Chapter 11—The Christian’s Privilege
Many who are sincerely seeking for holiness of heart and purity of
life seem perplexed and discouraged. They are constantly looking to
themselves, and lamenting their lack of faith; and because they have
no faith, they feel that they cannot claim the blessing of God. These
persons mistake feeling for faith. They look above the simplicity of
true faith, and thus bring great darkness upon their souls. They should
turn the mind from self, to dwell upon the mercy and goodness of
God and to recount His promises, and then simply believe that He will
fulfill His word. We are not to trust in our faith, but in the promises
of God. When we repent of our past transgressions of His law, and
resolve to render obedience in the future, we should believe that God
for Christ’s sake accepts us, and forgives our sins.
Darkness and discouragement will sometimes come upon the soul
and threaten to overwhelm us, but we should not cast away our confi-
dence. We must keep the eye fixed on Jesus, feeling or no feeling. We
should seek to faithfully perform every known duty, and then calmly
rest in the promises of God.
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The Life of Faith
At times a deep sense of our unworthiness will send a thrill of
terror through the soul, but this is no evidence that God has changed
toward us, or we toward God. No effort should be made to rein the
mind up to a certain intensity of emotion. We may not feel today the
peace and joy which we felt yesterday; but we should by faith grasp
the hand of Christ, and trust Him as fully in the darkness as in the
light.
Satan may whisper, “You are too great a sinner for Christ to save.”
While you acknowledge that you are indeed sinful and unworthy, you
may meet the tempter with the cry, “By virtue of the atonement, I
claim Christ as my Saviour. I trust not to my own merits, but to the
precious blood of Jesus, which cleanses me. This moment I hang my
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