Can I be a child of God, and be thus?'
Back to Man's religion & God's religion 3
Perhaps you are a poor, tempted creature—and
your daily sorrow, your continual trouble is that
you are so soon overcome—that . . .
your temper,
your lusts,
your pride,
your worldliness, and
your carnal, corrupt heart
are perpetually getting the mastery.
And from this you sometimes draw bitter conclusions.
You say, in the depth of your heart, "Can I be a child
of God, and be thus? What mark have I of being in
favour with God when I am so easily—so continually
overcome?"
But the Spirit reveals Christ—taking of the things of
Christ, and showing them unto us—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.
Faith keeps eyeing the atonement—faith looks not
so much to sin, as to salvation from sin—at the way
whereby sin is pardoned, overcome, and subdued.