Great Cheer for God's people

"Now abideth faith, hope, charity." -I Corinthians 13:13 [KJV]

Where do these graces abide? in regenerate hearts. What is faith? a precious grace, the gift of God to miserable sinners. Lord, give us the comfort of it to-night. Say some, ‘faith is an assurance that my sins are pardoned; that Christ loved me, and gave Himself for me.’ Indeed it is not. They further add, ‘No one has faith without this assurance: if they have it not, they are in a state of wrath.’ This is false: this notion has inflated many with a vain hope, while it has distressed sincere souls without reason. Many who contend for this assurance of faith, believe a lie with it; for they say, ‘Those whom Christ has so loved as to die for, and whose sins are now forgiven, may at last perish.’ 

Such an assurance is not worth a straw. This is not the faith of God’s elect; for it gives the lie to Jesus, Who is the Author and Finisher of our faith: it contradicts His double oath, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, he who believeth on Me hath everlasting life” (John 6:47.) Leave the vain notions of such; look into the divine word for the true nature of faith. It is neither more nor less, than a belief of God’s word: giving credit to God for what He speaks therein; “Believing on His Son Jesus Christ, according to His commandment” (1 John 3:23.) Dost thou believe thus in thine heart? then, faith abides there. 

Consider, there is faith, and “the furtherance and joy of faith” (Philippians 1:25.) If you have faith, though but as a grain of mustard-seed, you will see Christ as precious to you, a miserable sinner; you will receive Him as the most inestimable gift of God, to save you, a lost sinner; you will go to Him, as the one Object of your hope, and the chief desire of your soul; you will rely on His death, as the only requirement for your sins, and trust in His righteousness alone to justify you; you will lay hold on Him as the only refuge for your guilty soul; you will live upon Him, that you may find joy and peace in Him, and grow up into Him in all things; you will glory of, and in Him alone, saying, “God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus” (Galatians 6:14.) 

Hence, you will grow out of conceit with yourself; dead to sin, dead to your own righteousness, and dead to the world. This, this is the faith of the operation of God, which lives and abides in new-born souls. “In thus believing, we may be fully assured, God will fill us with all joy and peace.” -Romans 15:13. 

 

Father, I bless Thee for the gift 

Of Christ, Thy precious Son: 

Spirit, in praise my soul I lift, 

For faith, my Lord to own.

Let precious faith in Christ abide, 

With all its healing pow’r: 

To cleave to Christ, whate’er betide 

Me in the darkest hour.

 

-preacher William Mason (1724-1797 A.D.)