A BELIEVE IN THE FORGIVENESS OF SINS. THE DAY OF REST.

Te Aroha News, Volume VI, Issue 295, 1 September 1888, Page 6

A BELI EVE IN THE FORGIVENESS OF SINS.

THE DAY OF REST.

Br the Rev. J. B. Waddisgtox,

Whkx Mavtin Luther, after long-continued but fruitless efforts' to ' establish ' his ' own righteousness ' (Rom. x. '3, 4), was taug-hb the great truth that ' all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags ' (lsa. lxiv. 6), he was so overwhelmed with despair, that he was brought almo&t to the brink of the giave. One day, as he lay in his convent cell, an aged Christian entered, and, having won his confidence, said, ' / believe in the forgivene,^ of s?'?(s.' Luther repeated the words to himself. 'Ah!' soid the aged brother, ' we mubt believe not only in the forgiveness of David's and of Petei's sins, for this even the devils believo ; but we are to believe that our own sins are forgiven us. Hear what St. Bernard says in his 1 discourse on the Annunciation : — 'The testimony of the Holy Ghost in thy heart is tbiJ> : Thy dns are forgiven thee."' Luther's ' thirsty soul ' drank in these words as ' good news from a far country, and, trusting in Jesus, he was soon able to write, ' / have o'emibsion of all my sihs, lor Chi ?\£'.n take. ' It is much to b6 feared that numbers in the present day repeat the words, ' d believe in the forgiveness of ««<?,' Stinday after Sunday, without rightly apprehending their full meaning. I once asked a clergyman's daughtei, ' Aie your bin^jorgii en .<" Receiving -no answer, I said quietly, ' Mine are.'* Shestaited, and eagerly inquired, 'How do you know that they aro V ' Because GOD has told me.' She looked at. me with astonishment and inciedulity, upon which L took a New Testament from my pocket, and continued ; ' God has told me so in this Book, for He says., (Luke v. 20,) " Man, thy oinsarc for(jiren (//"(," Thisr is God's own true \\ ord to me, and to every 10-t and guilty sinner, who has been taught his mined condition by the Holy Spirit: fliid who, putting himself in the place of the poor palsied man to whom these woids wero fh&t spoken, really believes in his heart that Jesus paid his gieat debt, once for all, by His death upon the cross : for we read, (Acts xiii. 38, 39,) "Be it known unto you, therefoie, men and brethren, that through this Man is preached unto you the forgive ness of sins ; and by Him all that helieve are justified from all things, from which ye couid not be justified by the law of Moses." Therefore the Apostles always wrote to Believers as pardoned through faith in Christ's Blood.' (See Eph. i. 6, 7 ; iv. 32 ; Col. i. 14 ; ii. 10, 13 ; 2 Tim. i. 9 : Heb. a. 10, 14; 1 John i. 7 ; ii. 1-2. Many, however, who are conscious that, as sinners, they are in danger of eternal damnation, and aro anxious to 'flee from the wrath to come,' do not perceive that what is olrered to them in the gospel is a prr&ent forgiveness through faith in Christ their Saviour, but imagine that they ought to wait until thoy are better, ere they may hope to realise fche blessing ; not aware that "If they tarry till they're better They will never come at all." They suppose that, although they % are willing to be saved, God, for some reason or other, is unwilling to receive them just as they ate. JSTow this is a grave error, as tho Scriptures, invariably speak of God as willing to receive and paidon the vde&t of sinners ; io is they that are unwilling to be saved. The great atonement for a-in having been offered and accepted, they are invited, exhorted, yea entreated to, be reconciled to God. The Apostle's words are, ' Ai> though God did beseech you, Ly us, we 2)ray you, in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God.' (2 Cor. v. 18-21.) Othors imagine they must at least wait until they feel forgiven and happy ere they believe that God, tor Christ's sake, has pardoned them. I well remember a young person coming to see me under deep conviction of .sin. She knew that she could not do anything to save herself, because whatever ;we do | corned short of the Divino standard, and the holy heart-searching law of God ; for it is written, ' Thou shalt love tho Lord thy God with oil thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might;. ' (Deut. vi. 5.) And again, ' Cursed is every one that continueth not in all thing* which are written in the book of the law to do /them/ (Gal. iii. 10. Sse also Ps. li. 5 : Isa. lxiv. 6; Jas. ii. 10. ) . , Relying xipon the- .guidance of the Holy Spirit, I endeavoured to put the gospel of the grace of God plainly before her— that 1 ' Christ hath redeemed us from cho curse of the law, being , made, a, curt>e,,for tit*.' (Gal. iii. 13.) , 'For God , so loved ,tho world, that lie gave His ,pnly - begotten •Son, that whosoever beliapelh in Him , should not perish, .but .have everlasting life.' (John iii. 16.) Pointing f to these texts,! I' asked, 'pan you Relieve what God says l' ' ' If wo receive tho witness of men, Lhe witness of God ie greater.' (i John v.' 9.') ' < 'If you c\o really believe,] then He/ who cannot lie' says 'that, you have'—jioL may' hope to nave, but HAVE E VEKLASTIN& '

LIFE} all your sins are forgiven,' and your sold is saved. 1 Ifyotidonobbelieve, you have made Him ialiar.' (1 John' v. 10.) And 'Hebhabbelievebh nob shall bo' damned.' (Mark 1 xvi. 16. ■• ', , ■ •• Stillthe young inquirer was nob satisfied. She wan tea to feel forgiven. ' Supposing that you fait os you wish, would you, be satisfied ?' I asked. ' Oh, yes, sir ; I should.' ' Bub that would not ,be trusting in Christ's '.finished ' ( work,. bub in your feelings ; in, fact, in your own heart,! which God has pronounced (> docei,tful above all things, and desperately wicked ;" (Jor. xvii. 9), audso you would ,bo insulting Him by believing your decoibful heart, rather than His faibhtul Word.' Thus I solemnly warned her not to build upon the sandy foundation of either her doings or her , feelings; endeavouring to f convince her that to wait for any inward emotion is as greab folly and presumption as to wait for any improvement. , To make the matter as simple as possible I said, , ' When you want a railway ticket; and one has been bought and placed before you, yon must put out your hand and (air, it, betoro you can have it ; and this is all that you have to do, to put you in possession of it. So the free salvation already bought with the life-blood of Jesus, muse be taken by the hand of faith, before tho soul can really have it ; and the instant) you accopti and take it, it is your own foi evor. ' (John x. 28. ) All bhab I said having failed to convince her (as it must ever do without the Sphit's application), phe loft me, disappoinbed and cafcb clown. Shortly afterwards I met her looking very happy. She was sure that her sins were forgiven — she felb happy. Alas ! like many others, she was building her house upon bhe sand. Happily, il soon fell ; ior, in a few da)s, she came to nio in greater trouble— her happy feelings had left her, and her false peace and confidence had gone with them. I pointed out her mistake, and leimnded her bhabClnisbsayn. again and again, ' Whosoever helitvelh,' etc., but ne\ei ' Whosoever, fcelct/i.' Bolie\ ers know thab they are saved, nob beeau c c they di^crve it, or feel it, but because the Holy Spirit has made krown to them their state as pinner?, and inclined and enabled,^them to believe the Woid of God os true for them. Their comfort in drawn from suc-h. statements us thc-^e:-1 When we were yet without strength, in due timo Chri«t died for the ungodly.' (Rom. v. 6.) •He that belurel/i on the Son hafh cviul.isr.ing life.' (John iii. 36.) "I have blotted out, as a thick cloud, thy ti\ui£i3&si6ns, and as a cloud thy .sins": return unto Mo, for I have redeemed tiiee.' (lsa. xliv. 22.) When doubts arise, as they sometimes do, in their changeable hearts, they go straight to the infallible Word of an unchangeable Cod, and there they find that all the promises are as free, . as true, and i\o certain as e\ cr. (2 Cor. i. 20 ) However and how often their he-irtt-change, 1 His Word never changes. > • ' My young Mend was led by .the Spirit to put no confidence in the flesh ". (Phil. iii. 3) : but, to resc, with a chiid-like trust, on hei Substitute and Kcdeemer, believing that as He HutFered on the cross the awful judgment of, sin, 1 which she must have borne throughout : eternity, so she was now, through the exercise of simple faith, 'accepted in the Beloved.' (Eph. i. 6. ) ' For He hath made Him to be sin for us. who knew no sin ; that we might be made the l-ighteousness of Clod in him.' (2 Cor v. 21.) Dear Reader — As one who is deeply concerned for the salvation of souls, i would earnestly and affectionately ask — A re you Jonjivt n ? Sure I am thab you are nob. if you trusb in bhc iea«b to your works, for they arc imperfect, or to 3 our feelings, for they are changeable. Tho sinner saved by grace can say — " My hope is built on nothing less Than Jesus' Blood and ItiGm-isoLvxiibS ; I dare not learn the sweetest frame, J3ul< wholly trust on Josns name. On Christ, the solid Jioc/c, I stand. All other is sinLiiw sand." It has been truly said :— ' The rock does, nobshake, or change, though the sea may ebb and flow around it.' 'He who looks upon Christ through frames and feelings, is like one who sees tho sun on water which quivers and moves ; bub he who looks upon Him in the glass of His Woid by faith, sees him ever the same' May the Holy Spirit teach you (if He has not done so already) your guilt, danger, and helplessno&s ; and lead you to believe— because ' Cod, who c.vxxot his,' has said it — that His Son has already endured, on behalf of sinners, bhe whole of the dreadful punishment due to their sins. Erom that moment, ' Tiiough your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white a-j snow ; though they be led like crimson, they shall be as wool.' (I&a. i. ]8.) , Then will you be able to repeat, nob with your lips only, bub wibh your heart, the words often thoughtlessly uttered,

'I BELIEVE IN THE FORGIVENESS OF SINS.' Then, and then only, will you ha\c tho proper feelings of a child ; and fiom love and gratitude, you will live, and work, and speak for HIM ioho loierl you and gave Himself, for ijou.