02.03. Christ, the Life of the Soul
03. Christ, the Life of the Soul
I spoke in the last chapter of God’s converting power — of a soul being quickened or new-born by His grace. Now, where does the living soul find strength? From whence come its supplies? How does the new-born man live? In himself he is powerless. Within, all is emptiness. He has been awakened, it is true; but he will fall back into sleep again. He has been raised as it were from the dead; but death will soon seize him again — if he has no life but that which springs up from within himself.
Let us see how it was with Paul after his conversion. Hear what he says in his own case, ’I live, yet not I, but Christ lives in me.’ Hear what John says, ’He who has the Son has life; and he who has not the Son of God has not life.’ And now let us hear what Christ Himself says, ’I am the Life,’ ’the Resurrection and the Life;’ ’the Way, the Truth, and the Life.’ ’Because I live, you shall live also.’
Christ then is the Life of the renewed soul.
Look at one of those trees which casts its shade so pleasantly along our path. In summer how fresh and vigorous are its branches! And even in the dreary season of winter, when every bough seems dead — if you cut one, you will soon see there is life in it. Why? Because there is life and vigor in the stem. Or look at one of those strong steady arms that holds the plough, or fells the oak. Whence comes the power, the activity, the strength? It comes from the body, in which there is life and health. What would the branch be, if cut off from the tree? What could the arm do, if severed from the body? And so it is union with Christ, living upon Christ, that can alone make us growing, thriving, vigorous Christians. But do we not declare, in one of our Creeds, that the Holy Spirit is the great Life-giver to the soul? ’I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord and Giver of Life!’
Yes, the gift is made over to us by Him. He it is who makes the heart to feel its utter deadness — and then leads us to the Savior for life and help. To be looking to Christ for grace, to be constantly stretching out the hand and heart to Christ for help, to be daily feeding upon Him — this is the secret of all our spiritual life, and of all our spiritual well-being. But let us for a few minutes consider what is the history of a person who has been brought under the influence of God’s grace. Does he find Christ, and live upon Christ, at once? Is it a thing that he comes to immediately, and without any difficulty? Oh, no! The Holy Spirit usually begins His work by first showing us that we need a Savior. Do not mistake me — I would not for a moment have you suppose that God always works precisely in this way. He has many ways of bringing us to Christ. But this is perhaps His usual way of dealing with a soul, He first lifts up the veil, and shows us what we are. He reveals to us, what we could never have discovered ourselves — the sinfulness of our sin. We knew before that sin was an evil. When we saw it openly committed, we condemned it. And when we were invited to commit it ourselves, we at once shrank back. The life we led was outwardly correct perhaps. We did about as well as our neighbors, and that was enough for us. But we knew nothing of the sin that was all the while lying deep down in our hearts. Our guilt had not been brought home to us. We had no feeling of concern for our soul. But at length God in mercy opened our eyes, and stuck His arrow in our hearts. And then how differently did we feel! Then we saw that the life we had been living was a useless, profitless one — and more than this, that it was a sinful one. We saw that our prayers had been no prayers at all; that our reading of Scripture had been a mere form; that our church-going had been a task and a toil; that God was an unknown God to us; that Christ was not really loved by us — in short, that we had been living for the world and not for Heaven, for time and not for eternity.
Oh, what a discovery! What a fearful discovery, you will say! Rather, what a blessed discovery — to know our danger and find it out in time to get deliverance!
It often happens, that for a season a man remains in this state. He feels himself to be a sinner. The thought of his sins is ever before him. It rests upon him, just as a black cloud sometimes hangs over us, and seems to linger in the sky above our heads. He is unhappy, very unhappy. He looks perhaps to the world to cheer him — but the world can do nothing for him. He feels its emptiness, its poverty. He sighs for peace. He looks for it in himself — but it is not there. He seeks in vain for deliverance. Ah, the wilderness seems bleak. The road seems very rough and difficult. The burden he is carrying is very heavy. He truly feels his need of salvation, and is anxious and eager to do anything to secure it. He tries perhaps all sorts of expedients, except the only true one.
Why does he not cast himself upon Christ? Why does he not rise and go to his Father, and acknowledge his guilt? He dares not go perhaps, because he has so greatly offended that Father; and he know that He is a Father of mercies, and a God of love.
Why then does he not go to his Minister, and open his grief to him? Why does he not tell him of his troubles, and seek counsel of him? How gladly would he comfort him! How gladly would he lend an ear to all his difficulties, and perhaps point out a way of deliverance from them! But, it may be, he thinks that his case is different from any other case — that no one can feel just as he feels. And so he shrinks from laying bare his heart to any fellow-creature, and hides from every eye — the deep, aching wound within him.
I can imagine a person coming to church with his heart thus broken. I can imagine how differently he would feel from many, when the minister says, ’Let us pray.’ Prayer would be a reality with him. Ah, he would kneel down, and open his very heart to God. Once he was content to sit at ease; there was no penitence then, no self-abhorrence then — but now he feels that he can but fall upon his knees — it is the fitting posture for a heart-stricken sinner. And where can he find words more suited to his case, than those touching words with which we approach God in our Public Worship? ’Almighty and most merciful Father, we have erred and strayed from Your ways like lost sheep. We have followed too much the devices and desires of our own hearts. We have offended against Your holy laws. We have left undone those things which we ought to have done — and we have done those things which we ought not to have done — and there is no health in us.’
Even this language is not too strong for him. He feels that there is literally ’no health’ in him. And then those words that follow — how eagerly does he utter them! ’But You, O Lord, have mercy upon us, miserable sinners. Spare them, O God, who confess their faults. Restore those who are penitent.’
Truly this is a golden prayer for a penitent soul. And that other too, in which we address God as One ’whose nature and property is ever to have mercy and to forgive,’ is equally suitable to his state. And ’though we are tied and bound with the chain of our sins,’ yet we entreat Him to ’let the pitifulness’ (this is the language of one who feels that he has no plea to urge, but must throw himself on the compassion of his God) — we entreat Him to ’let the pitifulness of His great mercy loose us.’
I thank God that we have such prayers as these, and that we belong to a Church which like a tender mother, puts such earnest, lowly words into the lips of her children. This stage of Christian experience, which I have described, is painful while it lasts. But it is good for us to have our proud hearts bruised and broken by the Holy Spirit’s influence. And He never leaves a soul long in this state. In time, the relief comes. ’Sorrow may endure for a night’ — yes, and the night may be long and dark — ’but joy comes in the morning’
We learn to our comfort, that there is mercy for the lost, pardon for the guilty, rest for the weary — that Christ is the sinner’s Remedy, and the sinner’s Friend — that He is ’the Fountain opened for sin and impurity;’ and that in Him there is ’redemption through His blood, even the forgiveness of our sins.’ But here again another difficulty often springs up. How can I get to this Savior? Will He hear me? Will He not reject me? Am I not too vile? Are not my sins too great, and of too long standing? Have I repented enough? Have I mourned enough? The Savior has received others — but will He receive me?
Such seems to be the state of mind described in Song of Solomon 3:1-11. In Song of Solomon 3:1-2 a seeking soul is described — a seeker who has not yet found the Savior — one who is on the search, but has not yet discovered the pearl of great price: ’By night on my bed I sought him whom my soul loves. I sought him, but I found him not.’ With the utmost anxiety and eagerness is this search carried on: ’I will rise now, and go about the city; in the streets and in the broad ways I will seek him whom my soul loves. I sought him, but I found him not.’ Again and again the mournful complaint is repeated, ’I sought him, but found him not!’ In the third verse, the watchmen or ministers are described as finding the earnest inquirer, and helping him in his distress: ’The watchmen that go about the city found me; to whom I said, Have you seen Him whom my soul loves?’ And then in the fourth verse, we see that promise fulfilled, ’Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and you shall find.’ For the inquirer exclaims in the joy of his heart, ’It was but a little that I passed from them — and I found Him whom my soul loves.’ Who can describe the joy of having found Christ? Blessed is the seeker after Him. ’Let the heart of them rejoice who seek the Lord.’ But still more blessed are those who have found Him — who can say, ’My beloved is mine — and I am His!’
What a thought it is to be pardoned of all one’s sins! to look upon God now as a loving Father! to see in Christ a full, perfect, and sufficient sacrifice for every past transgression! But is this all? Is pardon all we need? Are the words, ’Your sins are forgiven,’ all we need to hear? This is much, very much. But the forgiven sinner has now to travel along a new and heavenly road. He has been delivered from ’the low dungeon.’ His fetters have been struck off him. He has been ’brought out of the horrible pit.’ He has been cleansed from ’the miry clay.’ He has been raised from the very dead — his grave-clothes have been stripped off. And now he has a new life before him — very different from his past life — a life of usefulness, a life of holiness, yes, and a life of happiness.
He now needs the same Savior who pardoned him, to be ever with him, to help him on his way, to keep his soul alive. As he has ’received Christ Jesus,’ so he must now ’walk in Him.’ He must run his Christian race, ’looking unto Jesus.’ He must ’come out of the wilderness, leaning on his beloved.’
We are apt to think that all we need is to look to Christ as our Sin-bearer; and that, having once gone to Him in faith, and obtained forgiveness, the work is done.
What! is sin gone then forever? Does the Believer need no fresh renewal of the grant of pardon? Yes, he needs it daily, hourly. Then let us be continually looking to the Savior. Our place should be constantly at the foot of the cross, seeking to have our sins again and again washed away in the Redeemer’s blood! Does not the Believer also need strength? He cannot fight by his own power. He cannot even walk alone. If he hopes to resist temptation, and to lead a holy life of service to his heavenly Master — if he wants boldly to come out from the world, and to stand forth as a decided follower of Christ — he must look to Jesus for daily grace to strengthen him.
Never suppose that you can become strong enough to do without Christ. Never imagine that you can reach such a point, that you are anything more than a poor, helpless being in your Savior’s eyes. As you humbled yourself beneath His cross at the first, so continue to feel your place to be in the dust before Him, your righteousness to be as filthy rags, your strength as utter weakness. Be confident in Him; not in yourself. Trust in Him; not in your own attainment. Look upon Him as your all, as the Life of your soul. Go to Him in your emptiness, and receive daily out of His fullness.
Let me ask you, Do you truly love Christ? Is there a moving of your heart towards Him? Is He precious to your soul?
Many think they love Him. They mention Him with respect. They have a feeling in their minds that in some way or other, they are better off than if there was no Savior. But yet they cannot say that they do indeed love Him. They cannot exclaim with the Psalmist, ’There is none upon earth that I desire in comparison with You!’ They hold no fellowship with Him. He is in truth as a stranger to their souls.
How different is this from the experience of a real child of God! He feels towards his Savior, as he feels towards none else. His language is, ’Who shall separate me from the love of Christ?’ ’He loved me — and gave Himself for me!’
Again, have you found Christ? Happy those who, under the teaching of the Holy Spirit, have been enabled to lay hold of Him, and are rejoicing in His salvation; who have made their choice, and taken Him as their portion! They are ready to say, ’Blessed be that grace, which subdued my unwilling heart, and drew me to my Savior; which conquered my love of the world, and won me over to Christ.’
’O happy day that fixed my choice
On You, my Savior and my God!
Well may this glowing heart rejoice,
And tell its rapture all abroad.’
But, if I mistake not, there are some who, although they cannot quite say this, yet are on the fair way to it. And so it may be with you. You have not found Christ — but you are earnestly seeking Him. A desire has sprung up in your heart which earthly things cannot satisfy — a desire which comes, not from yourself, but from God — a desire which savors not of nature, but of grace.
If this desire has a place within you, I thank God for it. And I pray that it may never leave you — but may grow stronger and stronger within you, until you also can say, ’I have found Him whom my soul loves!’