038. Chapter 33: Distinguishing Marks of Saving Faith
------------ CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE ------------ Distinguishing Marks of Saving Faith
Faith is the soul of Christianity; whoever is in error here, errs unto his eternal damnation. Many, having a false notion concerning this, perish with a false peace; others spend their days in sorrow, being fearful that they do not possess true faith, whereas, being true believers, they have reason to go on their way rejoicing. It is therefore necessary to distinguish in the clearest possible manner between true and temporal faith. May the Lord grant me grace and ability to do so.
We have done so briefly in the previous chapter, as much as the explanation of the nature of faith necessitated this. For the purpose of self-examination, however, further explanation and application are necessary. Thus we promised to treat this subject more extensively in this chapter.
One should not imagine that true faith and temporal faith resemble each other so closely that they can scarcely be distinguished from each other, merely differing in degree and duration. They differ from each other in their essential nature. The difference between them is comparable to the difference between death and life, light and darkness. The difficulty in distinguishing between them is to be found in man, however, and in the manner in which he discriminates in applying this to himself. A true believer, having received light to distinguish between various matters, can be more readily convinced that he possesses true faith than a temporal believer of the contrary. For the temporal believer is ignorant of the true essence and unique nature of saving faith, even though he is able to discourse about it on the basis of God’s Word, as well as by means of what he has read and heard from God’s children who have spoken or written about it.
We wish to pursue this further and demonstrate, 1) the necessity of self-examination; 2) the various types of people to be considered in reference to self-examination; 3) several false foundations upon which some put themselves at ease, but who will perish forever; 4) the fundamental nature of true faith in its origin, essence, and fruit. The Necessity of Self-Examination
Whoever you are, as you read or hear this read, I ask you -- give your answer to an omniscient God -- what do you say about yourself? Are you a true believer or not? Come, search yourself closely and examine yourself, for:
First, you are at this present moment either a child of God or a child of Satan; you cannot be both at once nor can you be neutral, as there is no third option. Impress this upon your heart, regardless of how prominent or despised you are, or how blessed or wretched you are. Is it not worth the effort to examine yourself as to who you are? Should one be careless in such a weighty matter? For such is the practice of foolish virgins, upon whose end we should reflect.
Secondly, not those who are baptized, and not all who attend church and partake of the Lord’s Supper are true believers. Yes, only a few, and by far the smallest number of them are true believers on the way to eternal felicity. Think of a multitude as you would find in the marketplace where people can be seen mingling together as ants -- or as you would find gathered in a filled church. While doing so consider the following: Simon the sorcerer was baptized (Acts 8:13); the guest without the wedding garment sat at the table (Matthew 22:11); half of the virgins were foolish (Matthew 25:2). Only few are chosen (Matthew 20:16). Only few find the narrow way and enter through the narrow gate, while there are many who are on the broad way who, through the wide gate, run to their damnation (Matthew 7:13-14). And thus our focus is upon you -- and should you not ask yourself what hope you are entertaining about yourself? “Lord, is it I” (Matthew 26:22); “Master, is it I” (Matthew 26:25).
Thirdly, it is most detrimental to neglect self-examination and the searching of one’s heart. Such neglect holds man captive in the sleep of carelessness. It causes him to waste time. It renders the means of grace useless and impotent. It hardens his heart against all the threatenings and judgments of God. It holds him captive to the world and to sin; yes, it is the key whereby he closes heaven and opens hell for himself.
Fourthly, self-examination is very beneficial. It causes one to become conscious of the evils which dwell in the heart. It causes one to become acquainted with the avenging justice of God. It causes one to become concerned, frightened, and perplexed. It causes one to flee to Jesus for justification and sanctification. It causes one to become serious in heart. And if one may perceive grace, light, life, and faith, it cannot be expressed what joy this generates in the heart and what a strengthening effect this has! It repeatedly provides a person with new courage; he receives more liberty in prayer and he becomes acquainted with the ways in which God deals with souls. It gladdens his heart and it has a sanctifying influence upon all his actions. “And every man that has this hope in him purifieth himself, even as He is pure” (1 John 3:3).
Fifthly, to neglect this self-examination due to laziness, discouragement, or despair, robs a person of all comfort and joy, obstructs his growth, and denies God His honor. Therefore, examine yourself frequently, and often give answer to the question, “Simon, lovest thou Me” (John 21:17).
It is also God’s express command; whoever neglects this, not surrendering to His will, is disobedient toward God. How can such a person prosper? “Let us search and try our ways” (Lamentations 3:40); “Gather yourselves together, yea, gather together, O nation not desired” (Zephaniah 2:1). [Note: A literal rendering of Statenvertaling reads, “Search yourself closely, yea closely, O nation void of desire.”] “Let a man examine himself” (1 Corinthians 11:28); “Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates” (2 Corinthians 13:5).
Submit to the counsel and command of God, and you will prosper. Sixthly, it is possible for one to come to the knowledge of his spiritual state -- whether one is in the covenant of grace with God, and whether or not one is a believer. To imagine that such is impossible causes a decline in serious concern about spiritual matters and therefore I wish to state that it is possible for one to know this. The bride knew that Jesus was hers: “My Beloved is mine, and I am His” (Song of Solomon 2:16). “For I know that my Redeemer liveth” (Job 19:25); “... and thou shalt know that I the Lord am thy Saviour and thy Redeemer, the mighty One of Jacob” (Isaiah 60:16). “For I am persuaded,” etc. (Romans 8:38). “Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God” (1 Corinthians 2:12). “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live” (Galatians 2:20).
Thus it should be noted that it is possible for a person to be assured. Therefore, strive to attain to such assurance. It is also possible, however, for a natural man to be convinced that he is still in an unregenerate state.
Seventhly, even though it is possible to come to this realization by the grace of the Holy Spirit, not every one does. Many thousands will go to hell who imagine that they will enter heaven. There will also be many, however, who will enter heaven who feared that they would not arrive there. And even those who at times may stand strong, can readily become weak and come into darkness. “In my prosperity I said, I shall never be moved. Lord, by Thy favor Thou hast made my mountain to stand strong: Thou didst hide Thy face, and I was troubled” (Psalms 30:6-7). In some true partakers of the covenant of grace there is still much darkness, so that they do not have a clear perception of what constitutes sufficient light and life. Although they know this when considering it divorced from themselves, and would be capable of stating this clearly to others, they nevertheless lack sufficient light to observe these graces in themselves. Moreover, so much of the old man yet remains in them -- a fact upon which they focus to such an extent that they question whether this can coexist with grace -- that they live between hope and fear. Hence they are poor, even though they possess much that is good. Others have good opinions of themselves, but they deceive themselves miserably. “There is a generation that is pure in their own eyes, and yet is not washed from their filthiness” (Proverbs 30:12). Consider, therefore, how necessary it is that we scrutinize our hearts and examine ourselves as to who and how we are.
Various Forms of Self-Deceit Identified and False Foundations Exposed To be of assistance in this matter, I shall describe several spiritual frames, so that you may examine yourself as to what sort of person you are.
First, there are people who neither have knowledge, nor desire, nor do they meditate upon or have discussions about God, heaven, hell, the soul, the covenant, the Mediator, faith, or conversion. Their thoughts do not transcend this earth and do not penetrate beyond that which is visible; of invisible things they cannot speak a word. Is the soul immortal? Is there a heaven and a hell? This they will discover after their death; in the meantime they passively wait for where God will send them. They leave the matter to God, as it is not for them to search this out. They who have the privilege to go to heaven will then be well off; the others necessarily entertain a good hope about themselves. What fools you are!
Secondly, others know very well that they are ungodly, worldly, and unregenerate; they admit freely that if they continue in this manner, they cannot be saved. Yet there is no evidence of emotion or sorrow, neither is there an earnest determination to forsake their sinful life and to be converted; they are bewitched and possessed of Satan. They do not wish to focus upon their heart and spiritual condition, knowing quite well what the results would be. This could cause them to be distraught and fearful, which is something they do not desire. They do not wish to hear about sorrow, nor do they wish to hear the “jabbering” of ministers who, either from the pulpit or in private, uncover their sins; they do not wish to have the lid removed from this pot. They hate those who rebuke them, as in Isaiah 30:9-11, “This is a rebellious people, lying children, children that will not hear the law of the Lord: which say to the seers, See not; and to the prophets, Prophesy not unto us right things, speak unto us smooth things, prophesy deceits: get you out of the way, turn aside out of the path, cause the Holy One of Israel to cease from before us.” Such have already condemned themselves, and they will be judged by that which proceeds from their heart and mouth.
Thirdly, others are not as ungodly; they are good-natured, have a meek character, and are externally religious. Nevertheless they are aware that they do not possess spiritual life, are not indwelt by the Spirit, have no communion with God, nor have faith, but are living for that which is visible. They are fully convinced that they are without grace, but it does not trouble their heart very much. There is no earnest concern, no anxiety; and even if occasionally there is an inclination truly to repent, a bosom sin will hinder them, and they will depart from this inclination with a sigh, choosing the things of this world as the young ruler, of whom it is written, “He went away sorrowful” (Matthew 19:22).
Fourthly, others come even a step closer, having escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord Jesus (2 Peter 2:20). They join the fellowship of the godly, and are active in many things, as Herod in Mark 6:20. However, they do not come to an ultimate conclusion concerning their spiritual state. They leave this unresolved as they do not know what it is. Yes, they complain much about their spiritual poverty to the God-fearing, and speak of a great fear that they have not been regenerated. Their secret objective is to gain the respect, love, and pity of the godly, however; for if someone ventures to deal faithfully with them, declaring to them that they still appear to be in a natural state, rather than being regenerate, they become offended and change their manner of expression in an effort to defend themselves. The outcome often reveals that they have deceived others and have kept themselves from being genuinely concerned. Among such there are, however, also those who are very concerned and fearful, living in anxiety with this conviction during their entire lifetime. They nevertheless remain who they are -- without Spirit and life.
Fifthly, there are others who have great thoughts about the state of their heart. They “know” that all is well with them as far as their relationship with God is concerned; they will most certainly be saved. There is no doubt in their mind about this. Even if all ministers would unite, they would not succeed in taking away this faith and assurance from them. However, what foundation do these people have? Some have no foundation at all; others rest upon false foundations. Others appear to rest upon a true foundation, but they appropriate it to themselves unjustly, thereby deceiving themselves. Such we now wish to identify, while simultaneously demonstrating to the true partakers of the covenant of grace that their case is different from these.
Sixthly, others claim assurance without any foundation. These are generally ignorant people who neither have knowledge of God, the Mediator, the Spirit, nor of spiritual life. They comprehend that hell is a terrible place and they have no desire to be there. They reason that such a reality would cause them to be too ill at ease. Because it appears too melancholy to them, they imagine within themselves that it will not be necessary for them to come there. Since after death they wish to be in their imagined or so-called heaven, they are of the opinion that they will arrive there. Being confident of this, they continue their life upon earth. Such people are sleeping at the very edge of hell and are often not awakened until, too late, they open their eyes in hell (cf. Luke 16:23).
It is indeed true that many godly persons whose knowledge is limited are assured by the Spirit of God in their hearts, and yet cannot relate the basis for their assurance. They have a basis, however, even though they cannot relate it to others. They are able to perceive and experience what others are able to express, for they know that during the enjoyment of their assurance they have communion with God in Christ. Such persons we shall describe more particularly in the conclusion of this chapter.
Seventhly, others assure themselves upon false foundations, living in the state of nature and for that which is visible. They quiet their conscience, or prevent themselves from becoming uneasy referring to many self-defined and self-made marks of grace. Among those marks the following are most prominent:
(1) God is gracious and merciful, and how could He bring Himself to punish His creatures so severely, especially if they plead with Him for mercy? He who prays will receive; he who knocks, to him it will be opened.
Answer: Know that “God is good to Israel, even to such as are of a clean heart” (Psalms 73:1); “The face of the Lord is against them that do evil” (Psalms 34:16); the prayer of the wicked is an abomination to God; and in John 9:31 it is recorded, “God heareth not sinners”; “Yea, when ye make many prayers, I will not hear” (Isaiah 1:15). The foolish virgins in Matthew 25:1-46 knocked and also called, but were not given entrance. In Proverbs 1:28 it is stated, “Then shall they call upon Me, but I will not answer.” God’s grace does not consist in allowing sin to go unpunished, but in the gift of a Surety, as well as in granting a person faith and repentance.
(2) Christ has died for us all; if we have sin, we are again reconciled in Him.
Answer: This is not true; Christ gives eternal life to His sheep; however, there are those who do not belong to His sheep (John 10:26-27). “He became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey Him” (Hebrews 5:9). If the foregoing presupposition were true, how is it possible that the goats on His left hand will be condemned?
(3) I do not live such an ungodly life; I have been baptized; I partake of the Lord’s Supper; I diligently go to church; I am upright in my conversation; I do not curse; I do not party; I am not boastful; I read God’s Word; I say my prayers. What more can you ask of me? If one cannot be saved in this manner, who then can be saved? Then many will remain outside of heaven.
Answer: Why not add to this: I fast twice in the week; I give tithes of all that I possess; or: Oh God, I thank Thee, that I am not as other men are (Luke 18:12
(4) God blesses me very abundantly, which I consider as a sign that He loves me.
Answer: “Wherefore do the wicked live, become old, yea, are mighty in power” (Job 21:7). “Surely Thou didst set them in slippery places” (Psalms 73:18); “The prosperity of fools shall destroy them” (Proverbs 1:32). Did not the rich man receive that which is good in this life? Nevertheless his end was in hell (Luke 16:25).
(5) God chastises me, and I have much sorrow and adversity in my life. I believe that God chastises those whom He loves. I must suffer so much here in order that I need not suffer in the hereafter.
Answer: God chastises His children in order that they may become partakers of His holiness, but He punishes the ungodly in His wrath. “There is no peace, saith my God, to the wicked” (Isaiah 57:21). The miseries of the ungodly are often the beginning of eternal damnation. Far be it from us, therefore, that we should deduce God’s love from external tribulations. Thus, you can see that all these things are not a basis upon which one may conclude what his spiritual state is, and imagine salvation for himself. If you have been resting on these foundations, you have deceived yourself. Therefore, awake, thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead.
Eighthly, others deceive themselves, who, even though they hold to proper and sound marks of grace, appropriate them unjustly to themselves, even though these matters are not to be found in them. The marks of grace which they generally posit are as follows: sorrow over sin and the birth pangs of regeneration; faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and the joy of the Spirit ensuing from this, as well as repentance and a sanctified walk of life.
Initially we may say of such individuals:
(1) They do not sincerely examine themselves. They do not unpretentiously come into the presence of God, being concerned with self-deception, praying with David, “Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me and know my thoughts: and see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting” (Psalms 139:23-24). Rather, the determination of their own spiritual state passes quickly from their minds, as they do not dare to suspect themselves. In response to a glimmer of that which appears to be good, they entertain good thoughts about themselves, however, and they speak with a liberty which transcends the true condition of their heart. They are accustomed to focus upon matters in a manner divorced from their own condition, discussing them passionately without any reflection upon their own heart. The upright in heart, on the contrary, must generally cope with much internal anxiety.
(2) The foundations upon which they build, consistent with the manner in which they determine their spiritual state, are only superficial and spurious. Their sorrow, faith, and sanctification do not proceed from the heart, but only from a general intellectual notion, manifesting themselves only externally, being merely the fruit of a natural disposition. Their case does not go beyond the surface, neither do their concerns, sorrows, and desires; they maintain themselves by thinking and speaking of the matters themselves such as faith, hope, and love, and the essential nature of each. They will also speak about the condition of the church, complaining of the lack of spirituality, as well as failures to be discerned in others, etc. In these matters, which relate to all that is external, they are generally first to express themselves most vehemently. The subject matter being spiritual in nature, they delight to speak seriously about these things.
However, the objective of true believers is to discern and experience these matters in their hearts. Their desires are after God, and their eyes and hearts are focused upon Him. Spiritual matters lead them to God; and if such is not the case, true believers do not find delight in them. They cannot be content with these matters as such.
(3) Temporal believers do not examine themselves sincerely; they also do not wish to be exposed by others. When the marks of grace are presented from the pulpit, they do not apply them to themselves. They do not give heed or do so only for the purpose of learning, in order that they may be able to present these matters to others, and thus be esteemed for their wisdom, spirituality, and experience. When they do pay careful attention, they have others in mind, thinking that this applies to such and such an individual and that he should take this to heart. Hence, they become more and more established in this frame of mind, and this in turn makes them all the more careless. If, however, someone deals with such temporal believers in an earnest and most personal manner, exposing them in such a manner that they cannot remain concealed, they become unpleasant, defend themselves most vehemently, and seek to take away from the love and esteem such upright individuals may enjoy. Whereas such temporal believers were able to maintain a reputation for godliness while traversing upon the broad way, thereby creating the distinct impression of being wise, they will now readily depart from the right way as such people are very much motivated by the objective of having the love and esteem of others.
Those who truly fear God, however, are very desirous to be uncovered. The uncovering of their failures and the sinful condition of their soul is something most valuable to them. It causes them to rejoice within, even though at times they perceive that their flesh initially resists such discovery. “Let the righteous smite me; it shall be a kindness: and let him reprove me; it shall be an excellent oil” (Psalms 141:5). And if such discovery makes them conscious that God has glorified His grace in them, they not only rejoice over this, but it draws them in a sweet manner to God. They perceive within themselves a revival of faith and love as well as a sincere resolution to live a more godly life. “And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself” (1 John 3:3).
Having stated this generally by way of introduction, let us now focus in particular upon each spiritual foundation, so that we may discern more clearly between temporal and true believers.
Temporal and True Believers Distinguished in Their Sorrow over Sin The first matter is sorrow over sin. The temporal believer reasons as follows: “Scripture states, “Blessed are they that mourn” (Matthew 5:4). God dwells with him that is of a contrite and humble spirit and will revive the heart of the contrite ones (Isaiah 57:15). Well, I am sorrowful, and I am disturbed when I have sinned; I have experienced much strife and anxiety. Therefore I consider myself to be a child of God, to be included in the covenant of grace, and to be a believer.” My response is that not all sorrow within man proceeds from spiritual light and life, and therefore not all sorrow is of the right sort -- the sort to which the promise of salvation and comfort is attached. Paul speaks of a godly sorrow and a sorrow of the world (2 Corinthians 7:10). Consider Saul for instance: “... Saul said, Is this thy voice, my son David? And Saul lifted up his voice and wept. And he said to David, Thou art more righteous than I: for thou hast rewarded me good, whereas I have rewarded thee evil ... the Lord reward thee good” (1 Samuel 24:16-17
See how he displayed sorrow to the greatest degree, appeared to succumb to this sorrow, and fasted. And did not Esau seek the place of repentance with sorrow when he heard that he had lost his blessing? He sought to persuade his father by means of tears to rescind the blessing, and to bless him instead (Hebrews 12:17). And was not Judas remorseful? (Matthew 27:3). Are you of the opinion that these were external and in appearance only? I am of the opinion that it was most definitely heartfelt. Are you of the opinion that you may have comfort and peace in your soul because you once wept and prayed? Saul also wept. The natural man who lives under the ministry of the gospel -- however ungodly he may be -- will in times of perplexity and anxiety within his conscience also weep and pray. Upon weeping he will feel some relief, for weeping physically relieves inner anxiety. Papists experience a wonderful peace after they have been to confession, because they believe they have received complete absolution. Such is also the case with an individual who in his sorrow has humbled himself, and has confessed his sins; he believes that they are forgiven, thinking that God has seen his tears and heard his prayers. Or if by means of other pretenses, he has pacified himself so that he has become much more peaceful, he hopes that all will now be well. From the foregoing you should therefore be convinced that sorrow and weeping cannot be the basis upon which to determine your spiritual state. The crucial issue is the cause of this sorrow, the manner in which this sorrow is experienced, as well as the spiritual frame of the soul associated with this sorrow. The causes of sorrow in unregenerate persons are as follows: Some are sorrowful as a result of depression and are naturally inclined toward melancholy. Regardless of the origin of their depression, these individuals will be sorrowful and despondent while dealing with spiritual matters such as salvation and sin. These individuals are identifiable by the fact that they cannot give a reason for, nor do they strive to be delivered from, this sorrow; they always remain the same unless their melancholy mood lifts temporarily. Then, without reason, they vacillate too far to the other extreme, talking excessively in a state of exhilaration, being joyous for no apparent reason. Such will assure themselves of their salvation, even though most often they live in fear.
Some are sorrowful for fear of damnation. Their conscience becomes active, focusing upon their sinful life, the justice of God, and the dreadfulness of damnation. This anxiety will not allow them to sleep, but causes them to complain, weep, and cry. At that moment such will not assure themselves; however, after the experience passes, some will take this for evidence that they have experienced the birth pangs of regeneration, that they are converted, that they have won the battle, and this then gives them peace. But to such we say, that if this did not result in true repentance and faith, then your fear and trembling were no better than that of Felix (Acts 24:25). Then you have trembled as the devil does (James 2:19), and you would thus deceive yourself if such were the basis upon which you determine your spiritual state.
Some are moved, and cry, only because they are affected by the dramatic motions and the manner of exhortation utilized by the minister, as well as the fact that others are stirred. They also become heavy-hearted, which causes them to weep as well. Such was the case in the days of Nehemiah: “For all the people wept when they heard the words of the law” (Nehemiah 8:9).
Some are sorrowful, because in committing sin they have brought themselves into disgrace with the people, they have suffered loss so that they come in a condition of poverty and trouble, or they fear the retribution of the government. This causes much inner anxiety, and such a situation can generate melancholy thoughts pertaining to salvation.
Some are sorrowful over sin in view of its magnitude. It was committed against the light of nature, in spite of a tender conscience, contrary to a good upbringing -- all of which troubles them. If it involves another person, they feel sorrow for the trouble they have caused that person. Such would be the case with someone who has murdered his father, and who would always feel remorse. This could also be experienced with sins of a lesser nature. To make a conclusion on the basis of such sorrow that one is in the state of grace is also erroneous, for even the heathen experience sorrow and are pricked in their conscience (Romans 2:14-15).
You who gauge your spiritual state by the degree or intensity of your perplexity and sorrow, consider if your experience is consistent with what has just been stated about this matter. I urge you to awake, for you are deceiving yourself, as has now been demonstrated. To convince you even further, while simultaneously communicating to the mourners in Zion about the grace which they possess, let us now consider the causes and characteristics of sorrow which are to be found only in the children of God. I preface this by stating that what has been said about sorrow in the above, can also be found in those who truly fear God. In addition to this, however, they experience also different matters and spiritual frames.
First, true sorrow pertains to sin as sin; that is, the godly see beyond the deed itself. They bring themselves into the presence of God and mourn before His countenance. They perceive that they have sinned against the goodness and holiness of God, having violated the relationship which existed between the creature and the Creator. They perceive that they have acted contrary to the fear, love, and obedience to which they were obliged before God. Even if in their sorrow they are not able to distinguish these matters so clearly, this reality is nevertheless to be found in their heart. This grieves them and makes them tenderhearted. Even if at times they cannot believe with assurance that they have been accepted as children, there is nevertheless a secret yearning for God. It burdens them to have sinned against God. They acquiesce in the justice of God if it would please Him to punish them. Their sentence is experienced in their heart as a heavy chastisement: Behold, “against Thee, Thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in Thy sight: that Thou mightest be justified when Thou speakest, and be clear when Thou judgest” (Psalms 51:4).
Secondly, true sorrow does not only concern itself with sinful deeds and greater sins, but also with lesser sins, neglect of duty, absence of holy motives in the exercise of duty, and with indecent, vain, and sinful thoughts which are even contrary to their will. Yes, it pertains to our sinful nature, wickedness, instability, and thus our impotence to make any improvements in the future. At the occasion of sin committed one considers himself entirely sinful within and without, and in view of this exclaims with perplexity and sorrow, “Behold, I was shapen in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me” (Psalms 51:5); “I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) dwelleth no good thing. ... O wretched man that I am!” (Romans 7:18
Thirdly, true sorrow is related to the absence of communion with God and to a yearning for this communion. The believer’s sorrow is indeed caused by sin, but it reaches beyond this. Even if the soul is not conscious of a particular sin, she is often sorrowful, and if you would ask the question, “Woman, why weepest thou” (John 20:15), the heart would be ready to answer: Because the Lord is absent. It is because I am so estranged from God and because the Lord hides Himself from me. In such a condition I cannot live; it is so dark within, and I am so sinful. Oh, that I were as in former days! Why does the Lord hide His countenance from me, while He perceives that it causes me to languish? Oh, that my heart would be more steadfast toward Him, that I would be more diligent and persevering in prayer, that I would fear Him more tenderly. “Oh when wilt Thou come unto me” (Psalms 101:2). “For these things I weep; mine eye, mine eye runneth down with water, because the Comforter that should relieve my soul is far from me” (Lamentations 1:16); “My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God” (Psalms 42:2).
Fourthly, true sorrow tends to become more intense and spiritual in nature. The sorrow of the temporal believer will readily disappear, since it is only related to various deeds or some moments of anxiety. The temporal believer seeks to evade this sorrow, either by means of diversion, or by countering it with appropriate words of Scripture, or it is worn away by time. True believers, on the contrary, complain often, and mourn over the hardness and insensitivity of their heart. If only they could be truly contrite, perceive the wickedness of sin and God’s wrath toward them, and thus be truly humbled in the dust. Such is their wish. If they do not perceive such motions within, they become sorrowful and complain, “O Lord, why hast Thou made us to err from Thy ways, and hardened our heart from Thy fear” (Isaiah 63:17). They are, however, not satisfied merely to have a sorrow of this nature, but they desire spiritual improvement from it, namely, that they may find themselves before the countenance of the Lord with their filthy garments (Zechariah 3:3). They desire to be filled with shame before the Lord’s countenance, so that they do not dare to lift up their eyes, or draw near. Standing afar off with the publican in Luke 18:13, they confess what is expressed in Ezra 9:6, “O my God, I am ashamed and blush to lift up my face to Thee, my God: for our iniquities are increased over our head, and our trespass is grown up unto the heavens.” They wish to sink away, with the prodigal son, in their unworthiness before the countenance of the Lord (Luke 15:19). They desire an evangelical sorrow; that is, a melting away in tears of love, in a sorrow over sin which proceeds from this love. They desire to justify God, and thus to silently submit themselves to the chastising hand of the Lord, saying, “I will bear the indignation of the Lord, because I have sinned against Him” (Micah 7:9). They desire to mourn as a child rather than as a slave and to trust in His grace. They will not and cannot cease to mourn until they may perceive some hope of reconciliation with God and some peace of conscience in Christ.
Fifthly, true sorrow works repentance. “For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of” (2 Corinthians 7:10). This does not mean that true believers are immediately victorious over sin, and will never fall into the same sin again, but by virtue of this sorrow there comes an ever-increasing hatred against sin. They make sincere resolutions against sin in the presence of God and continually resume the battle against it; they receive a holy disposition of soul.
If these matters are not truly found in you, be assured that your sorrow is not of the right kind. You have never experienced the birth pangs of regeneration. Do not view such false sorrow as evidence of your renewed state, but be assured that you are still in the state of nature. If these things are truly found in you, be careful not to deny or minimize this grace. Even if at the present time you do not possess the matters mentioned before to such a degree as you may have in the past, or as others possess them, or as you wished you possessed them, you may have some assurance that God has granted life to you. Wherever this true sorrow is to be found, however, the two subsequent experienced marks of grace will also be found.
Temporal and True Believers Distinguished in the Exercise of Faith The second mark of a true believer and partaker of the covenant of grace, in contrast to a temporal believer and presumptuous partaker of the covenant, is derived from faith itself. Faith is a sure mark of him who is a true partaker of the covenant and an heir of salvation. However, not all who think they have faith are possessors of true saving faith. In order to examine everyone in this regard, we must first describe the spiritual frame of a temporal believer, and then present the spiritual frame of a true believer.
I now address myself to those who feel assured within themselves that they are possessors of true faith, and not to those who are doubtful and concerned. I ask you: Is it in truth? Are you possibly deceiving yourself? Consider seriously in your heart that people can sadly deceive themselves in this matter, for not all that bears the name of faith is true faith. We read that Agrippa believed the prophets and was nevertheless a heathen (Acts 26:27). The devils themselves believe (James 2:19). Simon the sorcerer also believed, and yet he had neither part nor lot in the matter of salvation (Acts 8:13
First, those who only have a presumptuous, historical, or temporal faith, have some measure of knowledge of God, Christ, Scripture, and spiritual matters. However, with this knowledge they contemplate these things in an outward manner, divorced from any heart-acquaintance. These matters have never become reality within their hearts, nor have they made an impression upon their hearts. The truth of Scripture is not true within their hearts. Their thoughts, concerns, desires, and activities are not governed by a desire to have those contemplated matters in their hearts. They have no desire to be changed into that image (2 Corinthians 3:18). They view these matters as some would view the extravagant palace and gardens of a prince. They forget themselves and delight themselves in the contemplation of it, meanwhile having no thoughts, concerns, desires -- nor expending any energy -- to make it their possession. Whether it is their possession is neither their concern, nor the focus of their thinking at the moment.
Secondly, those who only have a presumptuous faith are assured -- the one less and the other more -- of the spiritual truths that there is a God, that Christ is the Savior, that salvation is to be obtained in Him, and that outside of Him condemnation must be expected. Being conscious of these truths, they believe them. There are those who are only somewhat assured of these and similar truths, who nevertheless speak boastfully and with much liberty. Others are so assured of the reality of these truths that they would die for them. By frequent contemplation upon and discussion of these things, they condition themselves to believe that they are partakers of them, since they are so firmly assured of these matters. However, they again bypass their heart. There are no earnest and straightforward transactions with God and with Christ to receive Him by faith, seek for His indwelling in the heart, and truly and unconditionally surrender oneself to Him. Their hearts remain hearts of stone (Matthew 13:20). Since they believe these truths externally, however, as well as by reason of being assured of this, they conclude and imagine that these truths are an internal reality and that they are true believers.
Thirdly, a temporal believer is certainly conscious of a witness in his heart that he is a believer, and he does possess gladness and joy. However, it is his own spirit or an evil spirit which testifies to him that he believes. Either his joy is of his own making, or the excellency of the spiritual matter upon which he has meditated has made him joyful.
He rarely reflects upon himself, being concerned with the external. Due to his perception of and belief in the truth, even if he does reflect upon himself, he yet does not dare to be suspicious of himself and does not examine himself. He is of the opinion that he would sin if he were to doubt his spiritual state. He perceives in one moment that all is well with him; that is, that he is a true believer. He considers these matters and their preciousness, and believes them. Should not he desire to embrace them? Thus he reasons. He considers the promises, but fails to consider the qualifications of those to whom the promises are made. Thus, his own spirit witnesses that he is a child of God.
How deceitfully Satan operates at times, stimulating the imagination to such a degree that it appears to the temporal believer that he experiences the joy of heaven in his heart! Yet it is nothing but a sensory stimulation, void of substance and communion with God. Humbleness of heart and love toward God are absent. At best there is some contemplation about spiritual mysteries and the riches of God’s children, as was the case with the Queen of the South who nearly fainted when she observed the wisdom and riches of Solomon -- riches of which she was not a partaker. With courage the temporal believer journeys on; he has no strife or wrestlings to believe and remain steadfast. He is assured, although he does not wish to hear his conscience which occasionally confronts him with the truth, and therefore he silences it.
Thus, temporal believers possess a faith which is but a waking dream, an imagination, a gazing upon the truth and preciousness of spiritual matters, a rejoicing in promises which were not made to them. There is no searching of the heart; neither are there sincere and earnest transactions with God and Christ. Temporal faith is an intellectual whim, a figment of the imagination, superficial and presumptuous in nature, without uprightness of heart, and without these truths having taken root downward in the heart. This does not mean that everything which temporal believers see, think, and do, is hypocritical in nature and is done against better knowledge. In fact, they are of the opinion that it is truth within, and that their spiritual state is certainly well. They deceive themselves. They dream and are of the opinion that they are awake, but they are in a condition from which they cannot be aroused. Concerning this condition of temporal believers we read, “But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the Word, and anon with joy receiveth it; yet hath he not root in himself” (Matthew 13:20-21). “For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, and have tasted of the good Word of God, and the powers of the world to come, if they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance” (Hebrews 6:4-6).
Let us now compare to this the spiritual frame of the true believer for the purpose of fully identifying true as well as temporal believers -- for the one in reference to the genuineness of saving grace, and for the other in reference to his imagined attainment. In true believers the following matters manifest themselves:
First, by faith true believers frequently receive the Lord Jesus with their heart. They receive Jesus by faith rather than indulging themselves in speculating about doctrinal issues and saving benefits. They go to the fountain itself and are engaged in transactions with God and Christ Himself. To Him they turn, Him they desire, for Him they long, Him they receive, upon Him they rely, to Him they surrender themselves, to Him they desire to be united -- all by faith. How they desire to be exercised in the acts of faith which we described in the previous chapter, and thus remain consciously united to Him! God and Christ are the focus of their spiritual activity, be it sometimes weaker and at other times stronger. Such is also the testimony of Holy Writ, “As many as received Him” (John 1:12); “Ye believe in God, believe also in me” (John 14:1).
They receive the Lord Jesus with their heart. Their activity is neither external nor intellectual in nature, but proceeds from within. Their heart mourns, longs, believes, surrenders, and is conscious of what is lacking within. They examine the condition of their heart, and in such a frame of mind, they engage in seeking to have the Lord Jesus in their heart. All that does not proceed from the heart they consider of no value; it grieves them and they can find no delight in it. “For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness” (Romans 10:10); “That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith” (Ephesians 3:17).
They frequently, if not a thousand times, receive the Lord Jesus by faith. They always believe that their reception of Him has not been as unreserved as it ought to have been and that it has not been with sufficient clarity and sincerity; it was not as wholehearted as it ought to have been. This receiving of Him is their daily food and very therefore they repeat it over and over, not so much with the objective to be included in the covenant of grace, but with the objective to be more and more intimately united with Christ. They are motivated by their daily failures to do so, as they perceive that without Him they cannot approach unto God. The desire for rest and inner peace continually drives them out to Him, who alone is their Peace. All this, however, is superseded by love, which also continually drives them out to Him. They are also subject to many periods of darkness, spiritual desertions, strife, and infirmities of faith. Since there is no restoration outside of Christ, they time and again return and cleave to Him, repeatedly renewing the exercise of faith. Since the believer’s spiritual life is dependent upon continually receiving Christ (who is his life), and just as a person will succumb when he is not able to breathe, so the believer will succumb if by faith he is not able to bring Christ into his heart or his heart to Christ. This constant repetition of believing and receiving may be observed especially in the Psalms and in the Song of Solomon.
Behold, such is the clear distinction between a temporal and a true believer. The one functions outside the realm of his heart and does not move beyond speculating about these matters. He proceeds in an external fashion, having experienced only an imaginary change. The true believer engages himself with his heart; he has dealings with Jesus and finds strength and life in the continual receiving of Him.
Secondly, true believers perceive and acknowledge Christ as being very precious to them. They perceive not only the excellency of the benefits which one receives through Christ -- to be delivered from all evil and to become partakers of salvation in the fullest sense of the word -- but also that which is precious in all daughters of Zion, as well as the blessed portion of all who are partakers of Jesus. They can say, “Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord; and the people whom He hath chosen for His own inheritance” (Psalms 33:12). Temporal believers are also capable of perceiving this, albeit with a different estimation than true believers. To the true believers Christ is precious, however, and they desire to enjoy Him experientially. “Unto you therefore which believe He is precious” (1 Peter 2:7). It is an absolute necessity for them to have Him as their Surety and Mediator by personal application. They perceive so much of the wisdom, goodness, righteousness, and truth in the fact that God would save them in Christ, that they desire no other way, but embrace this way with their whole heart. Christ is to them so lofty, so glorious, so desirable, and to enjoy Him is so sweet and precious, that in comparison to Him all else is of no value. Even if they do not know whether they are partakers of Him, how precious He nevertheless is to them! How their soul would live if they would have Him and if He would be pleased to be their portion! The preciousness of Jesus draws eyes, heart, and hands to Him. Once they may enjoy Him, they know how precious a treasure they have found; their concern becomes that they may not lose Him, and thus they cling to Him and cannot let Him go. The magnificence and preciousness of Jesus is the subject of their discussions, and if they meet someone to whom Jesus also is precious, they treasure such a person with all their heart. Such persons are precious to them since they esteem Jesus to be so precious.
Thirdly, true believers wholeheartedly and unreservedly receive Jesus by faith, surrendering themselves unconditionally to Him, in order to be brought to God by Him in such a way as pleases Him.
Temporal believers, being strangers of genuine, heartfelt transactions with Jesus, do not desire a full and complete Jesus. They do desire to have Him as their High Priest to reconcile them with God, to pray for them, and to save them. However, they do not desire Him as their prophet -- to be internally taught of Him, to be humbled by the uncovered filth of their heart, and to learn to despise all that is of the world and that which is desirable to the
326 eye. Even though they have an external desire for the knowledge of Scripture, and for knowledge itself, they do not desire to be taught by God in order that they might draw near to Him and that their soul might be transformed into the image of God. To them all knowledge is desirable in order that they may also be honored as enlightened and knowledgeable individuals. Temporal believers are filled with self-love and hence desire to seek self.
They also do not desire to have Him as their King, to be ruled by Him according to His will in their thoughts, motives, and actions. They intimate that such is the case, something which they even express in their prayers, but these consist of nothing but empty phrases. Their hearts remain untouched. They desire Him to be King over the multitude to which they join themselves. It is their desire to perceive that He dwells with them, protects and honors them, in order that they may in this manner appear to share in the glory of His church. And thus they do not surrender themselves to Him with the heart.
However, true believers wholeheartedly receive Him as their Prophet, Priest, and King. They cannot determine in which office they desire Him most. Even though at one time one office, and then again another, comes to the fore in their particular situation, they cannot separate these offices. They know that all three are necessary unto their salvation, and therefore one cannot be separated from the others. Their prayer is, “Teach me” (Psalms 25:5); “Open Thou mine eyes” (Psalms 119:18). They desire to “be found in Him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ” (Php 3:9). It is their wish that the blood of Jesus Christ may cleanse them from all their sins (1 John 1:7), and that He would intercede for them (Romans 8:34). It is their desire that He be King over their heart, defeating and removing all that rebels against Him and bringing everything in subjection to Himself. They receive Him by faith, as He has been made unto them of God, “wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption” (1 Corinthians 1:30).
True believers receive Christ alone as their only and all-sufficient portion, while willingly, joyously, and unconditionally relinquishing all that would oppose them in this; Christ must be all in all. They know that He alone is sufficient for them, even if presently they do not sensibly experience this. It grieves them to rely upon something else, and in order to be delivered from this they flee to Jesus. Concerning their sincere and heartfelt inclinations, they may say with Asaph, “Whom have I in heaven but Thee? and there is none upon earth that I desire beside Thee” (Psalms 73:25).
They also join Paul in Php 3:8, “Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ.”
Without reservation they also surrender themselves to Jesus to endure with Him, for the sake of His cause, both sweet and bitter, sorrow and joy, light and darkness, so that He will lead, enable, and strengthen them. They fully surrender themselves to His leadership, not only to be brought to Mount Tabor, but also by Him to be brought to Golgotha. It is their wish that He might take away all that would cause them to find joy in the things of the world; that He would bring upon them all that is bitter, as long as He is not far from them; and that they may be near to Him in solitude and quietness. If, however, it would please Him to remove His sensible presence from them, and should such also be to His honor, then they will surrender themselves to this -- albeit with tears in their eyes -- even if He were to pass by them, yes, and through hell lead them to heaven. It is thus that a true believer receives Jesus, thereby fully surrendering himself to Him again.
Fourthly, true believers are not satisfied merely to have received the Lord Jesus by faith for such a purpose and in the aforesaid manner. Their hearts remain focused on Jesus, and they cannot experience any happiness until they may in actuality partake of and enjoy communion with God in Christ. Their joys and sorrows are proportionate to whether they are far from or near to Him. A temporal believer concerns himself only with the doctrines themselves. As long as he is able to discern, speculate, and discuss them, so that he may be esteemed and cherished among the godly, and the fellowship to which he has joined himself prospers, the temporal believer is joyous. Then he has the preeminence and is especially esteemed. True believers, however, have their focus upon God. The Lord is their treasure, and therefore their hearts are also there. They soon learn to discern whether the Lord is near or at a distance. When the Lord hides His countenance, the soul is bereft of its joy; she mourns, languishes, is restless, troubled, and overwhelmed, as we can observe in the saints. “My Beloved put in His hand by the hole of the door, and my bowels were moved for Him” (Song of Solomon 5:4); “Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted in me” (Psalms 42:6); “Will the Lord cast off forever? and will He be favorable no more? Is His mercy clean gone forever? doth His promise fail for evermore? Hath God forgotten to be gracious? Hath He in anger shut up His tender mercies” (Psalms 77:7-10); “Hide not Thy face from me. ... My heart is smitten and withered like grass ... I am like a pelican of the wilderness ... I watch, and am as a sparrow alone upon the house top. For I have eaten ashes like bread, and mingled my drink with weeping” (Psalms 102:2
They are as Moses who, when the Lord indicated His presence would be withheld, could not be satisfied. When the Lord addressed him about this matter by saying, “My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest,” Moses responded, “If thy presence go not with me, carry us not up hence” (Exodus 33:14-15). When the Lord is at a distance, true believers long for His presence. This separation causes them to be fainthearted and to languish. “Let Him kiss me with the kisses of His mouth” (Song of Solomon 1:2); “My soul fainteth for Thy salvation: but I hope in Thy Word. Mine eyes fail for Thy Word, saying, When wilt Thou comfort me” (Psalms 119:81-82). When the Lord is distant, they nevertheless cannot fail to persevere. Even if at times they become discouraged, they will resume the struggle. They cannot cease to seek, even if they are only able to lift their eyes upward with Hezekiah, “Like a crane or a swallow, so did I chatter: I did mourn as a dove: mine eyes fail with looking upward: O Lord, I am oppressed; undertake for me” (Isaiah 38:14). They concur with the prophet. “Unto Thee lift I up mine eyes, O Thou that dwellest in the heavens” (Psalms 123:1). The bride did likewise. “By night on my bed I sought Him whom my soul loveth: I sought Him, but I found Him not. I will rise now ... I will seek Him whom my soul loveth: I sought Him, but I found Him not” (Song of Solomon 3:1-2). When it pleases the Lord to permit Himself to be found of true believers, when the Lord causes the dark clouds to pass by, reveals His love to them, speaks kindly to their heart, calling them by their name, all sorrow is forgotten. But then they are troubled that they have been so unbelieving, so despondent, and so rebellious. They then delight themselves with the bride: “I sat down under His shadow with great delight, and His fruit was sweet to my taste. He brought me to the banqueting house, and His banner over me was love” (Song of Solomon 2:3-4).
Then they are satisfied and can rest in sweet quietness, confessing, “The Lord is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in Him” (Lamentations 3:24); “But it is good for me to draw near to God: I have put my trust in the Lord God, that I may declare all Thy works” (Psalms 73:28). Then they are fully satisfied as to how the Lord may lead them in the future, and with quiet confidence they may surrender themselves to Him, saying, “Thou shalt guide me with Thy counsel, and afterward receive me to glory” (Psalms 73:24). Thus, they may rejoice in the Lord, and the joy of the Lord is their strength (Nehemiah 8:10). Even if they may not enter into sensible communion, their faith is strong; they may rejoice: “Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see Him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory” (1 Peter 1:8). This joy is very different from the faint glimmers experienced by temporal believers, whom we have previously identified. True joy is:
(1) in God and in the soul’s union with Him, being in the presence of the Lord as her reconciled God. “And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour” (Luke 1:47); “Rejoice in the Lord alway” (Php 4:4);
(2) humbleness of soul in the presence of the Lord. “He hath regarded the low estate of His handmaiden” (Luke 1:48). Mary stated this immediately after expressing her joy;
(3) in the uniting of the soul more intimately with God in love. When David confessed in his joy, “The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust,” he also stated, “I will love Thee, O Lord, my strength.” (Psalms 18:2
(4) in causing the soul to increase in holiness, drawing it away from all that is not God, making it willing and lively to do the will of God, “I will run the way of Thy commandments, when Thou shalt enlarge my heart” (Psalms 119:32). This holiness we now wish to consider as a third mark of grace.
Temporal and True Believers Distinguished in Their Practice of Holiness
Faith cannot exist without holiness for faith purifies the heart, is active in love, and is lively in the performance of good works. Therefore, he who does not manifest holiness is not a true believer. It also follows that all men who are still in the state of nature, who live an ungodly life manifesting itself in haughtiness, pride, rioting, drunkenness, immorality, unrighteousness, lying and deception, hatred and envy, truly do not possess faith. They may object as much as they wish, but we declare to them, “If ye live after the flesh, ye shall die” (Romans 8:13). Listen to Paul as he addresses such individuals: “For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ: whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things” (Php 3:18-19). Such individuals we shall address no more.
Temporal believers, however, who refrain themselves from such excessive sins, deceive themselves in the realm of holiness. They consider themselves to be regenerated and sanctified, and from this they come to a conclusion concerning their spiritual state, even though their holiness is not genuine in nature. On the contrary, those truly sanctified, being conscious of their sins, are very concerned whether they are true believers and partakers of the covenant of grace, for they fear that they have not been sanctified. In order to identify both, we shall first consider counterfeit holiness and then true holiness. First, temporal believers can conduct themselves in such a fashion that they are beyond reproach. They can shun those who practice ungodliness in public, as well as the sins in which worldly people indulge themselves. Between them and the world there is a very clear and significant external difference, which would prompt one to say, “Such a person is not worldly.” “For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning” (2 Peter 2:20). Yes, Abimelech the heathen remained standing where David fell (cf. Genesis 20:3; 2 Samuel 11:10).
Secondly, not only are they capable of refraining themselves from vice, but they stand out for the practice of various virtues, such as: diligence and devotion in the realm of religion; meticulous Sabbath observance; frequent discussion of spiritual matters with zeal and fervor; a prayer life accompanied with tears generated by the passion and weakness of their emotional constitution -- this is especially the case when they pray in the company of saints. They join themselves to the godly as Ananias, Sapphira, and Judas did; they love powerful preachers as was the case with Herod and Simon the sorcerer. They are modest in dress and willing to be of service to others; they are patient in adversity, forbearing when treated unjustly, generous and helpful, moderate in food and drink, manifesting love toward men of virtue. In a word, they are capable of refraining from all sin from which the godly refrain themselves, and practicing all virtues which the godly practice. Such was the case with the Pharisees. “Concerning zeal ... which is in the law, blameless” (Php 3:6) This is evident from the description of life among the heathen as well as among the Quakers.
Thirdly, temporal believers are not only capable of practicing holiness externally, but may also turn within and evaluate the thoughts and motions of the soul, being careful that they are not deviant, but virtuous and honest. Thus, their actions are not motivated by hypocrisy, but proceed from the heart -- a heart which internally is such that it is consistent with the manner in which they conduct themselves externally. Paul declares how from his forefathers (the time prior to his conversion) he served God with a pure conscience (2 Timothy 1:3). The Quakers give evidence of this and the heathen bear witness to this in their writings. There was a heathen individual who, at the end of every day, would in solitude contemplate upon the day which had passed, and say, “What evil have you rectified today? Which sins have you resisted? To what extent are you now better than was previously the case?”
Another secular author states: “He who does not give heed to the motions of his own heart, shall not prosper.” Someone else states, “Did you know that a virtuous man does nothing for appearance only, but is motivated by that which is good? What advantage then does his activity yield to him? Can you think of a better advantage for a virtuous man than the virtue and honesty of the deeds themselves?” Someone else states, “God is near to you, with you and in you; therefore I say, `”he Holy Spirit is within us, giving heed to our good and evil days; He treats us in accordance with the manner in which we treat Him.” Live before man as if God sees you.”
All this temporal believers may do, motivated by love for virtue and a desire to do God service. An old rhyme states: Oderunt peccare, etc.; that is “The virtuous hate sin because they love virtue, but evil persons hate sin for fear of punishment.” In Acts 26:9 Paul said of himself, prior to his conversion, “I verily thought with myself, that I ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth.” “Yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service” (John 16:2). Is not this the opinion of all idolaters in their religious activity? From all this we may perceive that the natural man may make much progress in refraining from sin, as well as in the practice of virtue. Therefore, one may not assure himself from what has been stated before that he is a believer, a partaker of the covenant of grace, as well as regenerate.
We must realize, however, that although a person can proceed this far in the state of nature and by means of external illumination, very few have progressed to that degree. Even if there were only one example -- yes, even if in the absence of an example the mere possibility existed -- this provides no proof that one could consider himself converted. The temporal believer is generally motivated by a desire for his own honor, a desire to be seen of men, and other motives which are not pure. We are convinced of the opinion that temporal believers generally do not proceed this far.
God will send a judgment upon them because they disobey His truth with which they are acquainted. They are ambitious individuals who seek honor, esteem, love, and sympathy, which some will obtain by way of magnanimity, and others by humility, depending on where they view themselves as more proficient. At first their conscience warns them that their actions are not proper; however, they convince themselves that their intentions are correct. Possibly they have viewed their behavior so long from one perspective that they are of the opinion it is proper. Thus, they quiet their consciences, and without consideration of their initial motive and objective, they say, “See my zeal for the Lord” (2 Kings 10:16). Temporal believers are also generally not comfortable with a close walk of life, and if they can accomplish their objective with a much more liberal approach, they will turn around and depart from the way of internal holiness, especially if it yields them more glory and honor as well as more pleasure and less anxiety. Yes, when godliness becomes a matter of shame, when the godly are despised and persecuted, temporal believers will part ways with them and will become oppressors as well -- often of the severest sort. A Dutch proverb states, “Every apostate hates his prior association.” The Lord testifies of this in Matthew 13:21, “For when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the Word, by and by he is offended.” At this point the thought may perhaps arise for the reader: “If heathens, Quakers, and temporal believers can proceed so far and nevertheless be lost, who then can be saved? What more can you expect from an individual? What do true believers possess above and beyond all this?” My response to this is that if you were only to consider that which is of an external nature, the godly would be excelled by others in many things. There is something within the godly, however, which incomparably exceeds that which is most impressive in the temporal believer. If you ask, “What is this,” I respond, “Spirit and life.” Is not a living dog better than a dead lion? Is not a deformed but living person to be preferred over a beautiful person which consists of fine, molten gold, and is but a sculpture? Are not the most insignificant motions of life to be preferred to the noise and rattle of the internal workings of a clock? Obviously, the answer is “yes.” Such is the case also here. Temporal believers are void of both Spirit and life; however, true believers possess both. This is the reason that all activity of the temporal believer misses the mark, whereas the activity of the believer does not. Spirit and life must be present, or else all is in vain. “If ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live” (Romans 8:13); “If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit” (Galatians 5:25). The difference is as follows: temporal believers are motivated by reason, honesty, the desirability of religion, their character, upbringing, a fear of punishment, a desire to be seen of men -- in order to openly or subtly obtain honor, love, esteem, admiration, and possessions. They are, however, neither motivated by the Spirit nor the principle of spiritual life. The godly, on the contrary, are motivated by the Spirit and the internal principle of spiritual life. In order to understand this with clarity, let us consider the following matters: First, the sanctification of true believers proceeds from faith. “Without faith it is impossible to please Him” (Hebrews 11:6).
(1) Faith functions as follows: It receives Jesus unto justification and sanctification, whereby the soul is united to the Lord Jesus and becomes one spirit with Him (1 Corinthians 6:17). Jesus dwells in the heart by faith (Ephesians 3:17). Jesus and the soul having thus been united, spiritual life now proceeds from the Head, Christ, to His members. By virtue of this union, and the influence of this life, the soul functions in harmony with the essence of this life, which is Christ. Paul testifies of this, “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave Himself for Me” (Galatians 2:20). The soul does not always perceive this union and its influence; however, it will be the experience of the believer that as he goes about he will often lift his heart on high, longing for this influence and desiring to receive strength and spirituality from Him in his daily walk. This confirms that his activity proceeds from Christ who strengthens him. If, however, he does not discern such a spiritual frame either habitually or in actuality, he cannot be pleased with his walk even though it is satisfactory in every other respect.
(2) By faith, the true believer believes, enjoys, or hopes for reconciliation with God and the adoption as a child. He appropriates or seeks to appropriate God as a reconciled Father in Christ, and thus he walks, or seeks to walk, as a child and partaker of the covenant of grace. According to the measure in which he may walk with a childlike heart, he may rejoice in this, even though in other respects he perceives deficiencies in his walk. “Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children” (Ephesians 5:1); “As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance: but as He which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation” (1 Peter 1:14-15).
(3) The true believer believes and in so doing perceives in God and in communion with God such holiness, glory, and desirability that he considers all that is outside of God to be of no value. He views sin as foul, despicable, and hateful. And as he desires and hopes by this faith to obtain as well as live out of this salvation, he despises that which is despicable, hates that which is hateful, and thus overcomes the world by faith (1 John 5:4). In this way the heart is purified by faith (Acts 15:9 b).
These three matters will manifest themselves in true believers, be it in various measures and at one time more than other times. This is the principle of spiritual life, and from this source proceeds the strength necessary to die to sin and to practice virtue. Examine yourself whether these spiritual frames are the foundation of your walk. If not -- that is, if you cannot speak of such frames and if they are not to be found in you in truth -- your entire walk misses the mark, even though you are esteemed to be a great saint. If, however, you truly perceive this frame in your walk, be it in refraining from and conquering a sin, or in the practice of virtue -- even if it is in a small measure -- then there is life; and your walk, however flawed and however great the power of corruption attending it may be, proceeds from this principle of life.
Secondly, the practice of true sanctification transpires in a heart which knows itself to be in the presence of God -- not of God in a general sense, but as our God in Christ. This is true for those who consider themselves, believe, hope, or strive to be in such a relationship to God. In these activities of the soul they walk before God both in doing or refraining. God required this in Genesis 17:1, “Walk before Me.” Enoch did so, as is recorded in Genesis 5:24, “And Enoch walked with God.” Nehemiah was praying to God while he was speaking with the king (Nehemiah 2:4-5). In Psalms 16:8 it is recorded, “I have set the Lord always before me.”
Thirdly, true sanctification proceeds from love toward God. Although a true believer does not always -- and some never -- experience this love in a very sensible measure, this love is nevertheless to be found on the bottom of his heart and manifests itself in sorrow over the absence of and a desire for the presence of God. This love also manifests itself in seeking after God as well as in a high esteem for God, desiring that God Himself would be the objective of his walk. It manifests itself in joy when God is acknowledged, exalted, feared and served, as well as in the inclination also to glorify Him. Out of all this proceeds the motivation to refrain from sin, since sin exalts itself against God’s supremacy, majesty, etc. From this motive proceeds the practice of virtue. Please tell me, can you be satisfied with your walk as such? Certainly not! Are you refreshed if in your walk your heart was not inclined toward God? Certainly not! Do you walk with a heart that desires and seeks to live unto God because He is worthy to be served by you? Do you seek to walk with a heart that is inclined toward God, with a heart that seeks sweet union with God, even though it might not be immediately experienced? Would such a frame cause you to rejoice in your walk? Behold, such is love, and with such a heart the godly seek to regulate their entire walk. “If a man love Me, he will keep My words” (John 14:23); “For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments” (1 John 5:3).
All activity which does not proceed from love misses the mark (1 Corinthians 13:1-2). Fourthly, true sanctification proceeds from the fear of God. Since the true believer unites himself by faith to God in Christ, conducts himself as in the presence of God, and begins to love God, it follows that he also begins to revere the majesty and holiness of God. He dares not neglect what God commands him to do, and he dares not do what God forbids him to do. Whenever the opportunity presents itself, this childlike reverence will manifest itself within true believers, whether it be that the fear of God prevents them from doing what they otherwise would have done, or whether the fear of God motivates them to do what they otherwise would have neglected to do. When the fear of God is before their eyes as they engage in any given duty, it delights them when this true fear makes them careful in doing so. It saddens them, however, if they did not perceive the fear of God in their heart, even though they may have performed the duty well. Since the fear of God governs God’s children, they are described as God-fearing, “There was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon; and the same man was just and devout [Dutch: God-fearing]” (Luke 2:25). The fear of God prevented Joseph from sinning (Genesis 39:9). When he wished to convince his brothers of his faithfulness, he said to them, “I fear God” (Genesis 42:18). The fear of God moved Obadiah, the steward, to hide the prophets of the Lord (1 Kings 18:3-4). The fear of God was continually before Job’s eyes. “Destruction from God was a terror to me, and by reason of His highness I could not endure” (Job 31:23).
Fifthly, true sanctification is practiced in obedience to God. For true believers God’s will is their law, as well as the inducement which motivates them toward action; God’s will is their desire. They either refrain from doing, or do something else because it is the will of God. They view the majesty of God with delight, exalting Him above all. They place themselves beneath that majesty and acknowledge with delight their subjection as well as the obligation which rests upon them before God. In addition to this, there is the bond of love resulting from being in the covenant of grace, so that they do not consider God as a stranger, but as their God. Thus, they are motivated to do battle against sin and to practice virtue, as we may observe from Scripture: “I delight to do Thy will, O my God: yea, Thy law is within my heart” (Psalms 40:8); “For I delight in the law of God after the inward man” (Romans 7:22).
Bringing these five concepts together, we must observe that they cannot be separated from each other. The last four are rooted in the first one; where the one is truly present, the others will manifest themselves as well. This establishes the essential difference between temporal believers and true believers, between true and counterfeit holiness.
Examine yourself by this, for if these spiritual frames, motions, and considerations are not to be found in your heart, and if the motives mentioned earlier do not stir you up to refrain from evil or perform that which is good, you have not been regenerated. Your sanctification is not in truth but is counterfeit. Oh, that God would grant you to be truly convinced of this; and that it would result in your conversion, so that you would no longer make the practice of virtue the basis for your assurance! If, however, you may perceive that these five matters are in you, be it in ever so small a measure; if your soul is pleased or displeased with your walk according as these matters manifest themselves in your walk; and if you have these matters in view, being exercised to maintain your walk on this basis, you may rejoice and you may make your calling and election sure on the basis of your good works. You will always find reason to be ashamed and humbled concerning your best works, and rightly so. However, do not therefore deny the grace of God which has been given to you, as this principle of spiritual life will grow and never die.
Thus, we have endeavored to describe for you, as clearly as the Lord has graciously enabled us to do, the disposition of a temporal as well as of a true believer. Even if this matter had, however, been presented as clearly as possible, without the special operation of the Holy Spirit, no one, neither temporal believers nor true believers would be inwardly convinced of this. This would be true for the first due to prejudice, blindness, and wickedness, and true for the latter due to spiritual indisposition, bondage, and fear. The Lord is mighty to apply it to the heart, however, convincing the one for the purpose of awakening and conversion, and the other for the purpose of consolation and sanctification.
Encouragement for True Believers who Fear They Are Temporal Believers An unregenerate person and a temporal believer may read about these marks of grace and approve of them; and in the absence of a cautious search of his heart, he may consider his condition to be in harmony with what has been written about a true believer. In reading about these marks of grace, another temporal believer may perhaps be convinced within that all his props are removed. This may cause him to be so perturbed that he casts away this book in anger and disgust. Another person, having his state of misery uncovered to him, may possibly by virtue of the singular grace of God become concerned and thus be brought to Christ. Oh, that it would please the Lord to do so! A true believer, reading about these marks of grace, could become more disconcerted, not being able to find all these things within himself. It could be that he is not able to distinguish between grace itself and a greater measure of that grace which he believes to be requisite before he believes that he is a partaker of it. It is also possible that he is only comparing himself with a temporal believer, perceiving how much he yet has in common with him, as the disposition and activities of the old Adam still manifest themselves. This prevents him from considering whether he does not possess more than this, and thus have the disposition of a true believer. It may also be that he is in a condition marked by perplexity, unbelief, despair, despondency, or a disagreeable disposition. In such a state of mind he is not capable of examining himself; he should only concern himself with receiving Jesus by faith, waiting upon the Lord to grant more inner tranquility, light, and spirit in order to discern those things which the Lord has granted him. I hope, however, that others will be able to perceive their grace, be strengthened in their faith, rejoice in God’s goodness, and be revived in the way of sanctification.
Perhaps there are others who may have some hope as they perceive that grace is to be found in them but who are not fully at liberty to determine their spiritual state, however, for fear that they will deceive themselves. They have several concerns pertaining to this:
First, “It is such a great matter to be a true believer; I dare not imagine such great things for myself. If I were to determine my spiritual state on the basis of those evidences which I dare not deny, and it were not so, how dreadfully I would deceive myself.” My response is:
(1) It may be too great a matter for you to receive it, but it is not too great a matter for God to give it. For other believers it is also a matter too great and they have nevertheless received it. God desires to exhibit and reveal His infinite goodness; and therefore He seeks that which is lost and receives those who are despised.
(2) There is a most certain mark of grace by which one may perceive whether he deceives himself in selfexamination. If a person, having determined his spiritual state after self-examination, remains focused upon himself and thereby has peace of mind and becomes careless; and while relying upon this imaginary grace, proceeds to live for the things of this world, this is evidence that he has deceived himself. However, if a person, having perceived his grace, determines his spiritual state, and consequently becomes more lively in the exercise of faith, in approaching God, in love, godly fear, and obedience; then such is an indication that he has not deceived himself, for this examination of his spiritual state engenders the manifestation of grace. This is the fruit of true hope. “And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself” (1 John 3:3).
Let me address myself to your fear. Let us assume that you would have unjustly appropriated this grace to yourself, and by means of this were brought to true faith and repentance. Would you not have made a happy mistake? All counterfeit religion will keep us from coming to Christ for justification and sanctification. Now if therefore this hope makes you more lively in spiritual life, do not be disquieted by groundless fear.
Secondly, “I fear that I am only viewing these things intellectually, and that I consider them to be the truth by virtue of my acquaintance with spiritual matters and frames.” My response is:
(1) Man is a rational creature, and God works in him in a manner agreeable to his nature. God grants to man the motions of sorrow and joy by means of his intellect, and therefore it should not concern you if these matters were clearly distinguished in your mind; however, if they reside in your mind without affecting your will, you must fear.
(2) Take notice whether your will has not been affected. Do you mourn, do you weep, do you pray, do you long, do you yearn, do you exercise faith, do you surrender? Are you engaged in these exercises -- first one and then the other? Then you must perceive that these matters are not merely lodged in your intellect, but are touching your heart. If now you may have discerned that such exercises are in truth, this concern should not trouble you.
Thirdly, “I perceive such a lack of serious-mindedness. I am so half-hearted and my spiritual sorrow is too weak for me to perceive. My faith is as a lame hand which can be placed upon an object, while nevertheless being unable to pull the object to myself. My sanctification is so dull and without zeal. In addition to this I do not possess any assurance within myself, nor joy concerning that which I may experience.” My response is:
(1) Some Christians cling too much to their emotional impulses and affections, which in themselves are desirable and should not be dismissed. They should know, however, that the weakness or strength of their spiritual life should not be measured by the weakness or strength of their affections. Some, by virtue of their natural disposition, are much less given to emotion and are temperate in their joy and sorrow. They are therefore not less active in mind and will, however, and generally they are likewise engaged in spiritual matters. If it pleases the Lord to lead someone in such a manner, he should not think that his spiritual life is of inferior quality, but with all his heart should proceed prudently in the strength of the Lord Jehovah. His error is in his judgment and not in the matter itself. If many were to consider and accept this, they would make much more progress.
(2) If you are truly in a listless and barren condition, however, I pity you and must say to you that you cannot expect many consolations as long as you remain thus.
(3) However, this ought not to prompt you to condemn yourself as far as your spiritual state is concerned, nor to be in doubt about it. You perceive spiritual life but complain about the measure of it. Faith can be present in the absence of assurance and comfort which are fruits of a strong faith, but do not belong to the essence of faith. Wrestle to be delivered from this condition. Be diligent and do not yield to laziness, which is why so many remain so listless. The Lord desires to be found by those who seek Him. Do not desire to be led in a way which is contrary to the Lord’s will. Do not be resistant and rebellious, but be as pliable as clay in the hand of the Lord. Comfort others and exhort others in simplicity, with uprightness of heart. May the Spirit of the Lord revive you.
Fourthly, “I am very perplexed about my lack of sanctification. I perceive within me a body of sin; I fall into great sin and am very unstable. With all my heart I pray for strength, and while engaged in prayer, I appear to be much strengthened. No sooner do I turn around, however, and I again fall into sin, often without having an opportunity to improve my walk. How can such a condition coexist with grace? I am often so fearful that it is not in truth with me.” My response is:
(1) There are children, young men, and men in Christ. There are times of gracious visitation and of spiritual desertion. One should therefore not judge by the measure of grace, but by the genuineness of the matter at hand.
(2) God generally brings special dispensations upon His children to keep them small and to teach them that they will be saved by grace through Christ, without merit -- yes, contrary to that which they deserve. God permits some to wrestle more with sin because through them He wishes to magnify His grace in a special manner. It is therefore prudent to be content under such a dispensation, meanwhile maintaining a hatred toward sin and doing battle with it, while stimulating a desire for holiness.
(3) If it is truth within, your aversion to, displeasure in, and uncomfortable disposition toward sin, as well as your desire for godliness, will not always remain at the bottom of your heart, but will surface whenever you reflect upon your condition. You will then be motivated to bring these spiritual frames before the Lord, be encouraged to request that God in this matter would give you the desire of your heart and be assured that if it would please the Lord to do so, you would be delivered from sin, and there would be improvement in your spiritual life and in sanctification. You will then experience that your heartfelt resolutions against sin will be of a more composed and sincere nature, and that you will struggle not only against sinful deeds, but against your innermost thoughts. You will experience that the Lord will consistently, yes frequently, give you strength to prevail against sin, so that you will not always be defeated unless it be during a time of unusual spiritual desertion. From all this you will be able to discern the sincerity of your heart, even though you daily offend in many things. Thus, the imperfection of your sanctification ought not be a reason why you should be disturbed or deprived of the joy of heart concerning your happy condition; that is, if you may discern within yourself the spiritual frame relative to sanctification as described above.