HOW may I be sure that I have the “right kind” of faith? Well, there can be but one answer to that question, viz., “Have you confidence in the right Person, i.e., in the blessed Son of God?”
It is not a question of the amount of your faith, but of the trustworthiness of the person you repose your confidence in. One man takes hold of Christ, as it were, with a drowning man’s grip. Another but touches the hem of His garment; but the sinner who does the former is not a bit safer than the one who does the latter. They have both made the same discovery, viz., that while all of self is totally untrustworthy, they may safely confide in Christ, calmly rely on His word, and confidently rest in the eternal efficacy of His finished work. That is what is meant by believing on Him. “Verily verily, I say unto you, he that believeth on Me Hath everlasting life” (John 6:4747Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life. (John 6:47)).
Make sure of it, then, my reader, that your confidence is not reposed in your works of amendment, your religious observances, your pious feelings when under religious influences, your moral training from childhood, and the like. You may have the strongest faith in any or all of these, and perish everlastingly. Don’t deceive yourself by any fair show in the flesh. The feeblest faith in Christ eternally saves, while the strongest faith in aught beside is but the offspring of a deceived heart — but the leafy twigs of your enemy’s arranging over the pitfall of eternal perdition.
God, in the gospel, simply introduces to you the Lord Jesus Christ, and says: “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” “You may,” He says, “with all confidence, trust His heart, though you cannot with impunity trust your own.” Blessed, thrice blessed Lord Jesus, who would not trust Thee, and praise Thy name?
“I do really believe on Him,” said a sad looking soul to me one day, “but yet when asked if I am saved, I don’t like to say, ‘Yes,’ for fear I should be telling a lie.” This young woman was a butcher’s daughter in a small town in the Midlands. It happened to be market day, and her father had not then returned from market. So I said, “Now suppose when your father comes home you ask him how many sheep he bought today, and he answers ‘Ten.’ After a while a man comes to the shop and says, ‘How many sheep did your father buy today?’ and you reply, I don’t like to say, for fear I should be telling a lie.’” “But,” said her mother (who was standing by at the time), with righteous indignation, “that would be making your father the liar.”
Now, dear reader, don’t you see that this well-meaning young woman was virtually making Christ out to be a liar, saying, “I do believe on the Son of God, and He says I have everlasting life; but I don’t like to say I have, lest I should be telling a lie.” What daring presumption!
(From “Safety, Certainty, and Enjoyment.”)