Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?
— 2 Corinthians 13:5
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.
— Psalm 139:23-24
For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things. Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God.
— 1 John 3:20 -21
If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister;
— Colossians 1:23
And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;
— Romans 1:28
Do You Question or Doubt Having a Sincere Interest in Christ?, by Samuel Pike and Samuel Hayward. The following contains the Ninth Case of their work, “Religious Cases Of Conscience Answered In An Evangelical Manner: To Which Is Added The Spiritual Companion Or The Professing Christian Tried At The Bar Of God’s Word; And Some Free Thoughts On The Character Of The Happy Man.” Published in 1755.
Case 9. Is it presumptuous for a person to hope he has an interest in Christ, when he sees little or nothing in himself except reason to doubt and question it?
This question came to me in almost these very words; and upon an attentive view of its nature and design, I could not but apprehend that a distinct solution of it would have a great tendency to convince the presumptuous, and encourage the fearful. Some presumptuously endeavour to persuade themselves that they have an interest in Christ, that their sins are pardoned, and that their state is safe; and so they deceive themselves to the ruin of their souls. Nothing is more dangerous than such a presumptuous hope, because it is a strong barrier in the way of receiving that conviction of their sin and misery that is necessary to drive them out of themselves and their sins, to Jesus Christ. On the other hand, some are as much afraid of receiving the true hope of the Gospel, lest they be guilty of presuming upon Christ and the promises, when they have no right to either — and nothing is more uncomfortable, distressing, and deterring, than the prevalence of such a fear. It must be acknowledged to be a very difficult matter to steer the right course between these two extremes. For some abuse the freeness of the Gospel by imagining that, since Christ and his grace are entirely free, they therefore have nothing to do but cast away all their suspicions, and positively and absolutely believe that Christ is theirs. While a serious person, being sensible that there is such a thing as a false, vain hope, is therefore very reluctant to embrace the glad tidings of salvation in Christ for himself. He makes the sight he has of his own vileness, unworthiness, and pollution, a bar in the way of his hope, because he can see nothing in himself to ground it upon. The fearful soul reasons in this manner: “It is certainly presumption in all cases to believe without evidence; and no sort of persuasion can be more dangerous than a groundless belief of an interest in Christ. And since I have no ground in myself to believe in or hope for this, I must therefore never venture to apply Christ to myself until I can see and feel some solid evidences in myself, of a work of true grace in my soul.” Thus the serious person argues against himself, and prevents himself from embracing Christ as a free Saviour. It is in this view, and with this difficulty in the mind, that the present question seems to be put: “Wouldn’t it be presumptuous for me to hope concerning an interest, when I know and feel that I am so guilty and corrupt, and can see nothing in me except what tends to dampen a hope of this kind?” A direct and immediate answer to this question cannot be given; for we cannot positively say in all cases, that this is either presumptuous, or it isn’t. This is because that hope which we endeavour to receive, encourage, and maintain, may in one case be the false hope of a hypocrite; and in another case, it may be the struggling of the spirit of faith, in opposition to the fears and doubts suggested by the power and prevalence of unbelief.
That I might carry this matter so as not to encourage a false hope, nor discourage a true one, I would mention the cases in which such hope is presumptuous, and under each particular, as I proceed, I would show in what cases this hope is such that it may and ought to be entertained and encouraged.
1. It is presumptuous to persuade yourself of an interest in Christ, when you have no real, hearty concern about it. Perhaps your soul makes it a very light matter to believe in Christ, or to believe that he is your own. You can easily and calmly persuade yourself into this opinion. You don’t care much about the matter, having never had a real, heart-impressive sense of your guilt, danger, pollution, and need of an interest in Jesus. You only persuade yourself that all is well with you because God is merciful, and Christ is free; and you entertain this opinion on purpose to make yourself feel easier and more satisfied with where you are. This is certainly a presumptuous hope. Whoever receives and maintains it, is in the utmost danger of deceiving and ruining his own soul.
But this seems very different from the case of someone who considers this question with proper seriousness and concern. Your soul, in considering the query, looks at it as a matter of the greatest importance. You would give all the world to be certain of an interest in the atoning blood, justifying righteousness, and sanctifying grace of Christ. Your heart is set upon these things. But because you cannot arrive at this comfortable satisfaction, you therefore hang your head down, and go about mourning all day in darkness and fear.
You concerned souls, remember for your encouragement, that if you really desire, and cannot be satisfied without, the blood of Christ for your pardon, the righteousness of Christ for your justification, and the Spirit of Christ for your purification — then under this concern and these desires, you may apply yourselves to Christ, and apply Christ to yourselves, without any danger of presuming. This is because you may be sure that the grace of Christ is so free, that if a whole Christ is welcome to you, then you are welcome to Christ and all his salvation.
2. It is presumptuous to persuade yourself of an interest in Christ if the persuasion is contrary to the tenor of your conduct.1 If you are profane in your words, immoral in your practice, or indulge some secret iniquity in your heart, then surely in this case, it must be daring presumption for you to persuade yourself of an interest in the favour of God, and the salvation of Christ — for Christ is not, and cannot be, the minister of sin.It is a presumption of the same nature mentioned in Micah,
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Footnote:
1 Tenor: a settled, prevailing or habitual course of a person’s life.
“The heads of it judge for reward, and the priests of it teach for hire, and the prophets of it divine for money; yet will they lean upon the Lord, and say,‘Isn’t the Lord among us? No evil can come upon us.’” (Mic 3.11) See here, that there is such a thing as leaning on the Lord in the love and practice of sin; but it is a very presumptuous trust.
But if you are, and really desire to be, conscientious in your conduct, circumspect in your behaviour, and to be found walking blameless in all the statutes and ordinances of the Lord, hating every false way; and you come to Christ for strength against sin, and for grace to purify your heart and life, as well as for the removal of your guilt — then this is a desire that ought to be promoted, and a hope in Christ that ought to be encouraged.
3. It is presumptuous to persuade yourself of an interest in Christ if the persuasion is contrary to the conviction of your own conscience. This point in some measure coincides with the former. But I mention it so I might take the occasion to explain a text, and obviate a difficulty which has perplexed some serious minds. The passage referred to is 1Joh 3.20-21. “If our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and knows all things. Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, then we have confidence toward God.” The difficulty drawn from these words is to this effect. The distressed soul speaks this way:
“In how many things does my heart condemn me? What backwardness to duty, what deadness and inactivity in the ways of God my heart convinces me of and condemns me for! I have these and many, many more things to lay to my own charge! How then can I have any confidence towards God? Or how can I dare to hope in him, or depend upon him for pardon and salvation?”
To this I reply, if your conscience condemns you, as to the secret indulgence of, and delight in, any particular known sin, or as to the voluntary, stated, allowed omission of any known duty; and you endeavour to stifle these convictions, and suppress or silence these rebukes of conscience by attempting to persuade yourself that Christ is yours; this is indeed truly and awfully presumptuous. In this case, your own conscience forbids you to think that you have an interest in Christ, and it plainly tells you that in this state and frame of soul you have no part or lot in these matters. Oh, do not attempt to stifle, silence, or suppress these convictions! Rather, yield to them, and pray that God would fasten them upon your spirit, and that he would not let them subside; that he would continue and fix them, so that you might no longer lie asleep in sin, but may fly to Jesus Christ for pardon and purification! And take it for granted that so long as you maintain a voluntary love for, and delight in, any particular sin which your conscience condemns you for, that is how long your soul and Jesus Christ are parted asunder.
But how very different is this from the case of someone whose great, whose chief desire, is to be delivered from the power and practice of every sin; who sees and laments the corruption of his nature, the deadness of his frame, and the carnality of his heart; and who would gladly hope concerning an interest in Christ for his deliverance from these spiritual evils! And if this is the real temper of your soul, do not say,“My heart condemns me, and how can I have confidence towards God?” Rather say,
“My conscience does not condemn me as to any allowed guile or indulged iniquity. For it is the real desire of my soul, that God would search me, and try me, and see if there is any wicked way in me. And therefore, I may with humble confidence go to God in Christ for pardoning and cleansing grace.”
4. It is presumptuous to persuade ourselves of an interest in Christ, if the hope is contrary to the proposal of Christ in the gospel. This thought will be found a particular turning point with respect to the nature of our hope. If our souls fly to and receive Christ as he is proposed in the Gospel to us, then the hope arising from this is such that it ought to be encouraged, because it will not make us ashamed. But if we do not apply to and receive Christ under those characters,1 and for those blessings which the gospel displays, then there is an essential flaw in our hope. For the Christ we hope in, is not the Christ of God. Give me leave here just to mention three important particulars concerning the view in which the Gospel proposes Christ, and true faith receives Him; namely,
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Footnotes:
(1.) As a free Saviour.
(2.) As the only Saviour.
(3.) As a complete Saviour.
(1.) As a free Saviour. Some persons, in their first application to Christ, endeavour to persuade themselves of an interest in him because they think they have something in themselves, or have done something by themselves, that will recommend them to his regard. They seek after this, and can never think they have a right to lay hold of him until they can find something of his nature in them. And thus they hope in him not as a free, but as a conditional Saviour. Now, if this is the first ground of your hope, then it is a proud and therefore a false or suspicious hope. Whereas, every soul who hopes in Christ rightly, sees himself as utterly unworthy of, and unprepared for Christ, and so he runs to him as an entirely free Saviour. Now, if you see and feel you are utterly unworthy, guilty, weak, and polluted, and have nothing in yourself to hope in, but endeavour to hope in Christ as a free Saviour, this endeavour is by no means presumptuous. See here, how completely the scale is turned from what unbelief would suggest. A discouraged, distressed person, is apt to think it is presumptuous for him to hope about an interest in Christ, unless he sees or can find something within himself to encourage that expectation. Whereas, if he imagined anything within himself as the ground of his encouragement, then this very circumstance tends to render the whole of it suspicious. Is it presumptuous to receive a free gift, to plead a free promise, to come upon a free invitation, or to build upon a free foundation? Surely not. Whereas, if you are determined to force a condition upon Christ, or to come to him with a price in your hands,2 that is what Christ will reject and disdain.
(2.) As the only Saviour. If you hope you have an interest in Christ, but you don’t make him the whole of your salvation, and would add your own duties, righteousness, qualifications, or attainments, then this will be found to be a false or suspicious hope. But if you trust in him alone, casting aside all your own strength and righteousness as bearing any share in your justification, then the language of your heart corresponds with the sentiments of the pious Psalmist whose soul was built upon a right foundation: Psa 62.5,“My soul, wait only upon God; for my expectation is from him.” And if you can heartily say, as in the next verse,“He alone is the rock of my salvation,” then you may add what immediately follows,“He is my defence; I shall not be moved.”
(3.) As a complete Saviour. Christ and his salvation are entirely free; but if any condition is allowable, it is this: if you would have Christ, you must have a whole Christ; if you would have salvation, you must have a complete salvation. Christ is not divided, nor his salvation. If you are for only half a Christ — for his righteousness and blood to pardon and justify you, but not
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Footnotes:
1 Characters: the marks or characteristics of gospel truth, which include our sinfulness, God’s’ justice, our inability, God’s grace, Christ’s atoning sacrifice, and our faith in Him alone. Pike will now focus on our perception of who Christ is, as the measure of our understanding of gospel truth. – WHG
2 That is, to pay for or merit your salvation, as if the gift were owed to you, and was not of grace. (Rom 4.4) – WHG
for his Spirit and grace to renew and sanctify you — your hope in him is false and dangerous. But if it is your desire and aim to receive him whole and entire; to receive his doctrines, instructions, and illuminations as a prophet; to receive his righteousness and merit as a priest; and to receive or submit to his government and sin-subduing grace as a king, then you need not fear to hope in him.
Thus, as Christ stands in the Gospel under the character of a free and complete Saviour, and the only one, we are to hope in him accordingly. Once more,
5. It is presumptuous to persuade ourselves of an interest in Christ, if the persuasion is contrary to the designs of the Gospel and its promises. These designs may be briefly expressed thus: to humble the sinner, to glorify the Saviour, to purify the heart, and to comfort the soul. Now then, do you endeavour to hope concerning an interest in Jesus Christ? Then ask your soul what your design is in this attempt and endeavour. Is it to have your state safe, and your conscience easy in the way of sin? Is it that you may be rendered able to justify yourself in part by your own righteousness, or to sanctify yourself by your own strength? Is it to gratify your pride, so that you may be able to make such a profession, or to perform such services, as may make your name honourable? If such things as these are the motives for your desire and endeavour to know your interest in Christ, they are all detestable and destructive.
But if your desire to have, and to know that you have, an interest in Christ are motives such as these: that you may be more spiritual in your frame; enjoy holy consolation in your soul; be purer in heart and life; may live more entirely upon Christ for righteousness and strength; may be humble in yourself and exalted only in Christ’s grace and righteousness; may be able to honour Christ more, serve him better, and have more strength for and delight in spiritual duties — then surely such endeavours, such desires, and such hopes, are lawful, and laudable, and they are by no means presumptuous. You may see little in yourself but reasons to doubt and question your interest. Yet, with such views and desires as these, don’t be afraid to lay hold of Christ for yourself, and to lay a humble claim to him. You will find that nothing will be more helpful to regulate your ways, to subdue your sins, to strengthen you for duty, and to render you capable in every way to glorify Christ (which are the very things you desire), than a real hope and hearty belief that Christ is yours, and you are his.
But perhaps you will still be ready to ask,“How can I hope or believe that I have an interest in Christ, when I have no evidence in myself to prove it?” I answer, this is only an abstract argument, which is urged by carnal reason, to promote discouraging unbelief, and hinder a Gospel hope. Is there no such thing as hoping against hope? Isn’t Christ set before you as the only Saviour, as a complete Saviour, and as an entirely free Saviour? Then look into the proposals and promises of the Gospel. And in them, not in yourself, you will find sufficient ground to encourage your application to Christ, and your application of Him to yourself, for your consolation, sanctification, and salvation.
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