Part 4

Unbelief is in man's sight no sin at all—whilst in God's sight it is of all sins the greatest.

Whilst we are looking to Jesus at the right hand of God, all circumstances are our occasions for honouring God by faith; but if we look to circumstances and not to Christ, they cast us down, and leave us a prey to Unbelief.

By Unbelief the child of God degrades himself; losing sight of his heavenly robe he makes much of the earthly rags of this world's honour, and can even envy the wearers. (Ps. 73:3.)

We do well to remember that God is as true to His forewarnings of wrath and curse, as He is to His promises of grace. We take the latter for our peculiar comfort, but should also solemnly meditate the former for our ripe and full acquaintance with God.

Unbelief cripples and puts in fear where no fear is; it leads to despair, and despair is but unbelief without a bridle.

Do you, at the Mercy-seat, confess the iniquity of Unbelief? Remember that it makes God to be the very contrary of what He is.

Unbelief and its rebellion will make of a mere nothing a great mountain.

Every murmuring thought is the child of Unbelief, and makes God a liar.

The Sins of Believers

The heart of man is a restless deep, ever casting up mire and dirt (Isa. 57:20); but in the sins of God's children there is a pre-eminence of guilt.

Jonah could not sin himself out of the love of God; therefore, sinning himself out of communion with God, he had the greater guilt.

I count myself more vile than the murderer who suffers death by the hangman's hand, because the atoning blood of the Son of God acquaints me with myself.... That which shows me my forgiveness reveals to me my pollution.

By far the greater part of the sins of God's children are sins of ignorance. How needful therefore the cry, "Cleanse Thou me from secret faults" (Ps. 19:12)—faults hidden from mine own eye and from mine own conscience. Without atoning blood they would bring down God's curse on the offender's head. Oh, let us not make light of sins of ignorance!

The sins of our unregenerate state should indeed be ever before us; but by frowardness, since we tasted that God is gracious, we sin (as natural men cannot sin) against the heart of Christ, against God's love and His Spirit, who seals us unto the day of redemption. The natural man is a rebel against his Maker; but it is against a Father that we, the saved, offend. Forgetting the cross, we go astray. The remedy is true and speedy confession; for we have an Advocate with the Father. (1 John 2:1.)

We must be ever waging war with the secret workings of sin. Where it is but in a little measure allowed, God may suffer His child to go further and further in that allowance, until the seven locks are shorn on Delilah's lap.

To be doubting Christ's love, to be limiting His grace, is alike unworthy of us and grieving to Him. The last offence of Joseph's brethren (Gen. 50:15-21) was not the least.

There is no fault in our character that the grace of God cannot cure. It becomes us therefore to give no quarter to the Canaanites. (Judges 2)

God deals with us after conversion otherwise than before it: He, as a wise Father, has a rod of correction for His children, and smites them when He might let them alone, did they not know His love.

Peculiar temptations bring forth peculiar corruptions, after neglected warnings.

The Lord Jesus took loving pains to make Peter acquainted with Himself, and was compelled to humble him by his threefold denial of his Lord, but without exposing him to the eye of enemies. Overcome by a sudden temptation, he was quickly forgiven and restored. (Luke 22:55-62.) Whereas David, who had deliberately transgressed, and who had long been in a backsliding state of heart, was exposed to the people as well as made loathsome in his own eyes. (2 Sam. 12; 16) When Christ restores a fallen one, He often makes that disciple stronger than before his fall. "When thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren" (Luke 22:32). So it will be with those who, like David and Peter, have been wont to follow the Lord fully.

The people of God are in general slack and slothful in searching out sins of ignorance; but if we persevere in the search, asking God to reveal them to us, He will give us very humbling knowledge of ourselves and of our secret faults; with it also blessed comfort and communion, which otherwise we could not enjoy.

The Coming of the Lord

Yet the blessed hope of the coming of Christ keep us ever on the watchtower; looking, longing for it, and hasting towards it.

Would that we duly considered our accountability to Christ, who in the day of His appearing will judge the secrets of all hearts. Then we shall each be called on to give an account of his stewardship - an account, not only of gifts of understanding and substance, but of daily employment, and of all the minutes of the day. (See 1 Cor. 4:1-6.)

Prayer

It is a high place that is given to the prayers of saints in 1 Tim. 2:1.2. If Christians only knew how their prayers for kings and governors are heard in heaven, they would not be meddlers with this world's politics.

Every wish that the Holy Ghost breathes into the soul of a believer is a voice which enters into the ear of God.

It is well for a child of God to pray for himself, but a more excellent thing to pray for others. God honours the spirit of intercession.

We are too apt to set God a time and a way of answering our prayers; and even when our prayers are answered, we are often surprised and ready to faint. If we desire much communion with God and with Christ, we must not be surprised if the Holy Spirit come upon us as a keen north wind, revealing our own corruption and evil to us: when it comes, let us not say, How can we bear this? but rather be thankful for God's wise answer to prayer.

If we have not the spirit of supplication and thanksgiving, let us begin with the spirit of confession.

When we pray, let us be sure God is hearing us. If we ask help, kindness, favour, from a fellow-man, it cheers us to observe the _kind attentive look_: let us by faith regard our unseen Saviour and Priest, and settle it in our hearts that our prayer is received; the answer will come in the best time. If we cannot comply with God's just demands to be singing and triumphing with Christ above, He will listen to His unbelieving, groaning children. He _bows down_ His ear to hear their cry.

When the Word of God enters the conscience, men pour out their hearts indeed to the Lord.

Our need of Prayer is as frequent as the moments of the day; and as we grow in spirituality of mind, our continual need will be felt by us more and more.

In order to have power with God in Prayer, there must be an undivided heart; if we would come boldly to the throne of grace, we must come obediently.

Daniel made prayer and meditation of the Scriptures the chief business of his life; yet, if we consider the circumstances in which he was placed, we shall see that few ever had greater obstacles than he in the way of seeking God.

God gives, as a wise Father, prized benefits to His supplicating children.

When we ask for more communion with God, are we willing to part with all that hinders? Let us take heed that our ways agree with our words when we come to the Mercy-seat.

It is a great help to us when we see that our prayers and our labours are to be as the grain of wheat falling into the ground. If we look for death and burial first, we shall be able to go on in patience; and in due time shall assuredly reap an abundant harvest.

We ought to go to God with our matters as altogether His.

How great is our favour and power with God! for we are kings and priests unto God—His sons and daughters by adoption and grace. Let us take heed that we grieve not the Spirit who sealed us unto the day of redemption; and nothing will God deny us. (John 15:7.)

The best testimony that Stephen bore was his last not when he was preaching and working miracles, but when he pleaded for his persecutors; for then he most resembled the Lord Jesus in patience, forgiveness, and love.

When some peculiar pressure is upon you, be like Queen Esther, whose first request was the king's company. In each trial "seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness," and all other things shall be added: your seeking first the removal of the trial shows that you need the continuance of it.

We must not look on that only as Prayer to which our lips give utterance; the wish of the believing heart is counted prayer by God; it is the smoke of the incense which ascends in silence before Him.

If a path be overgrown with moss and briers, it is difficult to trace it; if well frequented, it is plainly seen. Our pathway to the fountain of Jesus' blood should be ever well trodden by our confessions.

Unbelief lightly esteems both our Own prayers and those of others.

We can never draw nigh to God in believing prayer, but the answer will be more than we had grace to hope for. Expectation from God is a precious fruit of prayer.

A guilty conscience stops prayer, but a cleansed conscience makes prayer to flow. We may often have the spirit of prayer without the comfort of prayer.

Conflict

When the corruptions of the flesh, like an armed host, invade the soul, they aim first at the capital city, which is Faith. Success there would ensure possession of the whole land.

It is ever Satan's aim to debase the heart and conscience of the children of God. Their heart should be filled with Christ; their conscience ruled by His word and ways. Satan would entice away the heart from Christ, and set up in the conscience a standard inferior to that of Christ's example. Oh that the saints were not ignorant of Satan's devices, but willing to pluck out the right eye, to cut off hand or foot, rather than give place at all to the adversary.

Let our affections be resting in Christ, and engrossed with Him; then will all saints be dear to us in Him, because they are one with Him, and we shall please Him concerning them. To prevent our attaining to this grace, or to spoil us of it, is the aim of the powers of darkness that war against us.

It is only as we have rest in Christ, only as we have peace through faith in His atoning blood, only as we have the purged conscience, with the heart's affections set upon Christ, that we have any strength to war against our spiritual enemies: it is whilst we are fighting against them, that strength is given equal to the need, and we experience the precious sympathy of the Captain of our salvation. "Put on the whole armour of God." (Eph. 6:10-19.) David put away the armour of Saul, and went against Goliath with nothing save the weapons of weakness.

Service

God, in fitting any servant for special service, often subjects him to painful discipline of soul: the end of this training is the breaking down self-confidence, so that when at last the servant goes forth to his work he says, "Who am I?" The flesh will not say, "Who am I?" But to this we must be brought ere God can put us to honourable use.

We are not the most useful when most wordy, but when most prayerful.

Though God marks that which is wrong in His servants, notwithstanding all their faithfulness, He never forgets that which is right in them, notwithstanding all their imperfections.

If we do not live _beyond_ time, we are not fit to live _in_ time.

We cannot bestow kindnesses upon the unconverted for Christ's sake without obtaining peculiar fellowship with God.

That man is miserable who is wrapped up in himself and cares not for others; such a man keeps happiness outside, and bolts the door against her.

The ways of Christ in the days of His flesh are the true pattern for His people.

It is a mark of steady progress in the ways of God, when a servant of Christ, like his Master, makes no choice of service, seeking only to please his Lord.

If by walking before God we rise above the praise of men, we shall not be vexed or discouraged by their disapproval and blame.

He that is humble, and ever desiring to serve others, will surely find others desiring to serve him.

If we have but the heart to serve Christ, He will surely employ us; and if He have any special service for us, He will grant us special guidance. (Acts 8:26.)

The conversion of sinners, the prosperity of saints—these are precious things, but not the object of the soul: that should be to please God.

The moment a servant acts independently, he acts from himself, and out of character. (John 21:3.)

In all you do be the servant of Christ, forgetting yourself -- engrossed with Him.

We need readiness of heart, and skilfulness of hands, to serve the church of God aright.

Service to Christ

There is much that the Lord's true servants do which no human eye takes knowledge of. What they do they are to do as to the Lord, and to look for reward from Him; learning also to have fellowship with Christ in His sufferings and service.

It is our wisdom not to seek praise of men: if, in our intercourse with saints, rather than look after a good name, we seek to approve ourselves to God, a good name will surely follow us.

Look not at the quantity, but at the quality of your service, whatsoever that service may be. If it be preaching, preaching is not the first thing: the heart must first be kept; then two or three words spoken in the power of the Spirit may avail more than many a long discourse.

Forgiveness

Peter said to our Lord, "How oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him, until seven times?" (Matt. 18:21.22.) What warrant had Peter for saying, "How oft?" Had he been standing at the foot of Mount Sinai, he might have said, "How oft?" Standing in the covenant of grace, we say, "Seventy times seven."

If we be called to judge offending brethren, we should judge before the Mercy-seat. There we are self-judged, as oft offending and oft forgiven.

Those injuries are often hardest to forgive which are only known to the injured and the wrong-doer.

If others act with want of uprightness towards us, and we are irritated, it is a proof that we are then dealing rather with the creature than with God.

Those are the best fitted for the work of reproof, who are severe against themselves, but gentle towards others; whilst such as are forward to reprove most need reproof themselves.

Poverty of Spirit

We must live as beggars upon the love of Christ; we are never safe from snares but as we are thus poor in spirit.

Christ was the only one who could, without a struggle, be content to be "a worm, and no man." (Ps. 22:6.)

The self-exalted person as much degrades himself in God's sight, as he exalts himself in his own.

We sink into nothingness as we grow up into Christ.

To grow in poverty of spirit is truly to grow in grace: "Without Me ye can do nothing." (John 15:5.) If we be sitting at the feet of Jesus, all carnal boasting is excluded, we have His mind of wisdom in all things, and cannot behave ourselves unseemly.

No rest have we for the sole of our foot except in Christ; and whenever a poor needy one seeks Him, He deals by such an one as did Noah by the dove. Noah put forth his hand and took her in unto him into the ark.

If we upbraid ourselves, Christ justifies. If we be dumb in our own defence, He opens His mouth to plead our cause, and our wounded hearts He binds up.

If I be content to be nothing, I cannot take offence; and when I am _really_ humble, and know myself a _worm_, I shall not complain if trampled on.

Pride nourishes the remembrance of injuries: humility forgets as well as forgives them.

Lot never drew near enough to God to know his own heart; it was Abraham, and not Lot, who said, I am but "dust and ashes." (Gen. 18:27.)

Evil Passions

Oh, how unseemly in a Christian are murmurings, envyings, and such like! If we look beneath the surface we shall find the root of these things to be unmortified pride, and a conscience not purged.

Pride never stoops but to take a higher flight.

The drunkard, the murderer, the idolater, cannot enter into the kingdom of heaven. The sins of such are counted great even by the natural conscience; but covetousness, who condemns it? Yet the man who thirsts for gold is alike with the murderer accursed from God.

Satan gets no more advantage over us than we allow him.

It is one of Satan's great aims to seduce the children of God and the servants of Christ into error; if he cannot do that, he will tempt them to keep back part of the truth, or to dwell upon any other part rather than Jesus Christ, and Him crucified.

The sum of man's excellency is "dust and ashes:" nevertheless, Satan deludes men into thinking themselves something; he helps them to carnal self-amendment and self-improvement, and so makes them blind to their true state before God.

Self-Knowledge and Self-Judgement

True Self-judgment shuts out the adversary.

The more we exercise ourselves in Self-judgment, the more will the flesh in us be discerned _by ourselves_, and the less will it be seen _by others_.

In our exercise of Self-judgment, we should keep our eye upon the Advocate with the Father, else we shall have a self-vexing conscience which profits not.

Self-examination is a solemn and profitable business it should mainly consist in this, "My soul, believest thou? lovest thou?" (Heb. 11:6; 3:12.13; John 13:34.35; Rom. 13:10; 1 Cor. 13)

The custom of Self-judgment is among the best of spiritual habits.

"The Lord is a God of knowledge, and by Him actions are weighed" (1 Sam. 2:3). Because God tries the _heart_, therefore, in instances innumerable, God's judgment condemns where man may approve and praise.

The oftener we invite Him with whom we have to do to use the keen edge of "the sword of the Spirit" in our own consciences, the less will there be in us for Satan's fiery darts to fix upon.

If we better considered that "we have an Advocate with the Father" (1 John 2:1), we should not go far from the paths of the Lord and the presence of God. This Advocate speaks to the pity and love as well as to the holiness of the Father. It was the Advocate who said, "The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak" (Matt. 26:41). He knows all our circumstances, and the power of temptation and trial. Let it be the _first_ business of the conscience to think of this "Advocate with the Father;" then what child of God will be slow to make confession whenever it is due?

Each one of us has in himself some especially besetting evil -- a weight to be laid aside. (Heb. 12:1.)

Let _me_ ask the Lord to give me self-knowledge; for self-knowledge, though a painful, is a necessary thing, worth all the trouble of the search, and all the mortification it may cost me.

When Israel suffers defeat before Ai, it is time to do what should indeed have been done before: to search out the Achan in the camp. (See Joshua 7)

When I see a brother overtaken in a fault, let me beware of my own besetments, and seek to restore him in the spirit of meekness.

Humility and Self-Abasement

Self-humiliation brings with it tenderness of spirit; and as we sink in our own esteem, the Lord fulfils in us that precious promise, "To this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at My word" (Isa. 66:2).

If we be self-loathed, we shall be willing, when brought low, to sink lower still. (2 Sam. 15:25.26.)

He that is self-abased before God, and so carries himself humbly towards others, must obtain honour; but if any child of God exalt himself, sure as God is, shame will come of that self-exaltation.

Our reputation is the last thing we are willing to lose we cleave to it even when, in point of justification and peace with God, we have counted our own righteousness filthy rags. Let the saints take heed to their walk before God and man; but this done, so that they have in all things a conscience void of offence, let them account their reputation God's jewel, not their own.

Knowledge often exceeds grace; but communion with God and poverty of Spirit go together: if the one decline, so will the other.

The low place is the safe place; and whatever the tribulation, it will surely bring its blessings, God being trusted.

Samson was never so strong as when, through his own folly brought low and put to shame, he said, "Strengthen me, I pray Thee, O God, only this once" (Jud. 16:28).

We are wont to consider David's slaying Goliath a great deed of faith, and such it was; but more to be admired is David's dominion over himself that marked his course. His blemishes and sins were not his character.

Confidence in God and self-distrust are sure companions.

It is true humility and true holiness to judge ourselves dead and buried with Christ as children of the first Adam, whatever the flesh within us; and as children of God raised up together with Christ, and seated with Him, the last Adam, the head of the new creation. We thus discern, and subdue, and loathe the flesh, which, though crucified with Christ in the account of God and of faith, is ever struggling to regain lost dominion. Satan, taking occasion by the flesh, would cast us down in the spirit of our minds from our heavenly places. Resisting him in faith, we wage the war of Eph. 6. Good soldiers of Christ will have the peace of God ruling in their hearts. They cannot but live in peace; for the God of love and peace is with them. Schism and division proclaim the victories and triumphs of Satan. Would God we were all by His Spirit awakened to consider these things! The day is at hand that will make us and our ways all manifest; and we ourselves shall then no more mistake the talk of the lips for the obedience of faith.

Circumstances

Our Circumstances are what we make them. If they be not by faith kept under our feet, they will by unbelief become our masters.

Our song of praise can never be checked unless we rejoice in Circumstances, and in things around us, more than in God Himself.

It is to our shame that we are easily wrought upon by shifting Circumstances. How good for us that we have an unchangeable God to rest in!

The natural man is the slave of Circumstances.

Never let me be compelled to say, I have driven my stakes so deep into the earth that I cannot pull them up; but rather let me so pitch my tent that in a moment I may strike it at the bidding of the Lord. (Num. 9:15-23.)

All things are working together for good to them that love God; albeit sometimes in the way of chastening and judgment.

If we honour God in the little matters of our daily life, He will prepare greater occasions for our faith, and so put honour on the obedience that was little known to any but Himself. Abraham had so dealt with God about all the daily little matters of tent and household, that when the great occasion comes (Gen. 22) the man of faith shines forth.

God orders our steps in our natural state (the guilt of our sins our own) to further us in His service after regeneration. (Gal. 1:15.)

It matters little what our Circumstances, if in the spirit of our mind we be before God offering up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to Him by Jesus Christ. To faith all Circumstances are opportunities of pleasing God and serving Christ.

That station of life is most desirable which has least in it to cumber the spirit, and to entice away the heart from Christ. Shall we not then rather desire to stoop with our Lord, than to rise with the men of the world? Every state in life has temptations; but these thicken upon us, and grow in seducing power, according to rise in earthly honour.

Howsoever we may deplore the sin of one that has injured us, we ought to be thankful for the occasion of showing the mind of Christ towards the wrong-doer.

If our hearts be set upon enjoying the light of our Father's countenance, we shall find that all Circumstances, bitter as well as sweet, will afford us opportunity of bearing something, or doing something, for His sake.