Shaking of Things Made,
And Firmness of Things Given part 3
J. C. Philpot
IV. We pass on to the fourth
point–the way in which the kingdom is held fast. I adopt the marginal
reading, which is often most correct, and certainly best here: "We
receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us hold fast grace."
There is a holding fast grace, as the Lord speaks to the church of
Philadelphia: "Hold fast that which thou hast, that no man take thy
crown." "Hold fast," says the apostle, "that which is good." If we hold
fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope "firm unto the end."
So here–"let us hold fast grace." Why? Because if we have grace, though
we receive a kingdom which cannot be shaken, yet we shall find many,
very many things, which will try that grace, and seem as though they
would take it utterly away. The same grace, then, whereby the kingdom is
received is needful to hold that kingdom fast. The same favour of God
that bestowed the gift is needful to retain the gift; and the same
blessed Spirit who brings the kingdom into the soul must maintain that
kingdom which He has set up.
Here is the mystery; here comes the trial of faith. The soul says, "Have
I not received Christ? Was there not a time, a blessed time in my
experience, when He was manifested to me? Then I received Him as the
Christ of God. I felt Him precious, and He was near and dear to my
heart. But now He is gone; His presence is not enjoyed; the
manifestations of His love are withheld." Now, what need of faith to
believe that the Lord did reveal Himself! Unbelief says, "It was all a
delusion." Infidelity whispers, "It was all mere excitement of the
natural mind." Doubts suggest themselves; fears begin to work;
misgivings haunt the soul; Satan distresses the mind; and all well-nigh
seems gone.
Now what do we need? Grace, and especially the grace of faith to hold
fast what has been received. This is the fight, the conflict, the trial
of faith. In receiving, faith is as it were passive; but in holding
fast, it is active. There is no trial of faith in taking what God gives;
the trial is to keep it when sin and Satan would snatch it out of the
hand.
Some allow that grace is freely given, but that when given, it is, as it
were, self-sustaining. When I see a stone suspend itself in the air, I
shall credit the self-sustaining power of grace. Faith is said in
Scripture to be "of the operation of God;" and those who are kept, are
"kept by the power of God." The same grace which gave faith must
maintain faith. The same grace which inspired hope must maintain hope.
The same grace which shed abroad love must keep that love warm in the
heart. All is of grace from first to last. Did Satan never tempt you to
give up all, to abandon your profession, desert your place of worship,
resign your church membership, if you are a member of a church, and cast
away your very hope? But why have you not done all this? You would have
done so if God had not given you grace to withstand the temptation. Have
you not been tempted to plunge into sin? Have you not been tempted a
thousand times to believe that there was nothing done in your soul by
the power of God? What has kept you so long to the word of the
testimony, to the throne of mercy, to hearing the truth, to a profession
of the holy name of Jesus? Grace. As Paul says: "By the grace of God I
am what I am." Now what is the main point? To believe in spite of
unbelief; to hope in spite of despondency; to love in spite of coldness
and even enmity; to pray though no answer come; to hear, though rarely
blessed; to search the Scriptures, though you rarely find comfort in
them. Here is the trial of faith, still to go on faint yet pursuing, and
holding fast by grace that which grace has bestowed.
V. But see the fruits and effects which spring out of all this. The
child of God cannot always, nor often, see his own grace; he can see it
in others, and they may see it in him; but he seems more ready to
believe in the reality of their religion than of his own. Why is this?
Because there is so much in him opposed to grace; and looking at this,
he says, "Can I have grace? Should I be what I am'? Should I act as I
do'? Would my heart be so carnal and sensual? Would my lusts and
passions be so strong? Would my temptations be so powerful, had I
grace'?" Here then to help poor doubters we need some marks and
evidences of the inward possession of grace. Two are specially mentioned
here–"Reverence and godly fear." Can you not find these sister graces in
your heart? Have you no reverence towards God? When you come before Him
in secret prayer is there no reverence of His Great Majesty? Here is a
mark of grace. Does it never wound your heart to hear God's name
blasphemed? Is presumption a sin which you very much dread? Would you be
anything sooner than be a hypocrite? Do you see and feel the infinite
disparity between you, a vile and polluted sinner, and Him, a pure and
holy Jehovah?
And have you no godly fear? Fear of offending the great God of heaven?
Search and sound your heart to the bottom, and see if there be not godly
fear working in your soul. If you have backslidden, is there no
contrition, sorrow, repentance? These are the fruits of godly fear; and
God is served acceptably when He is served reverently, and when godly
fear is in exercise. If you have one grain of holy reverence, one spark
of godly fear, you are a Christian, a child of God, an heir of glory,
and have received a kingdom which cannot be moved.
But you say, and I say with you–"Would to God I were more spiritual,
heavenly-minded, and that my heart was more set on things above where
Jesus sits at the right hand of God." Well, these things are very
desirable. I can speak for myself and some of you, that we have enjoyed
these things and felt their sweet reality. But we are not always nor
often here. We have an earthly heart, a corrupt flesh which lusts
against the Spirit, so that we cannot do the things that we would. Still
with all this there may be in a child of God features and marks of
grace. Now just trace out if you can the work of grace upon your soul,
and see whether there be not a chain with these several links. First a
shaking; then a removing; then a receiving; then a holding fast; then a
serving God from whom all these come with reverence and godly fear–five
precious links and all closely joined together.
Thus grace reigns through righteousness unto eternal life, and all
redounds to the praise, honour and glory of a triune Jehovah.
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