“I sleep, but my heart waketh” (5:2)—strange language to the natural man, but quite intelligible
to the spiritual. And therefore is it also that the renewed soul so often finds suited to his case the prayer of Mark
9:24. “Lord, I believe; help Thou mine unbelief.”
It is because the real Christian finds within himself so much that is conflicting that it is difficult for him to be
sure of his actual state. And therefore does he cry, “Examine me, O LORD; and prove me; try my reins and my
heart” (Psa. 26:2). They who are filled with a carnal assurance, a fleshly confidence, a vain presumption, feel no
need for asking the Lord to “prove” them. So completely has Satan deceived them, that they imagine it would be
an act of unbelief so to do. Poor souls, they “call evil good, and good evil”; they put darkness for light, and light
for darkness” (Isa. 5:20). One of the surest marks of regeneration is that the soul frequently cries, “Search me, O
God, and know my heart; try me, and know my thoughts; and see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me
in the way everlasting” (Psa. 139:23, 24).
Perhaps some of our readers are still ready to say, “I do not see that there needs to be so much difficulty in
ascertaining whether one is in a lost or saved condition: I am resting upon John 5:24, and that is sufficient for
me.” But allow us to point out, dear friend, that John 5:24 is not a promise which Christ gave to an individual
disciple, but instead, a doctrinal declaration which He made in the hearing of a mixed multitude. If the objector
replies, “I believe that verse does contain a promise, and I am going to hold fast to it,” then may we lovingly ask,
Are you sure that it belongs to you? That John 5:24 contains a precious promise, we gladly acknowledge, but to
whom is it made? Let us examine it: “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth My word, and believeth on
Him that sent Me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto
life.”
That promise is given to a definitely defined character, namely, “He that heareth My word.” Now,
can it be truthfully said that you are one that “heareth” His Word? Are you sure? Do not be misled by the mere
sound of words. The reference here is not to the hearing of the outward ear, but to the response of the heart. In
the days that He sojourned on earth, there were many of whom the Lord Jesus had to say that “hearing (with the
outward ear), they hear not” with the heart (Matt. 13:13). So it is still. To “hear” spiritually, to “hear” savingly, is
to heed (Matt. 18:15), is to obey (Matt. 17:5; John 10:27; Heb. 3:7). Ah, Are you obedient? Have you searched
the Scriptures diligently in order to discover His commandments? And that, not to satisfy an idle curiosity, but
desiring to put them into practice? Do you love His commandments? Are you actually doing them? Not once or
twice, but regularly, as the main tenor of your life—for note it is not “hear,” but “hearing.”
Does someone object?: “All of this is getting away from the simplicity of Christ: you are taking us from the
Word and seeking to get us occupied with ourselves.” Well, does not Scripture say, “Take heed unto thyself?” (1
Tim. 4:16)? But it may be answered, “There cannot be any certainty while we are occupied with our wretched
selves. I prefer to abide by the written Word.” To this we have no objection at all: what we are here pressing is
the vital necessity of making sure that the portions of the Word you cite or are resting upon, fairly and squarely
belong to you. The reader may refer me to “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved” (Acts
16:31) and ask, Is not that plain enough? But have you ever noted, dear friend, to whom the Apostles addressed
those words, and all the attendant circumstances?
It was neither to a promiscuous crowd, nor to a careless and unconcerned soul, that the Apostles said,
“Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved.” Rather was it to an awakened, deeply exercised,
penitent soul—who had taken his place in the dust, and in deepest anguish cried, “What must I do to be saved?”
However, what is the use you are making of Acts 16:31? You answer, “This: those words are divinely simple, I
believe in Christ, and therefore I am saved; God says so, and the Devil cannot shake me.” Possibly he is not at all
anxious to; he may be well content for you to retain a carnal confidence. But observe, dear friend, the Apostles
did not tell the stricken jailer to “believe on Jesus” nor “believe in Christ”; but to “believe on the Lord Jesus
Christ.”
What does it mean to savingly “believe”? Let us give a brief reply. John 1:12 makes it clear that to “believe”
is to “receive,” to receive “Christ Jesus the Lord” (Col. 2:6). Christ is the Saviour of none until He is welcomed
as LORD. The immediate context shows plainly the particular character in which Christ is there viewed: “He
came unto His own” (John 1:11); He was their rightful Owner, because their Lord. But “His own received Him
not”; no, they declared, “We will not have this Man to reign over us” (Luke 19:14). Ah, dear friend, this is
searching. Have you received “The Lord Jesus Christ”? We do not ask, “Are you resting on His finished work,”
Pink
to the spiritual. And therefore is it also that the renewed soul so often finds suited to his case the prayer of Mark
9:24. “Lord, I believe; help Thou mine unbelief.”
It is because the real Christian finds within himself so much that is conflicting that it is difficult for him to be
sure of his actual state. And therefore does he cry, “Examine me, O LORD; and prove me; try my reins and my
heart” (Psa. 26:2). They who are filled with a carnal assurance, a fleshly confidence, a vain presumption, feel no
need for asking the Lord to “prove” them. So completely has Satan deceived them, that they imagine it would be
an act of unbelief so to do. Poor souls, they “call evil good, and good evil”; they put darkness for light, and light
for darkness” (Isa. 5:20). One of the surest marks of regeneration is that the soul frequently cries, “Search me, O
God, and know my heart; try me, and know my thoughts; and see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me
in the way everlasting” (Psa. 139:23, 24).
Perhaps some of our readers are still ready to say, “I do not see that there needs to be so much difficulty in
ascertaining whether one is in a lost or saved condition: I am resting upon John 5:24, and that is sufficient for
me.” But allow us to point out, dear friend, that John 5:24 is not a promise which Christ gave to an individual
disciple, but instead, a doctrinal declaration which He made in the hearing of a mixed multitude. If the objector
replies, “I believe that verse does contain a promise, and I am going to hold fast to it,” then may we lovingly ask,
Are you sure that it belongs to you? That John 5:24 contains a precious promise, we gladly acknowledge, but to
whom is it made? Let us examine it: “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth My word, and believeth on
Him that sent Me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto
life.”
That promise is given to a definitely defined character, namely, “He that heareth My word.” Now,
can it be truthfully said that you are one that “heareth” His Word? Are you sure? Do not be misled by the mere
sound of words. The reference here is not to the hearing of the outward ear, but to the response of the heart. In
the days that He sojourned on earth, there were many of whom the Lord Jesus had to say that “hearing (with the
outward ear), they hear not” with the heart (Matt. 13:13). So it is still. To “hear” spiritually, to “hear” savingly, is
to heed (Matt. 18:15), is to obey (Matt. 17:5; John 10:27; Heb. 3:7). Ah, Are you obedient? Have you searched
the Scriptures diligently in order to discover His commandments? And that, not to satisfy an idle curiosity, but
desiring to put them into practice? Do you love His commandments? Are you actually doing them? Not once or
twice, but regularly, as the main tenor of your life—for note it is not “hear,” but “hearing.”
Does someone object?: “All of this is getting away from the simplicity of Christ: you are taking us from the
Word and seeking to get us occupied with ourselves.” Well, does not Scripture say, “Take heed unto thyself?” (1
Tim. 4:16)? But it may be answered, “There cannot be any certainty while we are occupied with our wretched
selves. I prefer to abide by the written Word.” To this we have no objection at all: what we are here pressing is
the vital necessity of making sure that the portions of the Word you cite or are resting upon, fairly and squarely
belong to you. The reader may refer me to “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved” (Acts
16:31) and ask, Is not that plain enough? But have you ever noted, dear friend, to whom the Apostles addressed
those words, and all the attendant circumstances?
It was neither to a promiscuous crowd, nor to a careless and unconcerned soul, that the Apostles said,
“Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved.” Rather was it to an awakened, deeply exercised,
penitent soul—who had taken his place in the dust, and in deepest anguish cried, “What must I do to be saved?”
However, what is the use you are making of Acts 16:31? You answer, “This: those words are divinely simple, I
believe in Christ, and therefore I am saved; God says so, and the Devil cannot shake me.” Possibly he is not at all
anxious to; he may be well content for you to retain a carnal confidence. But observe, dear friend, the Apostles
did not tell the stricken jailer to “believe on Jesus” nor “believe in Christ”; but to “believe on the Lord Jesus
Christ.”
What does it mean to savingly “believe”? Let us give a brief reply. John 1:12 makes it clear that to “believe”
is to “receive,” to receive “Christ Jesus the Lord” (Col. 2:6). Christ is the Saviour of none until He is welcomed
as LORD. The immediate context shows plainly the particular character in which Christ is there viewed: “He
came unto His own” (John 1:11); He was their rightful Owner, because their Lord. But “His own received Him
not”; no, they declared, “We will not have this Man to reign over us” (Luke 19:14). Ah, dear friend, this is
searching. Have you received “The Lord Jesus Christ”? We do not ask, “Are you resting on His finished work,”
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