ in heaven, he can have nothing here. This is the Christian’s position in the world. He is a stranger and desolate as to the resources of earth. All must come from Christ, who is now his all and in all. Fellow-pilgrims are his companions, and heaven is his resource. Hence he lives and walks by faith. “The life which I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” But the resources of faith are boundless. It lays its hand on the richest treasures of heaven, and says, these are mine — mine in the rights of Christ — mine now — mine forever. Such is faith; it lays hold on every good thing. Nothing is hidden from it — nothing is kept from it. “What grace unfolds, faith appropriates, the heart enjoys, and the life displays. Would to God it were more so — always so! but that is the principle. “All things are yours......ye are Christ’s; and Christ is God’s.” 1 Corinthians 3:21-2321Therefore let no man glory in men. For all things are yours; 22Whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come; all are yours; 23And ye are Christ's; and Christ is God's. (1 Corinthians 3:21‑23).