"For
the Scripture saith, Whosoever
believeth on Him
shall not be ashamed."
-ROMANS
10:11 [KJV]
A
child of God may be often deeply exercised whether he has any faith
at all; for when he reads what faith has done and can do, and sees
and feels how little it has done for him, he is seized with doubts
and fears whether he has ever been blessed with the faith of God's
elect. This makes him often say, "Oh, do I indeed possess one
grain of saving faith?" But he does possess it: nay, it is his
very faith which makes him so anxiously ask himself the question, as
well as see and feel the nature and amount of his unbelief. It is the
very light of God shining into his soul that shews him his sins,
their nature and number; convinces him of their guilt and enormity;
lays the burden of them upon his conscience; and discovers to him the
workings of an unbelieving heart.
But besides this, if he had no faith at all he could not hear the voice of God speaking in the gospel, nor receive it as a message of mercy; so that he has faith, though he has not its witnessing evidence, or its abounding comfort. This faith will save his soul; for "the gifts and calling of God are without repentance;" that is, God never repents of any gift that He bestows or of any calling which He has granted. If, then, He has ever blessed you with faith, however small that faith may be in itself or in your own view of it, He will never take it away out of your heart, but rather fan the smoking flax until it burst forth into a flame. He will never forsake the work of His own hands, for He which "hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ."
If ever, then, if but once in your life, you have felt the gospel to be the power of God unto salvation; if you have ever had one view of Christ by living faith; if but once only, under the influence of His blessed Spirit on your heart, you have laid hold of Him and felt even for a few minutes that He was yours, your soul is as safe as though it were continually bathing in the river which maketh glad the city of God, continually drinking of the honey and milk of the gospel, and walking all day long in the full light of His most gracious countenance. Not that a man should be satisfied with living at a poor, cold, dying rate; I mean not that, but merely to lay it down as a part of God's truth that as regards salvation, it is not the amount, but the reality of faith that saves the soul.
But besides this, if he had no faith at all he could not hear the voice of God speaking in the gospel, nor receive it as a message of mercy; so that he has faith, though he has not its witnessing evidence, or its abounding comfort. This faith will save his soul; for "the gifts and calling of God are without repentance;" that is, God never repents of any gift that He bestows or of any calling which He has granted. If, then, He has ever blessed you with faith, however small that faith may be in itself or in your own view of it, He will never take it away out of your heart, but rather fan the smoking flax until it burst forth into a flame. He will never forsake the work of His own hands, for He which "hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ."
If ever, then, if but once in your life, you have felt the gospel to be the power of God unto salvation; if you have ever had one view of Christ by living faith; if but once only, under the influence of His blessed Spirit on your heart, you have laid hold of Him and felt even for a few minutes that He was yours, your soul is as safe as though it were continually bathing in the river which maketh glad the city of God, continually drinking of the honey and milk of the gospel, and walking all day long in the full light of His most gracious countenance. Not that a man should be satisfied with living at a poor, cold, dying rate; I mean not that, but merely to lay it down as a part of God's truth that as regards salvation, it is not the amount, but the reality of faith that saves the soul.
-Gospel
report by preacher J.C. Philpot (1802–1869 A.D.)
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