Soli Deo Gloria » Assurance

Twixt Gleams of Joy and Clouds of Doubt

Jay — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 23:38:08 +0000

Every once in a while you come across an old hymn that is rarely sung in church and you wonder why it isn’t. In God’s providence and perfect timing, I remember sitting in church not too long ago and my pastor quoted a few lines from an old, obscure hymn and I immediately related to it. The glorious truths that the hymn points to bring us to Scripture over and over as we relate to the promises of comfort alongside the promises of suffering and trial. (Philippians 1:29) It’s that wonderful picture of our Shepherd in Psalm 23 walking along with us in the dark valley discipling and comforting us at the same time.

The lyrics to this hymn below by John Campbell Shairp are some of my favorites. I must admit that I printed out a small copy of them and they are taped to the front inside cover of my Bible. This hymn really describes the reality of the Christian walk and our need to remember that it’s not my grasp of Christ that matters most to my comfort but His grasp of me. What glorious truth!

‘Twixt gleams of joy and clouds of doubt
Our feelings come and go;
Our best estate is tossed about
In ceaseless ebb and flow.
No mood of feeling, form of thought
Is constant for a day;
But thou, 0 Lord, thou changest not:
The same thou art alway.

I grasp thy strength, make it mine own,
My heart with peace is blest;
I lose my hold, and then comes down
Darkness, and cold unrest.
Let me no more my comfort draw
From my frail hold of thee,
In this alone rejoice with awe—-
Thy mighty grasp of me.

Out of that weak, unquiet drift
That comes but to depart,
To that pure heaven my spirit lift
Where thou unchanging art.
Lay hold of me with thy strong grasp,
Let thy almighty arm
In its embrace my weakness clasp,
And I shall fear no harm.

Thy purpose of eternal good
Let me but surely know;
On this I’ll lean—let changing mood
And feeling come or go—
Glad when thy sunshine fills my soul,
Not lorn when clouds o’ercast,
Since thou within thy sure control
Of love dost hold me fast .

—John Campbell Shairp

The Error of the Modern Gospel Call

Jay — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 17:00:45 +0000

Today’s presentation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ is so watered down, so un-biblical that it is absolutely no wonder that the majority of the American church is filled with unregenerate membership. I am appalled at the “gospel” presentations I hear in churches today. In fact, many don’t even preach the gospel and those that do have turned the true Biblical gospel into a feel good, ask Jesus into your heart, make a quick decision false gospel that is giving false assurance and hope to people who make a profession of faith and have absolute no changed life. Repentance has all but been banned from most gospel presentations.

Here, we have a short but very powerful audio presentation by Paul Washer on the error of the modern gospel call…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OsksyBoWWhQ

The Way is Narrow

Jay — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 15:09:33 +0000

Paul Washer has to be one of my favorite preachers. He preaches with Biblical clarity and with a passion that is Spirit-led. We need more preaches/teachers like Paul in America. This sermon is one that every single person should watch and listen to carefully. This is the true Biblical Gospel and one that glories in the miracle of a changed life through the regenerating power of the Holy Spirit to the glory of God in the face of Christ.

It is evident today that many preachers need to spend less time preaching and more time studying their Bibles. It is rare to hear the Word preached like brother Washer.

May we examine ourselves to see if we are in the faith…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1_hGBFVzYZ4

The Dark Trials

Jay — Fri, 16 May 2008 01:01:33 +0000

“Reader, if God has given you His only begotten Son, beware of doubting His kindness and love, in any painful providence of your daily life! Never allow yourself to think hard thoughts of God. Never suppose that He can give you anything which is not really for your good. Remember the words of Paul: “He who spared not His own Son—but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things” (Romans 8:32)

See in every sorrow and trouble of your earthly pilgrimage—the hand of Him who gave Christ to die for your sins! That hand can never smite you—except in love! He who gave His only begotten Son for you, will never withhold anything from you which is really for your good. Lean back on this thought and be content. Say to yourself in the darkest hour of trial, “This also is ordered by Him who gave Christ to die for my sins. It cannot be wrong. It is done in love. It must be well.”

-J.C. Ryle

How We Know Whether We love God…

Jay — Mon, 07 Jan 2008 13:27:27 +0000

Thomas Watson, (c. 1620—1686) was a Puritan preacher and author. His works include the much loved “Body of Divinity” – a must read! Here he provides an excellent overview from Scripture of tests of assurance. The Bible teaches us to examine ourselves to see if we are in the faith and Holy Scripture gives us the means for such examination. Following is an excerpt from his writings that every Christian should carefully read and check against Scripture. In a world where the proclamation of the true saving Gospel has become harder and harder to hear these writings from the Puritans are so refreshing.

HE WHO LOVES GOD DESIRES HIS PRESENCE. Lovers cannot be long apart, they soon have their fainting fits, for want of a sight of the object of their love. A soul deeply in love with God desires the enjoyment of Him in His ordinances, in word, prayer, and sacraments. David was ready to faint away and die when he had not a sight of God. “My soul fainteth for God” (Psalm 84:2). Such as care not for ordinances, but say, “When will the Sabbath be over?” plainly reveal their lack of love to God.

He who loves God DOES NOT LOVE SIN. “Ye that love the Lord, hate evil” (Psalm 97:10). The love of God, and the love of sin, can no more mix together than iron and clay. Every sin loved, strikes at the being of God; but he who loves God, has a hatred of sin. He who would part two lovers is a hateful person. God and the believing soul are two lovers; sin parts between them, therefore the soul is implacably set against it. By this try your love to God. How could Delilah say she loved Samson. when she entertained correspondence with the Philistines, who were his mortal enemy?

He who loves God IS NOT MUCH IN LOVE WITH ANYTHING ELSE. His love is very cool to worldly things. His love to God moves swiftly, as the sun in the firmament; to the world it moves slowly, as the sun on the dial. The love of the world eats out the heart of religion; it chokes good affections, as earth puts out fire. The world was a dead thing to Paul. “I am crucified to the world, and the world is crucified to me” (Gal. 6:14). In Paul we may see both the picture and pattern of a mortified man. He that loves God, uses the world but chooses God. The world engages him, but God delights and satisfies him. He says as David, “God my exceeding joy,” the gladness or cream of my joy (Psalm 43:4).

He who loves God CANNOT LIVE WITHOUT HIM. Things we love we cannot be without. A man can do without music or flowers, but not food; so a soul deeply in love with God looks upon himself as undone without Him. “Hide not thy face from me, lest I be like them that go down into the pit” (Psalm 143:7). He says to Job, “I went mourning without the sun” (Job 30:28). I have starlight, I want the Sun of Righteousness; I enjoy not the sweet presence of my God. Is God our chief good, and we cannot live without Him? Alas! how do they show they have no love to God who can do well enough without Him! Let them have corn and oil, and you shall never hear them complain of the lack of God.

He who loves God WILL BE AT ANY PAINS TO GET HIM. What pains the merchant takes, what hazards he runs, to have a rich return from the Indies! Jacob loved Rachel, and he could endure the heat by day, and the frost by night, that he might enjoy her. A soul that loves God will take any pains for the fruition of Him. “My soul follows hard after God” (Psalm 63:8). Love ispondusanimae (Augustine). It is the weight which sets the clock going. It is much in prayer, weeping, fasting; it strives as in agony that he may obtain Him whom his soul loves. Plutarch reports of the Gauls, an ancient people of France, that after they had tasted the sweet wine of Italy, they never rested tiH they had arrived at that country. He who is in love with God, never rests till he has a part in Him. “I sought him whom my soul loveth” (Song of Sol. 3:2). How can they say they love God, who are not industrious in the use of means to obtain Him? “A slothful man hides his hand in his bosom” (Prov. 19:24). He is not in agony, but lethargy. If Christ and salvation would drop as a ripe fig into his mouth, he would be content to have them; but he is loath to put himself to too much trouble. Does he love his friend, who win not undertake a journey to see him?

He who loves God PREFERS HIM BEFORE ESTATE AND LIFE. (1) Before estate–”For whom I have suffered the loss of all things” (Phil. 3:8). Who that loves a rich jewel would not part with a flower for it? Galeacius, marcus of Vico, parted with a fair estate to enjoy God in His pure ordinances. When a Jesuit persuaded him to return to his popish religion in Italy, promising him a large sum of money, he said: “Let their money perish with them who esteem all the gold in the world worth one day’s communion with Jesus Christ and his Holy Spirit.” (2) Before life–”They loved not their lives to the death” (Rev. 12:11). Love to God carries the soul above the love of life and the fear of death.

He who loves God LOVES HIS FAVOURITES, THE SAINTS (1 John 5:1). To love a man for his grace and the more we see of God in him, the more we love him, that is an infallible sign of love to God. The wicked pretend to love God, but hate and persecute His image. Does he love his prince who abuses his statue, or tears his picture? They seem indeed to show great reverence to saints departed; they have great reverence for Saint Paul, and Saint Stephen, and Saint Luke; they canonize dead saints, but persecute living saints; and do they love God? Can it be imagined that he loves God who hates His children because they are like God? If Christ were alive again, He would not escape a second persecution.

If we love God WE CANNOT BUT BE FEARFUL OF DISHONORING HIM, asthemore a child loves his father the more he is afraid to displease him, and we weep and mourn when we have offended him. “Peter went out and wept bitterly” (Matt. 26:75). Peter might wen think that Christ dearly loved him when He took him up to the mount where He was transfigured, and showed him the glory of heaven in a vision. That Peter should deny Christ after he had received such signal tokens of His love, this broke his heart with grief “He wept bitterly.” Are our eyes dropping tears of grief for sin against God? It is a blessed evidence of our love to God; and such shall find mercy. “He shows mercy to thousands of them that love Him.”

Let us be lovers of God. We love our food and shall we not love Him that gives it? All the joy we hope for in heaven is in God; and shall not He who shall be our joy then, be our love now? It is a saying of Augustine, Annon pana satis magna est non amare te? Is it not punishment enough Lord, not to love thee? And again, Animam meam in odia haberem. I would hate my own soul if I did not find it loving God.

Amen.