TEXT: I John 5:13

SUBJECT: The Christian's Great Interest #7

Tonight brings us to the seventh sermon in our study of The Christian's Great Interest. The book was written by William Guthrie, a Scottish pastor born in 1620. He wrote to help believers obtain and keep their assurance.

Two things put believers in doubt. The first is too much sinning. The second is too little experience of God. Last week, we looked at the former. Now we turn to the latter.

THE PROBLEM STATED

Guthrie explains the problem this way,

The sentence is very complicated and full of obsolete words. But after reading it many times over, here's what I think it means: "I don't have that experience of God the Bible describes and good people say they've had".

The experiences described in the Bible seem much more real and intense than what we're used to. At that time believers "Rejoiced with a joy unspeakable and full of glory". Back then, "Great fear came upon every soul". They had "the peace of God that passes understanding". "The love of God was shed abroad in the hearts by the Holy Spirit Who was given to them". Rooms shook with the Presence of God. Sinners fell down in church and said, "Of a truth, God is with you!" These are not my everyday experiences! Should I doubt my salvation? Should you?

The experiences in Church History are similar. If you read the life of John Bunyan or David Brainerd or Robert Murray M'Cheyne, you'll wonder if you're saved at all. They were so full of God and felt His Presence so acutely.

Blaise Pascal was a great mathematician and philosopher. He knew the Creed very well and lived a moral life. Yet on the night on November 23, 1654, from ten-thirty to twelve-thirty, he had an experience of God so wonderful that he wrote "Fire...God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, not of philosophers and scholars... Certainty, heartfelt joy, peace...God of Jesus Christ...My God and Your God...The world forgotten, everything except God...Joy, joy, tears of joy...Jesus Christ...Jesus Christ...May I never be separated from Him...Total submission to Jesus Christ...Everlasting joy...I will not neglect Your Word".

He sewed it into his coat and carried it with him till the day he died.

These are true experiences. But they're not mine. I suspect they're not yours either. Does this mean we're lost?

That's what Chapter Six, Part Two is about.

The short answer is No. A lack of experience does not mean you're lost. Though every believer has some experience of God, not all believers have the same experience of God. Not everyone's experience is equally vivid.

Why not? Luke 10:21 explains: "Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in Your sight". God doesn't want every believer to have the same experience.

God does not command the experience; He doesn't say `Trust the experience' or tell us we're lost if we haven't had it. Salvation is through faith in Christ--not the experience of Christ!

EXAMPLES

What experiences do believers often lack? Guthrie gives a list of twelve--many of which, I think, overlap one another. I'll reduce the number quite a bit, without "dumbing him down"--I hope.

"Sealing with the Spirit" is a Bible doctrine. It is taught in II Corinthians 1 and in Ephesians 1,4. According to these verses, it is a universal experience--all God's people have it. It is a necessary experience--you cannot be saved without it.

But what is it? Some say it's a special work of grace which fills the believer with joy and peace and enables him to witness with great courage.

If this is right, then doubters are not believers. Not one them has joy or peace; and very few are outspoken for Christ.

But is it the right meaning? Is that what it means to be "Sealed with the Spirit"?

Guthrie says No. A "seal" is an imprint with one's sign or initials; it's something like a brand for cattle. Does God "seal" His people? Do we have a "brand" that separates us from others? Sure we do. But what is it? Guthrie says,

In other words, holiness. Faith is an invisible thing; nobody can know you belong to Christ based on your faith--for he can't see that. But he can see holiness--patience, love, humility, and so on. From these things, he can know you belong to the Lord. That's the "Sealing of the Spirit". And, without feeling a thing, every believer has it.

There's some truth in this: If you don't have communion with God, you are not saved. But what is communion with God? Is it an objective thing or something that depends on your feelings? Guthrie knows,

The analogy is very helpful. Marriage results in "community property". Everything the husband owns, the wife owns too. Even if he's making all the money. You see this in celebrity divorces. A star ballplayer makes $7,000,000 a year; his wife has no income. But when they divorce, she gets half.

Apply this to the believer: Everything our Lord earned for Himself, He also earned for us. This means we are as acceptable to God as Christ is. Or that we could no more go to hell than Christ could go to hell.

This "communion with God" is an objective thing. It is the possession of all believers, whether they feel like they've got it or not!

Of course, there is a subjective communion, too. But our standing with God never depends on that!

On this point, some discernment is needed. It is possible for Christians to sin so much that God won't hear their prayers for a time (Psalm 66:18). It also possible that our prayers are so selfish, God won't listen to them (James 4:3).

But this is not what the problem is. What if God never hears my prayer? What if He never sends an answer? Does this mean I'm lost?

Yes it does. But you've got to be careful about saying "He never answers my prayers". For, first of all, No is an answer. Because of His wisdom and love, it is a good answer. Secondly, He may intend to say Yes, but not now. Thus many verses tell us to "Wait on the Lord". Thirdly, there are times you simply have to believe God hears your prayer, even if there's no visible sign of it--I John 5:14.

This is a big one. It's answered in two ways: (1) God does promise peace. But only to Him "Whose mind is set on [God] because he trusts in [God]" (Isaiah 26:3). Maybe you lack peace, because your mind is set on yourself or because you don't trust God. Better to doubt yourself than God.

(2) God is sovereign in dispensing His favors. Job was a man of God who lacked peace for a very long time and when he needed it most. How do you explain it? The friends said Job was a sinner. But God didn't say that. Job wondered if God was unjust. But he knew better than that. God's answer was never given. But it didn't need to be! The answer was God Himself.

Sometimes we have to submit to the Mystery. And believe our "Redeemer lives" though He gives us no peace, no joy, no hope, and no answers.

CONCLUSION

Having answered the objections, Guthrie winds up the chapter with a summary, an encouragement, and a warning.

He says, if you lack these things--the feeling of God's presence, peace, joy, and so on--then do the following:

This is one of the best things I've ever read. As precious as these things are, they are not "the one thing needful". You can live without them! For you have Christ.

In other words, if you believe in Christ you're saved whether you have any peace or not.

There is enough in Christ to save you, without the happy experiences so many believers have and you lack.

CLOSE

I wish every believer had the deepest experience of God's love for him in Christ. I wish I had it too. But if you don't, just remember, salvation is not in your experience. It's in your Savior.