Tuesday, June 2, 2009

Why we trust Him



...we trust him because of the evident truthfulness of his character. We have read the four evangelists through, and we find him scorning every subterfuge. His character seems to us to be resplendent with truth. We think that no exaggeration was used when it was said, “And we beheld his glory, the glory of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.” Our Lord seems to us to be the most tender of men, and the most truthful of men, too. We cannot believe that he would lie. Moreover, when we consider him to be God we understand that God cannot lie, and we feel inclined to think that every promise he has given will be kept, and that if he undertakes to save, heaven and earth may pass away, but he will do what he has promised.

Now we think this is a good reason for our confidence if there were no other. Could we suspect the Savior we should find it difficult to trust him; but as we cannot imagine a cause for suspecting him, we (and oh that you may be brought to the same pass!) feel shut up to believing him, and when he says, “Come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest,” we trust him, and we get rest, and we believe that if you trust him you will get rest too. Millions of spirits before the throne all bear witness to the trustworthiness of Christ. He did not fail one of them - Mary Magdalen or the thief on the cross, or Saul of Tarsus, or even blaspheming Peter - they have all found him able to save to the uttermost them that come unto God by him. And we therefore believe him because of his nature, and of the trustfulness of his character.

From a sermon entitled "Joy And Peace In Believing," delivered May 20, 1866. Image by Paulo Brandão under Creative Commons License.

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