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The greatness of God's grace.
Excerpt:
“Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid. For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion” (Rom. 9:15).
It is not for the sake of controversy, or to examine or defend human opinions on this deeply interesting subject, that we take it up; but with a sincere desire to help perplexed souls. A few days ago we received a letter from such an one, and as it is a fair sample of the effect of mere doctrinal teaching, we will give extracts. The writer says, “I have been greatly distressed about “election.” I know I am a sinner, and as such quite undone and lost, and that there is nothing in me to recommend me to God. I want to be saved. I am often in great fear lest the Lord should come for His people, and leave me behind. I know that the Bible says, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ to be saved, but I have heard it said, that it is not scriptural to say that Christ died for the sins of all men; and if He did not die for all, how can I believe He died for me? Because it is no use to believe — I could not believe without a firm foundation for faith to rest upon; I mean, if He did not die for me, how could I believe it? If you knew how very anxious I am, I think you would feel for me, and try to answer me. What I want to know is this — how can persons know that the Lord Jesus Christ died for them personally, when there is nothing in them to make it likely?... As I write, I feel how hopeless it is to try anymore. I cannot help feeling in despair about it, because I have gone on so long, and have years ago professed to be a Christian... I fear I am like the ground spoken of in Hebrews 6, that only bears “thorns and briars.” If you think there is any hope for me, do try and help me.”
Is it not most sad for a person to go on in this state of perplexity year after year? It is not often we meet with the same depth of anxiety, but this letter truly expresses the perplexity of great numbers. We are convinced that the root of all this confusion of mind and distress of soul, is occupancy with self. Here is evidently a quickened soul, finding nothing but thorns and briars in the flesh, or old self. Not one bit of good in self that could have been a motive for Christ to die for. However painful it may be, this lesson must be learned; sooner or later the quickened soul must be brought to say, “I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) dwelleth no good thing; for to will is present with me, but how to perform that which is good I find not” (Rom. 7:18). And there is no help found for the flesh in scripture; so we cannot help the writer of the letter; it is not, Who shall help me? but, “O wretched man that I am! WHO SHALL DELIVER ME from the body of this death?” (Rom. 7:24). The Lord Jesus is not revealed as the helper of the flesh, but as the complete Deliverer, bringing us into a new creation, giving us eternal life, a new nature, and the Holy Spirit. (Compare Rom. 7:18-24 with Rom. 8:1-4).
Before we look at the important subject of “Election,” we feel it would be well to examine the difficulties of the writer. We believe it is a sure mark of the work of the Holy Spirit to be able truly to say, “I am a sinner, undone and lost.” Can the reader say this, whether of sinful self or religious self? Have you tried, until you are undone, lost? This is a fearful word, yet it was for such alone that Jesus died. He “came to seek and to save that which was lost. For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.” The joy of Jesus is this, “I have found My sheep which was lost.” If, then, the writer of the letter, or the reader of this paper, has discovered that he is lost, ungodly, without strength, then it is clear from scripture that Jesus died for you; He came to seek and to save you.
We will pass over for the moment “other things, such as strong Calvinists hold,” which had always been such a hindrance. More of this by-and-by. Most assuredly the Lord Jesus is coming to take His people, and no pen can describe how terrible it will be to be left behind. With such a certainty, believing the scriptures which announce the coming of the Lord, we do not wonder at those words, “I want to be saved.” These are not the words of the self-righteous, or of the careless professor, or the language of the infidel; clearly not. But, reader, can you say they are your words? The Lord is certainly coming quickly to take His people — He says so. Can you say, with the writer of the letter, “I want to be saved. I am often in great fear lest the Lord should come for His people, and leave me behind”? If you know you are saved, you cannot say so: your privilege is to wait for Him from heaven. Do you say, I do not know I am saved, and I do not want to be, and I am not afraid to be left behind? Then really you are self-righteous, careless, or an infidel. But to return to the letter.
The writer says, “‘I know that the Bible says, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ to be saved.’“ The scripture says this, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved.” (Acts 16:31). It is not enough to know that the Bible says so; the devils know that well enough, and the infidel knows that. But does the writer know that God says so — that it is God speaking to us in the Bible? Now, if God says so, is it not true? Then if you believe on the Lord Jesus Christ as a lost sinner, God speaks to you; He says you shall be saved. Do you doubt Him? The jailor understood it to mean just what God said, and he was baptized at once. He raised no questions; “he rejoiced, believing in God with all his house.” If he believed and rejoiced, why should you doubt?