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"IF THOU SHALT BELIEVE IN THINE HEART"

This experience is to me, and will be to any one who reflects upon it, very wonderful and impressive. I had no notion at all that intellectual difficulties and questionings could be removed in any way except by being answered, one by one, to the intellectual satisfaction of the person in whose mind they existed. But my doubts and difficulties were not met in that way. They were simply removed when I believed on the Crucified One, and accepted Him as the Christ of God, and as my personal Savior.

The explanation of this is that the seat of unbelief is not in the head, but in the heart Romans 10:9. It is the will that is wrong; and the bristling array of doubts and difficulties which spring up in the mind are mere disguises and pretexts supplied by the enemy of souls, behind which the unbelieving heart tries to shelter itself and to justify its unbelief.

This is the explanation of those words of our Lord, who knew what was in man, "Ye will not come to Me that ye might have life" John 5:40. It is man’s unbroken and unyielded will that prevents him from coming to the Fountain of eternal life and receiving that unspeakable gift of God. And this, too, is why it is written, "For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness" Romans 10:9.

The natural mind is the congenial breeding place of doubts and questionings, and (as it deems these to be of great importance) it supposes that these must be dealt with seriatim. The natural man knows nothing about being "transformed by the renewing of the mind" Romans 12:2, arid he "receives not the things of the Spirit of God; for they are foolishness unto him; neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned" 1 Corinthians 2:14. But when the heart, the center of man’s being, that inmost place to which God alone has access, is persuaded, the whole man is changed, and the mind likewise renewed and purged of its pestilential brood of doubts and reasonings.

Therefore, what had previously held me back from accepting the salvation that is freely offered through Christ Jesus was not the brood of doubts and reasonings with which my head teemed. In supposing that the difficulty lay there I was miserably deceived, as are myriads of others "in whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them that believe not, lest the light of the Gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should dawn upon them" 2 Corinthians 4:4, R. V.

God took no notice at all of the questionings of my puny mind, which seemed to me very formidable and worthy of the most respectful consideration. He dealt with them according to His own sovereign will and removed them in a moment. This was not difficult at all to Him who "taketh up the isles as a very little thing." Hence the stupendous change, whereby one dead in trespasses and sins is quickened together with Christ (Ephesians 2:5, is not accomplished through any process of reasoning, nor is it the outcome of any process of development. It is the immediate and mighty work of God — "the working of His mighty power which He wrought in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and set Him at His own right hand in the heavenly places" Ephesians 1:19,20; and it is a work which is done instantly in them that believe on the Lord Jesus Christ.

I should, of course, be wholly at a loss to interpret this experience but for the Scriptures; and thereby the Divine authorship of these is further confirmed. In the light of the Scriptures it is easy to see that what had occurred was an inwrought conviction produced by the Holy Spirit, the One now ministering in the world, testifying of a risen, ascended and glorified Christ, at the right hand of God, and convicting of sin, of righteousness and of judgment. "Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on Thee; because he trusteth in Thee" Isaiah 26:3.

Another marked result of believing "the witness of God which He hath testified of His Son" 1 John 5:9 has been the complete deliverance from the spells of mental depression, which were rapidly developing into a state of settled melancholia, or what is called "nervous prostration," from which so many are suffering in these times of high pressure, and concerning the cause of which they are totally ignorant. The mind cannot be kept in perfect peace that is "stayed" upon material and perishing things. It is manifestly a satisfactory and sufficient explanation of peace of mind that it is "stayed" upon the unchangeable God. This deliverance from mental depression was not immediate, for I did not learn at once to stay my mind on Him; but the change began immediately and progressed until settled peace became the normal mental condition.

I have learned, in a word, that the redemption that is in Christ Jesus covers and meets all the consequences of sin whether manifested in soul, or mind, or body. Our salvation is of the Lord and is for the whole man, "spirit, soul and body." "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved, and thy house" Acts 16:31.

Within two months from the event related above (which, by the way, through timidity and fear of comment and ridicule I tried to keep as much as possible to myself) I was put in a position where I was compelled to open my lips to a beloved member of my own family, suffering as I could plainly see, from what had formerly oppressed me, and to preach Christ for the first time. What effort the delivery of this sermon cost me cannot be described. It consisted of these words: "What you need is the Lord Jesus Christ;" and after their utterance the preacher had not another word to say, and the only visible result was a very awkward and constrained silence. Yet this simple, clumsily-given testimony, together with some verses of Scripture read at random, were used by the Spirit of God to quicken another dead soul. There were yet two more of the household to be brought to a knowledge of Christ, but it was not long before these likewise, and without any pressure from us, accepted Christ, and were translated out of darkness into His marvelous light.

"The path of the righteous is as the dawning light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day" Proverbs 4:18, R. V.

It was a great and wonderful surprise to us to find that there was such a thing as an assurance of salvation, with immediate and unmistakable blessings given to believers as an earnest and first-fruits of the inheritance of the saints. All our previous theological instruction had been to the effect that if one lived "a good Christian life" (which many deluded souls are trying to do before they have got it) he might possibly be saved hereafter, but that there was no certainty for anybody until the "day of judgment."

But even greater surprises awaited us. Blessed as it is to know upon the evidence of Christ’s own statement, prefaced by His "Verily, verily, I say unto you," that He who hears His Word and believes on Him who sent Him has everlasting life and shall not come into judgment, but is passed from death unto life John 5:24, there was much more to follow. God’s goodness toward us did not stop at revealing the truth as to our acceptance in Christ and our consequent eternal security. He led us to see that it was our duty and privilege to take at once the place of rejection with Christ, who has been cast out of this age and all of its affairs and enterprises, the rulers (or leaders) of this age having crucified the Lord of Glory 1 Corinthians 2:8. He showed us that Christ had given Himself for our sins for the express purpose "that He might deliver us from this present evil age" Galatians 1:4 and that His will for the redeemed of this age is that they should go forth "unto Him without the camp, bearing His reproach" Hebrews 13:13.

The camp is, superficially at least, an attractive place, full of gaiety and revelry, with every possible device to delight the eye and gratify the mind of the flesh. By keeping the bright things as much as possible in evidence, and pushing the wretchedness, suffering and misery into the background, the camp manages to keep up appearances, particularly as its occupants are quite willing to be deceived, and are pretty well agreed that it is the duty of every dweller therein to be an "optimist." Having led the Christ of God outside the gate, and put Him to death, the leaders of this "present evil age" have devoted their great talents and energies, under the superb direction and management of the "god of this age," to the one object of making such "progress," and developing such a glorious "civilization," as will demonstrate that the world has no need of Christ. In carrying out this great undertaking the "leaders of this age" are sufficiently astute to provide a place inside the camp even for those "who profess and call themselves Christians," making them welcome in the world, and even giving them positions of prominence therein, upon the single easy condition that they will accept the age’s gospel of progress, and subscribe heartily to the doctrine that "the world is getting better every day." This condition the aforesaid "Christians" are for the greater part quite ready, not only to accept, but even to make it an article of religion, changing the Scriptures so far as necessary to that end.

"YE ARE COMPLETE IN HIM" COLOSSIANS 2:10

The Lord has further shown us that, so far from finding it a deprivation to withdraw ourselves from the pursuits and amusements of the camp and from its godless mirth, which is as the crackling of dry thorns under a pot, we have in fact gained unspeakably thereby. The new interests which now occupy us (having to do with Him in whose presence is fullness of joy, and at whose right hand are pleasures for evermore,) are far more satisfying, and contribute far more real gratification than all the things in which, for want of knowledge of something better, we used to be interested, and in the pursuit of which we spent our time and money. It seems, humanly speaking, impossible to make our friends and associates in the old life understand that we have not suffered any deprivations whatever. "Having the understanding darkened," they can only see the worthless things which we have cast aside, and can take no cognizance of the riches of grace and glory which the believer in Christ has, "in whom it hath pleased the Father that all fulness should dwell" Colossians 1:19.

It is as if a beggar were given, through kingly munificence, a suit of rich apparel, and should hasten to put it on, joyfully casting aside the rags with which he was previously clad, and some onlookers, likewise clad in dingy garments, should be able to see only the discarded rags, and should thereupon hasten away clasping their own rags tightly around them for fear a like experience might befall them.

"IF I GO, I WILL COME AGAIN" JOHN 14:3

The Lord has also enabled us to look beyond "this present evil age," of which Satan is the god, to the age that is soon to come, in which Christ will return to earth, and all His redeemed with Him, as prophesied since Enoch’s time Jude 14; Revelation 19:11-16; etc., and "to the times of restitution of all things which God hath spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets since the world began" Acts 3:21.

But, more than that, we have been led to look, not for earthly happiness or for bliss after death, but for that event, which is nearer still, and which it is the Privilege of the believer to expect at any moment, when the Lord Himself shall call upon His own to meet Him in the air 1 Thessalonians 4:16,17; 1 Corinthians 15:51,52. And so the grace of God, which brings salvation, hath appeared, "teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world; looking for that blessed hope and the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us" Titus 2:11-14.

This is not the teaching of the wisdom of this age, nor of the leaders of this age; nor is it the teaching of those professed ministers of Christ who have accepted the gospel of this age — the gospel of its progress and betterment; but it is the teaching of "the grace of God" and of the Word of God, and we have accepted and rejoice in it.

"Yea, and all that would live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution."

It would not be a truthful representation of the matter to make it appear that there have been no unpleasant experiences attending and resulting from this departure from our old ways and entering upon "the one true and living way." There has been, of course, much adverse comment, much irritation, much hostility aroused, we have heard many references to "selfrighteousness," "fanaticism," and the like. To desert the ways of the world is, of course, to condemn those ways; and they who are walking in them cannot be expected to take it kindly. They turn away exclaiming, "‘Are not Abana and Pharpar, rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel?’ 2 Kings 5:12. Then why this narrow-mindedness and bigotry?" And, as might also be expected, the greatest resentment of our conduct has been aroused in those who, while professing to belong to Christ, are casting their lot indiscriminately with them who openly reject Him.

This, of course, we can endure patiently, because He said, "If the world hate you, ye know that it hated Me before it hated you" John 15:18; and the more so, because we know that those who cherish and display such feelings do it in ignorance of the truth. We remember that we were, and not so very long ago, in precisely the same darkness, and that it required the power and grace of God to let the light into our darkened minds. We know, too, that we can help these precious souls for whom Christ died, only by maintaining our separated path, and by praying that the scales may fall from their eyes also, that they may see what is the true "course of this world" Ephesians 2:2, of which its leaders are so boastful, and where it will inevitably carry them who pursue it to the end; and above all may see that there is eternal life only in Christ and through faith in His atoning sacrifice and in His resurrection from among the dead Romans 10:9; Acts 17:3; Romans 4:24,25; 1 Corinthians 15:1-4 and 13,19, etc.