Wednesday Word: Dissatisfied?

If salvation required that our faith, love and repentance had to have a sufficiently high level before the Lord accepted us, none of us would be saved. Take the matter of faith for example. Does God require us to have a certain level of feeling in our faith before He saves us? Of course not!   He doesn’t ask us to feel lost or saved, for if He did none of us would know whether or not we felt lost or saved enough. He  does, however, want us to know that outside of Jesus, we are lost (Rom 5:12) —and in Christ we are saved—-we don‘t have to feel this! He wants us to know this and believe these truths for this is what His Word teaches. He wants His word to be enough to persuade us of the truth apart from feelings (Prov 30:5).The gospel needs no authentication from our feelings. The Scriptures are true whether or not we feel them to be true (Ps 33:4). Faith knows this and latches on to the truth! Faith, not feelings , knows that  in Christ there is everything we need for our salvation (2 Cor 9:8; 2Cor 3:5: 2 Cor 12:9)?”Furthermore, on this question of loving God I’ve heard Christians say, “I don’t think I love God enough.” Well, what did they expect? Do you know of anyone who has a perfect love for the Father other than the Lord Jesus? Now here‘s some good gospel truth; since we  have been reckoned as having Christ’s perfect righteousness then, in Him, we have already loved the Father perfectly.  This is wonderful!  Does this not release you to love the Father more? Or are you now walking contrary to gospel by demanding a perfect love from yourself? The bigger issue, however, is not your love for Him, but rather, Christ’s love for the Father on your behalf. As for this matter of repentance, some folks feel that they haven’t repented enough. Shock! Horror! None of us have!  And do you know what? if we  were satisfied with our repentance no one could put up with us for we would be filled with all manner of pride and self-righteousness. Repentance is a vital truth, but do you think that God will take note of your repentance and on the basis of such forgive your sins?  Is your repentance greater than the blood? Do you think that your repentance can atone for your sins and purchase God’s favour?  If all that’s needed to secure salvation is repentance then Christ could have stayed in Heaven and not have bothered with the cross.So tell me this, on what basis would you rather approach the thrice-holy God, with your repentance or with the Lamb’s blood?  Do you think your repentance now gives you that which only Christ can provide? Are you still trying to find the ground of peace in the perfections of your repentance?  If so, you are yet in the grip of self-righteousness! As a young, but learned clergyman, James Hervey, the 18th century English preacher asked an old ploughman what he though was the hardest thing in religion.  The old man replied that Hervey was a learned man and that he would like to know what he thought on that subject.  “Well” said Hervey, “I think it is to deny sinful self.  “I disagree,” said the old Christian, “I think there is a harder thing than that and that is to deny righteous self—–to deny ourselves a proud dependence on our own works and struggles and efforts and prayers for justification before God.”  Hervey afterwards said that at the time he thought the ploughman an old fool; but, said he, “I have since learned who was the fool—not the pious ploughman, but the proud James Hervey” (Gal 2:21).Christ alone is our resting place.  To be satisfied with Him is enough, for He is enough!

Τω αγαπησαντι  ημας  και  λουσαντι  ημας  απο  των  αμαρτιων  ημων  εν  τω  αιματι  αυτου.

Rev. 1:5b