Chapter. 26. How Faith carries the Soul through the Difficult work of forsaking Egypt.
11. If we consider the influence of the world from the outside, when they begin to forsake this spiritual Egypt.
12. If we consider how often God Himself seems to act in opposition to them when they are leaving Egypt.
13. If we consider the difficulty of the religious path at its outset and the lengthy journey the soul must endure through this wilderness before reaching Canaan.
14. If we consider the tremendous risk the soul must take, venturing its eternal destiny and all its goods on the path revealed by God.
These and many other factors could be mentioned and expounded upon, all contributing to the arduous nature of this task.
Chapter 26:
How Faith Guides the Soul in Forsaking Egypt But even though it is a challenging task, faith carries the soul through and leads it away from this spiritual Egypt. It is solely through faith that this is accomplished. The law may play a role in revealing one's bondage, and the spirit of bondage may make them aware of their state, but they cannot bring about deliverance. Just as the children of Israel, when in bondage, cried out but were not freed, it was by faith that they departed from Egypt. Therefore, no matter the preparation involved, it is faith alone that brings deliverance.
Question: How does faith achieve this?
Answer: Firstly, I will explain how faith accomplishes it.
Secondly, I will address whether someone can appear to be delivered by other means.
There are three works of faith that lead us to forsake this spiritual Egypt:
1. The discovering work.
2. The relying work.
3. The surrendering work.
Firstly, the discovering work: It is through faith that the great mysteries of the Gospel are clearly and powerfully revealed. These mysteries display the glory of God, who has provided a way to reconcile lost humanity to Himself. It is a glorious means of mediation that satisfies His justice and repairs the breach between God and humankind. Only faith can reveal the excellence and beauty of God as seen in the Gospel. It fully displays the goodness that God intends to bestow upon humanity through this mediation.
Secondly, the discovering work of faith involves presenting to the soul not only the glory, excellence, and certainty of the work of mediation in Christ, but also revealing the riches of the freeness of God's grace in Christ. Faith must convince the soul that deliverance comes solely from free grace, that God justifies the ungodly, and that it is not due to anything in the creature.
Secondly, there is a relying work of faith. Once the soul has discovered the glory, power, and reality of these things, faith
embraces them and casts itself upon the glorious, rich, and free grace of God. It ventures itself and all its good upon it.
Thirdly, having thus ventured upon the free grace of God, the soul surrenders itself to Christ, uniting itself with Him. It not only desires to draw Christ to itself and be made His own, but also gives itself up to Jesus Christ, to be His. In this union, it is not merely the bringing of Christ to the soul, but the surrendering of the soul to Christ: to be in Him, with Him, for Him, and to be satisfied with Him. When faith powerfully reveals the glory and reality of the great mysteries of the Gospel, enabling the soul to fully trust and surrender itself to Christ, this is the work of faith that delivers from spiritual Egypt.
Question: Can natural conscience help people through the difficulties of being delivered from spiritual Egypt? Many may see their bondage to sin and appear to be delivered, but it might be due to the strength of natural conscience rather than faith.
Answer: It is acknowledged that natural conscience can to some extent free people from certain aspects of bondage to sin and the power of their sin. It may help them abstain from sin and engage in various duties, giving the impression that they have been delivered.
However, it is important to note the following differences.
Firstly, natural conscience may assist individuals in refraining from sin and performing duties out of a sense of necessity rather than an inward principle that approves and appreciates the duties performed or disapproves of the sins abstained from. They are compelled out of Egypt. On the other hand, faith not only leads people to abstain from sin but also provides them with a principle that opposes sin. It not only fulfils duties but does so with a heart that is inclined towards those duties, finding them agreeable and suitable.
Secondly, when relying solely on natural conscience to navigate through difficulties, it enables individuals to do outward actions and refrain from certain outward actions, but there is little inward change of the heart. It may prevent them from certain actions even in secret, when no one else is aware, but there is no genuine transformation within the heart.
Thirdly, when guided by natural conscience, peace is desired for the sake of peace itself. However, when guided by grace, the soul desires peace for the advancement of grace.
USE 1:
To apply this a little:
Is it faith that delivers from this spiritual Egypt? Hence, let us understand the reason behind the failures of most people in their attempts to be delivered from spiritual Egypt. Many individuals, through the preaching of the Word and the ministry of the Law, come to recognize their bondage and wretched state, and their consciences are greatly troubled. However, they ultimately fail, and it becomes evident that they were never truly delivered from the bondage of Egypt. They lived and died in Egypt, perishing eternally.
They may have come close to Canaan, but they perished without ever entering it because they were not delivered by faith. They were unfamiliar with the mysteries of the Gospel and the covenant of grace. Their approach was limited to abstaining from sin, such as no longer being drunkards, swearers, adulterers, or Sabbath breakers.
They refrained from these actions, and their religious practices were merely natural works. They found solace in this, thinking they were delivered. However, the glorious work of God through faith did not exert its mighty and powerful influence on their hearts, drawing their
hearts to God in Christ through the Gospel and revealing the mysteries of the Gospel. Consequently, they were not truly delivered.
2. Hence, here is a guiding principle for those who are seeking deliverance from this spiritual Egypt. Are there any individuals who, by God's grace, have become aware of their woeful bondage and desire to free their souls from that spiritual enslavement? Is this the work you are currently engaged in? If anything can accomplish it, it must be the work of faith. You may find some temporary calm and relief through other means, but genuine deliverance can only be obtained through faith. Therefore, do not settle for mere reformation, thinking that things are better than before. Do not rest until you have experienced the work of faith. And to encourage your soul to believe that it can be delivered through faith from the bondage it is aware of and currently fighting against, know the following:
First, if you are aware of your spiritual bondage, know that it is the great work that God prioritizes above all other works in the world: to deliver souls from this spiritual bondage. Many individuals who are conscious of their spiritual bondage may wonder, "I am in such a state. Will God ever pay attention to me in this condition?" Will He pay attention to you? Yes, understand that the greatest desire of God's heart, and the highest task He undertakes, is to deliver those who are aware of their spiritual bondage in this spiritual Egypt. And although you may not be certain whether He will do it for you, this is a significant encouragement.
Object: But though God may deliver others, I am so vile that despite seeing my sin, I have still persisted. Therefore, He will not do it for me.
Answer: Secondly, know that the primary purpose of God in this work is not only to demonstrate His power, but also to reveal the richness and glory of His free grace to men and angels for all eternity. Therefore, your objections of unworthiness can be dismissed. You must understand that God does not intend to deal with you based on retribution or distributive justice. He does not say that if you do this, He will do that in return. Instead, He works in a way that magnifies His free grace. Whoever He delivers, He does so to show men and angels what the power of His infinite free grace is capable of. This is a great encouragement.
Furthermore, Jesus Christ has already resolved all the differences between God the Father and your soul. The obstacles that create such a vast and dreadful distance between God and your soul are God's wrath, His justice, and the curse of the law. Now, it was the work of Christ to remove all these obstacles. When you look up and see your sin against an infinitely holy and just God, and you see the curse of the law upon you, you may think these are great difficulties. How is it possible for you to overcome them? Know that it is the work of Christ, the great Savior of the world, to remove these difficulties. If He had not undertaken this task, it would have been impossible for any soul to approach God. But He has done it, and therefore you have the freedom to come to God. If you have the courage to rely on His free grace, you need not worry about who will roll away the stone, as the women did. Who will remove the difficulties of the curse of the law? Who will appease the wrath of God burning against me because of my sin? If you believe that Christ has accomplished this, you need not wait for anything else.
Fourthly, Christ has not only resolved the difficulties between God the Father and your soul, but there are numerous gracious promises
in the Gospel that you have just as much right to claim as anyone in the world who has ever been delivered by Christ. Whatever grounds others had to claim these promises before applying them, you have the same grounds. The greatest hindrance within you is a hard heart and a stubborn spirit. But listen to what is said: "A voice of one calling in the wilderness, 'Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him. Every valley shall be filled in, every mountain and hill made low. The crooked roads shall become straight, the rough ways smooth.'" (Luke 3:4-6) Now, who has the right to lay hold of these promises? Applying them grants you the right. Do you find that your heart is proud and cannot be humbled? The Lord says,
"Every mountain shall be brought low." Do you say, "I have a heart of unbelief; I do not know how to believe God's word, and my heart sinks in unbelief like a valley"? "Every valley shall be filled in." Do you have a crooked heart? "Every crooked road shall become straight." Do you have a rough, stubborn heart? "Every rough way shall become smooth." Christ has not only made things clear between God and you but also within your own soul.
Object: But this clarity is not for everyone.
Answer: You have just as much reason to believe as anyone else had before they believed. God says, "I will remove your stubborn heart."
This is revealed to all, and therefore you are meant to make use of these promises. Those who have benefitted from them could not see any more interest in them than you can.
USE 3.
A third use is this: If faith is what delivers from this spiritual Egypt, then those who have been delivered should recognize what has brought them out and magnify the work of God. Stand in awe of
God's grace in delivering you from all difficulties and carrying you through when you were so poor and weak. Know that it was not your own efforts but the work of faith and God within you. Faith operates by a power external to us, not by our own power. And God delivers the soul from this spiritual Egypt through faith because He desires the glory of it. Therefore, if it has been the work of faith, let this exhortation influence you: Strive to exercise your faith in journeying through the wilderness to Canaan. There was a time when you were in bondage to sin, Satan, and the law. Now that you have been delivered from the law and brought into grace, if it is faith that has accomplished this, let that same faith be employed to carry you through the wilderness to Canaan. The rules I will give you are derived from the Israelites' journey through the wilderness to Canaan after being delivered from Egypt.
Direction 1:
First, they were not to move unless directed by God when the cloud and pillar of fire went before them. Similarly, in your journey, adhere closely to God's guidance. Let your faith cling to His word, not to the directions of your own heart.
Direction 2:
Secondly, when they were delivered, a great evil among them was murmuring due to the hardships they encountered. Be cautious not to be guilty of this. Do not let your heart run wild and complain against God's ways when you face difficulties. Remember that God, with His outstretched arm and mighty hand, has delivered you. God forbid that you should murmur at every difficulty.
Direction 3:
Thirdly, be careful not to restrict the Holy One of Israel. God was
angry with the Israelites because they limited Him, as stated in Psalm 78:19: "Can God prepare a table in the wilderness?" Similarly, many individuals, when on the path to heaven and faced with challenges, question if God can help someone like them. Beware of placing limitations on God. Do not set boundaries on what God can do, nor on what He will do.
Direction 4:
Fourthly, be cautious not to belittle anything that God gives you, as the Israelites did when they were delivered and received manna.
They asked, "What is this manna?" (Exodus 16:15; Numbers 11:6).
Beware of falling into the same attitude of spiritual indifference.
When God provides for you with spiritual nourishment, you dismiss it as mere husks. And when God bestows His grace upon you, you say it is something that even hypocrites can have, treating it with disdain.
Direction 5:
Fifthly, guard against having harsh thoughts about God. Just as when the Israelites entered the wilderness and the Scripture states in Deuteronomy 1:27 that they believed God brought them there out of hatred and with the intention to destroy them. Likewise, many, from the stubbornness of their hearts (and it pains me to speak of it), when God, in His graciousness, does good to them and brings them closer to Himself in the face of every difficulty, they are prone to say that God does all this to further condemn them and because He hates them. They claim that their condemnation would have been less severe if they had not known as much, if they had not been so convicted in their consciences and prayed so fervently. This is a horrendous abuse of God's grace, akin to the Israelites' belief that
God hates them and intends to destroy them. Let us not entertain such harsh thoughts about God.
Direction 6:
Sixthly, observe their journey in the wilderness and be careful not to be discouraged by any hardships you encounter along the way. Just as the Israelites said in Numbers 13:27-28, the land was good, but there were Anakim and giants inhabiting it, and they believed they would never overcome them. Similarly, many reason that heaven is a blessed place, but there are strong oppositions, the "children of Anak," represented by powerful lusts and corruptions, that they will never conquer. They view these giant-like, Anakim-like corruptions and think, "One day I will be defeated by my lusts."
Direction 7:
Seventhly, beware of passionately giving up on everything, as the Israelites did when they heard about the Anakim and the opposition they would face. In Numbers 14:4, they exclaimed, "Let us choose a captain and go back to Egypt." Similarly, when individuals are on their way from Egypt to Canaan, they encounter strong opposition from within and without, and they may be tempted to cast everything aside and return. Be cautious of impulsively discarding everything.
Direction 8:
Eighthly, be cautious not to give any opportunity for your heart to lust after former corruptions. Just as in Exodus 16:3-4, the Israelites would long for their onions and fleshpots in Egypt, which made them prone to sin. Similarly, when God is working His grace in your life, you may be inclined to think about what you had before and feel some cravings for past lusts. Even if you do not explicitly decide to go
and commit those sins, your heart and thoughts may still have lingering desires for them. Beware of that.
Direction 9:
Ninthly, be careful not to forget God's dealings with you, just as the Israelites did when they were on their way to Canaan. Despite God doing great things for them, Psalm 106:13 states that they quickly forgot His gracious acts. In the same way, God has done much for you, and it is unbecoming to forget His gracious dealings. God takes that very seriously.
Direction 10:
Tenthly, beware of relying solely on means, just as the Israelites did when Moses was absent. In Exodus 32:1, they said, "We do not know what has become of this Moses," and they resorted to making other gods. Many people depend on certain means, thinking that if those means fail, they will not be able to move forward. Be cautious not to place all your trust in means.
Direction 11:
Eleventhly, do not be too quick to apply comfort beyond what God allows, but rather wait upon God and rely on His promises. You cannot be too eager to believe and rest in His promises, but desiring comfort prematurely may be excessive. In Numbers 14:40 and onwards, when God instructed them not to enter Canaan, they insisted on going and were defeated by their enemies. Therefore, wait upon God and discern His will for you. Wait for comfort to be given by God in His timing.
Direction 12:
Lastly, do not be discouraged because the means at your disposal may seem weak. When the Israelites came to the great city of