IN a professing Christian country most persons have been baptized, and taught in some measure to respect the Holy Scriptures and the outward forms of the Christian religion, and also to avoid openly ungodly ways. Thus it is a great mercy to have been brought up in the light of Christianity instead of the darkness of heathendom. However, persons are in danger of resting their souls on these outward proprieties for salvation, and may never have seriously considered whether these forms are sufficient to satisfy God.
Now, everything which is really good will stand proper testing. A good bank note will bear the closest examination, while a forged one will be detected by it. God has given the Holy Scriptures for man’s enlightenment, and they are His voice to everyone who is willing to listen to them. These divine records are full of encouragement for everyone who seeks the truth, while every false way is exposed by them.
Every person should prove his own case by bringing it to the test of the Holy Scriptures. Some persons have not the courage to do this, or they are too indifferent to the importance of it, and so they rely on outward observances, like Adam (of old), who, when he had sinned, made a covering for himself of fig leaves; but they only hid his true condition from his own eyes for a very short time, for when he was called to meet God, he confessed, “I was naked” (Gen. 3:1010And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself. (Genesis 3:10)). That showed the covering was worthless. Now, persons may become what are called Church-members, may partake of the Lord’s Supper, may profess to sing the Lord’s praises, may be earnest workers in the cause of their religion, and yet may never have faced the question of whether they are right with God! They have clothed themselves with fig leaves, but they cannot be called believers.
A believer in the scriptural sense is one who has seen his sinfulness in the light of God, and has rested his soul on God’s provision. Thus, having believed in his soul what God has said about what Christ has done, he knows from the Holy Scriptures that he has forgiveness of sins (see Acts 13:3838Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins: (Acts 13:38)).
These were real believers, and there are such today; and it is well to be one of them. Why should we trust any man when we can trust God?
Men may have many pretensions to be heard, but if they are brought to the test of Holy Scripture they will be proved to be false. Then why should we trust any man about our souls?
God is pleased to send converted men to preach the glad tidings of a present salvation from a coming judgment, and the injunction was, “Preach the word” (2 Tim. 4:22Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. (2 Timothy 4:2)); and where this preaching took effect it changed the thoughts, the affections, the expectations, and the whole inward man of the hearers, so that such could indeed be called believers.
The Holy Scriptures state that “Christ... suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God” (1 Peter 3:1818For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit: (1 Peter 3:18)). Now, it is certain that Christ would not bring persons to God unless they were suited for His holy presence, so He bore their sins in His own body on the tree, and so became the substitute for all those He brings (see 1 Peter 2:2424Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed. (1 Peter 2:24)), who are thus accepted in the Beloved (Eph. 1:66To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved. (Ephesians 1:6)).
This blessing is made known in the gospel, so it is for everyone who really believes. Wherever there is any real work of God in any one’s soul, he repents and casts off his fig leaves of false religion or self-satisfaction, or even carelessness and unbelief, in order that he may be clothed with “the righteousness of God which is by faith, of Jesus Christ unto all, and upon all them that believe” (Rom. 3:2222Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: (Romans 3:22)). Thus “peace with God” is known in the soul, and it is in this way believers know that they are brought to, God. This is the first great reality to know, and the Holy Spirit (who was sent at Pentecost) is God’s gift to every such believer (see John 4:1010Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water. (John 4:10)).
In this dispensation God has many spiritual blessings in store for His believers, and they are all available for faith; therefore we read, “We have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God” (Rom. 5:22By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. (Romans 5:2)).
The glory of God is connected with the yet future day of display which becomes attractive to believers, and as its clearness increases so they are drawn in spirit more and more into the light of it, and thus away from all religious formalities which only suit those who are not real believers.
The believer, knowing his name is written in heaven, sees that he has become a fellow-citizen with the saints and of the household of God (see Luke 10:2020Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven. (Luke 10:20); Ephesians 2:1919Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God; (Ephesians 2:19); Hebrews 12:2323To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, (Hebrews 12:23)). This further separates him from the world, and he seeks to walk as Christ walked (1 John 2:66He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked. (1 John 2:6)).
One very striking feature of this present salvation is, that everyone who obtains it immediately becomes desirous that others should have it also.
This has been so ever since the day of Pentecost, and thus the testimony to God’s salvation has been passed on from one to another, and this has been the most effective way of spreading the gospel.
There has also been the preaching in a public way by persons who have not only had their souls saved, but have been enabled to intelligently use the Scriptures to show others God’s way of peace.
Incorrupted Christendom there are many preachers who are not believers themselves. They do not believe in the atoning death of Jesus; nor in the presence of the Holy Spirit on earth; nor in the divine inspiration of the Holy Scriptures. They merely have human ideas of divine things, they are indeed the blind leading the blind, and Jesus said of them, “Both shall fall into the ditch” (see Matt. 15:1414Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch. (Matthew 15:14)).
There are many who follow these false teachers because their teaching suits a sleepy state of soul that does not wish to be disturbed. But all forms and ceremonies copied from either Judaism or idolatry are of Satan, and are used of him to frustrate the truth which was brought to light through the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Thus real believers are obliged to separate from worldly religion (whatever name it may have) in order to be faithful to the claims of Christ, who has a right over the “whole spirit, and soul, and body” of every believer (see 1 Thess. 5:2323And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Thessalonians 5:23)).
Let everyone see to his own case, that according to Holy Scripture he is a real believer. This gives holy boldness in the things of the Lord, and enables such persons to speak with certainty, because what they say is what Holy Scripture teaches. Thus it is not the private opinion of the speaker, but the testimony of the Word of God. The speaker, too, encourages the hearer to search his own Bible, so that he may be assured of the truth of what he is told.
G. W. GY.