85. Is the process of receiving full salvation the same in all cases?
It is essentially the same: submission and faith. All is consecrated, and faith in Christ is exercised. In all cases there must be a practical recognition of divine authority, by unreserved submission to God, and appropriating faith in the merit and power of Christ. These are absolutely necessary to being sanctified wholly, body, soul, and spirit.
The links in the chain of God's order in human salvation are: 1st, conviction; 2d, submission; 3d, faith; 4th, the work of the Spirit.
The order must be seen to be natural, reasonable, and scriptural. If one of these links be wanting, the work must be defective. We may not always note these different steps, yet they are taken in every genuine sanctification. Their connection is so intimate, and the transition is so natural, and may be so rapid as not always to be noticeable by us; and we do not say that we must always note these steps and distinguish one from another. The rapidity with which the mind may pass from conviction to the act of consecration, and to faith, and then realize that the blood cleanses, is probably the cause of the confusion which some minds experience in distinguishing between these several steps.
"The conditions on which God will do this work are fixed and unalterable," says Rev. Benjamin T. Roberts. "God is not like some merchants, who will sell their goods to a reluctant customer at a lower price than to one who must have them; but, like the laws of nature, 'without variableness or shadow of turning.' " Earnest Christian, 1861.
86. Is any certain amount of feeling or emotion necessary in seeking purity?
The Bible presents no particular standard of feeling to which all must come. Our temperaments will have much to do with our feelings. It is not necessary that all should have the same amount of feeling, in order to seek either justification or sanctification. All must be brought, not to the same degree of emotion, but to entire submission to God, to the terms of salvation, and the consequences that may follow. We should never place too much dependence upon the mere matter of feeling. All the feelings which God requires are such as naturally and necessarily exist in connection with constant and entire consecration of every power to his service. Those mistake exceedingly who make direct efforts to produce feelings or emotions otherwise than those which naturally arise in the faithful discharge of duty.
87. Do deep convictions for holiness sometimes obscure for the time, the light of present justification?
Doubtless this is often the case. It commonly happens that a Christian earnestly seeking fill salvation, comes to the conclusion that he really has much less grace than he thought he had. Sometimes the person seeking holiness will cast his confidence away altogether, and conclude he was deceived, and had never been born again. This is an error, and should be carefully guarded against. It is often the case that such find so much sin remaining in them, and the corruptions of their hearts, by being restrained and opposed, become so chaffed and apparent, that they do not perceive the evidence of the grace they have received.
88. Are the convictions of the sinner seeking pardon, and of the believer seeking entire holiness, the same?
They materially differ. The penitent sinner is convicted of guilt, of condemnation, of the divine displeasure, and his need of pardon. Those of the believer seeking purity, are convictions of inward depravity, unlikeness to God, and his need of cleansing. They produce pain and shame, but not condemnation.
Mr. Wesley says: "The repentance consequent upon justification is widely different from that which is antecedent to it. This implies no guilt, no sense of condemnation, no consciousness of the wrath of God. It does not suppose any doubt of the favor of God, or any 'fear that hath torment.' It is properly a conviction, wrought by the Holy Ghost, of the sin which still remains in our heart; of the carnal mind, which 'does still remain (as our church speaks) even in them that are regenerate,' although it does no longer reign; it has not now dominion over them." -- Sermons, vol. ii. p. 389.
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