Part 4
an intolerable insult and indignity offered to the divine Majesty when
anyone presumes to approach His presence in the filthy state of their sins,
completely covered in festering sores without any attempt at healing or
cleansing. Moreover, it is even worse when they attempt to invite the Most
Holy One into such a foul and stinking cesspool as a sinner's heart, before it
has been reformed in any way. The parable about the man who was bound
hand and foot and cast into utter darkness for attending the royal wedding
without a wedding garment serves as a warning against all such
presumption (Matt. 22:11, 13). Many who are horrified by the abominable
filth in their own hearts are hindered from coming directly to Christ by such
thoughts, which Satan strongly reinforces and amplifies in them through his
suggestions, making it impossible to persuade them otherwise until God
inwardly teaches them through the powerful illumination of His Spirit.
They delay the saving act of faith because they believe they are not yet
properly prepared and qualified for it. For the same reason, many weak
believers postpone partaking in the Lord's Supper for many years, even for
as long as they live in this world, and would likely delay their baptism as
well if they had not been baptized in infancy. Against all such thoughts, I
will present the following considerations.
1. The error discussed in the previous section is equally detrimental to
the practice of holiness and our entire salvation. It can be refuted
using the same arguments presented earlier. Whether holiness is
considered a procuring condition for our salvation through Christ or
simply a condition necessary to qualify us for receiving Christ, we
are still subjected to the legal terms of first fulfilling the duties
required by the law in order to obtain life. Consequently, we are
deprived of the assistance provided by the means of holiness
mentioned earlier, such as union and fellowship with Christ, and the
experience of His sanctifying gifts through faith, which should
precede the practice of holiness in order to empower us. We are left
to toil in vain for holiness while trapped in our cursed natural state,
which only exacerbates our sinful corruption instead of putting it to
death. As a result, we can never truly prepare ourselves for receiving
Christ as long as we live in this world. Thus, our attempts to prepare
the way to Christ through holy qualifications only serve to fill it
with stumbling blocks and deep pits, hindering our souls from ever
attaining salvation through Christ.
2. Any change, no matter how small, in our hearts and lives from sin to
holiness is not necessary before we receive Christ and His salvation
by faith, according to the terms of the gospel and the Word of God.
Christ desires even the most wicked sinners to come to Him for
salvation immediately, without delaying to prepare themselves.
When the wicked jailer asked Paul what he must do to be saved,
Paul directed him to believe in Christ, with the promise that he
would be saved. The jailer and his household were baptized without
any requirement to first reform their hearts and lives (Acts 16:30,
33). Similarly, the three thousand Jews who were converted by
Peter's preaching and added to the church on the same day had no
need for considerable time to prepare themselves, despite their
recent involvement in the crucifixion of Christ (Acts 2:41, 23).
Christ commands His servants to go quickly into the streets and
lanes, bringing in the poor, the maimed, the blind, and compelling
them to come to His feast, without waiting for them to cleanse their
sores or change their filthy rags (Luke 14:21-23). Christ wants us to
believe in Him, the One who justifies the ungodly, and therefore He
does not require us to be godly before we believe (Rom. 4:5). He
came as a Physician for the sick, not expecting them to recover
before coming to Him (Matt. 9:12). The vilest sinners are aptly
prepared and qualified for His purpose, which is to display the
surpassing riches of His grace by forgiving our sins and saving us
freely (Eph. 2:5, 7). The purpose of the law of Moses was to
increase offenses, so that where sin abounded, grace would abound
even more (Rom. 5:20). Christ loved us in our sinful pollution, so
much so that He died for us, and He will love us even in it, receiving
us when we come to Him for salvation. He has fully satisfied God's
justice on behalf of sinners, granting them righteousness, holiness,
and salvation through fellowship with Him by faith. Therefore, it is
not an affront to Christ or a disregard for God's justice and holiness
to come to Him as polluted sinners. On the contrary, it would be an
affront and a denial of the saving grace, merit, and fullness of Christ
if we attempted to make ourselves righteous and holy before
receiving Him and all righteousness and holiness in Him by faith.
Christ did not hesitate to touch a leper or wash His disciples' feet
without expecting them to be cleansed and perfumed beforehand,
unlike worldly great ones who imitate Christ by washing the feet of
the poor.
3. Those who receive Christ with sincere faith will never lack a
wedding garment to adorn them in the sight of God. Faith itself is
highly esteemed and holy in God's eyes (2 Peter 1:1; Jude 20). God
loves it because it attributes the glory of our salvation solely to His
free grace in Christ (Rom. 4:16) and renounces any reliance on our
own efforts to earn a right to Christ or to make ourselves acceptable
to Him. It encompasses a genuine love for Christ as our Saviour and
a deep hunger and thirst for His salvation. It is through faith that the
soul hungrily feeds on Him. What more delightful wedding garment
can sinners bring to their generous God, whose grand purpose is to
display the abundant riches of His glorious grace and bounty at this
wedding feast? The Father Himself loves them because they love
Christ and believe that He came from God (John 16:27). However,
we must acknowledge that the excellence of faith lies in the fact that
it does not consider itself or any of our works sufficient to make us
acceptable in God's sight. It does not seek to be the wedding
garment itself but rather purchases from Christ white robes to clothe
us, so that the shame of our nakedness may not be exposed (Rev.
3:18). Although faith loves and desires the gift of holiness, it
abandons the notion of immediately practicing holiness before
coming to Christ for a transformed nature. It embraces Christ
Himself and in Him finds everything necessary for life and
godliness. Thus, every true believer is clothed with the sun (Rev.
12:1), even with the Sun of Righteousness, the Lord Jesus, who is
pleased to be our wedding garment, our feast, and the source of all
our spiritual and eternal joy.
To provide further satisfaction and comfort to distressed souls who are
gripped by the fear of their own sinfulness and God's wrath, and who
hesitate to trust steadfastly in Christ for their salvation until they can
observe some change from sin to holiness within themselves, I will mention
several things that such individuals should find in themselves. I will
demonstrate that if some of these aspects are not already encompassed in
faith itself, they are the fruits and consequences of faith. Therefore, they
cannot be reasonably expected before we place our trust in Christ for our
salvation.
1. They believe that repentance is necessary before placing faith in
Christ for salvation, because repentance is indeed crucial for
salvation: "Unless you repent, you will all likewise perish" (Luke
13:3). Christ also emphasizes the duty of repentance before faith:
"Repent and believe in the gospel" (Mark 1:15). However, it is
important to understand that Christ requires repentance as the
ultimate goal and faith as the means to attain it. Although the goal
takes precedence in intention, the means come first in practice and
execution. Both repentance and faith are absolutely necessary for
salvation. Repentance involves a sincere turning away from sin
towards God and His service. And the only way to turn to God is
through Christ, who is the way, the truth, and the life, and without
whom no one can come to the Father (John 14:6). And how can we
come to Christ except through faith? Therefore, if we desire to turn
to God in the right way, we must first come to Christ by faith. Faith
must precede repentance as the essential instrument provided by
God's grace for its effective fulfillment. Repentance is indeed a duty
that sinners naturally owe to God, but the crucial question is, "How
can sinners fulfill it?" This question is answered by the gospel of
Christ: "Repent and believe." The way to repent is to begin with
believing. Thus, the central message of John in his baptism of
repentance was that they should believe in the One who would come
after him, namely, Christ Jesus (Acts 19:4).
2. Regeneration is also necessary for salvation (John 3:3), and
therefore, many believe that it must occur in themselves before they
can confidently trust in Christ for their salvation. However, let us
consider what regeneration truly means. It is a new birth or creation
in Christ (1 Cor. 4:15; Eph. 2:10), where we become partakers of a
divine nature that is distinct from what we inherited from the first
Adam. Now, faith is the uniting grace through which Christ dwells
in us and we in Him, as previously explained. Therefore, it is the
initial grace bestowed upon us in our regeneration and the means for
all subsequent graces. When you truly believe, you experience
regeneration; not before. Those who receive Christ through faith,
and only those, become children of God. They are born not of blood,
nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God (John
1:12, 13).
3. They believe it is necessary to receive Christ as their Lord and
Lawgiver by sincerely surrendering themselves to His authority and
making a resolution to obey His laws before accepting Him as their
Saviour. This is a key teaching of the new theology, where receiving
Christ as Lord is considered the essential act of saving faith.
Without this surrender to His kingly authority, the faith I described
earlier, which involves trusting in Christ for salvation, is deemed
nothing more than presumptuous. They assert that Christ will not
grant His salvation to those who do not first submit to His rule. He
regards them as His enemies because they refuse His reign over
them, and He demands that they be brought before Him and put to
death (Luke 19:27). I affirm as an absolute truth that Christ will save
only those who sincerely yield themselves to obey His royal
authority and laws.
However, we must observe that individuals are not brought to this holy
surrender or sincere resolution of obedience before receiving His salvation,
but rather through receiving it. People who have never truly recognised
their spiritual death in sin may easily make a resolution of complete
obedience to God when they are on their deathbeds, facing imminent
danger, or preparing for the Lord's Supper. They do so in order to reconcile
with God and trust in Christ securely for salvation. Yet, all such resolutions
are futile and hypocritical, easily broken as soon as they are made. Those
who are aware of the corruption within their own hearts understand that
their minds are hostile to God's law and cannot submit to it (Romans 8:7).
They know that they cannot sincerely devote themselves to obedience
before trusting in Christ for His salvation and for the gift of a new heart that
enables them to will and do what pleases God. If Christ had never come
into the world to save us, we would still be bound to obedient purposes,
resolutions, and surrender. However, He knew that we are incapable of holy
obedience unless He first makes us partakers of salvation. We will never
obey Him as our Lawgiver until we receive Him as our Saviour. He is a
saving Lord. Trust in Him first to deliver you from the guilt and power of
sin, the dominion of Satan, and to grant you a new spiritual disposition.
Only then, out of genuine devotion, will the love of Christ compel you to
wholeheartedly surrender yourself to live for the One who died for you (2
Corinthians 5:14). You will be able to declare with unwavering resolve, "O
Lord, truly I am Your servant; I am Your servant, the son of Your
maidservant. You have loosed my bonds" (Psalm 116:16).
Some people believe that certain good works are necessary before we can
safely trust in Christ for the forgiveness of sins. They base this belief on the
teachings of our Saviour, who said that if we do not forgive others, our
heavenly Father will not forgive us. He also instructed us to pray, "Forgive
us our debts, as we forgive our debtors" (Matthew 6:12, 15). Additionally,
restitution is required for things acquired wrongly from others before
receiving sacramental atonement through the trespass-offering (Leviticus
6:5, 7). In response, I would like to point out that these teachings highlight
the close connection between forgiving others, making restitution, and
receiving forgiveness for our sins. These actions are necessary to prepare us
for prayer and to receive the grace of pardon through the sacraments.
A living faith cannot exist without these fruits. Therefore, we cannot pray
or partake in the sacraments in faith without demonstrating these qualities.
However, if we strive to perform these actions before placing our trust in
Christ for forgiveness and salvation, our efforts will be in a slavish and
hypocritical manner, lacking true holiness and acceptability. Our
forgiveness of others will not be accompanied by genuine love for them, as
we love ourselves for the sake of God. Similarly, our acts of restitution will
be forced and insincere, comparable to Pharaoh allowing the Israelites to go
or Judas returning the thirty pieces of silver out of fear and pressure. Once
the fear that compelled us is removed, we will be quick to retract our
forgiveness and wrong others again, just as Pharaoh brought the Israelites
back into bondage after releasing them (Exodus 14:5).
If you genuinely desire to forgive others from the heart and love them
again, you must first grasp, through faith in Christ, the love and mercy that
God has shown towards you. Then, in accordance with the Apostle's
instruction, you will be able to show kindness, tender-heartedness, and
forgiveness towards one another, just as God, for the sake of Christ, has
forgiven you (Ephesians 4:32). Zaccheus' readiness to make restitution was
a result of experiencing Christ's love, and his joyful acceptance of Christ
into his home was evidence of the genuine faith that already resided in his
heart.
I will list several other qualifications that troubled souls often seek within
themselves as a means to be properly prepared to trust in Christ for their
salvation. They labor anxiously for a long time, yet find themselves unable
to attain these qualifications. As a result, they sink into sorrowful
despondency, afraid to apply the consolations of God's grace in Christ to
their wounded consciences. Let those who are perplexed pay attention to
the following details and consider whether their own souls possess any of
these qualities. O you afflicted, tossed with tempests, and without comfort,
what qualifications do you desire that would encourage you to grasp onto
Christ for salvation?
It is likely that in the bitterness of your soul, you will respond, "Oh, let
me first have some love for God and godliness in my heart, and be freed
from my hateful rising against Him and His service! Let me have good
thoughts of God—His justice, mercy, and holiness—so that I may justify
Him even if He were to damn me, and so that I may not be filled with
murmuring and blasphemous thoughts against Him. Let the raging of my
lust be diminished, and the filthy state of my wicked heart be cleansed to
some extent. Let me have a holy reverential fear of God, rather than a mere
terrifying horror. I want to be more affected by God's wrath and not have a
careless and indifferent attitude. I desire to be more humbled by my sin, to
detest it, and to feel ashamed of it. I want to be truly sorry for my sin with
godly sorrow, not just because of the punishment it brings, but because it
grieves and vexes the Holy Spirit of God. I long to make a willing and
sincere confession of my sin, to pour out my soul to the Lord in fervent
prayer for forgiveness, and to praise and glorify Him wholeheartedly. I don't
want to be lifeless like a stone in the duty of prayer, as I currently am."
Are these the things you desire, O poor troubled soul? The best response
I can offer for your swift comfort is to inform you that these things are
indeed good, but your desires are ill-timed. It is unreasonable for you to
expect these holy qualifications while you are in your natural state,
burdened by the guilt of sin and the fear of God's wrath, before you have
received atonement and the new spiritual life that comes through faith in
Christ. By desiring these qualifications prematurely, you only exacerbate
your corruption, harden your heart, and worsen the stench of your wounds.
Such good qualifications are included in the nature of faith, and for the
most part, they follow after it. Therefore, they cannot be obtained before
you trust in Christ for your salvation. I will discuss these qualifications in
more detail, showing how they relate to faith, in their proper order.
Love for God's salvation and the gift of holiness is an inherent part of
faith, and without it, faith cannot be genuine. Therefore, act in faith first,
and as you grasp the understanding of God's love for your soul, it will
gently draw and compel you to love God and His service wholeheartedly.
"We love Him because He first loved us" (1 John 4:19). We cannot surpass
God in love, and we must perceive His love in order to love Him. If we
view Him as a God who is against us, who hates us and will condemn us,
our innate self-love will breed hatred and resentment towards Him,
regardless of our intentions. The love that fulfils the law must emanate from
sincere faith (1 Timothy 1:5). If hatred prevails in you more than love, how
can you expect to have good thoughts of God? Instead, you may have
blasphemous or, at the very least, murmuring thoughts about Him. Ill-will
never speaks or thinks kindly. The first right and holy thoughts you can
have about God are thoughts of His grace and mercy towards your soul in
Christ, which are encompassed within the grace of faith. Attain these
thoughts first by believing in Christ, and they will generate love for God
within you, along with all good thoughts about Him, gradually freeing you
from blasphemous and murmuring thoughts. Love does no harm (1
Corinthians 13:5).
Once you have this love, you will be able to regard God as just and
merciful, even if He were to condemn you while extending His grace to
others. You will also be able to think well of His holiness and His decrees,
which some find difficult to accept.
The way to overcome your raging lusts is through faith, as it purifies the
heart and works through love (Acts 15:9; Galatians 5:6). The soul must find
delight in God and Christ through faith; otherwise, it will crave fleshly and
worldly pleasures. The more you struggle against lust without faith, the
more it will be stirred up, even if you manage to restrain yourself from
acting upon those desires. Pray for a holy fear of God, combined with fear
of falling short of the promised rest due to unbelief (Hebrews 4:1). Such
fear is a component of faith, and it will cultivate in us a reverential, even
childlike fear of God and His goodness (Hebrews 12:28; Hosea 3:5). We
must have grace to serve God with reverence. In the margin, it says, "We
must have or hold fast grace." The only way to hold fast to grace is through
faith, and this will quickly calm any panic and tormenting horror.
If you want to be free from carelessness and disregard for the wrath of
God, the way to achieve this is by first believing and avoiding despair.
Carelessness often stems from despair, as people, for the sake of their own
peace, tend to trivialise the evils they believe they cannot prevent. As the
proverb says, "Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die" (1 Corinthians
15:32). True repentance for sin is either a part of faith or a result of it. Upon
believing, we will remember our own wicked ways and actions that were
not good, and we will despise ourselves for all our abominations (Ezekiel
36:31). We will willingly renounce our own righteousness and consider it
worthless in comparison to gaining Christ through faith (Philippians 3:7-8).
However, beggars will make the most of their filthy rags until they are
clothed in better garments, and the crippled will not discard their crutches
until they have a better support to rely on. Genuine sorrow for sin is
produced in us by believing in God's pardoning grace. It is a known
experience that a pardon from a prince can sometimes bring tears from even
the most stubborn criminal faster than the fear of the gallows. This was
evident when the sinful woman washed Christ's feet with her tears (Luke
7:37-38). We are unlikely to be sorry for grieving God with our sins if we
view Him as an enemy who will rid Himself of His burden and seek
retribution through our eternal destruction.
Believing in God's forgiving and accepting grace is essential in leading
us to make a sincere confession of our sins. The people freely confessed
their sins when they were baptized by John in the Jordan River for the
remission of sins (Mark 1:4-5). The confessions of those in despair are
forced, similar to the coerced confessions and cries of criminals on the rack.
A pardon more readily opens the mouth for a genuine confession than the
ultimatums of "Confess and be hanged" or "Confess and be damned."
Therefore, if you desire to freely confess your sins, first believe that God is
faithful and just to forgive your sins through Christ (1 John 1:9).
And if you wish to pray to God or praise Him with heartfelt affection,
you must first believe that God will hear you and grant you what is best for
you for the sake of Christ (John 16:23-24). Otherwise, your prayers will be
mere lip service, for how can they call on Him in whom they have not
believed? (Romans 10:14). You must first come to Christ, the altar, through
faith, so that through Him, you may offer the sacrifice of praise to God
continually (Hebrews 13:10, 15).
Lastly, moving from specific points to the overall statement presented in
the guidance, if you inquire, "What must we do to carry out the deeds of
God or attain any saving qualifications?" I must guide you to faith as the
paramount action and the significant preparatory step for all good
qualifications. This is best answered in the words of our Saviour: "This is
the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent" (John 6:28-
29).
Chapter Eight
Be sure to seek for holiness of heart and life only in its due order
ake sure to seek holiness of heart and life in its proper order, as
ordained by God, after union with Christ, justification, and the gift
of the Holy Spirit. In this order, earnestly pursue holiness by faith as an
essential part of your salvation.
I hope the reader will carefully observe throughout these instructions that
the desired holiness, which serves as the ultimate goal in this entire
discussion, does not solely rely on the grace or act of faith specifically
required by the gospel. Although faith is a saving gift of Christ, it is
considered here more as a preceding means to receiving Christ and His
salvation, rather than a received part of His salvation. The intended
holiness, on the other hand, consists of conforming to the entire moral law,
to which we are naturally obligated even if there had never been a gospel or
a duty such as believing in Christ for salvation.
Now, within this instruction, three crucial aspects are included that are
vital in guiding us towards the achievement of this great goal, and therefore,
they deserve our sincere contemplation.
First and foremost, it is of utmost importance to understand the
appropriate position and order in which God has established the practice of
holiness within the mystery of our salvation. It is a significant aspect of
Christian wisdom to seek holiness solely in that order. We acknowledge that
God is the God of order, and His infinite wisdom is evident in appointing
the order of His creation, which we must adhere to in order to achieve our
worldly goals. Likewise, in spiritual matters, God has established an
everlasting covenant that is ordered in all things and secure (2 Samuel
23:5). The benefits of this covenant have a systematic dependence on one
another, akin to links in a golden chain, although several of them and our
entitlement to all of them are granted to us simultaneously. Sufficient has
already been said to illustrate the order in which God leads us to the
practice of the moral law. First, He brings us into Christ through faith, like
branches in a vine, so that we may bear much fruit (John 15:4, 5). He
initially cleanses our consciences from dead works through justification,
enabling us to serve the living God (Hebrews 9:14). He first enables us to
live in the Spirit and then walk in the Spirit (Galatians 5:25). This is the
prescribed order in the gospel, which is the power of God for salvation,
even though the law prescribes a completely different approach, requiring
us to first fulfill its commands in order to be justified and live. However,
this approach proves to be a lethal letter for us.
Now, carefully consider the significant advantages you have in attaining
holiness by seeking it in the right gospel order. You will benefit from the
love that God has demonstrated towards you by forgiving your sins,
accepting you into His favour, granting you the Spirit of adoption, and
freely giving you the hope of His glory through Christ. These precious gifts
will persuade and compel you with sweet allurements to love God in return,
knowing how deeply He loves you. You will be motivated to love others for
His sake and wholeheartedly devote yourself to obeying all His commands
out of genuine love for Him. Additionally, you will receive the assistance of
the Holy Spirit, empowering you to obey and fortifying you against your
own corruptions and the temptations of Satan. With both favourable winds
and currents, you will make significant progress in your pursuit of holiness.
On the contrary, if you rush into immediate compliance with the law
without embracing Christ's righteousness and His Spirit along the way, you
will find yourself facing contrary winds and currents. Your guilty
conscience and corrupt nature will undoubtedly undermine and thwart all
your endeavours to love and serve God in true obedience. Instead, you will
stir up sinful desires rather than stirring yourself up for genuine obedience,
or at best, you will merely engage in slavish and hypocritical performances.
Oh, how I wish people would understand the rightful place of holiness in
the mystery of salvation and seek it only where they have all the advantages
of gospel grace to find it! Many fail in their zealous pursuit of godliness,
and after expending much fruitless effort, God brings disaster upon them,
even to their eternal destruction, just as He did with Uzza, who suffered
temporal destruction because he did not seek God in the proper order (1
Chronicles 13:10).
Secondly, we need to view holiness as an essential aspect of the salvation
received through faith in Christ. Some individuals are so immersed in a
works-based covenant that they accuse us of deeming good works
unnecessary for salvation if we do not acknowledge them as conditions to
secure an interest in Christ or as prerequisites to prepare us for receiving
Him by faith. On the other hand, when they are taught by the Scriptures that
we are saved by faith alone, without works, they begin to disregard
obedience to the law, considering it completely unnecessary for salvation.
They believe they are only obligated to it out of gratitude, and if it is
entirely neglected, they have no doubt that free grace will save them
without consequence. Furthermore, some have fallen into strong
Antinomian delusions, believing that freedom from the bondage of the law,
achieved through the blood of Christ, entails having no conscience about
breaking the law in their conduct.
One cause of these conflicting errors is that many are inclined to think
that salvation means nothing more than being delivered from hell and
experiencing heavenly happiness and glory. Consequently, they conclude
that if good works are a means to glorification and precede it, they must
also be a preceding means to our entire salvation. Conversely, if good
works are not necessary for our complete salvation, they are deemed
unnecessary for glorification as well. However, while salvation is often
referred to in Scripture, particularly in terms of its perfection in the state of
heavenly glory, its comprehensive and accurate meaning encompasses
freedom from the evil of our natural corrupted state and all the holy and
joyous blessings we receive from Christ our Saviour, either in this world
through faith or in the world to come through glorification. Justification, the
indwelling of the Holy Spirit, and the privileges of adoption are examples
of components of our salvation that we partake in during this life. Similarly,
the transformation of our hearts to align with God's law and the righteous
fruits produced in us by Jesus Christ in this life are essential aspects of our
salvation.
God saves us not only from the consequences of our sinful state in the
future, but also from our present sinful impurity through the regenerating
and renewing work of the Holy Spirit (Ezekiel 36:29; Titus 3:5).
Christ was named JESUS, meaning "Saviour," because He saved His
people from their sins (Matthew 1:21). Therefore, part of our salvation
includes being delivered from our sins, which begins in this life through
justification and sanctification, and is perfected in glorification in the life to
come. Can we reasonably doubt whether it is a proper part of our salvation
through Christ to be revived and live for God when we were spiritually
dead in trespasses and sins? Is it not part of our salvation to have the image
of God restored in holiness and righteousness, which we lost through the
Fall? Isn't it part of our salvation to be freed from the dishonourable slavery
to Satan and our own desires, and to become servants of God? Moreover,
we are honoured greatly to walk by the Spirit and produce the fruits of the
Spirit. All of this constitutes holiness in heart and life.
Therefore, we conclude that holiness in this life is absolutely necessary
for salvation, not only as a means to the end, but also as an integral part of
the end itself. Although we are not saved by good works as a cause of
salvation, we are saved for good works as the fruits and effects of saving
grace, which God has prepared for us to walk in (Ephesians 2:10). Indeed,
one aspect of our salvation is being delivered from the bondage of the
covenant of works, but the purpose of this deliverance is not to grant us the
freedom to sin (which is the worst form of slavery), but rather to enable us
to fulfil the royal law of liberty and to serve in newness of spirit rather than
in the oldness of the letter (Galatians 5:13; Romans 7:6). Moreover,
holiness in this life is a necessary means to make us suitable to partake in
the inheritance of the saints in heavenly light and glory. Without holiness,
we can never see God (Hebrews 12:14), and we are as unfit for His glorious
presence as swine are for the chamber of an earthly prince. I acknowledge
that some individuals may be converted when they are near death and have
little time to practice holiness in this world. However, the grace of the Spirit
is active like fire (Matthew 3:11), and as soon as it is given, it will
immediately produce inward love for God, Christ, and His people. This will
be sufficient to manifest God's righteous judgement in saving them on the
day of judgement, even though some may not have enough time to
demonstrate their inward grace through outward works, like the thief on the
cross (Luke 23:40, 43).
The third and final aspect to consider in this guidance is that holiness of
heart and life should be earnestly sought through faith as an essential part of
our salvation. Many ignorant people who live under the gospel harden their
hearts in sin and ultimately destroy their souls by placing their trust in
Christ for an imagined salvation that does not involve holiness but only
forgiveness of sin and deliverance from eternal torments. They desire to be
free from the punishment deserved by sin, but they love their sinful desires
so much that they hate holiness and have no desire to be liberated from the
bondage of sin. The way to confront this harmful delusion is not to deny, as
some do, that trusting in Christ for salvation is a saving act of faith, but
rather to show that no one can truly trust in Christ for salvation without also
trusting in Him for holiness. Furthermore, those who do not wholeheartedly
desire true salvation do not truly desire to be made holy and righteous in
their hearts and lives. If God and Christ grant you salvation, holiness will be
a part of it. If Christ does not cleanse you from the filth of your sins, you
have no share in Him (John 13:8).
How strange is the salvation they desire, those who do not care for
holiness? They want to be saved but remain completely dead in sin,
estranged from the life of God, devoid of the image of God, disfigured by
the image of Satan, enslaved to their own filthy desires, utterly unfit for the
enjoyment of God's glory. Such a salvation was never purchased by the
blood of Christ, and those who seek it are abusing the grace of God in
Christ and turning it into licentiousness. They want to be saved by Christ
but remain outside of Christ in a carnal state. However, God does not free
anyone from condemnation except those who are in Christ, who do not
walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. Alternatively, they
would try to divide Christ, taking only a part of His salvation and
disregarding the rest. But Christ cannot be divided (1 Corinthians 1:13).
They desire their sins to be forgiven not so that they may walk with God in
love in the future but so that they may continue their enmity against Him
without any fear of punishment.
But let them not be deceived, for God cannot be mocked. They do not
comprehend the true nature of salvation, nor have they ever truly grasped
the extent of their lost condition and the enormity of sin. What they trust in
Christ for is merely a figment of their own imagination, and therefore their
trust is a glaring presumption. True faith in the gospel compels us to
approach Christ with a deep thirst, longing to drink from the wellspring of
living water, which is His sanctifying Spirit (John 7:37-38). We earnestly
cry out to be saved, not only from hell, but from sin itself, saying, "Teach
me to do Your will; Your Spirit is good" (Psalm 143:10), "Turn me, and I
shall be turned" (Jeremiah 31:18), "Create in me a clean heart, O God; and
renew a right spirit within me" (Psalm 51:10). This is the pathway that the
doctrine of salvation by grace compels us to follow towards a life of
holiness, by compelling us to seek it through faith in Christ as an integral
part of the salvation that is freely given to us through Him.
Chapter Nine
We must first receive the comforts of the gospel
e must first receive the consolations of the gospel, so that we may
sincerely fulfill the obligations of the law.
When mankind fell from obedience to God, which they were originally
enabled and inclined to perform through the consolations of their blissful
state in Paradise, God could have justifiably chosen never to bestow any
consolations upon them again, as an incentive to their duties. Thus, with
fear, grief, and despair hindering their path to holiness, they would have
remained unable to escape the sentence of death pronounced for their initial
transgression. The justice of God is evident in the framework of the legal
covenant, in which He promises us no life, comfort, or happiness until we
have fully accomplished His law. This can be seen in the proclamation on
Mount Sinai, expounded throughout Leviticus 26. By nature, we are so
strongly inclined towards this legal approach to salvation that it is difficult
to dissuade those living under the light of the gospel from prioritising the
duties of the law over the consolations of the gospel. Even if they cannot
secure salvation itself through their works, they ensure that all the comforts
of salvation are contingent upon their own efforts. They consider it as
unreasonable to expect comfort before duty as it is to receive wages before
work or the fruits of the earth before the labour of the farmer (2 Timothy
2:6). They believe that the most effective way to secure obedience to God's
law is by anchoring all our consolations to its fulfillment. They argue that
the contrary doctrine strengthens the hands of the wicked by falsely
prophesying peace to them where there is no peace (Ezekiel 13:16, 22), and
it opens the floodgates to all kinds of licentiousness. Therefore, some
preachers advise people not to be overly concerned or hasty in seeking
comfort, but rather to diligently focus on performing their duties. They tell
them that by doing so, their ultimate condition will be safe and happy, even
if they never experience the comfort of their salvation in this world.
To properly understand what I have stated in opposition to common
misconceptions, it is important to note that I do not claim that the sole place
for gospel comfort is before the duties of the law. I acknowledge that God
provides comfort to His people at every stage, both before and after the
performance of their duties. The greatest consolations often come after the
fulfillment of these duties. However, God does grant some comforts to His
people in advance, as a kind of advance payment, to equip them for His
service, even though the majority of the reward is received later on. By
stating this, I am not promoting peace for those who persist in their sinful
natural state. The comforts I speak of cannot be experienced without
renouncing the false confidences that enable unregenerate individuals to
persist in sin. They also require the effective work of the Spirit, which
transforms us into good trees capable of bearing good fruit. While these
comforts are granted before the sincere practice of the law, they are not
bestowed upon us in our corrupt sinful nature. Instead, they are given
within and alongside the new holy nature that immediately produces a holy
practice. They are, in essence, comforts derived from the spiritual benefits
through which our new state and nature are formed and constituted.
Examples of these benefits include redemption, justification, adoption, and
the gift of the Spirit. It is important to clarify that I do not refer to an
ecstatic or overwhelming joy, but rather a comforting experience that
reasonably provides some measure of strength against the weight of fear,
grief, and despair, which are inherent in our sinful and miserable state.
This explanation of my assertion should sufficiently address common
objections. I trust that the truth of it will be further demonstrated through
the following arguments.
1. This truth logically follows from the principles of holiness that have
already been established. I have demonstrated that we need to have
a firm belief in our reconciliation with God, our eternal happiness in
heaven, and our sufficient strength to desire and accomplish what
pleases God through Jesus Christ. These qualities are necessary to
incline us towards the practice of holiness. We can attain these
attributes by receiving Christ Himself, along with His Spirit and all
His abundance, by placing our trust in Him for our complete
salvation, as freely promised to us in the gospel. Through faith, we
truly receive Christ, just as we physically receive nourishment by
eating and drinking. Now, let sound reason judge: can we truly
believe in the love of God, our everlasting joy, and our ability to
serve Him, and yet be devoid of any comfort? Can we accept the
good news of the gospel, receive Christ and His Spirit into our
hearts, without any relief from the burdensome weight of fear, grief,
and despair? Can the salvation of Christ be devoid of comfort, or
can the bread and water of life lack a delightful taste for those who
partake in hunger and thirst? God will not bestow such benefits
upon those who do not desire and value them above worldly
possessions. And surely, the very act of receiving these benefits will
bring comfort to such individuals, unless they receive them blindly,
which they cannot do, as the act of giving and bestowing them
opens the eyes of a sinner, turning them from darkness to light,
allowing them to spiritually perceive the things that pertain to their
present and future peace. They thereby gain some encouraging and
strengthening comfort, enabling them to pursue holiness.
2. Peace, joy, and hope are encouraged in Scripture as the sources of
other holy duties, while fear and overwhelming grief are
discouraged as hindrances to true religion. "The peace of God will
guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus" (Philippians 4:7).
"Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength" (Nehemiah
8:10). "Everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as
He is pure" (1 John 3:3). "Fear involves punishment. The one who
fears is not made perfect in love" (1 John 4:18). This is why the
apostle emphasizes the exhortation to "rejoice in the Lord always,"
as it is a duty of utmost importance and necessity (Philippians 4:4).
What are these duties but comfort itself? And can we believe that
these duties are necessary for the continuation of a holy practice, but
not for its initiation, when the work is most challenging and
encouragement is most needed? Therefore, if we truly desire to keep
God's holy commandments, we must first strive to attain a state of
comfort in our spirits and not delay in doing so.
3. The usual approach of gospel teaching, as it is presented in the Holy
Scriptures, is to first comfort our hearts and thereby establish us in
every good word and work (2 Thessalonians 2:17). This method is
clearly demonstrated in various Epistles written by the apostles.
They first inform the churches of the abundant grace of God towards
them in Christ and the spiritual blessings they partake in for their
strong consolation. Then they exhort them to live a holy life that
aligns with such privileges. This method is not only observed in
entire Epistles but also in numerous specific exhortations to duty,
where the comforting benefits of God's grace in Christ are used as
arguments and motives to stir up the saints towards a holy practice.
However, these comforting benefits must first be believed and their
comfort applied to our own souls; otherwise, they will not have the
power to engage us in the intended practice.
To provide a few examples, among the multitude that could be cited, we
are urged to engage in holy duties because we are dead to sin and alive to
God through Jesus Christ our Lord (Romans 6:11), and because sin will not
have dominion over us, for we are not under the law but under grace
(Romans 6:14). We are encouraged because we are not in the flesh but in
the Spirit, and God will give life to our mortal bodies through His Spirit
dwelling in us (Romans 8:9, 11). We are motivated because our bodies are
the members of Christ and the temples of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians
6:15, 19), and because God made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, so
that in Him we might become the righteousness of God (2 Corinthians
5:21). We are inspired because God has promised to dwell in us, walk with
us, be our Father, and make us His sons and daughters (2 Corinthians 6:18;
7:1). We are uplifted because God has forgiven us for Christ's sake,
considers us His beloved children, and Christ has loved us and given
Himself for us; we who were once in darkness are now light in the Lord
(Ephesians 4:32; 5:1, 2, 8). We are motivated because we have been raised
with Christ and, when Christ, who is our life, appears, we will also appear
with Him in glory (Colossians 3:1, 4). We find assurance because God has
said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you" (Hebrews 13:5), and because
of the many promises made to us (2 Corinthians 7:1). Explore the
Scriptures, and you will delightfully observe that this is the consistent
approach found in gospel exhortations. Likewise, you will find a similar
vein of comfort running through the prophetic exhortations in the Old
Testament.
Some may argue that the apostles used this method in their writings to
saints who had already practised holiness, in order for them to continue and
grow in it. But I can easily respond to that by saying, "If this method is
necessary for mature saints, it is even more necessary for beginners who
find the task of obedience most difficult and are in greatest need of strong
consolation." And I hope to demonstrate how we can grasp these
consolations by faith right from the very beginning of a holy life.
Furthermore, the gospel offers peace and comfort freely to those who
have not yet embraced holiness so that, if they are willing to receive it, they
may be converted from sin to righteousness. When the apostles entered a
house, their first words were, "Peace be to this house" (Luke 10:5). In their
initial preaching to sinners, they acquainted them with the good news of
salvation through Christ, available to all who would receive it as a free gift
through faith (Acts 3:26; 13:26, 32, 38; 16:30, 31). They assured them that
if they wholeheartedly trusted in Christ for all His salvation, they would
receive it, even though they were currently the chief of sinners. This was
sufficient comfort for all who truly valued spiritual comfort and earnestly
desired it. Such an approach aligns with the purpose of the gospel, which is
to magnify the richness of God's grace in all our spiritual experiences. God
will grant us His consolations before and after our good works, so that we
may understand that He bestows upon us eternal comfort and a good hope
through His grace, not as a result of our works (2 Thessalonians 2:16).
1. The nature of the duties prescribed by the law necessitates a state of
comfort in the soul for their sincere performance. I have already
sufficiently demonstrated that these duties require a conviction of
our reconciliation with God, a confidence in our future happiness,
and the strength to walk in holy obedience. Just as Joshua needed to
be strong and courageous to faithfully follow the law commanded
by the servant of the Lord, Moses (Joshua 1:7), I will briefly
mention the comforts without which several significant duties
cannot be sincerely carried out. Can we truly love God and take
delight in Him above all else while considering Him as our eternal
enemy, perceiving no love and mercy in Him towards us that would
make Him a suitable and beloved object in our eyes?
What a mournful tune will the heart produce in the act of praise if we
believe that all the perfections for which we praise God will only amplify
our misery rather than bring us happiness? How devoid of heart will it be to
pray to Him and offer ourselves in His service if we have no comforting
hope that He will accept us? Can we truly rid ourselves of anxious worries
by casting our cares upon the Lord if we do not perceive that He cares for
us? Will we be able to endure affliction with patience and cheerfulness, and
remain steadfast under persecution, unless we have peace with God and
rejoice in the hope of His glory? (Romans 5:1-3). What reason could
persuade us to willingly submit, as our duty demands, to the stroke of
impending death if God were to lay it upon us, when we have no comforts
to alleviate the dreadful fear of eternal torment in hell?
If we were to be called upon to suffer martyrdom for the Protestant faith,
as our ancestors in this nation have done, we would find it necessary to
forsake the recent novel ideas that have arisen in times of ease and embrace
the comforting doctrine of past Protestants, which, by the grace of God,
empowered countless courageous and joyful martyrs.
1. The state of those who are to be converted from sin to godliness
necessitates that, once they are convinced of the futility of their
former false confidences and their spiritual deadness due to original
sin, as well as their exposure to God's wrath, they should be
provided with a fresh supply of gospel comforts to embolden their
fainting souls for holy practices. How little do many soul physicians
consider the condition of their unconverted patients who are entirely
devoid of spiritual life and strength, and must be made aware of it?
One who prescribes physical exercise to a person bedridden by
severe paralysis, without first employing effective means to restore
their strength, deserves to be called a merciless and taunting
tormentor rather than a wise and compassionate physician. How
unreasonable it is to prescribe immediate acts of love towards God
and universal obedience out of love as the cure for those who
perceive nothing but wrath and enmity from God in their present
state? It is akin to demanding that a person work without strength,
promising them strength only once their work is done. For comfort
or joy is called so because it strengthens (Nehemiah 8:10).
Indeed, it is true that the law, which brings condemnation, obliges
individuals to obedience. However, our merciful God does not expect
sincere obedience to His law from these feeble and miserable individuals,
for the sake of their salvation through Christ, until He has first delivered
them, to some extent, from the distress, enslaving fears, and despair that
keep them captive under the law of sin and death. We may demand that a
strong and healthy person work first, and then expect to provide them with
food, drink, and wages. But a person who is weak and famished must first
receive food or a reviving tonic to strengthen their heart before they can
work.
1. Both Scripture and experience demonstrate that this is the method
by which God leads His people from sin to holiness. Although some
may experience terrors for a while to make sin more bitter and the
salvation of Christ more precious and acceptable to them, they are
once again delivered from their terrors through the comforts of
God's salvation, so that they may be prepared for holiness.
Generally, a holy life begins with comfort and is sustained by it.
At the time of Adam's first creation, God bestowed upon him the comfort
of His love, favour, and the bliss of Paradise to encourage obedience. When
Adam lost these comforts through the Fall, he was no longer able to obey
until he was restored through the new comfort of the promised seed. Christ,
the second Adam, always set God before Him and knew that because God
was by His side, He would not be shaken. Therefore, His heart was glad,
and His glory rejoiced (Psalm 16:8-9). This willingness enabled Him to
endure His agony and bloody sweat and to be obedient unto death, even
death on a cross. God drew the Israelites to obedience with the cords of
kindness, with the bands of love, by removing the yoke from their jaws and
setting food before them (Hosea 11:4). David, for our instruction, reveals
how he was led to a holy way of life: "Your steadfast love is before my
eyes, and I walk in your faithfulness" (Psalm 26:3); "I hope for your
salvation, O Lord, and I do your commandments" (Psalm 119:166).
We find various examples in the New Testament of sinners experiencing
joy upon receiving Christ (Acts 2:41). When the gospel reached the
Thessalonians, they received the word with much affliction yet with joy in
the Holy Spirit (1 Thessalonians 1:4, 5, 6). Upon hearing the word of God,
the Gentiles were glad, and those appointed to eternal life believed (Acts
13:48). The apostle Paul, moved by the love of Christ, surrendered himself
to live for Christ (2 Corinthians 5:14, 15).
I dare to appeal to the experience of anyone who obeys God out of
genuine love. Let them examine themselves and consider whether they were
led to devote themselves to God's service in love without a comforting
sense of God's love towards them. I can confidently say that such
extraordinary cases do not occur in the process of being born again.
1. What a comfortless religion it is when people are not allowed any
comfort beforehand to strengthen them for the challenging acts of
devotion that go against their natural inclinations, such as plucking
out a right eye or cutting off a right hand. Instead, they are expected
to perform such actions with love and delight, amidst their present
fears, despondency, and corrupt desires, and hope that by doing the
work thoroughly and sincerely, they will eventually attain a more
comfortable state. If true spiritual comfort, as well as salvation, is
conditional upon our good works, then it is completely absent from
the world. This has already been demonstrated as the condition of
the law, which brings no comfort but wrath (Romans 4:14, 15).
Many find the path of godliness detestable. They believe that they
will never experience a pleasant moment in this world if they walk
in it, and they would rather find solace in sinful pleasures than have
no comfort at all.
Others toil for a while in such a joyless religion, inwardly fretting and
resenting the burden of it, and eventually grow weary and abandon all
religion because they know no better. Those who impose such heavy and
burdensome obligations on people may claim that they are not to be blamed
because they are preaching the gospel of God and Christ. However, in
reality, they are preaching a gospel of their own making, contrary to the true
nature of the gospel of Christ, which is good news of great joy for all
people (Luke 2:10). An uncomfortable gospel cannot originate from God
the Father, who is the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort (2
Corinthians 1:3), nor from Christ, who is the consolation of Israel (Luke
2:25), nor from the Spirit, who is the Comforter (John 14:16, 17).
God meets those who rejoice and do righteousness (Isaiah 64:5). He
desires to be worshipped with gladness and singing, as exemplified in the
temple through various musical expressions and numerous musicians.
Christ speaks to us through His gospel so that His joy may abide in us and
our joy may be complete (John 15:11). God approves of no sorrow except
godly sorrow, which can never exist in us without some comfort from God's
love towards us. Those who are disheartened by the lack of comfort in a
religious life have not yet understood the true path of religion; otherwise,
they would discover that the ways of wisdom are pleasant and all her paths
are peaceful (Proverbs 3:17).
Chapter Ten
That we may be prepared by the comforts of the gospel
o sincerely perform the duties of the law, we need to be prepared by
the comforts of the gospel. This preparation involves obtaining
assurance of our salvation through the very faith by which Christ enters our
hearts. Therefore, we must strive to believe in Christ with confidence,
persuading and assuring ourselves, as we believe, that God freely grants us
a share in Christ and His salvation according to His gracious promise.
It is evident that the comforts of the gospel, which are essential for a holy
life, cannot be truly received without some assurance of our connection to
Christ and His salvation. Some of these comforts include a firm conviction
of our reconciliation with God, our future heavenly happiness, and the
strength to do what is pleasing to God through Christ, as previously
discussed. Thus, it becomes clear that this assurance is crucial in enabling
us to pursue holiness. These comforts precede the duties of the law in the
natural order of things, just as a cause comes before its effect, although
there may not be a temporal gap. My present task is to explain what this
assurance is, as it is so vital to holiness, and as I have asserted, we must act
upon it through the very faith by which we receive Christ into our hearts -
namely, through justifying saving faith. This doctrine may seem strange to
many modern-day Protestants, whereas it was once embraced by prominent
Protestants whom God used to restore the purity of the gospel and defend it
against the Papists for many years. They commonly taught that faith is a
persuasion or confidence in our own salvation through Christ, and
emphasized the importance of personally applying Christ and His salvation
through belief. This doctrine played a significant role in dismantling the
superstitious beliefs of the papacy, which relied heavily on doubtfulness
regarding salvation. However, many of the successors of these Protestants
have abandoned their teachings, leaving their writings to be shamefully
ridiculed by the Papists. This departure has persisted longer among us than
other aspects of our new theology, and it is upheld by those who claim to
abhor the corrupt doctrines built upon such principles by the Papists.
Modern theologians may believe they stand on the shoulders of their
predecessors, benefiting from their labours and possessing greater insight
than them, just as the schoolmen may have thought of the ancient fathers.
However, even with this perspective, they may not be able to see as far if
their predecessors' eyes were more enlightened by the Spirit of God to
understand the mysteries of the gospel. Why then should we not consider
this to be the case in the present situation? In recent years, many false
notions have blinded people in terms of assurance. Some believe that
because salvation is not promised to us unconditionally, but rather on the
condition of believing in Christ for it, we must first directly believe in
Christ for our salvation. After that, we can reflect on our faith and evaluate
it based on various signs and marks, particularly the fruit of sincere
obedience. Only upon such examination, if we are certain that our faith is
true and saving, can we believe with assurance that we will be saved. They
argue that our salvation comes through the direct act of faith, while
assurance comes through the reflex act of faith. They also claim that many
possess genuine faith and will be saved, yet they never experience any
assurance of their salvation in their lifetime. They observe from Scripture
and personal experience that many precious saints of God often struggle
with doubts about their salvation and the sincerity of their faith and
obedience. Therefore, they conclude that assurance should not be deemed
absolutely necessary for justifying faith and salvation, as it may cause
doubting believers to become disheartened and fall into despair. They
believe that the former Protestants were guilty of a clear absurdity in
making assurance an essential element of saving faith. According to them,
all who hear the gospel are obligated to exercise saving faith, yet they are
not absolutely required to believe that they themselves will be saved. If that
were the case, many would be obliged to believe something not specifically
declared in the gospel concerning their individual salvation - even
something that would be a blatant falsehood, as the gospel reveals that
many of those called are not chosen for salvation and will perish forever
(Matthew 20:16). It is not surprising, then, that the appearance of such a
great absurdity leads many to conceive that saving faith is either a trusting
and relying on Christ as the sole sufficient means of salvation without
assurance, or a longing and daring to trust or rely on Him in a state of
suspense and uncertainty regarding our salvation, or at best, with a probable
opinion or conjectural hope of it.
Another objection raised against the doctrine of assurance is that it
"destroys self-examination and gives rise to pride and arrogance, as if
individuals already knew their places in heaven before the day of
judgement." It is believed to foster carelessness in fulfilling one's duties, a
sense of worldly security, and all kinds of licentious behavior.
Consequently, doubting one's salvation is praised as necessary for
maintaining humility, religious fears, vigilance, the scrutiny of one's
spiritual state and actions, diligence in good works, and overall devotion.
In response to these opposing views, I will strive to uphold the ancient
Protestant doctrine of assurance, as outlined in the direction. First, I will
present some observations that will help clarify its true meaning and
effectively address the strongest objections raised against it.
1. It is essential to carefully observe that the assurance being discussed
is not a persuasion that we have already received Christ and His
salvation, or that we have already been brought into a state of grace.
Rather, it is the understanding that "God graciously intends to give
Christ and His salvation to us and bring us into a state of grace, even
though we have been entirely in a state of sin and death until this
present moment." Therefore, this doctrine does not promote
presumption in wicked and unregenerate individuals that their state
is already good. Instead, it encourages them to approach Christ
confidently to attain a good state. I acknowledge that many, if not
most, must be taught to doubt the goodness of their present state, as
this doubt reflects humility. Before we can have well-grounded
assurance that we are in a state of grace and salvation, we must
examine ourselves to ascertain the certainty and sincerity of our
faith and obedience. This assurance, commonly known as the reflex
act of faith (if it can be called an act of faith at all, being a spiritual
sense or feeling of what is within oneself), is not the essence of the
faith by which we are justified and saved. Furthermore, many
precious saints lack this assurance and are plagued by doubts that
contradict it. They may not know at all whether things will turn out
well for them on the day of judgement, and even if they attain this
assurance, it may sometimes waver or be completely lost. It is
crucial that we strive to lead a holy life to attain this assurance, as it
is immensely beneficial to our growth in faith and holiness. Most
Protestants among us, when they speak or write about assurance,
refer specifically to the reflection-based kind. I have briefly
explained enough to demonstrate that what I assert is in line with the
commonly accepted doctrine of assurance and does not undermine
any of its positive outcomes. Therefore, it is not guilty of the evils
falsely attributed to it by some. The kind of assurance I am referring
to does not answer the question of whether one is already in a state
of grace and salvation. Another significant question must be
answered by the soul to enter a state of grace: whether God, in His
gracious pleasure, is now willing to bestow Christ and His salvation
upon me, despite my past wickedness. It is crucial to resolve this
question with comforting assurance through a direct act of faith, in
which we persuade ourselves (without reflecting on any personal
qualifications) that God is ready to receive us into the embrace of
His saving mercy in Christ, regardless of our prior transgressions.
This assurance is based on the gracious promise: "I will call them
'My people' who are not My people, and her 'Beloved' who was not
beloved. And it shall come to pass that in the place where it was said
to them, 'You are not My people,' there they shall be called sons and
daughters of the living God" (Romans 9:25-26).
2. The assurance we seek is not a persuasion that we are saved
regardless of our actions or how we live, but it is limited to the free
grace of Christ, whereby we partake in holiness and forgiveness and
walk in the path of holiness, leading to the enjoyment of God's
glory. We will not genuinely desire or strive to obtain such a
salvation unless we first come to recognize our own sinfulness and
misery, despairing of our own righteousness and strength. We must
hunger and thirst for the sanctifying grace of God in Christ, so that
we may walk in His ways of holiness and experience the heavenly
glory. The faith by which we receive Christ must not only involve a
belief in our own happiness, but also include these and similar
qualities that make it a most holy faith. Certainly, an assurance that
is qualified in this way will not give rise to pride in us, but rather
humility and self-abasement, unless one considers it prideful to
rejoice and boast in Christ while having no confidence in our own
abilities (Philippians 3:3). It will not undermine religious fear or
breed worldly security; instead, it will cause us to fear straying from
Christ, our only refuge and security, and to avoid walking in the
ways of the flesh. Noah had every reason to enter the ark and remain
there with assurance of his preservation, yet he would have had
good reason to fear leaving the ark, knowing that his safety from
perishing in the flood depended solely on staying within its
confines. How, then, could a persuasion of salvation in the path of
holiness breed laziness, carelessness, or licentiousness? On the
contrary, it strongly entices and motivates us to "always excel in the
work of the Lord, because [we] know that [our] labor in the Lord is
not in vain" (1 Corinthians 15:58).
Those who are convinced of God's free grace towards them in Christ are
not concerned with earning their salvation through legalistic works. Satan is
ready to suggest that such an attitude is sinful carelessness leading to
licentiousness. However, those who believe this false suggestion from Satan
reveal that they do not yet understand what it means to serve God out of
love and are still bound to obedience by the bit and bridle of slavish fear,
like horses and mules without understanding (Psalm 32:9).
1. Be cautious of regarding assurance as completely incompatible with
any doubting within the same soul. One significant reason why
many Protestants have deviated from the doctrine of their
predecessors in this matter is because they believe that there can be
no true assurance of salvation in those who experience doubts, even
though they acknowledge many individuals as genuine believers and
precious saints of God who indeed wrestle with doubts. True,
indeed, this assurance is inherently contrary to doubting, and if it
were perfect to the highest degree, it would entirely eliminate all
doubts from the soul; even now, it diminishes them to some extent.
However, do not the best saints on earth have both flesh and spirit
within them? (Galatians 5:17). Is there not a conflict between the
law of their members and the law of their minds? (Romans 7:23).
Can one who truly believes not say, "Lord, help my unbelief"?
(Mark 9:24). Can anyone on earth claim to have received any grace
to the highest degree and to be completely free from contrary
corruption? Why, then, should we think that assurance cannot be
genuine unless it is perfect and eradicates all doubts from the soul?
The apostle commended the Thessalonians for having much
assurance, suggesting that there can be varying degrees of true
assurance (1 Thessalonians 1:5). Peter had some assurance of
Christ's help when he walked on water at Christ's command, yet he
also had doubts, as evidenced by his fear when he saw the strong
wind. He had some faith that was contrary to doubting, although it
may have been small, as indicated by Christ's words to him, "O you
of little faith, why did you doubt?" (Matthew 14:29-31). It is strange
to think that the flesh and the devil will never oppose true assurance
and assault it with doubts. There may be times when a believer is so
overwhelmed by doubts that they are unable to perceive any
assurance within themselves. They are far from claiming knowledge
of their place in heaven already (as some mockingly suggest); in
fact, they may express uncertainty about having any assurance of
being there and need diligent self-examination to uncover it.
However, if even during such times they can rebuke their soul for
doubting, saying, "Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are
you disquieted within me? Hope in God; for I shall yet praise Him"
(Psalm 42:11), if they can acknowledge their doubts as their own
weakness (Psalm 77:10), then these doubts originate from the flesh
and the devil. If they continue to address God as their Father and
confess their doubts about His fatherly love, praying for God to
grant them assurance of His love which they do not currently sense,
and to dispel those fears and doubts, then, I say, such an individual
possesses true assurance, even though they must strive to attain a
higher degree. For if they were not convinced of the truth of God's
love towards them, they could not reasonably condemn their fears
and doubts regarding it as sinful; neither could they rationally pray
to God as their Father or request His assurance of a love they do not
consider to be true.
Do accept that it is the nature of saving faith to resist and wrestle with
slavish fears of wrath and doubts about our own salvation, and you
essentially acknowledge that there is, and must be, an element of assurance
of our salvation within saving faith. By this assurance, it counters doubts,
and in essence, you share the same viewpoint as me in this assertion,
regardless of how peculiar my wording may appear to you. If we