HE THAT BELIEVETH
"He that believeth on the Son hath the witness in himself." (I John 5:10.)
Here we see that we first believe, and by so doing receive the witness. Then why should we seek after the witness? Why not just believe God? As He has said, "By faith ye are saved," the
"He that believeth on the Son hath the witness in himself." (I John 5:10.)
Here we see that we first believe, and by so doing receive the witness. Then why should we seek after the witness? Why not just believe God? As He has said, "By faith ye are saved," the
Blood washes sins away for the one who believes. You never can feel, you never can see, you never can know, you never will have the witness, until you fully believe. We are saved by faith, we are not saved by the witness, neither are we saved by knowledge. Knowledge comes through faith; the witness comes by faith. Faith is the key that unlocks the great treasure-house and gives us access to all that God has in store for us.
Certainly God would not thrust His children out upon the great rugged sea of life without chart, map or compass. You will know when you are saved, but mark it! you will first believe. "Because he trusted in Thee," not because he felt in Thee, not because he saw in Thee, but because he believed. "Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen."
Will you know when you believe? John says, "He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness."
I went to see an intelligent young lady who was about ready to sail as a missionary. She looked up out of her streaming eyes, and said to me, "Oh, why can I not get the witness? I do not want to be deceived; I do not want to be mistaken; I want to know it." We opened the Bible where we had 1 John 5:10 fenced in with red ink and pointed our index finger at the verse and she read, "He that believeth -- " We stopped her and said, "You must not read it that way; read it, 'He that
feeleth.'" She said, "Mr. Harney, the Bible says, 'He that believeth.'" We said to her, "Are you not seeking knowledge, feelings?" She saw the point, jumped to her feet, ran back into the church, throwing her arms around her father, shouting, "I have the blessing!" How did she receive the blessing? By faith, and that is the only way one can get it, for that is God's way, and "he that climbeth up some other way is a thief and a robber."
Joshua had to shout before the walls fell; at the Jordan Israel had to step in before the waters opened up. Why? Israel had been brought out of Egypt through the Red Sea and had been taken care of by the Lord, They were His and His must believe without any signs.
A young man came to the altar one night in a Southern camp-meeting and said, "Brother Harney, tell me how to get saved, I have been bothered for years." We told him, we read the parts of the Bible to him that clearly point out the way. He arose, seemingly without any emotion, and turning to the congregation, said, "I am saved." A good old local preacher came up to him, saying, "You are mistaken; you are deceived. You can not be saved, for when I got saved I shouted all over the camp-ground, and you have not shouted one bit." The young man said, "I have done what God has shown me to do, and I am believing that He saves me just now." The local preacher's wife said, on their way home, "Young man, I feel badly for you, and I felt badly for you tonight, for I am persuaded that you are hood-winked, misled, When I got saved I shouted for about two or three hours." The next morning the old local preacher met the young man at the post-office and said, "How are you feeling by this time?" The young man answered, "I am believing still that God saves me now. I have done all He has shown me to do. What else could I do but trust Jesus Christ, and I purpose to do that." The good old local preacher said, "You are mistaken. I tell you when you get salvation you will shout." That night when he came into the tabernacle the local preacher's wife met him and said, "Have you not got the witness yet? Do you not feel that you are saved?" He looked calmly into her face and said, "I believe that God saves me now. There has been no great emotion, no great joy, but I am simply trusting God. As I have said to you before, I repeat, I have done all the Holy Ghost has shown me, and if He shows me anything else I will gladly do it."
Certainly God would not thrust His children out upon the great rugged sea of life without chart, map or compass. You will know when you are saved, but mark it! you will first believe. "Because he trusted in Thee," not because he felt in Thee, not because he saw in Thee, but because he believed. "Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen."
Will you know when you believe? John says, "He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness."
I went to see an intelligent young lady who was about ready to sail as a missionary. She looked up out of her streaming eyes, and said to me, "Oh, why can I not get the witness? I do not want to be deceived; I do not want to be mistaken; I want to know it." We opened the Bible where we had 1 John 5:10 fenced in with red ink and pointed our index finger at the verse and she read, "He that believeth -- " We stopped her and said, "You must not read it that way; read it, 'He that
feeleth.'" She said, "Mr. Harney, the Bible says, 'He that believeth.'" We said to her, "Are you not seeking knowledge, feelings?" She saw the point, jumped to her feet, ran back into the church, throwing her arms around her father, shouting, "I have the blessing!" How did she receive the blessing? By faith, and that is the only way one can get it, for that is God's way, and "he that climbeth up some other way is a thief and a robber."
Joshua had to shout before the walls fell; at the Jordan Israel had to step in before the waters opened up. Why? Israel had been brought out of Egypt through the Red Sea and had been taken care of by the Lord, They were His and His must believe without any signs.
A young man came to the altar one night in a Southern camp-meeting and said, "Brother Harney, tell me how to get saved, I have been bothered for years." We told him, we read the parts of the Bible to him that clearly point out the way. He arose, seemingly without any emotion, and turning to the congregation, said, "I am saved." A good old local preacher came up to him, saying, "You are mistaken; you are deceived. You can not be saved, for when I got saved I shouted all over the camp-ground, and you have not shouted one bit." The young man said, "I have done what God has shown me to do, and I am believing that He saves me just now." The local preacher's wife said, on their way home, "Young man, I feel badly for you, and I felt badly for you tonight, for I am persuaded that you are hood-winked, misled, When I got saved I shouted for about two or three hours." The next morning the old local preacher met the young man at the post-office and said, "How are you feeling by this time?" The young man answered, "I am believing still that God saves me now. I have done all He has shown me to do. What else could I do but trust Jesus Christ, and I purpose to do that." The good old local preacher said, "You are mistaken. I tell you when you get salvation you will shout." That night when he came into the tabernacle the local preacher's wife met him and said, "Have you not got the witness yet? Do you not feel that you are saved?" He looked calmly into her face and said, "I believe that God saves me now. There has been no great emotion, no great joy, but I am simply trusting God. As I have said to you before, I repeat, I have done all the Holy Ghost has shown me, and if He shows me anything else I will gladly do it."
The third night, just before we preached, the Spirit led us to sing, "I can, I will, I do believe." We said, "Let us give God a wave offering." All pulled out their handkerchiefs and stood on their feet, and we waved and sang repeatedly, "I can, I will, I do believe." All at once this young man jumped up on top of his seat, waving his handkerchief and shouted, "I am saved, glory to God!" He came jumping down the aisle shouting aloud, "Jesus saves me!" He was saved by faith. The shouting was only the outward manifestation of the inner joy.
Is not that what God says? Did not God say we are saved by faith through grace? When we believe, we are saved. You cannot receive the witness until after you have believed. You must first believe, for we are saved by faith through grace. When we believe, great peace flows into our heart. A stability of character takes hold upon us and we are anchored in the haven of rest.
Our Prayer:
O Lord, for Jesus' sake, for our sake, for Thy Word's sake, for the Spirit's sake, who gives us light, help Thou us to believe! Help Thou us to trust Thee! May we not waver as the waves of the sea. Keep Thou us from being unsteady and unstable, root us and ground us, give us anchorage, assist us, that our faith in Thee may bring us through to Thy glory and honor. Forbid we should doubt Thee! Oh, may we, Thy children, not dishonor Thee by doubting, but may we step out upon Thy promises, knowing that Thou carest for us! Hear us and give unto us an increase of faith.
No comments:
Post a Comment