Chapter. 23. The reason why we fail in anything we do
Chapter 23 Exploring additional uses of the point.
Use 5: Revealing the reason for our failures in any endeavor; it is due to a lack of faith. Use 6: Strive to cultivate a sense of righteous anger against your unbelief. Use 7: Reflect on the significance of failing in a work that impacts your eternal destiny.
USE, 5.
Fifthly, if it is indeed faith that carries us through difficulties, then we can understand why we fail in anything we do—it is due to a lack of faith. The hindrance is not external; no, it is the unbelieving heart.
Perhaps you embarked on a task with the determination of your own heart, thinking that you could accomplish it in the strength of your own spirit, but that was not enough. As the Apostle says in Hebrews
11:29, "By faith they passed through the Red Sea as by dry land, whereas the Egyptians, attempting to do so, were drowned." So, by faith, certain individuals accomplished great works to the glory of God. But others, at different times, attempted to do those same works relying on their own resolutions, and they failed and were defeated. It is true that determination can achieve great things, but when it comes to guiding a soul in a gracious manner through any difficulty, it will fall short. Therefore, recognize where the cause of your failure lies, place your hand on the right spot, and acknowledge your unbelieving heart.
USE, 6.
And with that understanding, strive to rise in indignation against
your unbelieving heart. Just imagine, if a person had been engaged in a significant task and someone hindered them to the point of ruining their work, their heart would be filled with anger towards that person. They would say, "I was making good progress, and then someone came and spoiled my work." In the same way, look upon your unbelieving heart and say, "I was engaged in a work that God had entrusted to me, but my unbelieving heart hindered me. God's name lost its glory, and my own soul was wounded."
USE, 7:
Furthermore, does your heart fail you? If my unbelieving heart causes me to fail in this work, what would happen if I were to fail due to unbelief in that great work which pertains to my eternal salvation?
What would become of me then? Hardly a task do I undertake without my unbelieving heart leading me astray; now there is a work of immeasurable significance, and nothing but faith can carry me through it. If my unbelieving heart were to hinder me in that, it would have been better if I had never been born. It has caused me enough harm in various matters, and I must be cautious that it does not ruin me in that essential work. It is as if someone were to say,
"There are certain matters in which I have failed, and I have suffered great loss because of them, but there are certain other works in which if I fail, I am undone—it is as much as my life is worth.
Therefore, I must be vigilant and avoid the hindrances that have impeded me in my other tasks." Thus, if unbelief has caused you harm in these works, be cautious that it does not hinder you in the primary work.
And a word to those who are weak, who are prone to discouragement and think they will fail: Know that God has a special care for all His people, no matter how weak they may be, to prevent hindrances in
that primary work. Although God may allow them to fail in other works and His name may be somewhat dishonoured by it, He will ensure they do not fail in the primary work. And were we not certain of this—that God will take care that our unbelieving hearts do not ruin us in that primary work concerning our eternal salvation—we could never find comfort. The covenant does not permit this; the covenant allows for God to let our faith fail in some works, but it does not allow for God to permit even the slightest degree of faith to fail in that work which concerns the eternal well-being of the soul.
Christ is called the mighty Counsellor, and His main work is to guide the soul in matters pertaining to its eternal salvation. Despite all our unworthiness, He will provide guidance to the extent that we do not fail in that great endeavour. Yet, Christ does not always offer His guidance in every particular action. Just as God deals with us in the way of His counsel, so too in the way of His power. Though He may withdraw His strength in such a way as to not assist our faith in certain specific actions, in the primary and significant work that concerns our eternal salvation, we will not lack the necessary strength. Just as a father who walks alongside his child may traverse paths where the child is in danger of many falls, knocks, and bruises, and the father will caution the child to be careful and watchful, but when they come to a path where a fall would mean the loss of the child's life, the father will not be satisfied with mere words of caution. Instead, he will hold onto the child until they have passed that perilous place. Likewise, in all our ordinary affairs, God tells us to be mindful of our faith, to exercise it, yet despite this, we still experience many falls and setbacks. But then there may come another work, one that concerns our eternal salvation, and if we were to fail in that, we would be undone forever. In that moment, God firmly grasps the soul and ensures they do not falter, which is an