IT is wonderful and beautiful to see how completely the work of redemption is taken out of the hands of the sinner; so completely is it accomplished apart from anything he can do.
It is not even holding on to Christ that saves. It is Christ Himself who lays hold of the sinner. It is not joy in Christ, or faith in Christ, or believing enough, that saves; but the work that Christ has already done—His blood, His death, His perfection — these are alone the ground of acceptance with. God. We have, therefore not to look at self in any way, not on our hand holding Him, but He holding us; not our work, but His work, that brings pardon, peace, rest to the soul.
Poor self is such a collection of inconsistencies, uncertainties, and shortcomings; if we trust to our feelings, our hopes, or our performances, we must utterly fail to obtain any reliable standpoint on which to claim forgiveness of sin.
Trusting in our own good works must necessarily bring with it a continuous round of prayers and good deeds, that never can satisfy conscience or make us perfect; therefore we see the beauty of the finished work of Christ, its efficacy in removing sin. What folly it is to expect from a putrid fountain a life-giving stream to renovate the soul!