The great peace connected with the love of God's law, is at once the fruit of faith, and the motive of obedience.

Posted : 17 Sep, 2013 02:27 AM

Psalm 119:166 Lord, I have hoped for Your salvation, and done Your commandments.





The great peace connected with the love of God's law, is at

once the fruit of faith, and the motive of obedience. And the

enjoyment of it leads the man of God to give renewed

expression to his faith and devotedness. "Faith, which works

by love," is no less the characteristic of the Old, than of the New Testament, Church. For mark here the principle and the

object of faith-I have hoped for Your salvation-and the

practical influence of faith-I have done Your commandments.

"Walked not believers always in the same spirit? Walked they

not in the same steps?"

Faith is the exercise of the soul in a sense of need, in desire,

and in trust. Faith goes to God on the ground of the promise;

hope in the expectation of the thing promised. Thus hope

implies the operation of faith. It appropriates to itself the object

of faith. The power to take hold of the promises of faith, and to

stay our souls upon their "everlasting consolation," is the

energy of "a good hope through grace"-such as "makes not

ashamed." Conscious unworthiness may give a trembling

feebleness to the hand of faith; but the feeblest apprehension

of one of the least of the promises of the gospel assures us of

our interest in them all. Why may we not set all the fullness of

the covenant before the weakest as well as before the

strongest believer, and proclaim to both with equal freedom

the triumphant challenge-"Who shall lay anything to the

charge of God's elect? Who is he who condemns?" Every

believer is alike interested in the gospel of grace. "There is no

difference" in the righteousness of the gospel, which is "the

righteousness of God"-nor in the imputation of it, which is

"unto all and upon all," nor in the subjects-which is them that

believe-nor in the means of its application, which in all cases

is "by faith of Jesus Christ,"-nor in the need of the blessing-

"All have sinned" without difference. All therefore are justified

without difference. The only difference regards the strength or

weakness of the faith, by which the righteousness is more or

less distinctly appropriated, and its consequent blessings

enjoyed. No soul, however, can sink into perdition, that grasps

the promise of Christ with the hand of faith, be that hand ever

so weak and trembling; though if the promise did not hold us

more firmly by its unchangeableness, than we hold it by our

faith, who could ever attain the blessing? Not that our interest in the Gospel is transient or uncertain.

For though the perception of it may be often interrupted, yet is

it not still in the Bible, in the covenant of God, in the heart of

God? And is it not constantly renewed in the exercise of faith?

The repetition of the same act of faith is therefore equally

necessary every successive moment, as at the first moment

of our spiritual life. What ever be our standing in the Gospel,

faith will always realize to the end the same hope for God's

salvation. Indeed the neglect of the cultivation of its habitual

exercise materially weakens its operation in great

emergencies. Let it then be regarded as the breathing of the

soul. Let it be constantly exercised in the daily occasions of

need; and we shall enjoy its clear light and active influence

upon occasions, where its special energy is required.

Now is not this sometimes your experience? You are

distressed by an unsuccessful struggle with wandering,

defiling imaginations. You know the promise, and the remedy.

But "the shield of faith" has been laid by. You have therefore

to seek it, when you want it at hand for the present moment;

and thus you lie powerless, at a distance from the cure,

instead of being able to bring your sin at once to Jesus-'Lord,

this is my trouble; this is the "plague of my heart;" "but speak

the word only, and Your servant shall be healed."' Thus the

indolent neglect of the quickening principle greatly impairs its

powerful energy, and the "confidence and rejoicing of hope"

flowing from it. If "the life in the flesh is" not "a life of faith on

the Son of God," no solid rest or acceptance can be known.

But on what ground is this hope for the Lord's salvation built?

On His faithfulness, not on our sincerity; on His promises, not

on our frames; on His unchangeableness, not on our

constancy. It is built, not on the work of grace in us, but on the

work of Christ for us; a work which has satisfied every claim,

provided every security, and pledged all the Divine perfections

on our behalf; a work so finished and complete, that all the difficulties of salvation on the part of God are removed; and

the sinner, finding no hindrance in the way but himself, is

warranted, though covered with guilt and defilement, to apply

for full, immediate, and unconditional forgiveness. What then

hinders the instant reception of the privilege, but disbelief of

the record? It is this which dares to "make God a liar;" which

therefore must not, as is too often the case, be lamented as

an infirmity (except indeed in cases of constitutional

weakness); but watched, prayed against, and resisted, as a

deep and aggravated sin. The present enjoyment of the

blessing is indeed often marred by looking at the fruits of faith

(contrition, love, diligence, &c.) as prerequisites for believing,

instead of looking to the object of faith, to put away our sin,

and to produce these fruits in us. This not only binds our sin

upon us, but robs God of His honor;-and, while it restrains His

blessing on our souls, reflects upon His wisdom and grace,

who has laid the foundation of a sinner's hope on His own

dear Son, irrespective of any warrant of faith in himself. We

want to be enlivened with sensible comfort, as a ground for

our believing in Christ; or, if we look for it from faith, it is from

faith as an act (in which respect it is no more a proper ground

for comfort than any other grace,) instead of looking for it from

the object of faith. Thus we not only lose the peace and joy we

are seeking, but we lose it by our mistaken way of seeking it.

The fullness of Christ, and the promises of God in Him, are

the only basis of a full assurance of salvation: and this basis is

equally firm at all times, and under all circumstances. "You are

complete in Him." Your title at this moment is as perfect, your

interest as secure, as ever it will be at the day of "the

redemption of the purchased possession." Awakened sinner!

let not then a sense of unworthiness paralyze your faith. As a

guilty sinner, you are invited. As a willing sinner, you are

welcome. As a believing sinner, you are assured. Why

hesitate then to "lay hold on eternal life?" Is it presumption in

the drowning man to attempt to swim to the rock of safety? Why then should not the sinking soul cast itself upon the

"Rock of Ages?" Lord, I have hoped for Your salvation.

Believer! "Behold!" says your Lord, "I come quickly; hold that

fast which You have, that no man take your crown." "Hold fast

your confidence and the rejoicing of your hope." This is of no

trifling importance. An established confidence ought to result

from, and to witness to, your interest in the Lord's salvation.

For without it, you have no relief from the spirit of bondage; no

enlargement in duties; no enjoyment of privileges; no "growth

in grace, and in the knowledge of the Savior;" no honored

usefulness in the Church of God. "The things which remain

will be ready to die." Rest not, then, satisfied with an

occasional gleam of light and joy, while your horizon is

overcast with doubts and fears. Waste not time in heartless

complaints, that would be far better employed in a vigorous

habit of faith. Live above frames and feelings, upon this

glorious truth-'Christ has undertaken for me.' He lives, and

reigns, and pleads for every sinner that trusts in Him. Exercise

your dependence upon Him in importunate and persevering

supplication. "Give all diligence"-at all times-in all ways,

private and public-"instant in season and out of season." Thus

"an entrance into" the joy, peace, and glory of "the everlasting

kingdom of our Lord and Savior, will be richly ministered unto

you." You shall be released from the prison-house of

despondency, and shall breathe the free atmosphere of

adoption and heavenly love.

But remember, that this "assurance of hope," even in its

weakest and lowest influence, is a practical principle-I have

done Your commandments. "Every man that has this hope in

Him purifies himself, even as He is pure." All obedience that

springs not from this source is of a low and legal character;

the fruit of self-will, self-righteousness, self-sufficiency.

Evangelical obedience can only flow from Evangelical faith

and hope. Love to Christ catches fire from the perception of His love to us. Without this perception, all is weariness, toil,

and travail of soul in His service; duty, not privilege;

constraint, not delight; conscience, not love. Hence the most

assured believers will be the most devoted servants of their

Master. "The joy of the Lord"-"the joy of faith," of acceptance,

of communion-"is their strength." They live by faith; and as

they believe, they love; they deny themselves; they lay

themselves out for their Master's work; they conquer all that

opposes their progress.

We cannot, therefore, do His commandments without a hope

for His salvation. For only in proportion as we have assured

our title to the promises of the Gospel, can we take hold of

them, plead them, or experience their support. When

therefore our hope is indistinct, we are almost left to our own

unassisted resources; and our course will probably end in

"perpetual backsliding." Active devotedness flows from

assured acceptance. Where there is no certainty, there can be

little love, little delight, little diligence. Let us walk in sunshine,

and we shall work cheerfully and honorably for God.

Keep then the eye fixed on Christ as the ground, and on

obedience as the evidence, of our hope. Thus will our own

confidence be more established; and others, beholding in us

the power of our Christian hope, will be led to say- "We will go

with you, for we have heard that God is with you."



by

Charles Bridges

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