FAITH judges as God judges. I see sin in the light of God's holiness, and learn grace in the heart of my Father. He that believes sets "to his seal that God is true.”
Faith is the only thing that gives certainty. Reasoning may be all quite well for the things of this world; but if God speaks, faith believes.
Faith sets to its seal, not that it may be perhaps, but that "God is true." "Abraham believed God" (not in God, though this is also true); he believed that what God said was true.
What then does God tell me if I am a believer in His Son? That my sins and iniquities He “remembers no more." I believe it. That I have eternal life "I believe this too. It were sin to doubt it; not to believe that of which He assures me is to wrong God. If a son, I am in His presence without a spot of sin, through the blood of the Lamb. Faith believes this: God has said it. Were it my own righteousness in which I stood there, it must be torn to shreds; but it is a question about God's estimate of the value of Christ's blood. What has it done? Cleansed half my sins? No! it" cleanseth from all sin." Again I read: "who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree"—is this some of our sins? It is "our sins." And then, if my soul knows on the one hand, the value to God of the blood of the Lamb, I know, on the other, that it all results from the love of the Father.
When I see the character Christ gives here of what God is towards me as a sinner (and He was forced to do this by the self-righteousness of the Pharisees—of man), the doubts of my heart are silenced before such grace.
Is there one who, after having read these few words, says that divine grace sanctions sin?—one in the spirit of the elder brother?' I would reply "therefore came his father out, and entreated him." We see the patience of love towards this wretched man—not merely towards the poor prodigal, but towards this one who shared not in the general joy. The servants were glad; they could say, "thy brother is come," etc. All caught the tone of joy, save one. And who was he? The man who thought of self and self-righteousness, who said, "Lo, these many years do I serve thee, neither transgressed I at any time thy commandment." Take care lest your heart be turning to sourness the love and grace that God chews to a fellow-sinner. "He would not go in," the father reasoned with him, and said, "It is (not my son, but) thy brother come back," etc. Love is high enough up for anything; but in vain. He could not enter into the spirit which actuated all in the house, from the father down to the lowest menial.
He remained without, and had none of the happiness and none of the joy. There was in him manifested opposition of heart to the riches of the father's grace; and this is man.
How can I know God's heart? Is it by looking to my own heart? No; but by learning it in the gift of His Son. The God we have to say to is the God Who has given His Son for sinners: and if we do not know this, we do not know Him at all.
“He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?”
Do not be saying to God, "Make me as one of thy hired servants.”
All true service must result from the knowledge of Himself. Do not be putting the estimate of your own hearts on God's goodness. Our wretched hearts have such a tendency to turn back to legalism, and call it humbleness. The only real humbleness, and strength, and blessing, is to forget self in the presence and blessedness of God.