Feeds:
Posts
Comments

Archive for the ‘A. W. Pink’ Category

Keeping the Heart by A. W. Pink

Posted in A. W. Pink, Reforming Reflections on December 30, 2009|

Keeping the Heart by A. W. Pink

In Christendom today, there are thousands of professing Christians against whom little or nothing in the way of fault could be found so far as their outward lives are concerned.  They live moral, clean, upright, honest lives while at the same time the state of their hearts is totally neglected.  It is not suf­ficient to bring our outward deportment into harmony with the revealed will of God.  He holds us accountable for what goes on inside, and requires us to keep check on the springs of our actions, the motives which inspire and the prin­ciples which regulate us.  God requires “truth in the inward parts” (Psalm 51:6).  Christ has enjoined us to “take heed” to ourselves “lest at any time our hearts be overcharged with surfeiting and drunkenness, and cares of this life” (Luke 21:34).  If I do not look within, how then shall I be able to ascertain whether I possess that poverty of spirit, mourning for unholiness, meekness, hungering and thirsting after righteous­ness and purity of heart upon which the Savior pronounces His benediction (Matt. 5:1-8)?  We must remember that salvation itself is both subjective and objective, for it consists not only of what Christ did for His people, but also what He by the Holy Spirit did in them.  I have no evidence whatever of my justifica­tion apart from my regeneration and sanctification.  The one who can say, “I am crucified with Christ” (judicially) can also add, “Christ liveth in me” (ex­perimentally), and living by faith in Him is proof that “He loved me and gave himself for me” (Galatians 2:20).

The heart is the center of man’s moral nature, of the personality; it equals the whole inner man, it is the fount out of which everything else comes, and is the seat of his thoughts and of his affections and of his will (Genesis 6:5). To guard the heart means that we should live to the glory of God in every respect; that that should be the supreme desire of our life, that we desire to know Him, love Him and serve Him.

If we are to be approved of God, it is by no means sufficient that “we make clean the outside of the cup and plat­ter,” yet many suppose that that is all that matters.  “Cleanse first that which is within” (Matthew 23:26) is our Lord’s com­mand.  This is rarely given any attention these days, or none at all.  It is the devil who seeks to persuade people that they are not responsible for the state of their hearts, that it is impossible for them to change them.  Such is most agreeable unto those who think to be “carried to heaven on flowery beds of ease.”  But no regenerate soul, with God’s Word before him, will credit such falsehood.  The Divine command is plain: “Keep thy heart with all diligence: for out of it are the issues of life” (Proverbs 4:23).  This is the principal task set before us, for it is at the heart God ever looks, and there can be no pleasing Him while it is unat­tended to; yea, woe be unto those who disregard it. He who makes no honest endeavor to cast out sinful thoughts and evil imaginations, and who does not mourn over their presence, is a moral leper.  He who makes no conscience of the workings of unbelief, the cooling of his affections, the surging of pride, is a stranger to any work of grace in his soul.

Not only does God bid thee to “keep thy heart,” but He requires that you do it “with all diligence;” that is, that you make it your main concern and constant care.  The Hebrew word of “keep” sig­nifies to “guard,” to watch over this heart (that is, the soul or inward man) as a precious treasure of which thieves are ever ready to rob thee.  The devo­tions of your lips and the labors of your hands are unacceptable to the Lord if your heart is not right in His sight.  What husband would appreciate the domestic attentions of his wife if he had good reasons to believe that her affections were alienated from him?

God takes note not only of the mat­ter of our actions but the springs from which they are done and the design of the same.  If we become slack and care­less in any of these respects, it shows that our love is cooled and that we have become weary of God.  The Lord God is He that “ponders the heart” (Proverbs 24:12) observing all its motions.  He knows whether your alms-deeds are done in order to be seen of men and admired by them, or whether they issue from disinterested benevolence.  He knows whether your expressions of good will and love to your brethren are feigned or genuine!

The Bible lays open, as no other book, the turpitude (shameful depravity) and horrid nature of sin as “that abominable thing” which God “hates” (Jeremiah 44:4), and which we are to detest and shun.  It never gives the least indulgence or disposition to sin, nor do any of its teachings lead to licentious­ness.  It sternly condemns sin in all its forms, and makes known the awful curse and wrath of God which are its due.  It not only reproves sin in the outward lives of men, but also discovers the secret faults of the heart which is its chief seat.   It warns against the first mo­tions, and legislates for the regulating of our spirits, requiring us to keep clean the fountain from which are “the issues of life.”  Its promises are made unto holiness, and its blessings bestowed upon “the pure in heart.”  The ineffable (that which cannot be expressed) and exalted holiness of the Bible is its chief and peculiar excellence, as it is also the principal reason why it is disliked by the majority of the unregenerate.  The Bible forbids all impure desires and unjust thoughts as well as deeds.  It prohibits envy (Proverbs 23:17), and all forms of sel­fishness (Romans 15:1).  It requires us to “cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, and to perfect holi­ness in the fear of God” (2 Corinthians 7:1), and bids us to “abstain from all appearance of evil” (I Thessalonians 5:22).  Heavenly doctrine is to be matched with heavenly character and conduct.  Its require­ments penetrate into the innermost recesses of the soul, exposing and cen­suring all the corruptions found there.  The law of man goes no farther than “Thou shall not steal,” but that of God ‘Thou shalt not covet.”  The law of man prohibits the act of adultery, but the law of God reprehends (finds fault with, censures, blames) the looking upon a woman “to lust after her” (Matthew 5:28).  The law of man says, “Thou shalt not murder,” that of God forbids all ill-will, malice or hatred (1 John 3:15).  It strikes directly at that which fallen nature most cherishes and craves.  “Woe unto you when all men shall speak well of you” (Luke 6:26).  It prohibits the spirit of revenge, enjoins the forgiveness of in­juries, and, contrary to the self-righteousness of our hearts, inculcates humility.

Such a task calls for Divine aid, hence help and grace need to be earnestly and definitely sought of the Holy Spirit each day. Alas, so many today are just playing with the solemn realities of God, never embracing and making them their own.  How about you, reader?  Is this true of you?  Selah.

—A. W. Pink

“Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it flow the springs of life.” Proverbs 4:23

Read Full Post »

The Spirit Sealing by A. W. Pink

Posted in A. W. Pink, Reforming Reflections on December 30, 2009|

The Spirit Sealing by A. W. Pink

Closely connected with the Spirit’s work of witnessing with the Christian’s spirit that he is a child of God, is His operation in sealing.  This appears clearly from 2 Corinthians 1:19-22 and Ephesians 1:13.  The riches of the Christian are found in the promises of God, and these are all “Yea and Amen” in Christ: unless, then, our faith he built upon them, it is worthless.  It is not sufficient that the promises he sure, we must he “established” upon them.  No matter how firm the foundation (be it solid rock), unless the house he connected therewith, actually built thereon, it is insecure.  There must he a double “Amen:” one in the promises, and one in us.  There must be an echo in the Christian’s own heart: God says these things, so they must be true; faith appropriates them and says they are for me. In order to have assurance and peace it is indispensable that we be established in and on the Divine promises.

The Christian’s riches lie in the promises of God: his strength and comfort in his faith being built upon them.  Now the same Divine power which delivered the Christian from the kingdom of Satan and brought him into a state of grace, must also deliver him from the attacks of the enemy upon his faith and confirm him in a state of grace.  Only God can produce stability: only He can preserve that spark of faith amid the winds and waves of unbelief, and this He is pleased to do—“He which hath begun a good work in you will finish it” (Philippians 1:6).

Therefore are we told “Now he which stablisheth us with you in Christ… is God.”  Observe carefully it is not “hath stablished,” but “stablisheth” — it is a continuous process throughout the Christian’s life on earth.  In what follows the apostle shows us what this “stablishing” consists of, or how it is accomplished: “and hath anointed us… who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our heart” (2 Corinthians 1:22).  Each of these figures refers to the same thing, and has to do with the “stablishing” or assuring of our hearts.  Under the Old Testament economy, prophets, priests, and kings were authorized and confirmed in their office by “anointing” (Leviticus 8:11; 2 Samuel 5:3; 1 Kings 19:16).  Again; contracts and deeds of settlement were ratified by “sealing” (Esther 8:8; Jeremiah 32:8-10).  And a “pledge” or “earnest” secured an agreement or bargain (Genesis 38:17, 18; Deuteronomy 24:10).  Thus the sure estate of the Christian is first expressed under the general word “stablisheth,” and then it is amplified under these three figurative terms “anointed, sealed, earnest.”  It is with the second of them we are now concerned.

It may be asked, But what need has the Christian of attestation or confirmation of his state in Christ—is not faith itself sufficient proof?  Ah, often our faith and the knowledge we have of our believing in Christ is severely shaken; the activities of indwelling sin stir up a thick cloud of doubt, and Satan avails himself of this to tell us our profession is an empty one.  But in His tender grace, God has given us the Holy Spirit, and from time to time He “seals” or confirms our faith by His quickening and comforting operations.  He draws out our hearts anew unto God and enables us to cry “Abba, Father.”  He takes of the things of Christ, shows them to us, and brings us to realize that we have a personal interest in the same.

The same blessed truth is found again in Ephesians 1:13.  It is important to note the order of the three things there predicated of saints: they “heard,” they “believed,” they were “sealed:” thus the sealing is quite distinct from and follows the believing, as the believing does the hearing.

There are two things, and two only, upon which the Spirit puts His seal, namely, two mighty and efficacious works: first, the finished work of Christ, whereby He put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself; and second, upon His own work in the hearts of those who believe.  In legal documents, the writing always precedes the witnessing and sealing: so here, the Spirit writes God’s laws on the heart (Hebrews 8:10), and then He seals the truth and reality of His own work to the consciousness of the recipient.

The main intent of “sealing” is to assure, to certify and ratify. First, the Holy Spirit conveys an assurance of the truth of God’s promises, whereby a man’s understanding is spiritually convinced that the promises are from God.  Neither the light of reason nor the persuasive power of a fellow-mortal can bring any one to rest his heart upon the Divine promises: in order to do that, there must be the direct working of the Holy Spirit—“Our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Spirit, and in much assurance” (1 Thessalonians 1:5): the “much assurance comes last! Second, He gives the believer an assurance of his own personal interest in those promises: and this again is something which none but the Spirit can impart.  We do not say that this sealing excludes all doubting, but it is such an assurance as prevails over doubts.

There are many uses of a “seal” such as proprietorship, identification, confirmation, secrecy, security; but in Ephesians 1:13 the immediate thing stated is the sealing of an inheritance: we have obtained an inheritance by faith, and having believed we are “sealed.”  What is the specific use of a “seal” in connection with an inheritance?  It may either be the making of the inheritance sure to a man in itself, or making the man know that it is his—assuring him of the fact. Now it cannot be the former, for nothing is needed to make Heaven sure once a sinner truly believes—the moment he lays hold of Christ, the inheritance is certain.  So it must be the latter: to make us sure, to persuade our hearts the inheritance is ours.  It is this the Spirit accomplishes in His “seal.”

The Holy Spirit is never called a “Seal” as He is an “Earnest” (2 Corinthians 5:5): it is only in relation to an act of sealing that this figure is associated with Him; thus it is a distinct operation of His “in our hearts” (2 Corinthians 1:22).  It is not the stamping of God’s image upon the soul (as many of the Puritans supposed) that is referred to in Ephesians 1:13, for that is done before believing, and not after.  The order of truth in that verse is very simple and decisive: in the gospel salvation is offered—it may be mine; faith accepts that offer so as to make salvation mine; the Spirit seals or confirms my heart that salvation is mine.  Thus in “sealing” the Spirit authenticates, certifies, ratifies.

Observe that He does this in His special character as “the Spirit of promise.”  He is so designated because, first, the Spirit was the great and grand promise of the New Testament (John 14:26; 15:26, etc.) as Christ was of the Old Testament. Second, because He works by means of the promises.  Third, because in His whole work He acts according to the everlasting covenant, which, as it respects the elect, is a Covenant of Promise (Ephesians 2:12).  When He seals home a sense of the love of God and gives the soul a view of its interest in Christ, it is done by means of the Word of Promise.  It was so when He “sealed” Christ (John 6:27) and consecrated Him to the work of redemption.  The Father said by an audible voice from Heaven, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased:” this was repeating what had been pronounced in the purpose of Jehovah the Father concerning the Mediator (Isaiah 42:1); this the Holy Spirit brought home in power or “sealed” upon the mind of Jesus at that time.

The “sealing” or assuring operations of the Spirit are known to the believer in two ways.

First, inferentially: by enabling him to perceive His work in the soul and from it conclude his regeneration.  When I see smoke I must infer a fire, and when I discern spiritual graces (however feeble) I reason back to the Producer of them.  When I feel a power within combating my corruptions, and often thwarting my intentions to indulge the lusts of the flesh, I conclude it is the Spirit resisting the flesh (Galatians 5:17).

Second, intuitively: by a Divine light in the heart, by a Divine authority felt, by the love of God shed abroad therein.  If I have any hope wrought in me, either by looking to Christ’s blood or perceiving grace in me, it is by the power of the Spirit (Romans 15:13).  The Spirit brings to the mind of the Christian the sacred promises.  He shows us the good contained in them, the grace expressed in them, the perfection and freeness of Christ’s salvation declared by them; and thereby He seals them on our mind and enables us to rest thereon.  He shows us the veracity and faithfulness of God in the promises, the immutability of the everlasting covenant, the eternity of God’s love, and that He hath by two immutable things (His word and His oath), in which it is impossible for Him to lie, given a firm foundation for strong consolation to us who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us in the gospel (Hebrews 6:18).  It is in this way that “the God of all grace” doth, by the Spirit, “stablish, strengthen, settle us” (1 Peter 5:10).  It is by the Spirit’s operations that the Christian’s fears are quietened, his doubts subdued, and his heart assured that a “good work” (Philippians 1:6) has been Divinely begun in him. The Spirit indwelling us is Christ’s seal (mark of identification) that we are His sheep; the Spirit authenticating His own blessed work in our souls, by revealing to us our “title” to Heaven, is His sealing us.

Read Full Post »

Lessons from Jacob’s Prayer (Genesis 32:9-12) by A. W. Pink

Posted in A. W. Pink, Reforming Reflections on December 30, 2009|

There is not a little in the prayer of Jacob which is worthy of close attention, the more so as it was a prevailing prayer, and that it is the first recorded real prayer in the Bible.

“And Jacob said, O God of my father Abraham, and God of my father Isaac, the Lord which saidst unto me, Return unto thy country, and to thy kindred, and I will deal well with thee; I am not worthy of the least of all the mercies, and of all the truth, which thou hast showed unto thy servant; for with my staff I passed over this Jordan; and now I am become two bands. Deliver me, I pray thee, from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau; for I fear him, lest he will come and smite me, and the mother with the children. And thou saidst, I will surely do thee good, and make thy seed as the sand of the sea, which cannot be numbered for multitude.” (Genesis 32:9-12.)

First, the God to whom he prayed.  He approached God not merely as God the Creator, but as “the God of his father Abraham and the God of his father Isaac.”  It was God in Covenant relationship. This was laying hold of the Divine faithfulness; it was the prayer of faith.  It means much to approach God thus; to appeal to Him on the ground of a sure and established relationship.  We come before God not as the God of our forefathers, but as the God and Father of the Lord Jesus Christ, and therefore our “God and Father.”  It is as we plead this relationship He is pleased to bless us.

Second, Jacob cast himself on the sure Word of Jehovah, pleading before Him His promise.  He humbly reminded the Lord how He had said, “Return unto thy country, and to thy kindred, and I will deal well with thee.”  Here again we do well to learn from Jacob.  The Scriptures contain many promises given to believers in general, and it is our individual privilege to plead them before God in particular, the more so when, like our patriarch, we encounter difficulties and opposition in the way wherein He has directed us to walk.  Jacob pleaded a definite promise; so must we.  In 2 Corinthians 12:9 we read, “My grace is sufficient for thee.”  Come to the Throne of Grace at the beginning of each day, reverently and believingly remind the Lord of this declaration of His, and then say with one of old, “Do as Thou hast said” (2 Samuel 7:25). Again, we read in Philippians 4:19, “My God shall supply all your need.”  Tell the Lord of this in the hour of emergency, and say, “Lord, do as Thou hast said.”

Third, Jacob fully acknowledged his own utter lack of desert [worthiness]. He confessed that the Lord was in no wise his debtor.  He took a lowly place before the Most High.  He owned that “he was not worthy of the least of all God’s mercies.”  Mark this well, dear reader, for very little teaching is heard in these days that leads to self-abasement.  It has become a rarity to hear a saint of God confessing his unworthiness.  There is so much said about living on a high plane of spirituality, so much Laodicean boasting, that many are afraid to acknowledge before other believers that they are “not worthy of the least of God’s mercies.”  One sometimes wonders if this is the chief reason why so few of us have any real power in prayer today.  Certain it is that we must get down into the dust before God if we would receive His blessing.  We must come before Him as empty-handed supplicants, if He is to fill us.  We must own our ill deserts, and be ready to receive from Him on the ground of grace alone if we are to have our prayers answered.

Finally, notice the motive which actuated Jacob in presenting the petition he did.  That for which he made request was expressed as follows: “Deliver me, I pray thee, from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau; for I fear him, lest he will come and smite me, and the mother with the children.”  At first glance, it would appear that our patriarch was moved by nothing higher than the natural affections of the human heart.  It would seem that this was the petition of a kind husband and a tender father.  But as we re-read this request of Jacob in the light of the closing words of his prayer, we shall discover he was prompted by a far worthier and higher motive.  He at once added, “And thou saidst, I will surely do thee good, and make thy seed as the sand of the sea, which cannot be numbered for multitude.”  In this conclusion to the prayer, we may see not only a further pleading of God’s promise, but an eye to God’s glory. Jehovah had promised to make Jacob’s seed as the sand of the sea, but if his wife and children were slain how then could God’s promise be fulfilled!  Now it is natural, and by no means wrong, for us to be deeply concerned over the salvation of our loved ones; but our chief concern must center itself not in the well being of those who are united to us by the ties of blood or intimate friendship, but for the glory of God.  “Whatsoever ye do (in prayer, as in everything else) do all to the glory of God” — to this everything else must be subordinated.  Here, then, is a searching test: Why am I so anxious to see certain ones saved? — Simply because they are near and dear to me?  Or that God may be glorified and Christ magnified in their salvation?  May Divine grace purge us of selfishness and purify our motives in prayer.  And may God use these few words and cause both writer and reader to cry, with ever increasing fervor, “Lord, teach us to pray.”

Editing and format by Jim Ehrhard, Teaching Resources International, 2001. You are free to make copies to be distributed freely.

Read Full Post »

Another Conversation on Assurance by A. W. Pink

Posted in A. W. Pink on December 30, 2009|

Mr. Humble Heart: “Good morning, Sir. May I beg the favor of an hour of your valuable time?”

Editor: “Come in, and welcome. What can I do for you?”

Humble Heart: “I am sore troubled in spirit: I long so much to be able to call God ‘my father,’ but I fear I might be guilty of lying were I to do so. There are many times when I have a little hope that He has begun a good work within me, but alas, for the most part, I find such a mass of corruption working within, that I feel sure that I have never been made a new creature in Christ. My heart is so cold and hard toward God, that it seems impossible the Holy Spirit could have shed abroad God’s love in me; unbelief and doubtings so often master me, that it would be presumptuous to think I possess the faith of God’s elect. Yet I want to love Him, trust Him, serve Him, but it seems I cannot.”

Editor: “I am very glad you called. It is rare indeed to meet with an honest soul these days.”

Humble Heart: “Excuse me, Sir, but I do not want you to form a wrong impression of me: an honest heart is the very blessing I crave, but I am painfully conscious, from much clear evidence, that I possess it not. My heart is deceitful above all things, and I am full of hypocrisy. I have often begged God to make me holy, and right after, my actions proved that I did not mean what I said. I have often thanked God for His mercies, and then have soon fretted and murmured when His providence crossed my will. I had quite a battle before I came here to see you tonight, as to whether I was really seeking help, or as to whether my secret desire was to win your esteem: and I am not sure now which was my real motive.”

Humble Heart: “To come to the point, Sir, if I am not intruding. I have read and re-read your articles on “Assurance” which appeared in last year’s magazines. Some things in those articles seemed to give me a little comfort, but other things almost drove me to despair. Sometimes your description of a born-again soul agreed with my own experience, but at other times I seemed as far from measuring up to it as the poles are asunder. So I do not know where I am. I have sought to heed 2 Corinthians 13:5 and ‘examine’ myself, and when I did so, I could see nothing but a mass of contradictions; or, it would be more accurate to say, for each one thing I found which seemed to show that I was regenerate, I found ten things to prove that I could not be so. And now, Sir, I’m mourning night and day, for I feel of all men the most miserable.”

Editor: “Hypocrites are not exercised about their motives, nor troubled over the deceitfulness of their hearts! At any rate, I am thankful to see you are so deeply concerned about your soul’s eternal interests.”

Humble Heart: “Alas, Sir, I am not half as much concerned about them as I ought to be. That is another thing which occasions me much anguish. When the Lord Jesus tells us that the human soul is worth more than the whole world put together (Mark 8:36), I feel that I must be thoroughly blinded by Satan and completely under the dominion of sin, seeing that I am so careless. It is true that at times I am alarmed about my state and fearful that I shall soon be in Hell; at times too, I seem to seek God more earnestly and read His Word more diligently; but alas, my goodness is ‘as a morning cloud, and as the early dew it goeth away’ (Hos. 6:4). The cares of this life so soon crowd out thoughts of the life to come. O, Sir, I want reality, not pretense; I want to make sure, yet cannot.”

Editor: “That is not so simple a task as many would have us believe.”

Humble Heart: “It certainly is not. I have consulted several Bible teachers, only to find them ‘physicians of no value’ (Job 13:4); I have also conferred with some who boasted that they never have a doubt, and they quoted to me Acts 16:31, and on telling them I did believe, they cried ‘Peace, peace,’ but there was no peace in my heart.”

Editor: “Ah, dear friend, it is not without reason that God has bidden us ‘give diligence to make your calling and election sure’ (2 Peter 1:10). And even after we have given diligence, we still need the Holy Spirit to ‘bear witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God’ (Rom. 8:16). Moreover, spiritual assurance may easily be lost, or at least be clouded, as is evident from the case of him who wrote the 23rd Psalm, for at a later date he had to cry unto God, ‘Restore unto me the joy of Thy salvation.’

Editor: “Before proceeding further, had we not better ask the help of the Lord; His Holy Word says, ‘In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths’ (Prov. 3:6). And now, dear Brother, for such I am assured you really are, what is it that most causes you to doubt that you have passed from death unto life?”

Humble Heart: “My inward experiences, the wickedness of my heart, the many defeats I encounter daily.”

Editor: “Perhaps you are looking for perfection in the flesh.”

Humble Heart: “No, hardly that, for I know the ‘flesh’ or old nature is still left in the Christian. But I have met with some who claim to be living ‘the victorious life,’ who say they never have a doubt, never a rising of anger, discontent, or any wicked feelings or desires; that Christ so controls them that unclouded peace and joy are theirs all the time.”

Editor: “Bear with me if I speak plainly, but such people are either hypnotized by the Devil, or they are fearful liars. God’s Word says, ‘If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us’ (1 John 1:8). And again, ‘There is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not’ (Eccl. 7:20). And again, ‘In many things we offend all’ (James 3:2). The beloved Apostle Paul when well advanced in the Christian life, declared, ‘I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me. For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: but I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members’ (Rom. 7:21-23).

Humble Heart: “That relieves my mind somewhat, yet it scarcely reaches the root of my difficulty. What troubles me so much is this: when God regenerates a man, he becomes a new creature in Christ Jesus: the change wrought in him is so great that it is termed a ‘passing from death unto life.’ It is obvious that if God the Holy Spirit dwells in a person, that there must be a radical difference produced, both inwardly and outwardly, from what he was before. Now it is this which I fail to find in myself. Instead of being any better than I was a year ago, I feel I am worse. Instead of humility filling my heart, so often pride rules it; instead of lying passive like clay in the Potter’s hand to be molded by Him, I am like a wild ass’ colt; instead of rejoicing in the Lord always, I am frequently filled with bitterness and repinings.”

Editor: “Such experiences as you describe are very sad and humbling, and need to be mourned over and confessed to God. They must never be excused nor glossed over. Nevertheless, they are not incompatible with the Christian state. Rather are they so many proofs that he who is experimentally acquainted with the ‘plague of his own heart’ (1 Kings 8:38) is one in experience with the most eminent of God’s saints. Abraham acknowledged he was ‘dust and ashes’ (Gen. 18:27). Job said, ‘I abhor myself’ (42:6). David prayed ‘Have mercy upon me, O Lord, for I am weak: O Lord, heal me; for my bones are vexed’ (Psa. 6:2). Isaiah exclaimed, ‘Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips’ (6:5). In the anguish of his heart, Jeremiah asked, ‘Wherefore came I forth out of the womb to see labor and sorrow, that my days should be consumed with shame?’ (20:18). Daniel once owned, ‘There remained no strength in me, for my comeliness was turned in me into corruption’ (10:8). Paul cried, ‘O wretched man that I am! Who shall deliver me from the body of this death?’ (Rom. 7:24).

“One of the principal things which distinguishes a regenerate person from an unregenerate one may be likened unto two rooms which have been swept but not dusted. In one, the blinds are raised and the sunlight streams in, exposing the dust still lying on the furniture. In the other, the blinds are lowered, and one walking through the room would be unable to discern its real condition. Thus it is in the case of one who has been renewed by the Spirit: his eyes have been opened to see the awful filth which lurks in every corner of his heart. But in the case of the unregenerate, though they have occasional twinges of conscience when they act wrongly, they are very largely ignorant of the awful fact that they are a complete mass of corruption unto the pure eyes of the thrice holy God. It is true than an unregenerate person may be instructed in the truth of the total depravity of fallen man, and he may ‘believe’ the same, yet his belief does not humble his heart, fill him with anguish, make him loathe himself, and feel that Hell is the only place which is fit for him to dwell in. But it is far otherwise with one who sees light in God’s light (Psa. 36:9); he will not so much as lift up his eyes to Heaven, but smites upon his leprous breast, crying, ‘God be merciful to me the sinner’.”

Humble Heart: “Would you kindly turn to the positive side, and give me a brief description of what characterizes a genuine Christian?”

Editor: “Among other gifts, every real Christian has such a knowledge of God in Christ, as works by love, that he is stirred up to earnestly inquire after the will of God, and studies His Word to learn that will, having a sincere desire and making an honest endeavor to live in the faith and practice of it.” Humble Heart: “I cannot boast of my knowledge of God in Christ, yet by Divine grace this I may say: that I desire no other Heaven on earth than to know and to do God’s will, and be assured that I have His approval.”

Editor: “That is indeed a good sign that your soul has been actually renewed, and doubtless He who has begun a work of grace in your heart, will make the great change manifest in your life and actions. No matter what he thinks or says, no unregenerate man really desires to live a life which is pleasing to God.”

Humble Heart: “God forbid that I should flatter myself, yet I hope I have often found delight when reading God’s Word or hearing it preached, and I do sincerely meditate upon it, and long that I may ‘grow in grace.’ Yet, at times, I am tempted with vain and vile thoughts, and I strive to banish them, my heart rising up against them; yet sometimes I yield to them. I loathe lying and cursing, and cannot endure the company of those who hate practical godliness; yet my withdrawal from them seems nothing but pharisaic hypocrisy, for I am such a miserable failure myself. I pray to God for deliverance from temptation and for grace to resist the Devil, but I fear that I do not have His ear, for more often than not I am defeated by sin and Satan.”

Editor: “When you thus fall in your duty, or fall into sin, what do you think of yourself and your ways? How are you affected therewith?”

Humble Heart: “When I am in this deplorable condition, my soul is grieved, my joy of heart and peace of conscience gone. But when I am a little recovered out of this sinful lethargy, my heart is melted with sorrow over my folly, and I address myself to God with great fear and shame, begging Him to forgive me, pleading 1 John 1:9, and humbly imploring Him to ‘renew a right spirit within me’.”

Editor: “And why is it that you are so troubled when sin conquers you?”

Humble Heart: “Because I truly wish to please the Lord, and it is my greatest grief when I realize that I have dishonored and displeased Him. His mercy has kept me, thus far, from breaking out into open and public sins, yet there is very much within which I know He hates.”

Editor: “Well my dear brother and companion in the path of tribulation, God has ordained that the Lamb shall be eaten with ‘bitter herbs’ (Exo. 12:8). So it was with the Apostle: ‘As sorrowful, yet always rejoicing’ (2 Cor. 6:10) summed up his dual experience: ‘sorrowful over his sinful failures, both of omission and commission; yet ‘rejoicing’ over the provisions which Divine grace has made for us while we are in this dreary desert–the Mercy Seat ever open to us, whither we may draw near, unburden our heavy hearts, and pour out our tale of woe; the Fountain which has been ‘opened for sin and for uncleanness’ (Zech. 13:1), whither we may repair for cleansing. I am indeed thankful to learn that your conscience confirms what your tongue has uttered. You have expressed enough to clearly evidence that the Holy Spirit has begun a good work in your soul. But I trust you also have faith in the Lord Jesus, the Mediator, by whom alone any sinner can draw near unto God.”

Humble Heart: “By Divine grace I do desire to acknowledge and embrace the Lord Jesus upon the terms on which He is proclaimed in the Gospel: to believe all His doctrine as my Teacher, to trust in and depend upon the atoning sacrifice which He offered as the great High Priest, and to submit to His rule and government as King. But, alas, in connection with the last, ‘to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good, I find not’ (Rom. 7:18).

Editor: “No real Christian ever attains his ideal in this life; he never reaches that perfect standard which God has set before us in His Word, and which was so blessedly exemplified in the life of Christ. Even the Apostle Paul, near the close of his life, had to say, ‘Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect; but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus’ (Phil. 3:12). But may I ask if you are sensible of how you arrived at the good desires you mentioned? Do you suppose that such a disposition is natural to you, or that it has resulted from your own improvement of your faculties?”

Humble Heart: “No, Sir, I dare not ascribe to nature that which is the effect and fruit of Divine grace. If I have any measure of sanctification (which is what I long to be assured of), then it can only be by the gift and operation of God. I am too well acquainted with my wretched self: I know too well that by nature I am alive to vanity and sin but dead to God and all read goodness; that folly possesses my soul, darkness shrouds my understanding; that I am utterly unable to will or to do what is pleasing in God’s sight, and that my natural heart is set contrary to the way of salvation proposed in the Gospel, rising up against its flesh-condemning precepts and commandments. I see, I know, I feel that in me, that is in my flesh, there dwelleth no good thing.”

Editor: “Then do you realize what must be the outcome if God were to leave you unto yourself?”

Humble Heart: “Yes, indeed. Without the assistance of His Holy Spirit, I should certainly make shipwreck of the faith. My daily prayer is ‘Hold Thou me up, and I shall be safe’ (Psa. 119:117). My earnest desire is that I may watch and pray against every temptation. There is nothing I dread more than apostatising, relaxing in my duty, returning to wallow in the mire.”

Editor: “These are all plain evidences of the saving grace of God at work within you, which I beseech Him to continue, so that you may be preserved with a tender conscience, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, and obtain a full assurance of His love for you.”

Humble Heart: “I thank you kindly, Sir, for your patience and help. What you have said makes me feel lighter in heart, but I wish to go home and prayerfully ponder the same, for I dare not take no man’s word for it. I want God Himself ‘to say unto my soul, I am thy salvation’ (Psa. 35:3). Will you not pray that it may please Him so to do?”

Editor: “You shall certainly have a place in my feeble petitions. The Lord be very gracious unto you.”

Excerpted and edited from A.W.Pink, Studies in the Scriptures, October, 1932.

The current formatting and editing is copyrighted by Jim Ehrhard, 1999. You are permitted to reproduce and distribute this material in any format provided that: (1) you credit the author; (2) any modifications are clearly marked; (3) you do not charge a fee beyond the cost of reproduction; and (4) you do not make more than 100 copies without permission. If you would like to post this material to your web site or make any use other than as defined above, please contact Teaching Resources International

Read Full Post »

A Conversation on Assurance by A. W. Pink

Posted in A. W. Pink on December 30, 2009|

Doubtless not a few of our readers wish they had the opportunity for a personal conversation on the subject, so that they could state their difficulties and ask questions on anything that is not yet clear to them. We have therefore decided to write two further articles in the form of dialogues, introducing widely different characters, who express a desire to discuss the subject. The first is,

Mr. Carnal Confidence. Good morning, Mr. Editor, I wish to have a talk with you about those articles on “Assurance” which you published in last year’s “Studies.”

The Writer: Be seated, please. First of all, may we courteously but frankly inform you that our time is already fully occupied in seeking to minister unto God’s dear children, yet we are never too busy to do all in our power to help a needy soul.

Carnal Confidence: O, I am not seeking help, my purpose in calling is to point out some things in your articles where I am quite sure you erred. I consider that in your articles you have made a very difficult and complicated matter out of what is really very simple. According to your ideas, a person has to go to a lot of trouble in order to discover whether or not he is saved, whereas if a man believes God’s Word he may be sure in a moment.

The Writer: But are all those who believe God’s Word really saved? Did not the Jews of Christ’s day believe implicitly in the Divine authorship of the Old Testament? Does not the Devil himself believe the same?

Mr. Carnal Confidence: That is not what I meant: my meaning is that, if I rest upon some verse of Holy Writ as God’s promise to me, then I know He cannot disappoint me.

The Writer: Saving faith is not faith in the authenticity of any verse of Scripture, but rather faith in the Person of Him who gave us the Scriptures, faith in the Christ who is made known in the Scriptures.

Mr. Carnal Confidence: Yes, I know that, and I do believe in God and in His Son, and I know that I am saved because He says so.

The Writer: Where in Scripture does God say that you are saved?

Mr. Carnal Confidence: In John 5:24, in Acts 16:31, and many other places.

The Writer: Let us turn to these passages please. In John 5:24 the Lord Jesus describes one who has “passed from death unto life.” He tells us two things about that individual, which serve to identify him. First, “he that heareth My word.” That is definite enough. But of course it means far more than simply listening to His Word with the outward ear. Returning to John 5:24; the one who has passed from death unto life, says Christ, “is he that heareth My word” Let us turn then to other passages where this term is found: “they are turned back to the iniquities of their forefathers, which refuse to hear My words” (Jer. 11:10); “because ye have not heard My words, behold I will send and take all the families of the north” etc. (Jer. 25:8,9); and see 35:17, Zechariah 1:4, Matthew 7:24, John 10:27. In all of these verses, and in many others which might be given, to “hear” means to heed what God says, to act upon it, to obey Him. So he who “hears” the voice of Christ heeds His command to turn away from all that is opposed to God and become in subjection to Him.

Mr. Carnal Confidence: Well, let us turn to Acts 16:31, that is simple enough. There is no room allowed there for any quibbling. God says, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved:” God says that to me; I have believed on Christ, and so I must be saved.

Writer: Not so fast, dear friend. How can you prove God says that to you? Those words were spoken under unusual circumstances, and to a particular individual. That individual had been brought to the end of himself; he was deeply convicted of his sins; he was in terrible anguish of soul; he had taken his place in the dust, for we are told that he “came trembling and fell down before Paul and Silas” (Acts 16:29). Now is it fair to take the words of the Apostles to such a man and apply them indiscriminately to anybody? Are we justified in ignoring the whole setting of that verse, wrenching it from its context, and giving it to those who have not any of the characteristics which marked the Philippian jailer?

Mr. Carnal Confidence: I refuse to allow you to browbeat me, and move me from the simplicity of the Gospel. John 3:16 say, “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” Now I have believed on the Son, and therefore am fully assured that I possess eternal life.

Writer: Are you aware of the fact that in this same Gospel of John we are told, “Many believed in His name, when they saw the miracles which He did. But Jesus did not commit Himself unto them” (John 2:23, 24)? There were many who “believed” in Christ who were not saved by Him: see John 8:30 and note verse 59! John 12:42, 43! There is a believing in Christ which saves, and there is a believing in Him which does not save; and therefore it behooves every sincere and earnest soul to diligently examine his “faith by Scripture and ascertain which kind it is. There is too much at stake to take anything for granted. Where eternal destiny is involved surely no trouble can be too great for us to make sure.

Mr. Carnal Confidence: I am sure, and no man can make me doubt. I don’t claim to be perfect, but I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that He is able to keep that which I have committed unto Him against that day.

Writer: We didn’t ask if you were perfect; but have you been made a new creature in Christ, have old things passed away, and all things become new (2 Cor. 5:17)? Are you treading the path of obedience, for God’s Word says, “He that saith I know Him, and keepeth not His commandments, is a liar; and the truth is not in him” (1 John 2:4). It is not the adulation of our lips, but the affection of our souls, which He requires; it is not an intellectual assent, but the heart’s surrender to Him which saves.

Mr. Carnal Confidence: You are departing from the simplicity of the Gospel; you are making additions unto its one and only stipulation. There is nothing that God requires from the sinner except that he believe on the Lord Jesus Christ.

Writer: You are mistaken. The Lord Jesus said, “Repent ye, and believe the Gospel” (Mark 1:15).

Mr. Carnal Confidence: That was before the Cross, but in this dispensation repentance is not demanded.

Writer: Then according to you ideas God has changed the plan of salvation. But you err. After the Cross, Christ charged His disciples, “That repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name among all nations” (Luke 24:47). If we turn to the book of Acts, we find that the Apostles preached repentance in this dispensation. On the day of Pentecost, Peter bade the convicted Jews to “repent” (Acts 2:38). Reviewing his ministry at Ephesus, Paul declared that he had testified both to Jews and also to the Greeks “repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ” (Acts 20:21); while in Acts 17:30 we are told that God “now commandeth all men every where to repent.”

Mr. Carnal Confidence: Then do you insist that if a person has not repented, he is still unsaved?

Writer: Christ Himself says so: “Except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish” (Luke 13:5). So too if a man has not been converted, he is yet unsaved: “Repent ye therefore and be converted, that you sins may be blotted out” (Acts 3:19). There must be a right-about-face: there must be a turning from Satan unto God, from the world unto Christ, from sin unto holiness. Where that has not taken place, all the believing in the world will save no one. Christ saves none who is still in love with sin; but He is ready to save those who are sick of sin, who long to be cleansed from its loathsome foulness, who yearn to be delivered from its tyrannizing power. Christ came here to save His people from their sins. It is obvious that if the Holy One indwells me that His presence must have wrought a radical change both in character and in conduct. Unless this be the case with us, then our profession is vain, and all our talk of trusting in Christ’s finished work is but idle words.

Mr. Carnal Confidence: I consider all you have said to be but the language of a Pharisee. You are occupied with your own fancied goodness and delighting in your own worthless righteousness.

Writer: Pardon me, but I rather rejoice in what Christ’s Spirit has wrought in me, and pray that He will carry forward that work of grace to the glory of His name. But we must bring our discussion to a close. I would respectfully urge you to attend unto that exhortation addressed to all profession Christians, ‘Give diligence to make your calling and election sure’ (2 Peter 1:10).

Mr. Carnal Confidence: I shall do nothing of the sort: I hate the very word ‘election.’ I know that I am saved, though I do not measure up to the impossible standard you want to erect.

Writer: Fare thee well; may be please the Lord to open your blind eyes, reveal to you His holiness, and bring you to His feet in godly fear and trembling.

Excerpted and edited from A. W. Pink, Studies in the Scriptures, September, 1932.

The current formatting and editing is copyrighted by Jim Ehrhard, 1999. You are permitted to reproduce and distribute this material in any format provided that: (1) you credit the author; (2) any modifications are clearly marked; (3) you do not charge a fee beyond the cost of reproduction; and (4) you do not make more than 100 copies without permission. If you would like to post this material to your web site or make any use other than as defined above, please contact Teaching Resources International

Read Full Post »

« Newer Posts - Older Posts »