For my part, I am not impressed by any fine “experiences” that people may have.
I am not very interested in the state of their soul or their spiritual barometers. All that
has to be submitted to as searching a test as we can make, the test of conformity with
God’s Word, in our case of course, pre-eminently with Jesus Christ himself. That of
course cuts both ways. It cuts against the folk that are all emotion and no motion. I am
not teaching justification by works—I am protesting against justification by feeling.
Faith is neither feeling nor works. There are some folk however where religion is only
religious excitement. To them, this must be said—“all your devotional feeling, which
is so easy to think of as ‘assurance’ is worth absolutely nothing if it does not square
with this rule. Is it absolutely centered on Christ? Is its very root the confession, Jesus
is Lord? Does it involve a complete obedience to Him, the following him with all your
heart, soul, mind and strength?”
It cuts the other way too. There are some of us who long for a greater measure
of assurance in our faith. We envy the confidence that some others have. Well then,
think. You do believe you are a sinner? You believe that Christ is the savior of sinners,
and your savior? You do trust him and not yourself? You are serving Christ as you can
see? Then what more do you want? You couldn’t think and believe these things of your
own accord. The Bible itself teaches that only the Holy Spirit can work these things in
you. Then the Spirit is at work within you. “Be you strong and very courageous and
go on with it in the strength of the Lord.” C.K. Barrett
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