KenH
Well-Known Member
"And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power." 1 Corinthians 2:4
It is not the work of the Spirit to produce doubts and fears, but to overcome them; yet still we are continually subject to them. Infidel thoughts fly across the mind; doubts and questionings suggest themselves, Satan is busy in plying his arguments. A guilty conscience such as ours falls too readily under his accusations, and painful recollections of past slips, falls, and backslidings strengthen the power of unbelief. Coming to a spot wherein there is not the least shadow of a doubt of divine realities, and, what is far more important, of our own saving interest in them, is a rare circumstance. It is only attainable at those favored moments when the Lord is pleased to shine into the soul and settle the matter between himself and our conscience.
Yet these very doubts, these very questionings, these cutting, killing fears, these anxious surmisings all work together for our good, and are mercifully overruled for our spiritual benefit. What else has brought us to the point where nothing short of demonstration can satisfy the soul that is truly born and taught of God? It must feel it and experience it being tossed up and down on a sea of uncertainty, scarcely knowing who commands the ship, what is our destination, what our present course, or what will be the end of the voyage.
Now, human wisdom leaves us upon this sea of doubt. Such wisdom is useful in nature, but useless in grace. It is, however, foolish and absurd, as some teach, to despise human learning, for without it we would be a horde of wild, wandering savages. Yet it is worse than foolish to make human wisdom our guide to eternity, and make man's reason the foundation of our faith or hope. What you would thus believe today, you would disbelieve tomorrow. All the arguments that may convince your reasoning mind, all the appeals to your natural passions, will come up short. That which may seem for a time to soften your heart, and all the thoughts swaying to and fro which sometimes lead you to hope you are right and sometimes make you fear you are wrong - all these will be found insufficient when the soul comes into any time of real trial and perplexity.
We want, therefore, demonstration to remove and dispel all these anxious questionings, and settle the whole matter firmly in our heart and conscience. Only the Spirit can give us this by revealing Christ, by taking of the things of Christ and showing them unto us, by applying the word with power to our hearts, and bringing the sweetness, reality, and blessedness of divine things into our soul. It is only in this way that he overcomes all unbelief and infidelity, doubt and fear, and sweetly assures us that all is well between God and the soul.
- J.C. Philpot, Through Baca's Vale, September 11
It is not the work of the Spirit to produce doubts and fears, but to overcome them; yet still we are continually subject to them. Infidel thoughts fly across the mind; doubts and questionings suggest themselves, Satan is busy in plying his arguments. A guilty conscience such as ours falls too readily under his accusations, and painful recollections of past slips, falls, and backslidings strengthen the power of unbelief. Coming to a spot wherein there is not the least shadow of a doubt of divine realities, and, what is far more important, of our own saving interest in them, is a rare circumstance. It is only attainable at those favored moments when the Lord is pleased to shine into the soul and settle the matter between himself and our conscience.
Yet these very doubts, these very questionings, these cutting, killing fears, these anxious surmisings all work together for our good, and are mercifully overruled for our spiritual benefit. What else has brought us to the point where nothing short of demonstration can satisfy the soul that is truly born and taught of God? It must feel it and experience it being tossed up and down on a sea of uncertainty, scarcely knowing who commands the ship, what is our destination, what our present course, or what will be the end of the voyage.
Now, human wisdom leaves us upon this sea of doubt. Such wisdom is useful in nature, but useless in grace. It is, however, foolish and absurd, as some teach, to despise human learning, for without it we would be a horde of wild, wandering savages. Yet it is worse than foolish to make human wisdom our guide to eternity, and make man's reason the foundation of our faith or hope. What you would thus believe today, you would disbelieve tomorrow. All the arguments that may convince your reasoning mind, all the appeals to your natural passions, will come up short. That which may seem for a time to soften your heart, and all the thoughts swaying to and fro which sometimes lead you to hope you are right and sometimes make you fear you are wrong - all these will be found insufficient when the soul comes into any time of real trial and perplexity.
We want, therefore, demonstration to remove and dispel all these anxious questionings, and settle the whole matter firmly in our heart and conscience. Only the Spirit can give us this by revealing Christ, by taking of the things of Christ and showing them unto us, by applying the word with power to our hearts, and bringing the sweetness, reality, and blessedness of divine things into our soul. It is only in this way that he overcomes all unbelief and infidelity, doubt and fear, and sweetly assures us that all is well between God and the soul.
- J.C. Philpot, Through Baca's Vale, September 11
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